Page 48 of All Bets are Off

Jase enters, grabbing the folders off his desk. “We’ve got a few new cases to discuss.”

We spend a couple of hours reading through them and deciding who needs to take which case before breaking to eat. By this time, my stomach’s growling loud enough for West and Jase to hear it. In the dining room, we join Kasey, Cara, and Andi, who are deep in a discussion over eggs and toast about a movie they watched.

Just as we sit down, my phone rings, and I excuse myself and step out into the hall to answer it.

“Mr. Fields? This is Dr. Bridges’ office. I have a note here that you wanted a call if we get a cancellation. We have one tomorrow morning. Would you like to change Gloria’s appointment to then?”

“Yes. Definitely.” We make the arrangements. When I disconnect and turn around, I nearly run into West, who has joined me in the hall.

“Everything okay?” he asks, looking concerned.

“The specialist has an opening tomorrow, and I took it. Fuck, that’s a load off my mind. I didn’t know how I was going to wait with Mom getting worse by the day. Wait. Can you still go with me if it’s tomorrow?”

“What time?”

“Ten.”

“I should be able to, yeah.”

That’s a relief. I would hate to have to take my mother by myself. She might not cooperate with me at all. We discuss our schedule and when we go back into the dining room to eat, my heart is a little lighter now that I know I’m going to get a second opinion on my mother’s condition sooner rather than later.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

West

When Logan and I arrive at the Garden Oasis the following morning, Anna is behind the desk. When she sees me, she gives me a wide smile.

“Good morning! Logan, your mom is in the common room over there through the arches.”

“Thanks.” Logan heads that way, and I start to follow him when Anna comes around the counter to talk to me.

“It’s really nice of you to help Logan with his mom,” she says. I’m suddenly struck by how young she is. Maybe it’s because today she isn’t wearing any makeup and she’s plaited her hair. What was I thinking, dating a college girl? She’s out of college now, but she still looks like a baby. Logan said as much back then when she and I were a couple, but I was too full of myself that such a young, pretty girl was attracted to me to listen. Maybe I shouldn’t have gone to dinner with her last night because today there’s something in her eyes that says she’s still interested in me that way.

“Logan’s mom is like a mom to me,” I tell her, smiling. “See you around.” I turn and hurry between the arches and spot Logan talking softly to Gloria, who does not look happy. Until she sees me, and then a bright smile blooms over her face. I feel so damn sorry for Logan, I want to hug him.

“There you are!Hesaid you came, but I didn’t believe him.” She scowls at her son.

I send Logan an apologetic look, but he shakes his head as though to tell me not to worry.

“Let’s get you out to the car,” he tells Gloria.

“I don’t want to go to the doctor.”

“Mom, this appointment is important, not to mention difficult to get,” Logan says.

Putting my hand on his back, I say to his mom, “I’ve been looking forward to taking you, Gloria. Will you hold onto my arm?” I offer it to her, and she smiles, standing to link our arms at the elbow. She’s a little wobbly on her feet, so I’m glad I offered.

We make our way out to the car. In the lobby, I don’t even glance at Anna behind the desk, just keep walking through the automatic doors outside, where the heat and humidity is already climbing. I feel kind of bad about it, but I don’t need to give Anna false hope. Soon she’ll meet a guy closer to her age and forget all about me—if she’s even thinking about me that way again. I’m still not sure.

Since Gloria wants to sit up front, I offer to drive. I don’t want her throwing a fit because she has to sit by Logan. The two of them have always been so close, her disdain for him is unbelievably difficult to witness. I have trouble keeping up a cheerful front, but I have to so that Gloria will cooperate.

The doctor’s office isn’t crowded, and Logan checks with the admissions desk while I lead his mother to a comfortable place to sit. Logan joins us, filling out paperwork. He brought his mother’s wallet and pulls out her insurance card and driver’s license, head bent as he writes.

“Do you remember our wedding?” Gloria suddenly asks me, and Logan’s head jerks up, eyes meeting mine.

“Uh, Gloria. I’m West. Your son’s friend, remember?”

She looks confused and subsides into silence. I’m relieved when the nurse calls her name.

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