I recognized the yellow Lab coming toward me before I realized Ben Frasier was two feet away from me.“Hey, Clem,” he said, throwing a ball for the dog to chase. “Never thought I’d see you out and about before noon.”He was the same gorgeous Ben, tall and tanned with all that sun-streaked dirty blond hair. But something was different: me. There wasn’t a clench. Or a pang. Not a single memory flitted through my mind. I was standing inches away from the guy I’d thought was un-toppable, and I didn’t feel a thing.“A lot has changed,” I said, amazed at how true it was. The Lab came bounding up, ball in mouth, and I couldn’t even remember his name. I gave the dog a rub on the chin and noticed his tags. Gus—that’s right. I smiled and told Ben Frasier I had to go, to have a great day, as though he were any old someone I used to know.Damn, that felt good.On the way back, I thought I saw Alexander walking his dogs up ahead, but when I got closer I saw it was a much older guy with one little and one big dog, just like Brit and Lizzie.
