One Rule

Chapter 20

The next morning I got a special wake up call. We went a couple rounds before we got up and ready for the day. Kozik told me that he'd only let me shower with him if I promised to keep my hands to myself. You have one accident, and it kills shower sex for life...

I finished sewing Kip's patch and called Hale about getting the key to Kip's apartment so I could get a picture and the clothes we were going to bury him in. Once that was done, it was time to start prepping food with the girls because the wake was the next day.

Bobby came by the house later that day while we were cooking. I left the girls in the kitchen when he asked if he could talk to me in private. We went back to one of my spare rooms and closed the door. "Gemma has been calling me all day. She wants to talk to you," he sighed.

"She hasn't tried to call me," I replied.

"She's on a burner. Didn't want to call your phone," he said, handing me a cell phone. All you have to do is call the last number."

I pulled up the call list and looked up at Bobby, "You weren't kidding. She's called this number like twenty times."

"She's persistent," he nodded. "Remember, we aren't telling her about Abel, but Sack's death has been in all the papers."

"Let's see what she wants," I replied, pressing the send button on the little flip phone.

"Diana?" Gemma answered before the first ring even finished. "Is that you?"

"Yeah, it's me, Gemma. What's up?" I asked. "I heard you were really needing to talk to me."

"I heard about the Prospect. Who's handling the wake?"

"I am," I replied. "I've already set everything up with the funeral home. Piney made arrangements for the plot at the cemetery, and the girls and I are cooking for tomorrow. I've got everything under control."

"Oh." She almost sounded upset that things were carrying on in her absence.

"I learned from the master. It'll be fine. Don't worry about it. How are you?" I asked, trying to change the subject. "Tig made it up to you, right?"

"Yeah, he's here. Actually, my mom died, so we're at my parent's house. We just got in," she told me.

"Grandma Rose is dead?" I asked. Rose wasn't technically my grandma, but she'd treated me like I was her granddaughter - at least when we saw her. I hadn't seen or heard from Gemma's parents in a long time. "I'm sorry."

"I'm not that sorry."

"How's Grandpa?" I asked.

"His dementia is getting pretty bad. He didn't know who I was at first," she admitted.

"I'm sorry." I always got the impression that Gemma was closer to her father than her mother. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"No. Tell Elvis you're keeping this phone in case I need to get in touch," Gemma told me.

"Yes ma'am."

"How's Abel?" she asked.

"Um, he's good," I lied. "I've been busy the last couple day, so I haven't seen him, but I saw Tara the other day at work and she said he was good." Bobby was making hand gestures to tell me to shut up before I said too much.

"That's good. Give him a kiss for me the next time you see him," she sighed.

"I will. I've gotta go. I can hear the timer on my oven going off."

"Alright. Love you sweetheart," Gemma said.

"Love you too."

I hung up the phone and turned back to Bobby. "She wants me to keep this," I said, holding the phone up.