“If it’s possible, I somehow feel even worse than that.”
She motions for me to follow her. “Come on. I just made a fresh pot of coffee.”
When we get to the kitchen, I sit down in a chair at the table, and my dog jumps into the chair next to mine. I look at her like she’s lost her mind, but my mother doesn’t seem the least bit fazed.
“Mom,” I begin. “Do you let my dog sit at the table to eat?”
“What gives you that idea?”
“Well, either you’re letting her eat at the table, or she sits here and plays Poker with you.”
“Would you believe the Poker thing?” She asks with a weak smile.
“No.”
“Look, when Mia comes to Grandma’s, she gets the royal treatment. You don’t go on vacation and not expect top-notch service.”
“Top-notch? Are you forgetting that I used to live here? It wasn’t a luxury resort.”
Her eyes narrow in on me. “Oh, yes, you had it so awful. Three meals a day, hot water, and electricity. You poor thing. And in case you’re forgetting, I let you sit at the table too.”
“I’m your son.”
“True. But Mia has given me far fewer gray hairs than you and your brother did.”
I sip my coffee. “Fair enough. But I hope she doesn’t expect this treatment at home.”
“We’ve been doing it for about six months, and you never noticed until today.”
“We need to find you a hobby aside from eating dinner with my dog.”
Her eyes rake over me. “Judging from the looks of you, I’d say I’m not the only one who needs some new hobbies.”
I release a chuckle but don’t actually respond.
She waits a moment before starting again. “Do you want to tell me what’s going on, or do you want me to guess?”
“I doubt you’d be able to guess this one.”
“Jo is back in town?”
“How–”
“I heard the sheriff bitching about it at the gas station.”
I laugh. “I bet he’s thrilled that she’s back.”
“To be honest, I don’t care how the sheriff feels. I’m more concerned with how my son is handling the news.”
“Well, let’s see. I found out she was back and then, I ran into her at the store. She wanted to be friends, and I basically told her to fuck off. I went to drown my sorrows when her brother found me and informed me she’ll be working at the shop.”
“Damn.” My mom taps her fingers on the table. “You had an eventful day. No wonder you got sloshed.”
“While it felt warranted at the time, it probably wasn’t the best coping mechanism.”
“Definitely not. Look, Beau, I understand Jo and you had a pretty rocky goodbye, but can I give you my two cents on the matter?”
I could say no, but I know she’s going to tell me anyway, so I just nod.
