Page 74 of Smooth Sailing

“So you’re…at odds with Eightball and Muzzle now?”

“It ain’t cross purposes we’re at. It’s just the endgame doesn’t match.”

“Oh. All right,” she muttered, sounding confused.

“Don’t worry about it. Focus on you. The decision about dinner with your dad. And Suzette.”

She emitted a shocked little laugh before she asked, “Dinner with Dad?”

“This is what I know, Di. Life goes on. Suzette is important. And that’s important. You threw a man a lifeline yesterday. Don’t lose focus and let him drown.”

Her eyes started to get bright, she sniffed rough, then nodded.

“You good?”

She nodded again.

But she said, “No more than seventeen, Hug.”

“Yeah,” he whispered.

Her lip trembled, she clamped down on it with her teeth, let it go, sniffed again, rougher this time, and squared her shoulders.

And that right there was why he knew he could take the risk.

That right there was what he knew yesterday, but didn’t trust.

Now, he had no choice but to trust.

He let her go, took her hand and led her back to the huddle.

“You got everything we need?” he asked Eight.

“Sure fuckin’ do,” Eight answered.

Hugger was beginning to get a new appreciation for the men of Resurrection.

Maybe, even if it still wasn’t his to do, he could forgive.

But now, he had to work beside him at the same time thwarting his purpose.

That was going to be tricky.

Diana took his mind off it by squeezing his hand. “Can we go? I want to get back to Suzette.”

“We can go, babe,” he told her.

“Nice to meet you, kinda,” she said to Mace, and added, “No offense on the kinda part.”

“Nice to meet you too, Diana,” Mace replied.

“See you for dinner,” she said to Eight.

“You bet, sweetheart,” Eight replied.

Hugger guided her to his bike.

He got on.

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