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“I think what you did is such a good thing,” said Charlene. “And Alec tells me she’s reunited with her dad?”

“Yeah, he won’t leave the woods,” said Odelia, “but she visits him as often as she can, and her regular visits are having a very positive effect on him. Last time we talked she told me he’s even started using the shower they had installed, and has been wearing the fresh clothes she bringshim every week. She does his laundry,” she explained for her grandmother’s sake.

“A girl shouldn’t do her dad’s laundry,” the old lady grumbled. “That’s just wrong.”

“Well, she does it with a lot of love, and clearly the treatment is working, for he even met his brother for the first time in years, and the reunion was touching.”

“I’m glad that all is well that ends well,” said Marge. “And to think that I thought you and Mr. Dexter were having an affair.” She directed a scathing look at her mother, who threw up her arms.

“They were hugging!” Gran cried.

“I hug Dolores all the time,” said Uncle Alec as he popped a French fry into his mouth, “and you don’t see me having an affair with her.”

Charlene blinked.“You hug Dolores?”

“Well… yeah,” he said, flinching a little.

“You never told me.”

“Well, I wouldn’t, would I? It’s just one of those things.”

“One of what things?”

“It’s a tough job to be a dispatcher, and so sometimes… She’s feeling bad… and so she needs a hug… and, well, I give it to her.”

“Uh-oh,” said Harriet. “Looks like Uncle Alec made a boo-boo.”

“Boo-boo!” Grace cried, who was sitting on the swing right next to us.

“Do you think Uncle Alec and Dolores are having an affair?” asked Dooley.

“No, Dooley, they’re not,” I said.

Though from the look on Gran’s face, I had the distinct impression that she thought he was. No smoke without fire!

Just then, a tiny voice sounded in my rear, and when I turned, I saw that once again we were in the presence of Rupert.

“Oh, hey, Rupert,” I said. “I haven’t thanked you for that tip about Blue Moon beer.”

“I knew you’d get it,” said Rupert as he crawled along the wall until he’d reached eye level. “And there’s something else I wanted to tell you, but it seems to have escaped me for the present.” He shrugged. “It’ll come to me, I’m sure.”

“Oh, Rupert!” Harriet cried. “Is it true that the slime you produce is beneficial for the skin and fur?”

“Oh, sure,” said Rupert. “Best natural skin cream in the world.”

“You don’t say.”

“But I do. Have you ever seen a snail with wrinkles?”

“So could you… walk on my face, maybe?”

Rupert made a face.“Um…”

Just then, a loud cry of anguish rang out. It seemed to come from next door. Next thing we knew, Marcie’s head popped up over the hedge. “My rose bushes—they’re full of snails! They’re destroying everything!”

“Oh, now I remember,” said Rupert. “I heard some of my friends call for a party next door. Something about beer for everyone.”

Marge eyed her mother with a penetrating look.“Ma. What did you do?”

Gran gave a sort of feeble smile.“Well, I had to dump the rest of that beer somewhere, didn’t I?”

54. PURRFECT MATCH

CHAPTER 1

The atmosphere in the offices of the Advantage Publishing Company was as electric as ever. The publisher of such well-known publications asGlimmer,Glitter andVigor—the magazine for the virile man—was considered by friend and foe as a regular powerhouse of the publishing industry. But with the diminished returns publishers saw on their print portfolio these days, and the ongoing transition to digital, tensions were running high in the hallowed halls of publishing. And nowhere was this more apparent than at the desk of Natalie Ferrara, located next to the corner office occupied by Advantage bigwig and CEO Michael Madison.

Natalie had been Mike Madison’s personal assistant for going on five years, and in that time had fallen for her handsome boss’s charms in a major way. So much so that she now found herself in trouble. Big trouble.

She was an attractive young woman of twenty-seven, with shiny hair the color of honey, cornflower-blue eyes and the kind of face and figure that could launch a thousand ships. What it hadn’t managed, though, was to induce Michael Madison to divorce Mrs. Madison and make an honest woman out of his mistress.

Natalie pressed a tissue to her eyes. She was feeling particularly leaky again, and much to her embarrassment could not stop crying. If Mike saw her like this…

Oh, who was she kidding? Her boss’s affections for her had taken a major dive in recent weeks. In fact she could pinpoint the exact date Natalie Ferrara stock had crashed and burned: when she had announced that she was pregnant, and that in due course a baby was going to be born who, if it was a boy, would no doubt inherit his daddy’s firm jawline and no-nonsense attitude to life and business, and if it was a girl, hopefully would look more like her mother.