“Sure. We’ll give him a rest from socializing.”

As she knocked on the door, then let them in, Carly told him Meg had recently come home from chemo and always felt weak for a few days.

Meg was in her living room, a somewhat emaciated older woman resting on a lounger. Carly bent to hug her and introduced J.P. as a “family friend.” That was true enough. He sat with Meg as Carly did her cat duties—after she’d had him meet Plum and Logan, whose names he recognized from her song.

“Carly’s wonderful, isn’t she?” Meg said, her voice frail. “We haven’t known each other long, but she’s so good to me and my sweet cats. She’s like another daughter.”

J.P. nodded. “She loves you, too. It’s easy to tell.”

They spoke about a range of things, from the town’s history to their personal histories. He told her about Trooper and how he’d taken Carly to visit the women’s prison where the dog had been trained. Meg loved that story. She told him about her husband, dead six years but still so missed. “You don’t get over that kind of loss. Carly and I talk about it quite a lot.”

“I know Carly understands.”

“We understand each other,” Meg said.

Their conversation was interrupted twice. First by Carly offering to make them coffee or tea. Both declined. And then by a playful cat racing around, showing off a toy mouse. “Good work, Logan,” J.P. praised him, to Meg’s evident delight.

By the time he and Carly left, J.P. was prouder of her than ever, proud of her generosity, her empathy. She hugged Meg goodbye. Then Meg held out her arms and J.P. hugged her, too.

SATURDAY AFTERNOON, CORD and Shallie arrived home and parted with a final kiss at the foot of her stairs.

Cord went to his own room and discovered he had a message. From Eddie. Fortunately, he reached him immediately—and Eddie got right to the point. “I have Julie’s contact info. I’m emailing it. And she would like to hear from you. She’s also open to meeting halfway. Maybe Seattle.”

“Great!” And he decided that it was. All of it. He’d begun to hope for this very thing. Probably more because of Shallie’s influence than anything else. In spite of his previous feelings, his indifference, he was ready to meet Julie, even excited about it. And he had a sister! Never mind that she was about the same age as his maybe-daughter…

And, in addition to everything else, there was Shallie’s connection with Seattle.

“Any news on Christine Fletcher or whoever she is now?” he asked.

“Nope. But we’re not giving up.”

“I’ll let Shallie know, and please keep us informed.”

“You bet.”