Page 129 of Call Back

I nodded absently. Something about this didn’t feel right.

“We haven’t seen each other since Thursday evening,” Brady said as he squirmed in his seat. “I wanted to talk about that.” His warm brown eyes lifted to mine.

I lowered my gaze to the cup in my hands. “Brady . . .”

“Maggie, you don’t have to explain. I know things were moving too fast for you. I wanted to let you know I understand, and I wanted to apologize for being difficult when you told me.”

“Brady . . .” I let my voice trail off, unsure what to say.

“It’s okay. But I want you to know that I’m still here if you need me. I’d like to think we were becoming friends before we slept together. I’d still like to be friends.”

I offered him a grateful smile. “Me too.”

“We’re still working together to catch a serial killer, so we need to be able to talk openly to each other.” He gave me an earnest look that made him look more like a Boy Scout than a cop. “If you need anything, don’t hesitate to call me, okay? I still plan to keep checking on you.”

I stood and gave him a hug. “Thank you, Brady.”

He released me and grinned. “We may be apart at the moment, Magnolia Steele, but that doesn’t mean we’re completely finished.”

I had to tell him. I couldn’t lead him on. “Brady.” I paused and took a breath. “Colt . . . he’s . . .”

He shook his head, his grin wavering. “I know you’re scared of the idea of us. You do what you need to do to be ready.”

Then he turned around and headed for the front doors.

“Brady,” I called after him.

But he was already out the door.

* * *

My brother came back midmorning, and I got the impression he was performing a perfunctory visit until I heard him at the nurse’s desk.

I’d insisted on staying in Momma’s room while he was there, but I’d quietly followed him out after his five-minute stay. He’d stopped at the nurse’s desk, demanding to see the head nurse. I stayed in the hall, hiding behind a volunteer cart loaded with magazines and books, not wanting to be connected to his brewing tirade.

She arrived seconds later, although I could only see a snippet of her blue scrubs peeking around the corner. “Can I help you, Mr. Steele?”

“I want to know who I need to talk to, to override this idiotic decision my sister has made.”

“Mr. Steele,” she said in a softer tone. “Your sister had nothing to do with your mother’s decision. The staff heard her and your mother’s friend trying to get her to change her mind. Your mother’s mind was made up before she even came into the hospital.”

“Then tell me what I need to do to overrule it. Get an attorney?”

The nurse’s voice was full of compassion. “Mr. Steele, you’d be wasting the precious time you have with her if you resort to that. Do you really want to be at odds with her at the end?”

“I can’t lose her.” My brother’s voice broke. “She’s all I have. I can’t . . .”

“Losing a parent is hard,” she said. “I can arrange for you to speak to one of the chaplains.”

“I’m not religious,” my brother snapped.

“You don’t have to be. You can—”

“No.” My brother’s asshole attitude was back. “If you can’t help me with this, I’ll find someone who can.”

As he stomped off, it occurred to me that I didn’t know my brother at all.

* * *

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