Page 40 of All Bets are Off

“You guys missed a fun beach night,” Kasey says to me and West. “Dex here got wasted.”

When I look at Dex, his cheeks are pink. “I don’t drink much,” he admits.

“You were cute,” Kasey says, elbowing him.

West leans over and whispers in my ear. “How’d Gloria do last night?”

After I tell him what the nurse said, he smiles and winks at me, which shouldn’t make me blush like a seventh grader, but it does. Or maybe it’s just that it’s combined with the fact thatsomethingis steadily leaking out of me into my underwear. Face on fire, I look away and notice Dex staring at us. He quickly turns his attention back to his plate.

I can’t get upstairs and into the shower soon enough.

Clean and in fresh clothes, I change my sheets and head to the office downstairs for Slade’s video call. Most everyone else has gathered and Slade’s face is on the TV screen by the time I walk in the door. I sit on the arm of the sofa next to West.

“We’re all here,” Jase says when Andi enters the room after me. “And Ox is on speaker phone from Denver.”

“Hey Ox.” We all greet him.

Slade begins by going over the list of cases we’re currently working on, as well as the wrap up on the most recent ones, including the stint West and I did for Peter Boring.

“Boring gave us a glowing recommendation, so, good work, Fields and Hammond.” Then he moves on to welcome Dex to the group. “How are you getting along?”

“Great,” Dex says. “Everyone’s been terrific.”

“Has Jase gotten you set up with the new computer equipment?”

“Yes. I’ve been spending the last few weeks getting accustomed to it. I think I’m good to go.”

“Excellent. I’m going to need your help soon. I’ll be getting in touch.”

Slade talks for a few moments more, and then ends the video call.

Looking at my watch, I see it’s eleven-thirty. “We’d better get going to see Mom,” I tell West. He agrees and holds the door open for me as we leave.

Outside, the day is hot and a little humid. Our shoes crunch on the gravel as we leave the paved drive and circle around to where West parked his new black Toyota Camry. As West climbs behind the wheel, he says, “Maybe you ought to prepare me for seeing Gloria.”

“That’s probably a good idea.” I buckle my seatbelt and sigh. “She’s much worse than the last time I saw her. I’ve had her doctors send her records to a physician here who comes highly recommended. I’m shocked at how much she’s deteriorated in such a short amount of time. She’s not taking care of herself, like I told you, and her memory is going.” My eyes smart and nose burns. “Pretty soon she’s going to forget who we are.”

“Hey,” West rests his hand on the nape of my neck. “We’ll get answers. Maybe that doctor in Atlanta missed something.”

I nod, swallowing, and stay quiet the rest of the drive to the assisted living home, glad West is with me. I can only hope my mother doesn’t say something hurtful to him. I never know what she’s going to do or say anymore.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Dex

“What do you mean, you’ve moved to Redding?” I stare at my stunned reflection in the mirror across from my bed.

“Don’t you want me to be close to you?” my sister asks through the phone.

I want to point out to her that we’ve never been close, but that seems a little mean. So, instead, I say, “I thought you liked your job at the bank.”

“I was just a receptionist. I got an even better job here.”

My mind’s spinning. “When did all this happen?”

“In the last week. You wouldn’t believe how everything just fell into place once I decided to move. That tells me right there I’m doing the right thing.”

“Did you move here because West is here?” I ask. After seeing West and Logan at breakfast that morning, I feel sure they are together.

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