Page 4 of Lucky Bounce: Game On: Part Two

"Yeah."

"Thanks for the ride." She opened the car door. "I appreciate it."

Eli gave her a sly grin. "Whichride, babe?"

Holly groaned and climbed from the car, then pointed a finger at him. "From here on out you're on the clock, Donnelley."

He laughed as she chucked the door closed. Christ, he was crazy about her. That sassy mouth got to him every single time.

But she was right about one thing: the next thirty days were going to be long as hell. He had a feeling he'd be getting well-acquainted with his right hand.

* * *

On the drive back to his penthouse, his cell phone rang with another call.

Dread stole through him when "Mom" flashed on the car’s media screen. His mother rarely called him unless she was worked up and restless.

Jessie was right; it must be a rough night over there.

"Hey, Mom, what's going on?" He tried to keep the tone of his voice even so it wouldn't betray his overwhelming anxiety.

"Eli? Elijah, honey, is that you?" His mother's soft, tearful voice echoed in his ear.

"Yeah, it's me. Is everything okay?" Fat drops of rain ticked against the windshield, and he turned the wipers on.

"Your father's not here. And he's always home by dinnertime."

"Mom, Jessie is there with you, right?"

"She's in the kitchen making me tea," his mother whispered. "I didn't want her to find out that I was on the phone. She wants me to rest, but I can't until I know where your father is."

Eli stifled a sigh. He didn't want to lie to her, but hurting her with the truth wasn't right, either. She didn't retain information. Why make her relive the pain of the past? It would be cruel.

"Don't worry. Dad's away on a business trip. You know how busy he is with work."

"But why hasn't he called me?"

He swallowed. "He has a lot of late-night meetings, and he probably doesn't have time. But he's okay, so you can rest now."

"Oh, good. What about you, Eli? Are you coming over to see me tomorrow? I'll bake you some chocolate chip cookies. They're your favorite."

"Sure. I'll come over after practice. Irena will be there in the morning, and she can help you bake the cookies."

"Goddammit, Elijah," his mother snapped. "I know Irena comes in the morning! You don't have to tell me. I'm not stupid."

His stomach twisted into knots as he listened to his mother rant. "Hey," he said softly. "Would I call the best mom in the world stupid? Never. I didn't mean to upset you."

His mother sniffed. "Sorry, honey. I'm just very tired. I'll see you tomorrow. We can have cookies, and you can tell me all about your day at school. I'll even help you with your homework."

Eli winced. He was twenty-six years old, but just like the situation with his stepfather, correcting her wasn't worth it. Why stress her out for no reason?

"Okay. Get some rest and listen to Jessie. She's there if you need anything. I love you."

"I love you too, sweetheart. Goodnight."

He ended the call and flipped the wipers to full speed as the torrential rain beat down on the windshield. A flash of lightning streaked across the night sky, and he white-knuckled the steering wheel.

Every conversation with her was like this now, and it wasn't going to get better. No matter how prepared he thought he was to talk with her, the aftermath always left him soul-sick and heartbroken.

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