Chapter 73

“Sherm’s okay,” said Joe, as they boarded the commuter plane to Orlando. “He was lucky; his vest stopped two bullets! Another one nicked a leg artery, but he’s going to be fine. They’re letting him go home tomorrow.”

“That’s great.”

On the short flight home, Joe told Julie about his long friendship with Sherman. For the first time outside of an AA meeting, he talked about how they had both planned to join the Bureau…and how he had messed it up with alcohol.

And Julie, in turn, finally told him all about Dan.

Later, they shared a lingering kiss in Joe’s car outside of Julie’s condo.

“What next, Merlin?”

“A cover story for Luz and Janet?” she said, stepping out of the car.

Julie watched Joe pull away from the curb, knowing a new chapter in her life had opened. She turned, pulling her carry-on bag behind her, entered her building and went up to her condo.

Everything was as she had left it…and yet it wasn’t. Marc was gone, but Julie felt reconnected to her past and she looked forward to the future. She opened the glass doors to the balcony. The outside air filled the living-room, cool and refreshing. Lake Eola sparkled in the sunshine and the squirrels scampered through the trees.

And then Sol nearly knocked her off the balcony, leaping onto the table.

Julie had momentarily felt like Dorothy, back from Oz.

But Sol sure as hell wasn’t Toto.

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