Two weeks after Philip d'Autremont is acquitted of his wife's murder, it's time for him and his partner and lawyer, Charles Barnett, to start building their life together. But it turns out that not everyone in Atlanta is as ready to leave the trial in the past as Charles and Philip, and a surprise attack leaves Charles in the hospital and Philip's arm in a sling.<br><br>With thoughts of their own mortality fresh in their minds, Charles and Philip make a decision that will change their lives forever. Future plans and home renovations take their minds off the attacks, but the danger isn't over yet: the people behind the attacks are still at large, and they weren't acting alone.

Tribulation

“That’s okay, because we don’t wear them. No swimsuits or girls allowed in the pool area when we’re swimming laps. We also have a Jacuzzi large enough to hold eight people.”


The conversation shifted a bit, and finally Marie said, “Mrs. Barnett, you have a truly magnificent home.”


“My dear, you can thank these two young men for that. I came to this house as a young bride many years ago. While my son was growing up, and later, when my grandson came to live with me, it was truly a home. Then Charles went off to school and ultimately started his own separate life. For the next few years I rattled around this big old place and let it deteriorate more than a bit. When Charles and Philip came to live here, it had become just a huge empty house. Now it’s once again a home, thanks to them.” She went on to relate how the Merry Pop-Ins had transformed things.


Chapter 99