“But we’ve spoken to each other many times in the past weeks, and you haven’t mentioned her once.”
“Seriously, Mom, I don’t have to tell you everything, and besides, there was nothing worth reporting.” Quinn noted her mother had become one of those nosey small-town people she once tried to escape from. “You promised me you’d stop going on about it.” She slammed the trunk shut on her parents’ car and had a look in Rob’s. “There’s still some space in here, and we can use your backseat too, so between us, we should be able to fit everything in one drive.”
“All right, Grouch.” Her mother chuckled. “If you’re not talking, I’ll just have to interrogate Riley.”
33
RILEY
Riley was experiencing pleasant nerves when Quinn and her family entered the kitchen. She’d done everything to make it as homey as possible, with candles, flowers, and snacks waiting on the dining table. She wanted them to feel welcome. No, she wanted to impress them because impressing Quinn’s family meant impressing Quinn.
Quinn’s mother was short with shoulder-length gray hair. She had a friendly, open face and an approachable manner, typical of someone who came from a hospitality background. Quinn’s father was tall, like Quinn, with a shaggy beard and a good head of hair. His rolled-up sleeves showed scars and burn marks from many years of being a chef, and there was a certain rugged handsomeness about him.
Rob was shorter than Quinn but handsome too, like his father. He was chatty and fun and didn’t seem to take himself too seriously. Riley liked him and his wife, Mary, very much, and she’d enjoyed getting to know Mary while they cooked together.
“Please sit and make yourselves at home.” She bit her lip and winced at the misplaced comment that had slipped her tongue. “I mean… I didn’t mean to…”
“It’s okay, sweetheart,” Quinn’s mother said. “Please don’t feel like you have to walk on eggshells around us. Although it’s strange to be here again, it was a long time ago that we called this home, so it’s not a touchy subject anymore. We’re very grateful for your generosity and hospitality.” She smiled. “What are we having? Do you need help with anything?”
“It’s all under control, thank you. Mary saved me tonight. I was struggling with the batter for the fish, but she showed me how to do it.” Riley put an arm around Mary. “I was a little apprehensive about having two chefs over for dinner, so I’ve kept it simple. Anyway, we’re having fish tacos, salads, and lots of little side dishes, so I hope you like Mexican food.” At that, her guests started cheering, and Riley laughed. “You sound like you haven’t had Mexican in a while.”
“There is no good Mexican in Mystic,” Rob said.
“None whatsoever,” Mary agreed. “And I’m by no means an expert on Mexican food, but I love it, and Riley has cooked an amazing meal.”
“And we’re having ice cream!” Lila yelled, repeatedly slamming her little fist on the table.
“Yes, you can have ice cream for dessert,” Riley said with a chuckle as she ruffled a hand through Lila’s hair. “So, what would you like to drink? You must be gasping after a day like this.”
“Coca-Cola!” Lila and Tommy screamed in unison.
“Okay, Coca-Cola. I can make that happen.” Riley took a big bottle of Coke out of the fridge and placed it in between them. “For the adults, I have the ingredients to make you a margarita, or alternatively, I have both red and white wine, and beer.”
“That sounds lovely,” Quinn’s mother said, “and I can’t wait to have one of your margaritas later, but why don’t we open one of those bottles from the basement? It seems fitting for the occasion, and my father would have wanted us to have a drink on him.”
“Great idea, Mom,” Quinn said. “You should pick one. You’re good with wines.”
Her mother laughed. “Only with new-age wines, honey. I know very few of those old vineyards down there in the basement, but I’ll use my intuition. It rarely lets me down.” She grabbed the flashlight from the kitchen counter, and when she left the kitchen, Quinn lowered her voice to a whisper.
“Is it just me or is Mom in a really good mood today?”
“I think the letter and the photographs gave her some form of relief,” her father said. “The fact that she and your grandfather fell out has bugged her since his passing, and she never spoke about it much until today, not even with me. She seems lighter.”
“Yeah.” Quinn turned to look at Riley and instinctively reached for her hand. “Thank you,” she said, then quickly let go when she saw her brother staring at their hands. “Are you sure I can’t do anything?”
“You can help me put everything on the table if you want.” Riley grinned as their eyes lingered. Quinn made her smile each time she looked at her. She opened the fridge, took out various salads, and handed them to Quinn, then retrieved the spiced fish from the oven, along with corn tacos, refried beans, and freshly grilled corn on the cob.
“Oh my, this looks fantastic!” Quinn’s mother said, glancing over the spread on the table when she returned with a bottle. “I know it’s unusual to have red wine with Mexican food, but my curiosity got the better of me and I really want to try this one.” She carefully pulled out the brittle cork, sniffed it, poured a little into her glass, and took her time to smell and taste it. “Mmm.”
“Approved?” Quinn’s father took her glass and nodded as he tasted it. “Excellent. What is it?”
“It’s a vintage Bordeaux—a Liber Pater from Graves.” She poured everyone a glass and sipped it as she scrolled through her phone. “Mmm…it’s really good. Let’s find out more—I have an app for this. The bottle doesn’t have a barcode, but I can put it in manually.” She entered the information from the bottle, then her eyes widened, and she almost choked on her wine.
“Are you okay, Mom?” Quinn asked, patting her mother, who couldn’t stop coughing, on her back.
“Yes, I’m fine,” she said, looking a little pale. “It’s just that the wine I’ve opened…” She stared at the now empty bottle. “It’s worth almost four thousand dollars.”
34
