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Days later I’d caught myself looking at the contact and smiling a bit at myself that it was even in there. Like some forbidden little secret that only I knew about.
Fucking dumbass.
“Good to see you, Duke.” MJ smiled at me, and there was a glint of something more in her eyes, like she was trying not to laugh at me.
I nodded and offered her a terse smile. “You too.”
“Got a minute?” The slight tip of her head told me she preferred to speak in private, away from my father’s ears.
“Yeah.” I turned toward my dad, who was already chatting with a neighbor. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Dad.”
After a quick handshake farewell, I walked alongside MJ as she pushed the cart.
“I wanted to talk to you about a new drug trial I heard about. I think your dad might be perfect for it.” She handed me a pamphlet. “Think about it. You never know, right?”
I looked down at the glossy trifold, and my stomach turned in on itself. I’d learned a long time ago that hoping his dementia would improve was a lost cause. I slipped the pamphlet into my back pocket. “I’ll look into it.”
I had taken one step away when she called over my shoulder. “So you chickened out, huh?”
I turned to look at her over my shoulder. “Excuse me?”
Her lips curled in as though she was holding back a smile. She blinked innocently. “I think she was bummed you didn’t call.”
My heart plummeted to my stomach.
Sylvie.
Even her name in my head felt like a betrayal to my entire family, but I couldn’t deny the uptick in my heartbeat at the way it rolled around in there.
“You know... your secret is safe with me.” The mischievous grin that split MJ’s face was a problem.
My jaw flexed. “There is no secret.”
She only smiled and shrugged before she singsonged, “If you say so.”
I was another two strides down the hallway when she called over my shoulder: “But if you everdidtext her, I wouldn’t say a word.”
Stretched out on my bed,I draped my hand over the side to scratch at the scruff behind Ed’s ears. He groaned, like the old man he was, and plopped onto the floor. The old hound dog and I had been through the wringer. He’d earned his name Three-Legged Ed because he was also a dumbass who liked to chase cars.
His grumble matched my mood as MJ’s words played in a loop in my head.
She was bummed you didn’t call.
Reaching for the nightstand, I grabbed my phone and unlocked it, staring at the contact I had yet to delete.
Daryl Hall.
A small smile cracked at the corners of my mouth. I pulled up a new text thread and typed a message.
Me
Cat Fact 159: Cats can dream.
I hit send and immediately felt foolish texting Sylvie King a random, stupid cat fact. When three tiny bubbles appeared, then disappeared, my heart pounded.
Daryl Hall
Nice try, but I have your number saved, remember?
