Page 106 of Waiting Game

“I know so. I never go looking for cats. They always find me.

“Anyway, you can pay me less next week for the missing?—”

Me: No.

“It’s only fair!”

I shake my head at the screen, trying to reconcile Gracie’s betrayer with this woman who’s arguing over her payment.

Me: No. I don’t care if it’s fair or not. You didn’t skip out on a session because you wanted to go shopping, for God’s sake. You had a family emergency!

Me: Later, we can talk again if you want. You know, about the surgery?

She ducks her head. “I doubt I’ll be lucid if anything…”

Her grief is suddenly my grief.

Just like it was with her when I told her about Betsy.

Me: I’ll be here if you need me.

Me: Could you do me a favor?

“Of course.”

Me: Will you let me know what happens?

She shoots me the tiniest of smiles. “I will.”

CHAPTER 20

COLE

I can’t lether deal with this on her own.

I’d be a bastard if I did.

That’s why, even though I’m pretty sure that she’s going to slam the phone down on me, I hit her number.

“Cole?” she inquires warily.

“I thought you might have blocked me.”

“Why? We hooked up. That’s what you do onHooked-Up.

“Look, I don’t have time for this. I need to get my head on straight.”

“What do you mean? What’s going on?”

“If you must know, my cat needed emergency surgery.”

“Which one?”

“Cupid.”

“She’s the one who waited by the door, isn’t she?”

She sniffs in my ear. “You think I’m impressed that you remember that? Well, you’d be right.”

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