Chapter 2
Ian strodethrough the doors of the Grits and Gravy Café in Mercy two days later still wondering how Hank had convinced him to take this assignment.
The fact that he could come and go here without raising suspicion was the deciding factor as best he could recall. Hank had practically shoved him on the plan to Memphis that same evening and he’d rented a car for the drive south to Mercy.
The old place hadn’t changed a bit in the time he’d been gone. College banners hung along the walls for the local colleges. Memphis Tigers. Ole Miss Rebels. Mississippi State Bulldogs. No favorites were played here. The same mismatched scuffed tables stood in the same positions. Wait. One change. Booths along the walls sported some new table top juke boxes.
As expected, his mama and all her cronies were having their weekly breakfast pow-wow at the big round center table. That had been a habit for as long as he could remember. It looked like they’d added a new member, though. A young woman he didn’t recognize; but would no doubt know all about in a short time. That was the beauty, and the nightmare, of life in a small town. Everyone knew everything about everyone. For generations back.
Matt MacKenzie pulling off being a secret FBI informer was a small miracle.
A quick scan of the café showed him Piper MacKenzie wasn’t there. A small reprieve since she’d find out soon enough he was in town.
“Ian!” His mama screamed when she spotted him standing by the door. “What onearth.”
Immediately every set of eyes in the place lasered in on him.
Wincing inwardly, he put a big grin on his face as he walked toward the table where his mama was pushing back her chair.
Coming here first rather than going home had been a deliberate move on his part because he’d thought it might be easer to bamboozle his mama in a public place. He’d never been good at fooling her. Hank had emphasized that Mayor MacKenzie didn’t want anyone getting wind of the mob hit, especially his daughter, so Ian was here undercover.
He braced for impact as his mama cannoned into him nearly knocking him off his feet, even though he outweighed her by a considerable amount. Shifting his feet to keep the two of them upright, he returned the tight hug she gave him. She dragged him by the hand back toward the other ladies. Snagging an empty chair from another table, he sat and faced the assault of curious eyes.
“Bout time you dragged your sorry butt home, boy.” Miss Edna had never pulled any punches with anyone. She must be eighty by now and still had no filter.
Lily Gayle Lambert, a long-time friend of his mother, said, “For Heaven’s sake, Miss Edna. Can’t you cut him some slack. He just got here five second ago.”
Miss Edna sniffed, and he was grateful she didn’t say anything else. His mama ignored the old woman’s waspish comment. Something he now remembered was a regular occurrence when Miss Edna expressed an opinion.
“I’m so thrilled you’re home, son.” She said. “I wish you’d let me know you were coming. Everything’s a mess and I don’t have any of your old favorites fixed up to eat.”
He squeezed her hand. “If I’d told you I was coming, it’d have ruined the surprise.”
Lily Gayle have him a shrewd look. “What made you suddenly decide to come home after all this time?” She squinted at him. “What’s it been? Ten years at least.”
He squirmed a bit. Here it was. The tricky part of the situation. And he had some smart, no nonsense ladies to convince he’d suddenly gotten a yearning to come home.
“As a matter of fact,” he said, “I decided it was high time I stopped being a kid and came on home like a man. I've missed my home and old friends.”
Lily Gayle kept those bright blue eyes trained on him and he fought the urge to squirm some more. No point in giving her any cause to think he was telling a whopper. The new woman looked puzzled, but chose not to comment. He knew someone would fill her in the moment he stepped out of the café.
He had no doubt everyone who’d been here ten years ago thought they knew what had happened. He felt a brief pang of guilt for Piper. She’d stayed behind and had to deal with the inevitable gossip after he’d gone. If she’d only agree to leave with him when he joined the Navy, the present would be so different. Shrugging off the useless thought, he tuned back into the conversation when his mama clasped his hand in hers.
“I don’t care why he’s here. I just care that he came home.” Her smile rivaled the sun shining outside and he bit back the guilt for his lie.
“Here. Here.” Said Dixie Newsom, another lady at the table. “Welcome home, Ian. We’re so glad to see you after all this time.”
Behind him the bell over the door jangled and conversation died like it had been sucked out of the room. A cold finger of premonition traced down his spine. Turning his head slightly, he saw the person he’d dreaded, and also longed, to see standing just inside the door, eyes glued to him, face white.
Aware that every eye in the room was glued to them and every breath being held to see what would happen, he gave her a small smile and a nod. Her eyes roamed the room, taking in the audience, came back to him and locked in. The world stood still for a moment until she gave him a brief nod before rushing out the door she’d just come in. His heart stopped for a moment as the door swished shut.
