pretty pushy. Anyway, I’ll see you tomorrow and thank you!”

“Okay, no prob,” Paula said.

“Hey, Paula, one more thing . . .”

“What?”

“Galigani told me not to mention his name when I was with ‘The Grizzly,’ so what do I do if he asks about my license?”

“Hmm. Tell him you applied for a license and are waiting on the paperwork to be processed.”

“Lie?”

“That’s not a lie. It’s a petite misrepresentation of the facts.”

“I haven’t applied for a license. It’s a bald-faced lie.”

“The guy is criminal defense—you think he cares about one tiny misstatement?”

I sighed. “You’re impossible.”

Paula laughed. “See you tomorrow. Make sure to look sharp. That’ll distract him and secure your rightful destiny as a media darling.”

CHAPTER TWENTY

The Grizzly

To Do:

1. Meet with Gary Barramendi.

2. Shop for shoes.

3. Practice some recipes for Thanksgiving.

4. Groceries.

5. Laurie—need the memento book—already missed milestone!

I’d had a fitful night. Tossing and turning while Laurie was sound asleep and then finally drifting off just as she would wake for a feeding. While I nursed her, I contemplated my restlessness.

I was definitely nervous about meeting with Mr. Barramendi, but was that all? No, the weight of the case was getting to me. And now to make matters worse, I’d have to lie to Barramendi about Galigani or avoid the topic altogether.

I had never been good at lying. Something people find hard to believe as soon as they discover I have an acting degree. But acting is different. You take on the role of a character. You’re not actually lying about yourself.

And then again. Wait.

Yes. Tomorrow I would play the part of a character. I would meet with Barramendi as my “future self.” A self-assured, successful PI. A licensed PI.

In the morning I woke with a start to the alarm. Laurie was still asleep and Jim was getting dressed for his meeting. He stood in front of our closet examining dress shirts.

“Good morning,” I said, propping myself up in bed.

“Hi, honey. I made coffee,” Jim said.

“Thank you.”

Jim selected a blue striped dress shirt and put it on.

He looked great. My mind immediately snapped to what I was going to wear. Did anything fit?

As soon as Jim said good-bye, I jumped to the task of getting ready.

First I nursed and burped Laurie then laid her back in the bassinet. She was still awake but seemed content to study a white bunny rattle that I handed her.

I stopped suddenly; today Laurie was two months old!

I picked her up out of the bassinet. “Oh! My darling!” I squeezed her to me. “Two months already. So short a time and yet it feels like you’ve been part of my life forever.”

Laurie cooed and attempted to put the bunny rattle into her mouth.

“You like the bunny? Mommy’s going to get you something for your . . . what? Second month birthday? Okay, that works.” I kissed Laurie’s head and put her down.

Need to add shopping for Laurie to the to-do list!

Next I showered, then pulled out my new girdle and wrapped it around myself. It was simple enough to use. It wrapped around my tummy and hips and fastened on the side with a long Velcro fitting.

I positioned it in place and frantically started going through items in my closet. I found a favorite burgundy silk blouse and tried it on. To my astonishment, it fit nicely. I then selected some trousers. The first three pairs I tried on were way too tight, but the fourth pair worked.

Way to go, girdle!

Shoes?

Ah. Another problem!

My postpartum feet didn’t fit any of my pre-Laurie shoes. I finally found some loafers that would barely pass.

I glanced at the clock. I needed to get Laurie loaded into the car and out of the house in the next few minutes if I was going to be on time, and I still needed to pack her diaper bag.

Why hadn’t I packed the stupid diaper bag last night?

I hurried to do my hair and makeup.

At least Laurie was now sound asleep; that would be a help in getting out the door. I ran to the freezer and found a few bags of frozen milk. Just over 4 ounces. Enough for one feeding.

Darn. I needed to build up a bigger supply if I was going to have to keep leaving Laurie with a sitter. Another thing to add to my list!

I hustled Laurie into the car. She barely roused. Why didn’t she sleep like this for me? Why only when I left her with someone?

I drove to Paula’s and pulled into her driveway like a