Page 86 of Nothing to Beat

“I hadn’t decided I was going to do anything about it yet.Everything’s probably fine.Like I said, Roxie and I were talking, it came up and… I thought I might get checked out.”

“Just you?”

“Well, you’re here now.It wouldn’t hurt to have some support.”

“I’ll be there.”

“It’s such a shame you’re poor now,” she said, splaying her hands on his body.

“Because this doctor costs money?”

She could cover that.There were levels between billionaire and destitute.Her job easily kept her afloat.

“Because the nurse accepts bribes.”

“To what?Doctor the results?”

Wouldn’t that be counterintuitive?

“No, to look the other way when a woman might want to join her man… to help obtain his… sample.”

And that quickly changed his tune.“I’ll find the money.”

She laughed.“I want to get changed.If Tripp’s in, and awake, we can ask him about Whey.”

Putting an arm around her shoulders, he guided her toward the elevator.“Mom will know more about historical situations.Carolyn would be useful in relaying his current positions.”

“Do you really want to involve them?”They stepped into the elevator and selected their floor.“The more people who know, the more complicated it could get further down the line.”

The boundary between trust and protection was thin.Of course she trusted the Breckenridges, and Carolyn Hunt, but they were happy, spending time together, having fun.This wasn’t the time for drama and negativity.

In the suite’s living room, they found Tripp standing insanely close, like intimately close, to a woman she’d never seen before.

“Should’ve put a sock on the doorknob,” Breck said as his brother backed off.

“Ha, ha, very funny.”

“We’ll…” the woman said with hope and insecurity in equal measure.

“Yeah, you got it.”

Tripp kissed the woman’s head and she shuffled past them, meek smile on her face.

“You didn’t have to do that,” she said.“We’d have made ourselves scarce, we’re going out anyway.”

“No, it’s no big deal,” Tripp said, dropping onto the sofa.“Coming to the club tonight?”

“Mom and Carolyn—”

“Still shopping, or having cocktails, I don’t know.You know what they’re like when they get together.”

“What did you get up to today?”

“Haven’t got myself out of here yet.”

Huh, so where did the woman come from?Was she left over from last night or someone Tripp had on call?

“I’m not surprised,” Breck said.“Bet you didn’t long wake up.”