Page 68 of Anti Player

“Kaleb, what’s up? I just wanted to say thank you for taking such good care of Asher,” Maddie says.

“It was no problem,” I assure.

“Your voice sounds groggy. Were you sleeping?” she asks.

“Yes,” I reply.

“Are you feeling okay?” she asks.

“Define okay,” I reply.

“That isn’t funny, Kaleb.”

“Last thing I’m trying to be.”

“What’s going on?” Maddie asks like a little detective.

I blow out a breath. “Stomach flu.”

“Crap. They weren’t food poisoned,” she states.

“Nope,” I respond, feeling slightly dehydrated. My head is pounding.

“Does Brett have a key for your place?” she asks.

“Obviously,” I respond.

She chuckles and mutters something but I’m too out of it to follow.

“Be there in a jiff.” She ends the call.

Madison

I return to Brett’s apartment. Brett and my son are content sitting beside each other and watching a movie.

“How you boys feeling?” I ask.

“Great,” my son answers.

“Much better,” Brett adds.

“Good, I’ll have dinner going soon for you two,” I say. I place my shopping bags on the dining table.

“How did your day go?” Brett asks.

“It was nice. Ellie is fun and super sweet,” I say.

“Yeah,” Brett replies.

“Kaleb is sick,” I say matter-of-factly. “I’m going to take him some electrolyte drink.”

“Shit. That means we weren’t food poisoned,” my brother says.

“Language,” I chide. He looks down to Asher and winks, and I wonder just what Uncle Brett taught him today.

I head to the kitchen and grab some of the drinks from the fridge since there was extra.

“I’m heading over to Kaleb’s,” I say to my brother.

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