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and Caitlin sat in the chairs next to the bed.
    Seconds became minutes. Minutes ticked into hours. Before the dawning of a new day, Halston Parker’s breathing stopped.
    He was gone.

Chapter 3
    T he sun was shining bright in the midmorning sky when Dex and Caitlin walked out of the hospital. It wasn’t even ten o’clock yet, but already the day promised to be miserably hot, which wasn’t unusual for a day in mid-June.
    Caitlin squared her shoulders and tried to keep all the grief of losing her father at bay, but found she couldn’t. Swallowing, she blinked back a surge of fresh tears.
    â€œI’m driving you home, Caitlin. Where’re you parked?”
    The touch of Dex’s arm around Caitlin’s shoulder penetrated deeply. Sniffing, she angled her head to look up into his eyes. To her surprise, they were filled with compassion, something she hadn’t expected. Feeling a lump form in her throat, she answered in a choked voice. “My car is parked over there.”
    When they arrived at her father’s home, Caitlin covered her face with her hands and began crying openly in heart-wrenching, strangled sobs. Dex turned off the car’s ignition, pushed the seat back and gently pulled her into his lap.
    â€œThat’s it, get it all out. Everything’s going to be all right, Caitlin. Your father isn’t in any more pain. He’s at peace,” Dex whispered softly, tenderly cradling her in his arms.
    When her sobs turned to soft whimpers, she lifted her tear-stained face to his. “Dad didn’t get a chance to see Jordan for the last time,” she said brokenly.
    Dex’s hand stopped stroking Caitlin’s hair and back. His eyes darkened. “I gather Jordan means a lot to you.”
    Caitlin frowned at his words. She then began wiping her eyes with trembling hands. “Of course. Jordan is my life.”
    Dex felt a surge of renewed pain and anger. He had to clamp down on his teeth to keep from lashing out at the thought of her deep feelings for another man. He stared hard at her. “Since he’s your life, why hasn’t he made you his? I would think under the circumstances, he’d be here for you.”
    Confusion covered Caitlin’s face. “What are you talking about?”
    Dex’s voice was as hard as his eyes and held a steely edge when he continued. “I’m talking about this person named Jordan. Never mind, he’s your problem, not mine. My only concern is the promise I made to your father, and I intend to keep it. I’ll not leave before the services. After that, I have no intention of staying a minute longer. I’ll contact Clayton to fly in as soon as the services for your father are over. If your father’s claim is true, and there’s a possibility that we’re still married, I’ll make sure Clayton does whatever has to be done to legalize our divorce. Then you can continue your life with Jordan.”
    Caitlin’s eyes grew wide with startled surprise with Dex’s words. He acted like he didn’t know who Jordan was? But how could he not know? She had written to him so he had to know. But if he really didn’t…
    Panic seized Caitlin when she thought of that possibility. She skittered away from Dex and quickly got out of the car.
    Dex raised a questioning brow. He watched Caitlin at her front door fumbling nervously with her keys before opening the door and going inside the house.
    He tilted his head back against the car seat and closed his eyes, totally bewildered. What in the world was going on? When he’d mentioned the other man, Caitlin had acted as though she was having an anxiety attack. Something wasn’t right, and he intended to find out what was going on.
    Dex sighed deeply. He wondered if her actions had anything to do with the letter Dr. Flores had discreetly given to him at the hospital. It was a letter Halston Parker had asked Dr. Flores to give to him. No