Page 48 of Call Back

Chapter 10

Brady stayed a few more minutes, chatting with my mother about his parents and his brother and sister. Then the waitress brought over his order, and he leaned over and kissed me on the cheek. “When will you be done tonight?”

“I don’t know yet,” I said, hoping my mother didn’t volunteer the information.

“Let me know when you do know.” Then he glanced at Momma. “Mrs. Steele, it was a pleasure getting to know you better.”

Her answer was a frown.

As he walked out the front door, her frown deepened. “I don’t like him.”

“What?” I asked, in shock. “Why?”

“I don’t trust him.”

I rolled my eyes. “You name one boyfriend of mine you ever trusted.”

She remained silent. Her assessment of Brady bothered me more than I wanted to let on, especially since she was generally a good judge of character.

“You didn’t even like Tanner. And everyone liked Tanner.”

“Tanner McKee was a weasel.”

Well, she wasn’t wrong there. “What about Colt?” I asked, choosing someone I knew she trusted—despite how most people felt about him. “Would you trust him?”

“With my business and my life, but I wouldn’t trust him for a minute with you.”

“I rest my case,” I said, though we both knew I hadn’t proven anything.

Momma pursed her lips and pulled out her wallet.

“No,” I said, pushing her hand away from the black folder. “Let me get it.”

“You don’t have a pot to piss in.”

“Maybe not,” I said with a laugh. “But I have twenty-five dollars to pay for lunch.” I tossed the cash on the table, satisfied there was enough for a generous tip. “Let’s head to the kitchen together.”

Momma got up and faltered, grabbing the back of her chair to steady herself. “We need to go by the bank first.”

I’d forgotten about that part. “Okay.” I reached out to grab her arm, but she shot me a glare. “I’m perfectly capable of walking on my own.”

Her steps seemed to loosen as we walked toward the bank, but her chest was rising and falling at an alarming rate given that we’d only walked a block and a half at a slow pace.

I had so many questions about so many things, but I figured out a way to possibly get my mother to answer one of them.

“I know I’m getting the house,” I said cautiously, “but what about all the stuff Roy has in the garage? If I sell the house, what should I do with it?”

“Let Roy get rid of it. I’ve been telling him for the last year to move it out, but he always tells me he’ll get around to it and never does, which is completely unlike him. I’ve even asked Belinda to do it a few times, because she’s one of the most organized people I know, but she always has an excuse.”

“Who does it belong to?”

“One of Roy’s friends.”

“That’s what Belinda told me—she said it all belongs to Roy’s friend who moved to Hong Kong. Tim or Todd . . . I’m pretty sure it was Todd.”

Momma stopped. “Did you say Todd? His friend Todd is married with two kids. He lives right here in Franklin.”

My breath caught and I stopped next to her. “Maybe Belinda was confused.”

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