Death by Lotto by Abigail Keam Page B

it cool. An exquisite little garden salad waited for me in the fridge with Eunice’s homemade ranch dressing, which I neatly folded in. I took both over to my Nakashima table that already had a place setting with a glass of water. I dove in, eating with relish. Nobody could make a hot brown like Eunice, not even me.
    After eating, I took up residence on the couch over-looking the pool and the bird feeders. Baby laid down beside the couch and rested his big droopy head on his paws.
    Cardinals, nut hatches, finches, downy woodpeckers, black-top chickadees, flickers, sparrows and rock doves crowded around the feeders in happy commotion.
    Occasionally I would hear a sound from the office, but the house was quiet for the most part – just the humming of the refrigerator and the sound of air coming through the heat vents.
    I didn’t even notice when my head drooped over my chest and my eyes closed.

20
    A banging on the door disturbed my sleep and then I heard the door unlock.
    Still groggy, I slipped off the couch and rolled under it, which was stupid. Anyone could see a person hiding there, but it was the best I could think of still half asleep.
    “Rennie! Rennie! Where are you?” yelled Matt. “Good God, what are you doing under the couch, woman?”
    Thinking this a game, Baby stuck his snout under the couch and lunged.
    “No, Baby. Bad Baby!” I admonished. I hated this game of his where he acted as though he was going to attack. I didn’t like his lunging, especially around my face. I guess we were going back to the dog trainer, as Baby was technically still a puppy – a huge, willful puppy.
    Matt pulled Baby up by his collar and shook his finger at him. “Bad Baby. No.”
    I never thought shaking one’s finger at Baby was a good idea since he might mistake it for a hotdog, but Matt could do as he pleased.
    To my astonishment, Baby looked chastised and shuffled over to a chew toy.
    Matt was now on his hands and knees trying to extract me from beneath the couch. Slowly we made headway.
    “What were you doing?”
    “I was asleep. I heard yelling and banging on the door. I was trying to hide. Guess it was instinct.”
    “It was a stupid place to hide.”
    “I didn’t say it was smart, Matt. I said it was instinct. Why didn’t you just call like a normal person?” I sputtered, putting my clothes to rights.
    “I did. I called and called, but no one picked up. I knew you were at home. I thought something might have happened.” Matt grabbed my arm. “Are you taking double doses of your pain medication? I know you went to see the doctor to have the prescription refilled.”
    I pulled away. “The battery’s going out on my hearing aid.”
    “Josiah!” Matt scolded.
    “ I was too tired to replace it when I got home. That’s why I didn’t hear the phone.”
    “Can we argue about this later?”
    “What did you want? You seem flustered.”
    “Your brain seems to be functioning at last. You’re not drunk, are you?”
    I made a face. “Ha ha.”
    “Guess who came to see me at work today?”
    “Meriah,” I retorted, without thinking.
    “Jeez, you must have calluses from patting yourself on the back for being right all the time. I simply hate that.”
    “Was it Meriah?”
    Matt pulled me down on the couch and held my hands. His blue eyes sparkled beneath long thick eyelashes.
    “Matt, you’re frightening me. Meriah’s not going to die, is she?”
    “Why would you say that?”
    “No reason,” I lied. “Why did she come to see you?”
    “She’s going to have a baby. My baby.”
    “Get out!”
    “Can you believe it.”
    “This is happy news, Matt?”
    “Ecstatic. And the best part is she doesn’t want to raise it. She wants to give me full custody.”
    “Slow down, Matt. Slow down. She doesn't want custody? What mother would give up her rights like that? That’s not normal.”
    “Meriah said she realized that she’s not cut out to be a full-time mother, plus she doesn’t want the baby to