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had to do.”

“I feel like you checked out too.” His tone roughened. “But please, cookie…don’t live your whole life like that. If I didn’t have Viv…” He cleared his throat. “Don’t let it keep you from caring about people. You don’t want to be alone for the rest of your life because you’re afraid of getting hurt.”

Her face flamed. This was so personal and she felt so vulnerable, talking about this in front of her whole family. She wanted to deny what he said. But she couldn’t.

“That’s what I was trying to say earlier,” Becca added softly. “When we were talking about Levi.”

“Levi,” Viv murmured. She squeezed Sloane’s hand. But she seemed to know that Sloane was on overload at that point. “I’m going to start dinner. Who wants to help?”

“I’ll help.” Sloane rose too and followed Viv to the kitchen, leaving Dad and Becca and Eric to talk.

The food preparation gave them a different focus, took some pressure off Sloane, who wasn’t sure she wanted to think about the painful advice Dad had just given her.

“I was happy when you and Dad got together,” she said to Viv as she snapped asparagus spears. “I really was.”

“I know.” Viv sliced beef into thin strips.

They both focused on their tasks and somehow that made it easier.

“And I didn’t blame you for Dad having to declare Mom dead.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” Viv murmured. “I told him he didn’t have to do that. I wanted to marry him, but I would have been just as happy if we lived together without being legally married. I just…loved him and wanted to be with him.”

“Really?” Sloane looked up. “You told him that?”

“Yes. I know he agonized over it. But she’d been gone so long, and most people thought she couldn’t be alive.”

“I know.” Sloane bent her head again. “Even though I hoped, I really thought she was dead too. Because otherwise, why wouldn’t she come back?” Hurt burned through her once more.

“I kind of hate her for what she did to you.”

Again Sloane’s head snapped up.

“But I’m trying to be forgiving and understanding,” Viv continued. “I’m sure she’s not well. No woman in her right mind would leave three beautiful children like you. She couldn’t help herself.”

“That’s what I’m trying to tell myself too.”

“You can put the asparagus in that bowl and drizzle a little olive oil over it.”

Sloane scooped up the asparagus.

“I’m also a little angry at this Levi guy,” Viv added. “For breaking up with you.”

Sloane sighed. “It was my fault. I screwed up. I’m no good at relationships.”

“I don’t think you’ve ever given yourself a chance to try.”

Sloane nodded. She unscrewed the lid of the bottle of olive oil. “Even with you. I’m sorry, Viv.”

“Don’t be sorry. You can’t make yourself feel things. Your feelings are what they are. Sometimes it just takes time to sort through them and figure things out and let your head and your heart come together.”

“You’re so nice,” Sloane choked out. “And smart.”

Viv laughed. “Eh, I don’t know. I wasn’t so nice the other day when Hazel Green asked if I’d put on weight.”

Chapter Twenty-Three

Levi had holed up in his condo the rest of Saturday, lying on his couch watching TV, going from E! True Hollywood Story to Ice Road Truckers to Mythbusters. He didn’t really care what he watched as long it stopped him from thinking about Sloane.

As if that was even possible.

What the fuck was the deal with her mother? A gazillion questions scrambled his brain. It had sounded like she was alive. Who found her? Where was she? Why had she never come back? Dammit. Were they going to see her together? Was that why Becca and Eric were coming?

Time for beer. So what if it was only two in the afternoon. Maybe that would help. An hour later he ripped open a huge bag of potato chips. By six o’clock he was toasted.

Then he recalled the work he needed to get done by Monday. He and Scott were supposed to work this weekend. Shit.

His career had always been the most important thing to him. Now…it felt like Sloane was more important than his career. But that was apparently stupid because clearly he wasn’t important to her. And she was no longer in his life, which meant once again his career was his number one priority. He had to get his shit together and be ready for that presentation.

Sloane was going to be there. This was when he wanted to blow her stockings

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