by Lynn Cahoon
“Hey Jill! Can I get two large mochas?” He paused at the small round carousel where I had some cards for sale. “Do you have any Mother’s Day cards?”
“Some. I’m kind of sold out since it’s coming up soon.” I watched as he pulled out one, then the other. I got his drinks made, wondering why Josh thought the kid was too happy. “What’s your mom like? Sometimes that makes choosing a card easier. Like does she go for the flowers and mushy stuff? Or is she funnier?”
He put the cards back, sighed, and walked over to sit on one of the stools at the counter. “I don’t know.”
“I’m sure if you think about what she liked when you were a kid we can figure this out.” I put sleeves on the coffees and came around the counter. “What did she like to do when you were a kid?”
“She wasn’t around much.” He rolled a coffee stirrer on the counter. “If I tell you something, can it be just between us?”
“Of course.” I nodded to the counter. I might have lucked into finding out what Josh hadn’t. “You want some coffee on the house? I feel like this might be a long conversation.”
He shook his head. “Can’t be too long. Josh will have a fit if I bring him back a cold mocha. Anyway, my mom left me with my grandmother when I was five. She kept sending me postcards, and she said she was coming back, but when I went to school, some kid told me the truth. My mom was in jail for robbing the local grocery store. I guess his dad owned the store and told him to stay away from me because I was trouble.”
“Small towns, they never forget.”
“Exactly. I confronted my grandmother and she told me the whole story. Mom was only in the car waiting for her latest boyfriend, but when they caught up with them, he said she was the mastermind.” He smiled, just a little. “She was just a small-town girl looking for love. And this jerk took advantage of her.”
“She’s out now?” I’d known Kyle had had a rough childhood, but not this rough.
He shrugged. “A few months ago, my girl started asking me about her, so I looked her up. She’s been out and living in Reedsport for a few years now. Can you believe that she’s been this close? I found her on Facebook and we’ve been talking. She said she’d come down to see me, but now she’s having cold feet.”
“You thought a card might warm up the feet a bit?”
He grinned. “Something like that.”
“Then let me help you. What’s her name?” I stood and walked over to the cards. I needed to set one aside for my aunt and one for Greg’s mother anyway.
“Rebecca Nabors. She didn’t marry my dad so I had the same name as my grandmother.” He stepped back away from the cards like they might bite him. “Honestly, I don’t know why I’m even doing this. I should have learned by now. She always promises but never follows through.”
“Maybe she’s changed.” I didn’t think that would be true, but the kid seemed like he needed some encouragement. “What do you remember about her?”
“Pancakes with maple syrup. We’d have them every morning before she left for work. My grandmother liked waffles, not pancakes. She said they’re easier to make.” The smile returned to his face. “Mom’s just flighty. You should see my baby book. About half the pages are just empty. She lost interest.”
“Or maybe she was working too many hours and didn’t have the time or energy to keep up with it.” I could see that Kyle wasn’t buying my optimistic viewpoint. “Anyway, let’s get the card chosen and sent before you change your mind. At least then, you can say you did everything you could. I even have a stamp in the cash register you can have.”
He looked over the cards again, then picked out one with flowers on the front. “This one. It’s pretty but not too mushy and doesn’t talk about how she was such a major influence on my life. Of course, she was, but my grandmother was really the nurturing one. The woman was a saint.”
“Do you need a second card for your grandmother?” I thought I had a book of stamps in the office desk if I needed more.
“No. She passed on a few years ago.” He took a twenty and a pen out of his shirt pocket. “Give me a minute and I’ll have this ready. Then you can mail it and I won’t be able to back out.”
“I’ll put it in our mailbox today.” I held up the money. “Let me get you your change.”
I went to the cash register and was surprised to see Kyle there with the sealed envelope before I even finished counting out his change. He slid the card toward me. “Tell me I’m not making a mistake.”
“You’re never making a mistake by making yourself vulnerable. You’d regret it more if you didn’t take a chance.” I handed him his change and pushed the coffee toward him. Then I tucked the card underneath the counter. “Besides, it’s gone now. I hope she comes to visit.”
Kyle tucked the money into his Dockers and picked up the coffee. “I don’t know if I want her to come or not. I’m really messed up about this.”
“Then we’ll leave it to the universe. If she comes, be happy. If she doesn’t, it cost you the cost of a card to know where she stands.” I patted his arm. “You’ve made a good life for yourself here. Any woman would be proud to call you her son.”
“Thanks Jill.”
After he left, I took the card out and studied the address. Reedsport was just over a day’s drive from here, eleven hours, give or take. And this woman had known she had a son living that close? If it had been me, nothing would have stopped me from doing everything I could to see him. But as Greg often told me, not everyone was like me. Which I took as a compliment, even though I had the sneaking suspicion that it wasn’t all the time. I put the card into the mail basket by the door where the postman would see we had outgoing mail.
Then I poured out my now cold coffee and got another refill. I had time to finish a couple of chapters before Sasha came in for her shift.
When she arrived, Sasha busied herself with setting up the coffee bar and started working on a window display for her monthly youth book club. When she was done, she plopped down on the couch and pushed a book toward me. “If you’re done with that, I’d like you to read this. We’re doing it at the book club this month. It’s by a new author and really, really good. The subject is a little dark so I’d like to get your take on it, just in case parents come after me with pitchforks.”
“I told you that you had free rein on the book selection.” I set the other book down on the table. “Sometimes I just wish I could re-write the endings and make everyone happy. Why do some books have to end so sad?”
“Maybe because some lives are sad. You can’t have good without evil. Light without dark. Happy without sad.” Sasha picked up the book I’d just finished. “But I think I’ll move this down my TBR pile. I need some happy in my life.”
I studied my barista and wondered what exactly was going on with her, but I tried to keep out of my employees’ personal lives. Well, at least, unless they told me the issue. I picked up the book she’d handed me. “I’ll read this next. Everything okay with Olivia?”
Sasha had been an unemployed single mom when we’d met. Now she was a young single mom with a job and working on her degree. The woman was a powerhouse who loved her kid fiercely and was taking extra credits to get through school as fast as possible. I knew her time at the coffee shop was limited, but I loved having her here.
“The girl’s fine. She’s on a pink kick. Probably because I never bought anything pink for her. I don’t believe in the whole pink/blue distinction. So now, everything has to be pink. I’ve created a monster.” Sasha took a sip of the coffee she’d brought over to the sitting area. “Motherhood is full of potholes. I saw the card in the mailbox. Is that for a friend?”
“No—well, yes.” When Sasha narrowed her eyes at me, I laughed. “Kyle is sending a card to his mother. He hasn’t seen her since he was a kid. It’s complicated.”
“That’s weird. When we first started in South Cove as
interns, I could have sworn he said his mother had just died. Or was that his grandmother?” Sasha tapped her fingers on the cup, trying to remember.
“His grandmother, at least from what he told me today. His mom was, well, in jail. But now she’s out and he’s hoping for a reunion in a few weeks.” I realized after I spoke that I’d promised Kyle to keep this between us. I knew Sasha and Kyle were friends. In fact, I’d hoped the two might be more than friends, but that hadn’t happened. The heart knew what the heart knew. “I screwed up. I wasn’t supposed to tell anyone this.”
Sasha held up a hand in a Scout salute. “I’ll keep it between us. I just hope that this woman doesn’t hurt Kyle. The guy is a little fragile around family stuff. He was pretty broken up about losing his grandmother.”
Feeling like a jerk for spilling the story, I picked up the books and took the one to the Advanced Reader Copy pile we kept in the back. The other, I tucked in my tote. Then I met Sasha at the counter. “I’m going home before I spill any more state secrets.”
“At least you’re not in the CIA or Homeland Security. You know South Cove residents have no secrets from each other. If you hadn’t told me, someone else would have. Josh came in a few days ago and tried to get information about Kyle out of me. I’m glad it happened before today, because I didn’t have anything to tell him.” Sasha put a hand on my shoulder. “We pry because we are a family. And we don’t want outsiders messing with our family.”
As I walked home, I thought about Sasha’s words. We were family in South Cove. There were people I didn’t care for and people I loved and would walk through fire for. The town was my family. And I needed to make sure that Kyle’s newly found mother didn’t hurt him. But how I was going to do that was still a mystery.
When I got home, I started an internet search on Rebecca Nabors. Two hours later, all I knew was what Kyle had told me. I’d found her on Facebook and stared at her picture. Did she look like her son? The hair was the same, but the eyes? She looked tired and worn down by life. I got up and grabbed the notebook I kept in my tote. I wrote down the address in the notebook and then Googled a map. Reedsport had an upscale tourist area but this address was closer to the mountain than the ocean.
I found a bed and breakfast in the area and checked for availability. I had found where Greg and I were going next weekend. And if I did a little snooping while I was there, it was all for Kyle.
That was my story. I closed the laptop. Emma raised her head and watched me. It was time for a run. Maybe my head would be clearer then.
The beach wasn’t crowded, but I kept Emma on a leash anyway. Tourists came in early to relax before the weekend crowd hit, and even in early May, we were having record visitors this year. I thought it was mostly because Darla Taylor, winery owner, newspaper reporter, and marketing maven, had taken over the town marketing not only for the businesses, but the council’s budget. She was amazing at figuring out just the right spin for each month.
Thinking of Darla, I realized I’d wanted to talk to her about a possible book event this fall. Sasha had brought up the idea of bringing in local authors for a book day with a signing at the end. I told her I’d think about it but I wanted to get Darla’s input on how we might include the rest of the town in the event. As we turned the corner, I was ready to get home and shoot an email off to her. It was too late to call, she’d be working at the winery by now. But I needed to get her wheels churning on the idea.
When Emma and I got home, Greg was sitting on my front porch. He slipped his phone into his pocket and stood to greet us.
“What are you doing here?” I stretched into a quick kiss.
He pulled me closer into a bear hug and then released me when Emma tried to nose her way in between us. “Hey girl, I know, you want some attention too.”
Emma wagged her tail in agreement and melted as Greg rubbed a spot under her chin. My dog could be bought for small bits of attention or a doggy treat. Especially from Greg.
He took my key from me and we walked up the stairs together. When we reached the door, he unlocked it and held it open. “Let’s go inside. I’d rather not grovel in sight of the neighbors.”
“Esmeralda’s my only neighbor and if you believe in her gift, it doesn’t matter where you grovel, inside or out, she’ll still know.” But I followed him in and took off Emma’s lead. Then I went into the kitchen to hang it on the hook. The easiest way to find things when you needed them was to keep them exactly where they belonged. “You want something to drink?”
“Iced tea will be fine.” Greg’s voice was right behind me. I guessed he’d followed me into the kitchen.
When I turned around, he was sitting at the table, with Emma by his side. I poured two glasses and joined him. “So, why are you here again?”
“Does a guy have to have a reason to come see his best girl?” He absently stroked Emma’s head.
“You talking about me or Emma? Because if I find out I’m not your only girl, you’ve got some explaining to do.” I sipped my tea.
He reached over and squeezed my hand. “You know you’re the only one for me. I have to admit: Mom’s call has me tied in knots. I don’t think I handled things well at the diner so I wanted to apologize.”
“It’s fine. The idea just threw me for a minute.” I leaned back in my chair and watched him. “We don’t talk a lot about our families.”
“You and Jim don’t get along. I know it’s more his fault, but there’s a family loyalty thing that I have to balance with the supportive boyfriend rules. I didn’t think adding in a too intrusive mother would be good for our relationship.” He squeezed my hand. “Maybe I could take you to dinner to make up for my blunder?”
“You think feeding me is going to solve our problems?”
He shrugged. “You like food. I like you. That’s all there is to that.”
I laughed in spite of myself. “Actually, it’s a huge problem if I’m eating out all the time. I ran today because of the fish and chips. If we do dinner out too, I’m going to have to buy a treadmill desk or invent a treadmill sleeper bed so you could exercise while you’re sleeping.”
“I am sorry though.”
I looked into his eyes and saw he was telling the truth. I, on the other hand, had dodged a bullet and hadn’t had to tell him the secret in our family tree. One that not even Greg would be able to forgive. “I know you are.”
CHAPTER 3
Amy Newman sat across from me at Diamond Lille’s with a double bacon cheeseburger. I tried not to stare at her chocolate milkshake but it was hard. I had a strict rule. I limited myself to one shake a week. And that had been yesterday. Usually I met my friend for brunch on Sunday, but she was heading out with her boyfriend, Justin, for a surfing weekend. With Greg and me going to Oregon next weekend, and the brunch thing on Mother’s Day, during the week lunches were all we were going to get for almost a month.
I pushed the crab around the top of my salad. “So what’s going on at City Hall? Has the mayor made any new deals to sell the city off for a deep pocket retirement plan?”
“Marvin wouldn’t do that.” Amy paused as she lifted her cheeseburger. “Okay, well, maybe he would if the council wasn’t watching him so closely. Did you hear they rejected his last travel and expense budget and now I have to clear everything through Bill before I issue any reimbursements to the mayor?”
“Something about campaigning on the city’s dime? Yeah, Aunt Jackie said Mary told her.” That’s mainly how information traveled in South Cove. Someone tells someone else the secrets they were told. Like me telling Sasha Kyle’s story. I still felt bad and was going to have to tell Kyle I broke his confidence. In this case, Mary was the wife of Bill Sullivan, who was chairman of the city council and the current pain in the mayor’s behind. And she was also my aunt’s best friend. So between Amy, who worked at City Hall, and my aunt, I got all the juicy rumors from the city. Greg didn’t seem t
o know or care what was going on in the building that housed the South Cove Police Force, as long as it didn’t affect him or his people.
“What has you out of sorts? I would have thought hearing about Marvin would have perked you up, but you still look like a country song.” Amy studied my face.
“I look like a country song?” I used a hand to fluff up my hair at the sides. “Is that better?”
Amy laughed. “No, silly. I mean you look down in the dumps. Like someone took your dog and wrecked your truck and ran off with your man. You know, a country song.”
I was beginning to feel like Amy’s list of descriptors. “It’s nothing. I shouldn’t be freaked out about it, but I am.”
“Meeting someone’s parent is a big deal. You have a right to be freaking. I would be.” Amy polished off the last of her French fries.
I tore my gaze away from the empty basket, then realized what Amy had said. “Wait, I didn’t tell you about Greg’s mother. Where’d you find out?”
Amy shifted in her chair. “Esmeralda told me. I guess she heard Greg talking about it on the phone to his brother.”
Had she? Or did the local fortune teller-slash-police dispatcher actually have the ability to hear through my walls like I’d joked about with Greg? The woman had some sort of connection with what she called the other side. I’d seen proof of that last Halloween. But I still didn’t really believe the woman had extrasensory abilities. Or was it powers? “I was going to tell you today anyway. Greg wants me, Aunt Jackie, and Harrold to meet his mother for Mother’s Day. He’ll have his brother there for backup. It’s only fair that I have people too. Even if they are older and unable to fight if blows are thrown.”
“Maybe that will keep the dinner from turning into a turf war.” Amy glanced at her watch. “I’ve got to go. Marvin will be back from Bakerstown about two and I have to at least pretend to be answering phones.”