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I stood up and wriggled out ofproduction out of it, but I knew Joe atching ether, made love, had breakfast with the baby, been a family

I turned ahile unbuttoningon our last delicious ro, without sending even a text one No one had seen hiht he was dead

By the time Joe resurfaced teeks later, it was because our cases were entwined Of course, I hadn’t known he even had a case He offered an explanation but not y He expected nment from the CIA was a duty and a sacrifice, and that when he said “country first,” it didn’t mean that I was second in his heart

But his actions told the truth

He had putfroether about a mysterious blonde, a double life in his past, and the real possibility of more of the same in the future

So for my own protection I’d kicked Joe out and armorplated my heart Who could blame me?

Noalked over to the curved tile steps and into the pool, and once I was seated there in the shallow end, I reached for Julie My little girl, who looks so much like her father, toddled over to me and wrapped her arms around my neck

I held her and danced with her and helped her sith the noodle and the boogie board, while Joe cheered from his chair

Once I was sufficiently wrinkled and cold, I took Julie androoed, our dear and precious child broke away from me and ran to Joe

“Hey, Jules,” I said, sitting down on the chaise “Shall we have dinner with Daddy before we go home?”

Joe said, “Sorry, but I can’t, Lindsay I’ve got PT in a couple of minutes Rain check?”

“Sure”

I tucked in ht my eye

He said, “I’ht, Lindsay I mean it”

I nodded Could he do that? Was it possible?