for me. While the guys could party all night and then roll out of bed early the next afternoon, I usually had too much to do to get away with that. Besides, my brain has a nasty habit of waking me up with thoughts of tasks to complete and lists to build.
But this morning I managed to stay wrapped in Dex’s arms, sleeping away until my cell phone rang, waking me. I untangled myself from his grasp and grabbed the phone where it sat charging by the bed.
“Hello…”
“Is this Rebecca Hall?” a soft, British-accented voice asked.
“Yes, this is Becca.”
“Ah, yes. So sorry. Becca, I don’t know if you recall meeting me. I’m Karen, Dexter’s aunt.”
I shook my head a few times to clear it, and blinked. “Karen, of course. Hi. Um…are you looking for Dex? I can give you his number.”
“No, dear. I’m calling to speak with you.” Her voice was very serious. I looked at Dex, but he was still fast asleep. Climbing out of bed, I crept into the bathroom.
“Is something wrong?”
“I’m rather afraid so. This isn’t the kind of thing to share over the phone, but I wanted him to know as soon as possible.”
My heart sank, and I knew what she was going to say before she spoke again.
“Allen passed away last night. It was peaceful and painless. I was there with him. Dexter should know that. His father wasn’t alone.” Her voice cracked.
“Karen, I’m so sorry for your loss.”
“Thank you, dear. Listen, I’m telling you because I know you’re close with my nephew. I could see it when you were here at the hospital visiting. He’s going to need you now. Allen wasn’t a perfect man, and he was a rubbish father. I know that. But he loved my sister and he loved his son as best he was able.”
“Of course he did,” I whispered, heart breaking for Dex. “I’m glad you called me. I’ll tell him, and have him contact you, okay?”
“Yes. There are arrangements to make, of course. I can handle most of it, but he should be involved.”
“Yeah. And I can help too.”
“There’s one more thing, dear.”
“Yes?”
“A reporter came to the hospital a couple of days ago asking questions. Wanted to know if they had the right Allen Winters. So now that he’s gone, I expect they’ll find out soon.”
“Yes, you’re probably right. Look, if someone bothers you, just have them call the band’s press team. You don’t have to say anything. You’ve got enough to handle right now.”
“Thank you, dear.”
“Anytime. Hold on, let me get you the number.” I scrolled through to find it and rattled it off to her. “If there’s anything else you need, feel free to call me. I’m going to wake Dex up now.”
“All right.”
I thought for a moment. “Karen, you know, I have an idea. You’re Dex’s family. I think he should hear this from you. Stay on the phone and I’ll get him. Then I’m still here to help him cope, but the news should come from you.”
“What a good idea. You’re a very thoughtful young woman.” Her words almost made me smile. Karen was middle-age at the oldest, but talked to me like she was a hundred years older than me. It was oddly sweet.
I walked back into the bedroom. Dex was still sleeping, now on his back with an arm flung across my side of the bed. I sat down next to him and held his hand. “Honey, wake up.”
He grunted a few times and rolled away from me. I spoke again, this time squeezing his fingers. That worked. He turned his head back to face me and blinked a few times.
“Becca? What’s going on? It can’t be time for the show yet.”
“Not yet. But I’ve got an important call for you. I need you to get up.”
The corner of one of his lips quirked up. “I can get up for you anytime.” He reached out a hand to touch me, but then his eyes widened as he looked at my face. “Something’s wrong.”
I nodded and he sat up, back against the pillows and headboard. “Tell me.”
I handed the phone over and stood up, giving him a tiny bit of
But this morning I managed to stay wrapped in Dex’s arms, sleeping away until my cell phone rang, waking me. I untangled myself from his grasp and grabbed the phone where it sat charging by the bed.
“Hello…”
“Is this Rebecca Hall?” a soft, British-accented voice asked.
“Yes, this is Becca.”
“Ah, yes. So sorry. Becca, I don’t know if you recall meeting me. I’m Karen, Dexter’s aunt.”
I shook my head a few times to clear it, and blinked. “Karen, of course. Hi. Um…are you looking for Dex? I can give you his number.”
“No, dear. I’m calling to speak with you.” Her voice was very serious. I looked at Dex, but he was still fast asleep. Climbing out of bed, I crept into the bathroom.
“Is something wrong?”
“I’m rather afraid so. This isn’t the kind of thing to share over the phone, but I wanted him to know as soon as possible.”
My heart sank, and I knew what she was going to say before she spoke again.
“Allen passed away last night. It was peaceful and painless. I was there with him. Dexter should know that. His father wasn’t alone.” Her voice cracked.
“Karen, I’m so sorry for your loss.”
“Thank you, dear. Listen, I’m telling you because I know you’re close with my nephew. I could see it when you were here at the hospital visiting. He’s going to need you now. Allen wasn’t a perfect man, and he was a rubbish father. I know that. But he loved my sister and he loved his son as best he was able.”
“Of course he did,” I whispered, heart breaking for Dex. “I’m glad you called me. I’ll tell him, and have him contact you, okay?”
“Yes. There are arrangements to make, of course. I can handle most of it, but he should be involved.”
“Yeah. And I can help too.”
“There’s one more thing, dear.”
“Yes?”
“A reporter came to the hospital a couple of days ago asking questions. Wanted to know if they had the right Allen Winters. So now that he’s gone, I expect they’ll find out soon.”
“Yes, you’re probably right. Look, if someone bothers you, just have them call the band’s press team. You don’t have to say anything. You’ve got enough to handle right now.”
“Thank you, dear.”
“Anytime. Hold on, let me get you the number.” I scrolled through to find it and rattled it off to her. “If there’s anything else you need, feel free to call me. I’m going to wake Dex up now.”
“All right.”
I thought for a moment. “Karen, you know, I have an idea. You’re Dex’s family. I think he should hear this from you. Stay on the phone and I’ll get him. Then I’m still here to help him cope, but the news should come from you.”
“What a good idea. You’re a very thoughtful young woman.” Her words almost made me smile. Karen was middle-age at the oldest, but talked to me like she was a hundred years older than me. It was oddly sweet.
I walked back into the bedroom. Dex was still sleeping, now on his back with an arm flung across my side of the bed. I sat down next to him and held his hand. “Honey, wake up.”
He grunted a few times and rolled away from me. I spoke again, this time squeezing his fingers. That worked. He turned his head back to face me and blinked a few times.
“Becca? What’s going on? It can’t be time for the show yet.”
“Not yet. But I’ve got an important call for you. I need you to get up.”
The corner of one of his lips quirked up. “I can get up for you anytime.” He reached out a hand to touch me, but then his eyes widened as he looked at my face. “Something’s wrong.”
I nodded and he sat up, back against the pillows and headboard. “Tell me.”
I handed the phone over and stood up, giving him a tiny bit of
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