Red tinged Lindsay’s cheeks.“Yes.He needed a partner, and he heard I like cards.”
Dot grinned.It wasn’t often Lindsay avoided her gaze.“He’s nice.”And he’d been cleared from any involvement in the poaching.
“Yes, he is.”
“You deserve to be happy.”And Dot was pleased Lindsay was moving on from her mysterious lover.It had been almost a year since he’d promised to be back as soon as he’d left his wife.
“Thank you, hon.”She patted Dot’s arm.“So do you.Don’t dismiss Oliver out of hand.He might have his own reasons.”
Dot pulled away and put the kettle on.She’d had her heart broken twice now.She would not make it a third time.
“Have you seen your parents recently?”Lindsay asked as she got out the mugs.
“Not since last month.”Lindsay was great at finding topics Dot didn’t want to talk about.
“Are they still grieving over Mark?”
She flinched at her brother’s name.“Not that you would know.”They’d left her to do everything after Mark had been shot.She’d arranged the funeral, sorted out probate, done the paperwork because of course he hadn’t written a will, and then put all his stuff in storage until the state could rule on who should get his things.
“Don’t be too hard on them.Everyone grieves differently.”
Dot’s temper flared.“They never cared about him when he was alive, so why would they start now?”
Lindsay sighed.“I know.I’m trying to give them the benefit of the doubt.”
Lindsay saw the good in everyone.Dot envied her a little, but she had seen too much evidence proving people were inherently selfish.
As if on cue, her phone rang and she groaned as her mother’s name appeared on the screen.With an apologetic smile at Lindsay, she answered.“Hi, Mum.”
“Dot, when are we coming to dinner this month?”
She blinked in surprise.Since when had her parents offered to come to dinner?“I’ve been really busy.I’m not sure I’ll have time this month.”
“All this work around the treasure must be taxing.”
The truth hit her.She wasn’t interested in seeing Dot.She wanted to know what Dot knew.
“You should take some time out to see family.”
Dot glanced at Lindsay.That’s exactly what she was doing tonight, not that she’d ever tell her mother.“I’m sorry, I don’t have time at the moment.”
“Well then, if that’s the case, why don’t you tell me what the doubloon looked like?I’m dying to know.”
The disappointment never went away.Perhaps one day she would stop expecting more from her parents.“There was no doubloon, Mum.I need to go.I’ll call you later.”She hung up before her mother could say anything further.
Lindsay smiled sympathetically from the kitchen where she was making a single mug of tea.“I should get going,” she said.“It’s an early start tomorrow, and you need your rest.”She hugged Dot, and Dot clung to her for a moment longer than she should.“Any time you need me, I’ll be here.”
Dot’s vision blurred and she blinked to clear it.“Thanks for dinner.”
“You’re welcome.”Lindsay squeezed her hand and closed the front door behind her.Dot exhaled, shaking off the heaviness which always came with dealing with her parents.
She settled on her couch with the tea, taking a small sip and then smiling at the taste.Lindsay knew exactly how much sugar to add.She closed her eyes and let go of the tension.She had to make time for the people she cared for.It wasn’t a long list, but it had grown over the past year to include the extended Stokes family.
The thought brought her right back to Nhiari.
She checked her phone but there were no messages.Nhiari would spend her second night with her kidnapper.At least Dot knew she could take care of herself.She knew about bush tucker and where to find water thanks to her indigenous heritage, and Lee had been living in the ranges for months now.
She glanced at her backpack by the door.She really should go through the information she’d gathered and see if the discovery of drugs added anything to the picture.Then tomorrow she would drill the Stokes for all the information they had.
