Page 163 of Smooth Sailing

“I’m gonna.”

“Right, then in the meantime, don’t let that shit stand in the way when you find what you want. Hell, when you find what you deserve, man. Just don’t.”

“She lives in a different state, brother.”

“I’d follow Georgie to Kazakhstan if she had to move there for a posting, and I don’t even know where Kazakhstan is.”

Hugger chuckled, but he was surprised at hearing this.

“You would?”

“Definitely.”

“What about the Club?”

“Club’s not going anywhere. My patch will still stand. I’d just be wearing it in Kazakhstan.”

At that, Hugger felt the sun scorching at his neck and he wondered if he could put up with it for a long haul.

“Thanks, Dutch. This was cool.”

“Anytime, you hear that?’

“Yeah.”

“No really, Hug. You hear that?”

The heat came back to his gut and his voice was low when he said, “Yeah, Dutch. I heard it.”

“You got a lotta love, brother. You just gotta open yourself up to us giving it.”

That was when Hugger dropped his head.

And he repeated, “Yeah.”

“Good to let you go?”

Hugger lifted his head. “Come up for dinner if you’re patrolling the complex. Diana would be pissed you were close and she didn’t feed you.”

“Tell me the time, I’ll be there.”

“Gotcha. Later, brother. And thanks again.”

“My pleasure. See you tonight.”

They disconnected, and before he could talk himself out of it, he made another call.

He put the phone to his ear, listened to it ring twice, and then he heard the connection.

“About time,” Tack said.

“I need something, brother, but I don’t know what I need,” Hugger admitted.

“You good with me seein’ to that with your brothers?”

“No, but it’s time.”

“Why the no?”

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