“I appreciate the help,” Lucas said, writing an address on the letter in hand while Aven was putting another card in an envelope. “I know I don’t ask you for this kind of help usually, but Dallas has therapy today.”

“Oh, don’t worry. I didn’t have any Valentine’s Day plans, and I like this kind of thing, but… what are these, sir?” Aven asked curiously. They all seemed to be love cards she was packing away.

“Every Valentine’s Day I send cards to all my exes,” he replied.

“Doesn’t that… bother them?”

“Probably,” he shrugged, finishing another and putting it in a pile. “But I started doing it a few decades ago and stuck with it.”

“These are a lot of letters,” commented Aven, packing the last letter in the envelope. “Do you really have that many exes?”

“Yep.”

“Wouldn’t you be scared of.. well… Max getting jealous?”

“Poor Susana got found out,” sighed Lucas. “Broken collarbones hurt. I had the decency to at least pay her hospital bills.”

“Jeez-” shuddered Aven. “How did you break up with…”

“Twenty-seven women,” he finished.

“How?”

“Bad luck and an attraction to insane people,” he answered, getting up. “Well, posting all these is going to cost a small fortune, so I’ll be off.”

“Are you going to do anything for Max?” Aven questioned before he left.

“I’ll spare you the details,” Lucas said, turning back and giving her a tired look. “I just know I’m doing all the cooking today.”