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"I have to talk to you About Joe"

"I thought we settled that," she said

"Yeah, I guess it’s pretty much settled for you," Paul said "Not quite settled for me Just forSee, I’ve known Joe a long time now and I’ve trusted hiuy I’ve seen hiuy I’ve never known him to treat a woman badly…"

"He didn’t treat me badly, Paul," she said softly

Paul let out a breath "Well, thank God That’s a relief I was afraid, I don’t know…Afraid I didn’t know hiht I did I mean, you were really upset--and then I found Joe to be just as upset to hear you left here in tears He wouldn’t tell me ent on between you two, but he insisted he hadn’t done anything to hurt you"

"It’s okay, Paul You can let this go"

"Good Because I just couldn’t stand to think he’d treat a wolad to know, finally he see hi better"

"Better?"

"Yeah, a little bit Trying to get over it Over you He was up here this weekend There were architectural plans he had to bringto build three of his houses Vanni told uess he had it pretty bad, but it’s not like Joe to bother a woman who doesn’t want to be bothered You’ll probably be shed of him pretty soon Maybe you already are"

"Oh," she said quietly "Good Then"

"I don’t exactly knohat has hie by now That you don’t want anything to do with hiize It’s not necessary," she said

Paul het some points with Vanni if he said he was sorry He said he couldn’t do that--he wasn’t sorry Just disappointed by how it turned out"

"I thought it was best," she said "After all, it was brief…"

"Yeah God forbid soave atohe neededa coet married, never have a family It was like I didn’t know him at all"

"I know, Nikki That was bad, I’uy A lie would turn into acid in histhe distance, he’d say so"

"It’s better this way Better to let it go now, before…I wouldn’t want to go through souess you knohat you’re doing Joe, he’s still a little roughed up, but he’ll get over it You probably know better than anyone how that feels, right? Trying to get over someone?" He lifted his eyebroard his wife

"Yes," Nikki said

"There you go He said we all have to ht? For hiet about you?"

"Yes," she said, her voice weak and quivering a little

"God, I hope you’re right about this, Nikki," he said "That this is a man to put behind you I did that once, you know Different circuainst Matt But I fell in love with Vanni so fast it was ridiculous No one would believe it--that I took one look at her and ht off I let her go, I wasn’t going to compete with my best friend for a woret that ten minutes later For years all I could think hy the hell didn’t I walk right up to them and say, ‘Out of my way, buddy--I saw her first!’"

Silence answered hiuess we don’t have much in common there, huh? There was no co with a rotten ht orth a daet away So I just hope you’re right…"

She whiht…"

"I think maybe the crazy fool loves you," Paul said

"That’s impossible," she said, but there were tears in her voice

"Nikki," Paul said softly "You said yes, right?"

"Of course I said yes," she sniffed "He didn’t force uy"

"Yeah, that’s what I’ You know, it’s probably none of my business, but it just doesn’t et over each other because so both of you wanted to happen But I guess you knohat you want And don’t want Huh?"

"I don’t want to get hurt again"

"I hear ya, Nikki I understand, I do You’ll be strong enough to take a chance again soood man There are probably abad happened"