“I’m not,” Lander admits. “But she’s family and it’s not like she asks often. So where is she?” he asks, pushing past his brother. He spots me for the first time and flashes me a smile and a quick wink before calling out, “Jessica?”

“She’s in there,” I say quietly, gesturing to the door with my thumb.

Lander knocks as Travis tries to intervene. “I don’t know why she called you, but she’s resting now.”

“I just told you why she called, but if you like we can ask her now,” Lander says and knocks again before just opening the door.

“That’s her bedroom,” Travis snaps.

“Really?” Lander asks as he peeks into the dimly lit room. “I thought the bedroom belonged to both husband and wife.” He pushes the door all the way open and steps inside.

And there’s Jessica, moaning softly as she lies across the bed, her head partially lolling over the edge and a pool of vomit on the floor.

Travis recoils in disgust, but Lander just moves her hair back from her sweaty forehead. “Jessica, do you remember calling me? You said you needed help?”

Jessica opens her eyes and looks up at her guest. “Oh,” she says softly, “I don’t feel very well.”

“It looks like you might have had a little too much to drink.”

“Lander?” she asks, as if she’s just now figuring out who he is.

“Yes, it’s me, you called me.”

“Oh yes.” Her eyes fall to half-mast. “Your girlfriend’s a whore.”

“I don’t have a girlfriend,” Lander corrects. “If I did I wouldn’t have asked your assistant to accompany me to the fund-raiser dinner.”

“Oh yes,” she whispers. She’s almost out again.

Lander presses two fingers against the vein in her wrist. “It would appear that I’ve been drunk dialed,” he says, looking up at Travis. “Funny, because she sounded coherent on the phone . . . Well, coherent by Jessica standards. Still, she’s not looking good. Her pulse is weak and her coloring?” He turns on the nightstand lamp and Jessica moans again. “Even worse. You’re going to need to take her to the hospital.”

“You expect me to drag the Gable name through the dirt by allowing people to see her like this?” Travis asks incredulously. “She’ll be fine.”

“Maybe,” Lander says, standing up and facing his brother. “Or maybe not. With your permission I’d like to drop the normal civilities and be honest with you.”

Travis smirks. “You have my permission.”