Page 114 of The Moment They Can't Forget

“Why did you just wheeze?”

“The pollen is real bad at the moment,” Brody said after a long exhale. “Zoe is just sad. She’s trying to act like she’s not, but it’s there, JD.”

He didn’t want to think of her being sad. Zoe Duke was his beautiful, light-up-a-room, sassy, happy girl.

His girl. He let that sink in for a second. It felt right.

“Is she… ah, is she okay though, otherwise I mean.” He sounded like a teenager with his first crush.

“No. She’s sad. I just told you that. Look, bud, two people I care about are hurting, and as far as I can see, that’s on you.”

“Harsh considering your brother tried to kill me and your sister said kissing me was no big deal,” JD said before he could swallow down the words.

Brody whispered something he didn’t catch.

“Who the hell are you talking to?”

“My cat. Ally called it a dumbass.”

“When did you get a cat?” JD asked. Anything to delay what he was about to do.

“It’s a stray, just wandered in. The dumbest animal I have ever met.” These words ended with another grunt. “And people say stupid shit in the heat of the moment. You know that we’re surrounded by that in Lyntacky. Zoe and Sawyer are the passionate Dukes who often speak without thinking. Now, when are you coming home?” Brody asked.

“I had the kidney compatibility tests, Brody.” It felt good to speak to someone, even if it wasn’t Sawyer or Zoe, who understood him. Someone from his home. He realized in that moment he needed to talk about what he was about to do, and he wanted the person listening to be someone he respected.

Brody whistled. “When did you decide to go ahead with that?”

“I told you I was thinking about it.”

“Thinking and doing, bud, are two different things.”

“It seemed the right thing to do.”

“So you ran away from the emotional shitstorm here and gave dear old Dad, who you haven’t seen in years, your kidney.”

“I haven’t given it to him yet, Brody.”

“Yeah, well, we need to discuss that more.”

“Do we?”

“Yes, we do” came the reply.

“I’m just about to go see my family for the first time,” JD said, looking down the drive again.

“They didn’t know you were doing the tests?” Brody asked after more whispering.

Dukes were odd. There was no getting around that fact.

“No, but I can’t be sure the doctor didn’t tell them.”

“Hang on, JD, I got someone here who wants to speak to you.”

“Fuck off, you said I could just listen,” JD heard Sawyer say, and he smiled for the first time in days. At least the wheezing and whispering made sense now.

“He’s your friend and going through shit. He needs you,” Brody said. “Grow the fuck up.”

There was a long silence, and then Sawyer spoke. “Hey.”

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