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She nodded, wincing. “I can’t say it was my best moment.”

A knock sounded again, and without thinking I opened it and blinked at the young man on my stoop.

“Can I help you?” I asked him.

He was young, maybe Attie’s age if not just a year or so older.

He was wearing blue jeans, a black polo shirt, works boots, and a Letterman jacket that declared him a member of the Kilgore Bulldogs.

His hair was cut in a military style, trim and neat.

His eyes were the color of muddy water, and they were completely and totally focused on Attie who was sitting on the couch staring at him in shock with her mouth open.

He was big, too. Oh, boy, was he big.

Bigger than Drew, big, and Drew was no slouch in that department.

Drew was six three and two hundred and eleven pounds. I’d seen a weigh in on the scale just this morning.

This boy, though, easily had fifty pounds on him.

And about five inches.

“Hello,” I called. “Can I help you?”

The boy’s eyes turned down to me, and he smiled.

“I’m Mace Turner,” he rumbled quietly. “I’m looking for her.”

He pointed at Attie, who squeaked and ran away, slamming the door to the bathroom in her haste.

“I’m not sure she wants to see you,” I told him carefully.

He laughed.

“Yeah,” he agreed. “She’ll want to see me. Just let her fix what she thinks is needing to be fixed. I’ll wait out here.”

I snorted and gestured to the couch.

“Have a seat, young man,” I gestured. “Can I interest you in some water?”

He pointed at the bottle I’d dropped earlier while talking to Drew.

“I have one of those,” he says. “Use it during football practice. Works awesome to mix up the protein powder or some PowerAde.”

I smiled, picking the bottle up.

“I have to do a review on it,” I said, placing it on the counter and walking to the kitchen cabinet.

“I don’t think you’re supposed to use that kind of stuff in it,” Mace said carefully.

I looked down at the Kool-Aid powder in my hand, then promptly stuck my tongue out at him.

“Beggars can’t be choosers,” I told him, taking the bottle, twisting the top off, then putting the powder into the top where the directions indicated.

Once I filled the bottle up with water, I replaced the lid, then watched as the button on the top depressed on its own, as the water infused with the powder, becoming the perfect consistency without me having to lift a finger.

“Sweet,” I hummed, popping the top and taking my first drink.