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  Harry nodded.

  “So explain to me about ichthyology,” Min said, and for the next two hours, Harry did, while Min tried to be fascinated but mostly thought about ways to get Cal to touch her. Anywhere. She’d take a pat on the head. To start with. But even with the distraction of Cal, by the time they were finished with lunch, Min knew more about fish than she thought possible.

  “I may never eat seafood again,” Cal said, as he held the car door for her.

  “Yes, but if there’s any money in fish, Harry will support you in your old age,” Min said, trying to ignore how close he was, and got in.

  When Cal was in the car, too, Min said, “So, Harry, how you doing back there?”

  “Can I have a doughnut?” Harry said, looking woebegone again.

  “Harrison,” Cal said. “You are pushing it.”

  “Drive to Krispy Kreme,” Min told Cal, who rolled his eyes and drove.

  When they got there, the “Hot” sign was on, and Harry turned his owl eyes on Min. “Can I have two?”

  “Harry,” Cal said.

  “Yes,” Min said. “Today you can have two.”

  “This is a mistake,” Cal said, but he went inside with them and they drank milk and ate warm chocolate-iced glazed doughnuts and talked about fish, and Min remembered the picnic table and tried not to breathe faster. By the time Harry was done with his second doughnut, he didn’t look woebegone anymore.

  When they got back to the car, Cal said to Min, “You’re in the backseat.”

  “Okay,” Min said, and got in the backseat, not sure why she’d been banished. Maybe Cal had seen the lust in her eyes and was trying to protect himself.

  Harry looked happy as a clam riding shotgun for about five minutes. Then he turned green.

  “Yep,” Cal said and pulled over.

  Harry opened the door and lost two doughnuts and a pint of milk into the gutter.

  “Oh, honey,” Min said, wincing with guilt. “I’m sorry.”

  “It was worth it,” Harry said, wiping his mouth. “And I kept the brat.”

  Cal passed him a bottle of Evian. “Rinse and spit. At least twice.”

  “Where’d you get that?” Min said while Harry rinsed and spat.

  “I bought it when I paid for the doughnuts,” Cal said. “I’ve been here before.”

  Harry sat back in his seat. “It’s pretty gross out there. Should I pour the rest of the water on it?”

  “Sure,” Cal said, and met Min’s eyes in the rearview mirror. “We Morriseys always wash out gutters with Evian.”

  “You people are pure class,” Min said.

  When they pulled into Harry’s driveway, which was a clone of Cal’s parents’ drive, Harry turned to Cal and said, “Thank you very much.”

  “You’re welcome, Harry,” Cal said.

  Then Harry leaned between the seats and whispered, “Thank you for the doughnuts.”

  “My pleasure,” Min whispered back, and then she leaned closer and whispered in his ear, “I love you, Harry.”

  He grinned at her, and then shot a superior look at his uncle.

  “Harrison, if you’re making time with my girl, you’re in big trouble,” Cal said.

  Harry grinned wider and got out of the car. “See ya,” he said and slammed the door.

  “He’s a little young for you, don’t you think?” Cal said, meeting her eyes in the rearview.

  Min swallowed. “Yes, but he’s a Morrisey. You can’t resist that charm.”

  “Yeah, I thought it was particularly charming the way he barfed in the gutter,” Cal said. “You going to move back up here with me?”

  “I kind of like it back here,” Min said, faking unconcern. “Home, Morrisey.”

  “Get your butt up here, Dobbs,” Cal said, and Min laughed and got out of the car.

  When she was in the front seat and Cal had pulled out of the driveway, she said, “Is he okay?”

  “Sure,” Cal said. “Harry’s used to throwing up.”

  “I mean about the game.”

  “Yeah,” Cal said. “It’ll come back to haunt him at odd moments from now on but he’ll handle it. He got rescued. The people around him told him he was fine. And Bink will handle it for him at home. It’s just tough when it’s your dad telling you that you’re stupid.”

  “Yeah,” Min said, hating Jefferson Morrisey with a passion. “How are you doing?”

  “Me? I’m fine.”

  “Good,” Min said, and took a deep breath. She’d been on simmer for way too long. She had him alone, it was time for a plan. The smart thing to do would be to get everything out in the open, beginning with telling him she knew about the bet, discuss it like adults, and then maybe she could jump him—

  “What?” Cal said into the silence.

  “What?” Min said, jerking back in guilt.

  “You went quiet,” Cal said. “Spill it.”

  “Oh.” Maybe a full frontal approach wasn’t the way to go. “Well,” Min said. “I was thinking . . .”

  “Uh huh,” Cal said.

  “. . . that we have some issues to, uh, settle. I think. I would like to settle them.”

  “Yes,” Cal said, sounding as if he didn’t have a clue what she was talking about but was willing to play along anyway.

  “Because I think . . . maybe . . . we could . . . you know . . . give this a shot,” she said. “If we talked.”

  Cal’s hands tightened on the wheel, but he kept his eyes on the road. “All right.”

  You’re not helping, Min thought. “Did you know that seventy-eight percent of couples keep secrets from each other?”

  “I wouldn’t be surprised,” Cal said.

  Min nodded.

  “You made that up, didn’t you?”

  “Yes,” Min said. “Although I bet it’s close. Is there something you’re not telling me? Something from . . .” She shrugged. “. . . oh, before you met me?”

  Cal didn’t say anything, and when she looked over he had that Oh, hell look on his face. “You already know,” he said, “or you wouldn’t ask.”

  “Well, yes,” Min said, every muscle she had tensing. Why’d you have to ask? All those people who say, “Just talk about it,” they’re idiots.

  “Min, it was years ago. My life was hell, and she was so great, and Reynolds was treating her like dirt—”

  What? Min thought, her stomach plummeting.

  Cal shook his head. “She’s a good person. I fell pretty hard.”

  “Oh,” Min said, and told herself, Next time be more specific about the confession you want, you dumbass.

  “Nothing happened, Min,” Cal said, glancing at her as he drove. “Bink isn’t a cheater, and as much as I want to smack my brother every time I see him, I wouldn’t do that to him. We just talked. A lot.”

  “Uh huh,” Min said, trying to sound bright and encouraging.

  “It was years ago,” Cal said. “She said I was the only person who didn’t care about her money. You’ve met her. You know what she’s like. She’s wonderful.”

  “Uh huh,” Min said. I’m going to kill myself now.

  “Are you okay?”

  Min turned to look at him and blurted, “Did you love her?”

  Cal slowed the car and Min thought, Oh, just hell, when will I learn not to ask what I don’t want to know?

  He pulled over and shut off the ignition and turned to her. “Yes.”

  “Oh.” Min nodded. “Okay. From now on, when I ask you something, just refuse to answer, okay?”

  “All right,” he said.

  “Do you still love her?” Min said.

  “Yes,” Cal said.

  “You don’t listen” Min said.

  “Min, it’s not like that. I haven’t been in love with her for a long time. I think we both saw where it was going and neither of us wanted that nightmare, and Reynolds starting paying attention to her again, and I dated other women, and over time, it went away.”

  “Not really,” Min said. “There’s s