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I’D BEEN TERRIFIED THE WHOLE TWO-DAY DRIVE: that I’d be stopped and they wouldn’t believe I’d gotten pere her mind and tell the police I’d stolen it, that I’d have an accident and have to repay Quinn’s sister for the vehicle Frannie had an old red Mustang, and it was fun to drive No one stopped ood all the way back to Louisiana I thought I’d see a slice of A looks the sah, there was another Merlotte’s, and maybe another Sookie

I didn’t sleep well on the trip, either, because I drea under lass Or I saw Pas I’d done and seen during the hours we patrolled the debris, looking for bodies

When I turned into an to pound as if the house aiting for ht blue ribbon in her hand, and Bob was sitting in front of her, batting at the dangling ribbon with a black paw She looked up to see who it was, and when she recognized me behind the wheel, she leaped to her feet I didn’t pull around back; I stopped right there and jumped out of the driver’s seat Amelia’s arms wrapped around me like vines, and she shrieked, "You’re back! Oh, blessed Virgin, you’re back!"

We danced around and hopped up and down like teenagers, whooping with sheer happiness

"The paper listed you as a survivor," she said "But no one could find you the day after Until you called, I wasn’t sure you were alive"

"It’s a long story," I said "A long, long story"

"Is it the right time to tell it to me?"

"Maybe after a few days," I said

"Do you have anything to carry in?"

"Not a thing Allwent down"

"Oh, my God! Your new clothes!"

"Well, at least I have my driver’s license and h the battery’s flat and I don’t have the charger"

"And a new car?" She glanced back at the Mustang

"A borrowed car"

"I don’t think I have a single friend ould loan me a whole car"

"Half a car?" I asked, and she laughed

"Guess what?" Aot married"

I stopped dead "Which friends?" Surely she couldn’t ; surely they hadn’t changed the date yet again

"Oh, I shouldn’t have said anything," Auilty "Well, speak of the devil!" There was another car co