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Dreaht What had his father called him the last time they’d spoken? A slick little bastard Which had not stopped dear old dad fro any of the checks James had ever sent

Helping Parker was a way to do Harry a final favor, after all the man had done for hiiven Jaiven hiure, and when your own father hasn’t looked you in the eye since you were twelve years old, thatHarry was the only person James had ever told about Mary Elizabeth, and one of the feho saw him as a loyal, decent person

The irony was so thick, James would need an ax to cut it

So yeah He owed Harry And he owed his own family He sure as hell owed Mary Elizabeth And Parker And her son

But it got tiring, owing everybody everything all the ti to look at yourself in the mirror

He felt a tickle at the back of his leg and looked down It was Parker’s dog, standing next to hiave a tiny, nonco

“Hey, Beauty,” he said She wagged again “Are you a sweet girl?” She bent her head, seee that yes, in fact, she was Very slowly, he knelt down She didn’t run “Are you a pretty girl, Beauty?” The wagging grew ot any pointers for ?”

When Ja old Irish setter After what happened, it seemed as if she was the only one left who still liked hiotten another

Slowly, James reached out to pet Beauty’s head, but just as he al up to the house, and the dog bolted, disappearing around the front and down the stairs toward the dock

Collier Rhodes Why not Jay Gatsby, right? Sae The Porsche purred to a stop, and Jausto than was perhaps necessary and walked over to the driveway

“Hi, Ji here?”

“Collier”

“So, is Parker around?”

Why don’t you go step on a rusty nail, huh, pal? “She’s either at the flower shop or the library”

“Awesolanced around the cluttered little yard “Think she’d be interested in having dinner on ht?”

Yep Lockjaould definitely improve you “Better ask her”

“I will” The guy looked at hi the other day”

“Sebastian Junger?”

“No Though he and I did shoot the breeze at a fundraiser a few years ago Why? You know him?”

“No”

Collier frowned “Anyway, this buddy of mine happens to work at the SEC”

Oh

Jaleaet back to work,” he said He turned and walked back to the side of the house

“Does she know?” Collier called

Ja thunk of the sports-car door closing, then the expensive thrum of the motor as Collier left

“POOR LITTLE KITTEN went through the pearly gates into heaven, where there were rainbows and butterflies and flowers and fields, and so many friends! Poor Little Kitten was not poor anymore, nor was she squished from the tractor ‘It’s beautiful here!’ she mewed happily

‘I know,’ said Spike ‘Now, don’t forget, you have to choose a heaven-name’

‘I choose Princess,’ said the sweet little cat, and all the other cats cheered With that, Spike kissed the little kitten on her soft, fluffy head, then sped back to earth on his ical roller skates

‘Her heaven-name is Princess,’ he told the children as their tears dried in the sunshine, ‘and she’s very, very happy Noants soel food cake?’ And with that, Golly, Polly and Molly, Ike, Mike and Spike brought the mortal children to their special tree house, ate cake, and everyone felt much, much happier The end”

Un-fricking-believable that these books had made a fortune

Parker sed the fa and looked at the asseether in the back, and Lord haveaway tears Grow a pair, pal, she thought, even as she nodded with a smile

James wasn’t here

Just thinking his name made her heart speed up But Ja hiuy kisses the stuffing out of you, you’d think he’d accept a blatant invitation to co how disappointing that was

“Any questions?” she asked

“Did you write Harry Potter?” asked a cute little blonde girl Judge Freehter, if she wasn’t mistaken

“No, honey, I didn’t, but I sure love those books, don’t you?”

“Are you gonna go to Hollywood and see the irl

“No, not to Hollywood But my son and I will see the movie, sure He’s five Anybody else here five?”

Several hands shot in the air, and for the next hour, Parker took questions Which Holy Roller was her favorite? Why did Mike have blue eyes and Ike have brown? Did she draw the pictures? Why not? Was she rich? Why not? Had she ever met Harry Potter? Why not?

Was she writing more books?

The little bloodsuckers always asked the hard questions

“I’ a little break this su a lot What are some of your favorite books?”

There Truth deferred