“You and King.” She patted the spot next to her on the bed, and when I sat down, she put her arm around my shoulders. “I can’t help but think I’m missing something between you two.”
I didn’t say anything. I knew I couldn’t tell her what had happened two nights before. Club business wasn’t shared with outsiders. And despite being King’s aunt, and sister-in-law in a weird way, she was married to the sheriff. I’d never risk Banshee’s freedom to assuage my own thoughts and fears.
“Grace, I grew up in the Mob. I know there are things you can’t share with me. But give me what you can.”
I took a deep breath and held it for a moment, trying to stave off the tears that I knew were coming. It was at times like this that I missed my mother the most. Since moving to Diamond Creek, Maureen had taken on that role.
Sharing Maureen with Beck and the other old ladies wasn’t hard. But when Colleen moved here, I believed sharing her with her actual daughter would feel like losing another mother. Until the day I met Colleen, and she had put my fears to rest.
“Grace! Over here!” Maureen waved from the corner booth at the diner. She asked me to meet her for lunch so I could finally meet her daughter.
Colleen Murphy was a younger version of her mother. I had spoken to Beck, and she gave me a rundown of what to expect. She said Colleen was sweet and had an innocent quality. But how innocent could she be growing up in the Mob?
I made my way through the tables and sat down opposite the mother and daughter duo. It was hard not to be jealous of how close I knew these two were. Maureen had missed Colleen so much, I knew she had to be happy her daughter lived here now.
“Grace, this is my daughter Colleen. Colleen, this is Grace.”
“Hi,” I offered, my hand hovering over the table. Colleen shook it and bit her lip. Maybe this was awkward for her, too.
“Hi, Grace. It’s nice to meet you. Mom has told me a lot about you.”
“Oh God, that can’t be good,” I said with a nervous laugh.
“Oh, nonsense.” Maureen dismissed my words with a wave of her hand just as Rhoda stopped at our table.
“Hi, Mrs. Murphy. Hi, Grace.”
“Hi, Rhoda. This is my daughter Colleen; she’s staying here for a bit. I’m hoping she’ll fall in love with the town like I did and stick around.”
Colleen shook her head at her mother’s declaration.
“Oh, Diamond Creek is the best. I wish I lived here,” the girl said, slapping her notepad against her hand. She couldn’t be more than seventeen.
“You don’t live here?” I asked.
Diamond Creek was a small town, and I had been living here for over two years, but I still didn’t know all the residents. Mostly just the ones that came into the bar.
“No, I live in Sydney. It’s not far, though.” She lifted her pad and pencil. “What can I get you?”
We ordered drinks and food, and when Rhoda walked away, the awkward feeling returned. I didn’t know what to say. I’d never been good at small talk. At the bar, I relied on the customers. The men were easy; they flirted, and I flirted back. The women could be a little harder, but mostly they asked about drinks and the guys in the bar. Since we rarely had patrons that weren’t from town, the women relied on me to see how the men were acting on any given night.
Thankfully, Maureen commandeered the conversation, asking both Colleen and I questions that got us talking.
By the time our food arrived, I was more relaxed. Until Colleen brought up King.
“I had a nice talk with him this morning. I never had cousins growing up, with my aunt Darcy gone and Ducky never being with someone long enough. Though I love Freyja. She is amazing. The only thing disappointing about being here is not being able to spend more time getting to know her. But she promised to call.” Colleen talked on about Boston and her uncle’s new girlfriend.
Maureen ate up every word with a smile that told me how happy she was to have her daughter here. I tried to keep my feelings of inadequacy hidden, but Maureen wasn’t fooled.
When Colleen ran to the restroom, Maureen reached across the table and held my hand. “You know she is his cousin, right? You don’t have to be jealous of Colleen.”
“It’s that obvious, huh?” I asked, pulling my hand away. It wasn’t just her budding relationship with King I was jealous of. But if Maureen wanted to focus on that, I’d let her. I would be mortified if she realized what I was really jealous of—the relationship between mother and daughter.
I wouldn’t give up my mother for anything. And if she were still alive, I think Colleen and I could be great friends. Then again, if she were still alive, I likely wouldn’t be here.
Colleen returned to the table. She sat beside me and asked about doing a little shopping.
“I can’t. I have an early shift tonight.”
