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The voice belonged to a platinum bottled-dyed blonde in a slinky hot pink gown. Laura instantly recognized the woman from the day she unexpectedly showed up in Dexter's office and found her sprawled across his lap.
The woman, known only as Bridget, recognized Laura as well. Possessively, she slid into Dexter's embrace and pouted her full scarlet lips up at him. “What's she doing here?”
CHAPTER 10
“She was just leaving.” He disentangled himself from the woman's clutches.
“Dexter!” Adell angrily glared at her son. “Laura is my guest.”
Laura stood there, unable to remove her eyes from the sculptured beauty running a long painted finger along his arm. An abhorrent picture of the two making love, had her almost sick to her stomach. Her time with Dexter had been special, one she harbored close to her heart, regardless of his own feelings. Suddenly, it held a new, less earnest meaning.
Feeling very close to tears, she was relieved when Adell took her by the arm and led her in the direction of the kitchen.
“Let me get you something to drink.” She was placed gently on a kitchen stool. “Don't mind Bridget. Ever since the woman met Dexter, she's had her claws fixed firmly in him.”
“He doesn't seem to mind.”
“Don't let him fool you.” His mother pulled a glass tumbler from the cupboard above her head. “When he discovers he's in love, he'll fight tooth and nail.”
Excepting the scotch and soda water, Laura raised her brows. “I don't think he's capable of loving.”
“Oh he feels love.” Adell was certain. “He just fights off the emotion.”
“Adell I owe you more than I can ever repay. And I failed you. I wanted to apologize to Dexter but he makes it so difficult.”
“Yes, I admit, I would like to see you and Dexter patch things up, but I can't live his life for him. He has to learn how to do it for himself.” Patting the girl's hand, she smiled. “Now this nonsense about owing me is ridiculous. I haven't done anything a true friend wouldn't do for another.”
“You've gone beyond that.” Moving over beside her at the counter, she said, “You paid for the shelter’s renovations, didn’t you?”
Adell spun around surprised. “That's not true.”
“Oh, well, then Norton’s construction company did it. Either way, you needn't hide it from me anymore, Adell.”
The woman frowned. “Honestly, we had nothing to do with it.”
“Why deny it? I know the truth now.” She began placing some richly saturated desserts on a crystal platter. “Dexter told me he was able to pull some strings to bring about the restoration. However, the funds did not come from the insurance company as I assumed.”
“They didn’t come from me, Laura.” Adell stopped slicing the pickled eggs she was preparing and turned firmly on the girl. “I'm not sure what Dexter exactly told you, but I didn’t have anything to do with it. I wish I could take the credit but I can't.”
“Well if not you or the insurance company, than who? That would leave—” Laura paused mid-sentence. Immediately her mind began to renounce such thoughts. There simply was no time for such ridiculous musings. Turning abruptly away, she picked up the tray of delicacies. “No matter, I received the miniature cottage, Adell.”
“Cottage? What are you talking about?”
She sighed, hardly believing the extent the woman was willing to go to conceal the truth. “I saw your cottage out in the hall. You sent me a replica.”
Adell's face looked slightly confused, then began to slowly glow. “Laura, that cottage was a gift.”
Stopping midway toward the kitchen exit, she turned and looked blankly back. “A gift? From who?”
The glow on the older woman's face began to grow brighter until she was beaming from ear to ear. “From Dexter.”
Laura's face grew pallid, the blood having been sapped dry. “Dex-Dexter?”
Without realizing it, the platter she held in her hand slid from her numb fingers and fell with a crash to the shining tiled floor below. With a jolt, she gave a cry and dropped to her knees. “I'm sorry, how dreadfully stupid of me.”
“Don't worry about it dear.” Adell knelt beside her. “You've just received a shock.”
“Th-that can't be true.” The words fell clumsily over her tongue. “Th-that would mean—”
