Chapter 22

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Jim dashed up to the porch and unlocked the front door, carefully throwing the deadbolt before setting his things down. He threw his keys onto the credenza, emptied his pockets of his wallet and change, and called Matilda’s name.

“Matilda, Daddy’s home. Where is my furry beastette?” It didn’t take five seconds for the gleeful greeting. She did her figure eight circle dance and pushed her dishes at Jim with her tiny pink nose. He fed her first, then started a pot of decaf. He looked in the freezer and found some coffee cake he had frozen for just such an emergency, grabbed it out of the freezer, and flung it into the microwave to serve warm. He took some paper napkins from the drawer then set the small kitchen table for coffee and cake.