Page 229 of Johnny

Something I didn’t know I needed in my life until this very moment.

And I love it.

It’s loud, and you can’t really even have a conversation with anyone because we’re all talking over

each other. And there’s laughing, and joking, and happiness. More happiness in one place than I’ve

witnessed in my entire life.

And everything that happened over the past week just… fades into the background noise of

yesterdays.

I know we’re not free. Johnny knows we’re not free. But this might be as good as it gets so we’ve

decided to just do our jobs.

Tomorrow morning we’ll all pile onto the giant Bright Berry Beach corporate jet, go back to the

city, drive up to the Boston family lake house, and start our new life of wedding planning and baby

making.

And I’ll go to work with Hannah, the Bright Berry Beach chemist. And somehow, some way, we

will set this right.

It’s really not a bad gig if you can get it.

Two birds, one stone.

So they say.

EPILOGUE - JOHNNY

The night before we leave Key West the Dumas family hosts a huge Saturday evening dinner in

our honor. At first I liked these people. A lot. And I’m glad that Logan insisted that I accept his help

and not involve the Dumas brothers because even though I know they’d have been helpful, I don’t

want my secret, stressful life to touch their easy-going, happy one.

But they are a handful.

First, there’s the mom. Sweet and sassy, sure. I’d call her both those things. But she’s not fooling

me. I know a wild woman when I see one. She might be past her prime, and she does cook a helluva

prime rib, but I would not count Silvia Dumas out in a fight, that’s for damn sure.

Then there’s the father. Jack. Like ten feet tall, two fifty, easy. And as good-natured as they come.

He says he’s retired. Says all he wants to do is run that old dive shop, putt around in his workshop,

and maybe, every now and then, do some deep-sea fishing with his sons.

But we’ve only been back from the Bahamas three days, staying in one of their guest houses next