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new little brothers at first, especially Brett. It wasn’t long after that two-timing man left me and his sons that Damon started getting into trouble and things went sour with him and the younger boys.” She stared off into space for a moment and then said, “As you know, his lifestyle affected all of us.” Her bright-red lips curved into a smile, revealing her carefully whitened teeth. “Now he and Brett write back and forth—real letters—no cell phones or texting for prisoners. And the boys go there with me to visit sometimes.”
    “How long were you married to Jack Clampton…four or five years?” Margaret asked.
    Iris frowned, narrowed her eyes. “Five miserable years. Damon was nearly seventeen when he left, and Chris and Brett were seven and eight.” She hesitated. A grin washed over her attractive face. “Craig is working with Damon.”
    “Really?” Michael set his fork down and wiped his mouth with his napkin.
    “Yes. He visits him alone, you know, using special cop privileges, and he’s helping him to work a drug program right there in the prison. It’s a sort of all-around confidence-building, distraction sort of technique he’s using. It’s a healing program and it also involves creativity. I had no idea how important creativity is to a human being.” She paused before sharing, “Did you know that Damon has an interest in writing? He’s been writing poetry and short stories. Says it makes him feel real good when he’s writing.” She leaned back in her chair, holding her hands palm-up in front of her. “Who knew?”
    Michael smiled across at Iris. “That’s really great news.”
    Margaret shook her head, a pensive look on her face. “Iris, I still can’t believe you’re dating the cop who was going to arrest you for murder last year.”
    “Yeah,” Iris let out a forced laugh. “I’ve met some interesting men in some interesting ways, but this was definitely a first for me.” She took a sip of coffee before adding, “And something new for Craig, too.”
    Savannah leaned forward in her chair and addressed her friend, “Iris, you do believe in fate, don’t you? I mean, how else would the universe have put the two of you together unless you were a suspect of some sort?”
    She scoffed. “Hell, kiddo, I can think of a lot of ways—he could be a customer at the diner, he could save me from a pickpocket, he could be having a drink at a local club when I walk in, he could come to the boys’ school and talk about police work…” She took a breath, her perfectly made-up eyes flashing with mischief. “He could run out of gas in front of my house, bump into me in the produce aisle at the grocery store, come to my door selling tickets to the policemen’s ball…”
    “Be serious, Iris,” Margaret scolded. “Things never happen the way we expect. Look at me and Max. He came all the way from Chicago, moved in next door, and started a cat-rescue shelter.”
    Max straightened his posture. “Yeah, and you wouldn’t give me the time of day until I rescued you from that relative of yours.”
    “Well, I was waiting for you to come riding in on a white horse,” she said, faking innocence. Before her husband could respond, Margaret continued, “And look at Savannah and Michael. I broke my foot so Savannah would get her cute little butt up here and start kanoodling with our handsome veterinarian.”
    “Kanoodling? Auntie, that sounds vulgar,” Savannah complained amidst a kitchen lively with laughter.
    Margaret tilted her head, a wily grin on her lips. “Wellll?”
    “Yeah, Auntie,” Savannah said, smiling briefly at her handsome husband, “I guess it was fortuitous that you broke your foot and that I came to help you out. How else would Michael and I have found each other—with me down in LA and him up here in Northern California?”
    “Wait,” Michael said, frowning, “are you telling me this was some sort of conspiracy? I thought it was my idea to fall for my beautiful