The Wager by Rosemary I Patterson PhD Read Free Book Online Page B

daughter-in-law moved toward the front door.
    "Who the Devil is that?" John Broughton asked moments later as his wife and as he could not help but notice a car with a Rottweiler's head sticking out the back window moving out of Bea's driveway.
    "Damn! Didn't get a good look at him. I think it was that fellow with the odd name from the restaurant."
    "I told you your mother is brain damaged from that stroke!"
    "Don't be ridiculous, probably a delivery man."
    "At 8:00 a.m. in the morning. Your mother is having an affair, John."
    "You're jumping to conclusions."
    "Look how long it's taking her to open this door. I'm telling you we have a serious problem here. If she marries that man her will is invalidated."
    Orphelia launched into a discussion of the state's community property laws. By the time she was through John had become as highly anxious about his mother's behaviour and the consequent danger to his inheritance rights as Orphelia.
    "I'm going to speed up our arrangement with the Director of the Care Home," Orphelia told John. "Divert your mother and I'll use my cell phone."
    "Who was that man leaving your driveway, Mother?" John demanded as Bea finally opened the front door. "Is that the man from the restaurant yesterday?"
    "None of your business!" Bea marched into the kitchen.
    Orphelia gave him an "I told you so," look and flipped open her cell phone.
    "Proceed today as we planned in several weeks time," she instructed the care home director. "Yes, speed up the action. Today! We may not get her back again."
    "Turk is right," Bea thought as John interrogated her angrily in the kitchen. "I really should revoke my 'Power of Attorney.'"

CHAPTER 6.
Honey and Tyler.
    T urk O'Brien stared hard toward the parking lot of the Dog Park. His eyes were searching for Bea Broughton and Angus. It was half an hour past the usual meeting time and Bea was nowhere to be seen. Turk became more anxious that Bea had not returned the messages he had left for several days about dropping off Trump as expected.
    "Wonder if she minded getting so close so fast?" he wondered. "Or maybe she's caved into her son's demands because of the grandchildren." Turk felt quite a bit of pain in his heart about such a possibility. The pain merged with some of the intense emotion Turk had experienced with the rejections from his two wives. Nausea struck him in his stomach.
    "I'll have none of that Shit again," Turk vowed. "I'm not going to call Bea again until she calls me."
    He released Trump and Dogzilla and sprinted after his friends who had gone ahead with their animals.
    Up ahead Honey Pratt was having a talk with Tyler Thompson, the local Funeral Director, who had intercepted her as she walked Bourbon. His Rhodesian Ridgeback, Inferno, and her Pit Bull, Bourbon, made a strange pair as they ambled together, just in front of their masters. Honey, Tyler, Inferno and Bourbon were several hundred yards behind the other Dog Walking Club members. As they came to a grassy knoll with trees and a ravine behind it Inferno suddenly went down on his front paws facing Bourbon and barked.
    "Isn't that cute, Sugar?" Honey said to Tyler as Bourbon took up Inferno's challenge and roared off as fast as his shorter legs would allow up to a grassy knoll and then into the ravine behind it. The Rhodesian Ridgeback roared after him and very quickly caught up, rolled the Pit Bull over in his charge, grabbed Bourbon's cherished red ball, from which Bourbon was inseparable, and then shot behind some trees in the ravine. The sturdy Pit Bull picked himself up and used his nose to follow Inferno behind the trees. In a few seconds the sound of barking and growling reached Tyler and Honey.
    "This man is my best chance to win the wager," Honey said to herself as she gave in and joined the well-dressed, distinguished looking, ninety years old in conversation. "This old boy has been flirting with me since I joined the Dog Walking group. Nothing gross, just winks and compliments."
    "Y'all never