“You know what sucks the most?” Lara whispered.“What?”“I thought I had something real with Pete. I thought he was someone real. It wasn’t ...ike with James, or like Ronnie. Me and Pete, we shared a lot of things, things I’ve only ever shared with the two of you. I let him in, you know? Made a connection ... That’s why I don’t get this whole thing. I thought he felt it too.”“It is pretty strange,” Heather agreed.“Wow, how lucky that I didn’t end up giving him those pictures after all. Can you. ’ ‘Thank you, again. I’m honored.’ I flashed my biggest smile. I raised my glass in salute and she responded. ‘I’m afraid that just plain old Harry is all anyone calls me.’ ‘Didn’t your mother call you Harold when she got upset with you?’ ‘No, Harry is my full, proper name. Different, huh?’ She shrugged. She looked at her watch and I got the hint. ‘Time to go. We’re only five minutes from my car, so we’ll be in St. Tropez in plenty of time for your appointment.’ ‘Good. Let’s go. If my meeting. "Beer?" I said quickly."God, yes!" she blurted.I moved around to the refrigerator and pulled out a pair of bottles, glad for the distraction, and made somewhat of a production of opening them and passing one to her. We drank together, tilting the bottles up and taking large, gurgling pulls. The beer was suddenly wonderful: bitter, cold and refreshing. I hadn't realized how thirsty I was. Cindy seemed to feel the same, taking another quick gulp before sliding off the table and moving to gather. “Do you think it was this gang, or could it possibly have been Valentine from Judson still pissed about you kicking his ass on the field or all his subsequent problems?”The news of Rodney Valentine’s dismissal from the Judson Rockets football team sent shocks through the local sports media. Rodney Valentine was a highly-sought-after recruit for all the major college football powerhouses across the country. The media’s fascination with what happened soon quelled when neither anyone at Judson nor.