Chapter 1

1.

After my wife spent three years nursing my comatose mother, I couldn't stand it anymore and asked for a divorce.

All I'd asked was for her to look after someone, and somehow she'd wound up reeking of old age.

On top of that, she went ages without washing her hair.

Every time I took her out, my buddies gave me grief.

"You get yourself a wife, or a mother?"

I'd had enough. I demanded the divorce.

But she just smiled.

"Fine, let's divorce."

"I don't want the kid or the house. All I want is a share of the marital property we built during the marriage."

"From now on, our son and your mother are yours to take care of."

That reaction was so obviously her playing hard to get.

I let out a scoff.

"Don't come crawling back later, begging."

She didn't even turn her head. She just walked out.

...

With her out of the way, that evening I brought a young, pretty secretary along to the party instead.

My old classmates and buddies looked at me with plain envy.

"Clarence Sawyer, you lucky dog. Is this the new wife?"

"Damn, way better looking than the last one."

One of the guys came up and nudged my arm.

"You and your wife really over for good?"

I nodded, my face full of distaste. "Had to be over. You all remember what Joy Sanchez used to look like."

"She was a real beauty back in the day. Then she had the kid and her figure went to hell. Got fat as a pig."

"Never mind that she stopped taking care of herself. She even smelled like my old mother, that old-people smell all over her."

The moment I said it, plenty of them pinched their noses and waved a hand, like they knew exactly what I meant.

A few more chimed in to back me up.

"Before, since she was your wife, we didn't like to say anything."

"Good thing it's over. The way she looks now, she's really no match for a man who runs his own company."

"For men like us, the woman on our arm should be a real beauty, like your secretary here."

I basked in the flattery. Bella Cross leaned into my side, her slender hand trailing lightly across my chest.

I could smell that tempting scent of hers, clear as day.

My hand crept up to her waist on its own.

She let out a soft little sound and sank into my arms. My buddies were egging us on, and just as I was about to kiss her, my phone rang.

The good mood cut short, my temper flared. I put it to my ear and snapped, "Who is it?"

"Say what you've got to say, and make it quick."

Turned out it was Joy.

I frowned, contempt flickering in my eyes.

"Regretting it already? And here I thought you were so tough."

"Too late for regrets."

"I'm not agreeing to get back together with you."

To my surprise, she just laughed on the other end.

"What are you dreaming about? I'm calling to tell you there's no one to look after your mother today."

"You can go yourself, or you can hire an in-home caregiver. Your call."

"One more thing to remind you. Our son gets out of school at four. Don't forget to pick him up."

"I've handed everything over to you now. Anything goes wrong, it's not on me."

The words sat wrong in my ear, no matter how I turned them over.

Whatever. It was just looking after people. How hard could it be?

Have my fun first.

I pulled Bella into my arms and was about to pick up where we left off when the phone rang again.

This time it was the hospital.

"Is this Ms. Dickerson's son? Ms. Dickerson still hasn't done her rehab session today. Where are you?"

"The exams these past couple days found fluid in Ms. Dickerson's lungs. Family needs to help clear it out by hand. Please get to the hospital as soon as you can to assist."

Whatever heat I'd worked up was completely gone in that instant.

"What a hassle. Fine, fine, fine, I'll come right now."

"It's just looking after someone. What's the big deal."

If Joy could do it, I sure as hell could too.

I pushed Bella off, straightened my clothes, told her to head out first, and drove to the hospital.

The nurse was already waiting for me. The second I walked in, a wall of urine stench nearly drove me back out.

Pinching my nose, I forced my way inside and frowned at the nurse.

"Why does it reek like this?"

"Didn't you people take my mother to the bathroom?"

"I paid for this. Is this how you take care of people?"