Free Lost Legacy (A Zoe Chambers Mystery Book 2) by Annette Dashofy

on the table and slid into a chair. Only then did she notice Harry standing alone near the arched doorway to the living room, a vexed look on his face. Pete had spotted him, too, and crossed to his dad’s side. The limp was back.
    Pete whispered something to Harry, who shook his head. Then Pete took him by the elbow and led him into the other room.
    Something was definitely wrong. Zoe abandoned her pizza and followed them. Pete was easing his father onto the sofa.
    “What’s going on?”
    Pete glanced up. “Nothing. Go make sure everyone can find what they need.”
    Unaccustomed to being the recipient of Pete’s curt orders, she bristled. “The hungry hordes can take care of themselves. And don’t tell me nothing’s wrong.”
    Harry gazed up at her, the perplexed look still on his face. “Do I know you?”
    Zoe opened her mouth to remind him of her name, but realization hit her before she could speak. She turned to Pete and finally put a name to what she saw in his eyes.
    Anguish.
    She smiled. “Hi, Mr. Adams. I’m Zoe.”
    Harry brightened. “Zoe. What a lovely name. Are you Pete’s girlfriend?”
    Heat singed her neck and crept to her cheeks. “Um, no—I—um—”
    “She’s just a friend, Pop,” Pete said, putting a serious chill on her embarrassed blush.
    Just a friend . Well, that is what she insisted she wanted. Wasn’t it?
    “That’s too bad.” Harry studied her with a raised eyebrow.
    Zoe had always feared Pete could read her mind. Now she suspected his father of having similar abilities. She lowered her gaze to her shoes.
    “Son, why aren’t you dating this girl? Look at her. She’s a knock-out.”
    The heat around Zoe’s neck burst into an inferno.
    “I know she is.” Pete cleared his throat. “Are you hungry? I’ll fix you a plate.”
    “I could go for a bite.”
    “I’ll be right back.” Pete caught Zoe’s arm and drew her toward the kitchen, but stopped short of the doorway. “Sorry about that,” he whispered.
    “About what?”
    In reply, he shot a glance over his shoulder at Harry.
    She wanted to tell Pete he had nothing to apologize for, with the possible exception of his too-quick denial of her role as his girlfriend. “Alzheimer’s?”
    “Yeah.”
    So that was why he wanted her to stay after everyone else left. He needed a friend to confide in. Maybe not a girlfriend, but the kind of friend who could provide comfort in trying times. She smiled. “Let’s get him something to eat.”
    Seven

      
    Pete stared at the pair of queens and pair of threes he held in his hand. Drawing one lousy card hadn’t helped him a bit. The TV blaring from the living room helped even less.
    Sylvia, Yancy, Earl, and Seth sat around the dining table. Zoe had offered to skip the game and keep Harry company.
    “You playing or what?” Yancy asked him. “It’ll cost you two bucks.”
    Pete studied the faces around him. Earl and Yancy had folded. Sylvia kept a steady eye on Pete. The woman had the best poker face of the bunch. Hard to tell what she was holding. Seth, on the other hand, broke out in a sweat every time he bluffed. Right now he was biting back a smile while fidgeting in his chair.
    “I’m out.” Pete tossed his cards down, leaned back in his chair, and allowed Sylvia and Seth to battle for the pot.
    Meanwhile, Zoe was in the other room, babysitting Harry.
    Damn it. Pete hated dumping his problems on his friends. Especially Zoe. He’d cringed at the look on her face when she’d recognized Harry’s illness. Pity. She’d felt pity . For Harry, who would’ve detested anyone thinking of him as pathetic. And for Pete, for being stuck with a father who couldn’t remember shit.
    Plus, there was that embarrassing little exchange with Harry insisting that Pete ask Zoe out. Little did his dad know how much he longed to do just that. But she’d already turned him down, insisting she valued their friendship too much to risk it. She had a point. He’d made a lousy husband to his