Page 115 of Sinful Temptations

He should start his own YouTube channel on how to win friends and influence people. He’d make way more than he did driving a tour bus around Europe.

We were nearly back to our hotel when my phone rang. Thinking it was Lydia confirming she was okay, I plucked it from my backpack. Not recognizing the number, I swiped the screen. “Hello, this is Daisy.”

“Hello, Daisy, this is Doctor Alberts from St George Hospital in Sydney.”

A beehive burst in my stomach. “Oh my god, is Mom okay?”

“She is. For now. Here, I’ll put Patricia on for you.”

I frowned at the shuffling sound on the phone. “Hello, Daisy.” Her voice sounded like a child’s.

“Hello, Mother. Why did you get the doctor to call?”

“Oh, well, he’s such a nice doctor. He offered to call you.”

“Yeah, I bet he did.”

Mother could sweet talk a cowboy into drinking horse piss. I had no idea what to say next. Unlike Roman, who could keep any conversation going.

“Are you having a nice day?”

I was. “I’m busy, Mother. Did you need something?”

“Daisy. Can’t we just talk?” By the pleading inflection in her voice, I guessed she was putting on a pity show for Doctor Alberts.

“I don’t have time. So as long as you are okay, I’m going to go now.”

“No. I’m not okay. I keep telling you that.”

“You sound okay to me. I have to go, Mother.”

“See? I told you she wouldn’t talk to me.” She was talking to the doctor.

The phone shuffled again. “Miss Chayne, are you there?”

“Yes, Doctor Alberts. How can I help you?”

“Is there any possibility you could visit Patricia? Studies have shown?—”

“Did she tell you I live in London?” His silence confirmed my answer. “And that I work in Europe, and I have a contract I need to fulfill?” I was on a roll now. “Did she happen to mention that she abandoned me at seventeen and I haven’t seen her since?”

Again, he was silent.

“I’m going to assume that’s a no. I’m hanging up now. Thank you for your call, Doctor Alberts.” I ended the call, and clutching the phone to my thigh, I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to claw back some of the wonderful feelings I’d had before Mother rang.

Roman rubbed my leg. “Hey, is your mamma okay?”

I looked to the ceiling, trying to simmer my anger. Mother always knew how to ruin a perfect day. “Yes.” I rolled my eyes at Roman. “She’s fine.”

“Did you really mean what you said? That you haven’t seen her since you were seventeen?”

“Of course.”

His jaw dropped. “She never came to see where you were living?”

“No. Never. I told you. She doesn’t care about me. She never has.”

“That can’t be true.”

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