Page 14 of Starved Until Sunset

“Might still be hard by the time you get home.”

“Well, I hate to put a damper on Little Cody’s fun…”

“Little?”

“But I just left Amelia’s and am parked outside the nursing home. Do you want me to stop in and check on Felicia?”

“Oh, look at you, being the world’s best husband.” Cody cleared his throat again. “Yeah, that would be nice, actually. Would be good to hear what you think of her condition.”

“That’s what I was thinking, too. Okay, I’ll stop in for a quick visit. I have leftovers from Amelia for dinner.”

“That woman is a saint.” Cody yawned loudly. “Does that mean I can return to my nap?”

“It absolutely does. I’ll be quiet when I get home.”

“Oh, no, I think my shorts accidentally slid off.”

“You are a very bad man.”

“And you’re stuck with me.”

“For life,” Demetrius said.

“Forever.”

“I love you.”

“Love you, too.” Another yawn. “I hope Felicia is in a good place today.”

“I’ll give you an update when I get home. Go back to sleep.”

“Halfway there,” Cody said. “Dreaming of you.”

“Such sweet talk.”

Cody made quiet snoring noises, and Demetrius laughed.

“Goodbye,” Demetrius said. “See you soon.”

“Bye.”

After he’d ended the call, Demetrius sat for a moment and looked at the shadows gathering in the small copse of pine trees that ran along the edge of the parking lot. It was early evening now, and the smell of the pine and quiet birdsong drifted in through the slightly open window. If he didn’t know better, he’d say he might be feeling… peaceful?

But then he heard Amelia say Spooky Sleuths as clearly as if she sat in the truck with him, and that sizzle of excitement sparked inside him again. He dampened it quickly before it could strengthen into something that burned brighter. There was not enough spooky business to sustain that kind of business model, not even as a side hustle. And Cody’s anger would be absolutely epic.

Pushing the thought from his mind, he stepped out of the truck and approached the doors. The nurse on duty smiled at him in recognition but he couldn’t recall her name.

“You’re Cody’s husband, right?” she said.

“Hi, yeah. I’m Demetrius. My aunt lives in the independent living section, and I thought I’d stop in to see Felicia while I was out here.”

“That’s nice of you. Cody is here so often. He’s a devoted grandson.”

“That he is. How’s Felicia been?”

“I haven’t really interacted with her today, but she’s been pretty good, I think. She’s been popular this week. The visits are always good for dementia patients.”

“Yeah, Cody’s dedicated.”