Page 115 of Exposed

Trippy’s expression goes from one of shock to edging on delight. “Are you?”

My expression turns to one of horror. “No!”

Trippy is deflated. “Oh.”

“Not yet,” Rocco mutters.

I glare at him.

“What?” He holds his hands up. “Just saying, I hear things.”

“What do you hear?” Trippy demands.

“Nothing,” I butt in. “He hears nothing. But that’s what’s going on. That’s how I met your son and why I need a bodyguard. King thought we’d be safer here than my apartment.”

Trippy pats my hand and takes a sip of her Diet Coke. “You can come here anytime you want. I don’t care why you’re here—I’ve loved every moment of it. And thank you for telling me the truth. King and Laken think I can’t handle a lot of things, but I’ve lived a full life. Give it all to me, I say.”

I turn my hand in hers for a supportive squeeze. “It feels good to tell the truth.”

Trippy sets down her soda. “Still, you were kissin’ in the garage. That wasn’t for show or a lie.”

I exhale. “No. That wasn’t a lie.”

She settles back into her chair. “That’s all that matters. I’ve been after King for years to settle down. I have a feeling I’m not gonna get any more grandkids from Laken if she stays with Silas. I want to see King happy while I’m still here.”

“I got another text. We need to go.” Rocco’s empty can lands on the table with a hollow thud that might as well be the bang of agavel to end our day. “Trippy, it’s been fun, but if you tell King I said that, I’ll call you a liar. I don’t care how old you are.”

Tippy pushes herself to her feet. “I’m gonna blackmail you with that little ditty if you don’t come back and dance with me. I’m old and can do what I want.”

I stand and pull Trippy into a warm embrace. “Thank you for today.”

“No. Thank you!” she exclaims. “I’ve had the best time, but I’m gonna sleep like the dead tonight. Now that you’ve fessed up to the truth, you have to call me and tell me what’s going on. I need to be kept in the loop. You can’t drop something like that on me and leave me with a season-ending cliffhanger. Those are the worst!”

Rocco stands by the door with his keys ready to hit the road. “King is not going to be happy about that.”

“We don’t care, do we, Goldie?”

“I do care, but since I let the cat out of the bag, I’ll keep you updated,” I promise.

Trippy pulls me in for a kiss on the cheek and a final goodbye.

When Rocco and I finally get to his car, he glances over at me. “I am not taking responsibility for you telling Trippy the truth.”

“I can handle King.”

He backs out of his parking spot. It feels like we’re crawling through the community as he dodges golf carts. “I hate to say this, but today might be the only day King doesn’t give a shit about you telling his elderly mom about what’s going on. Bigger shit went down today.”

“What does that mean?”

He turns out of the retirement community and hits the gas. And he does it in a way he doesn’t care what the speed limit is. “I don’t know the extent of it, but from what I heard, you should prepare yourself.”

23

A WARNING

Goldie

Ibarely wait for Rocco to put it in park when I open the door.

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