“You okay, boss man?” she asks, giving me a once over. I hear her voice tremble and I know she’s thinking about Taylor.
“I’m fine. He’s over there,” I say, pointing her in Taylor’s direction and a second later she sprints off in his direction. We’re only alone for another minute before Officer Lewis comes back our way and by then I’m helping Honey up.
“You’re free to go. Your lawyer’s doing his thing.”
Despite everything Honey smiles at him and gives him a quick hug. “Thank you.”
“‘Course, Mrs. Sokolov.” He gives me a meaningful look and then nods at me. “You’re all right if a woman like her loves you.”
I snort and nod at him. “Thanks.”
* * *
The weeksthat follow are a blur. We’re questioned a few more times but Connie did good in getting the footage into the right hands. My legal team used that to pin Honey’s father to the wall. The fucker is having to sell his interest in the club to keep his legal defense funded which, in the grand scheme of things, is a step up from being dead.
Not sure he feels that way given his thoughts on the rose farm, but I haven’t said shit about it to Honey. She’s healing a little more each day after what happened and she was happy to know Connie was pushing to buy The Cairn.
“The city needs a place like that and she was the face of it anyways. I hope she gets it.”
She will get it. I’ve made sure of it, seeing as I am a partial owner. I’ve got some sway over the future of the club. The Cairn won’t close when Zeus gets put away and Honey is right. The city does need a place like it for people to explore themselves.
To the people that don’t understand, it’s a sordid, forbidden place, but I know better. It’s a place of exploration and freedom. It’s where I was able to let my guard down long enough for Honey to come in close enough that I let myself start to love her.
It has meaning. Places with meaning should be preserved and I’m going to do what I can to make sure The Cairn stays open with Connie at the helm.
Honey is keeping busy. Her coffee shop is expanding to a roastery and the way she lights up planning and discussing it with contractors and suppliers makes me proud of her. I’m always proud of her, but seeing her let out the woman I spotted all those months ago when I met her is a sight to see.
She’s happy and safe. Her fucking worthless parents are behind bars and can’t touch her, which means everything in my world is right, even if I’m still healing from the knife I took to the shoulder.
Limited movement for a few more weeks, but I can take it. I don’t mind the way Honey fusses over me because of it. The flight here was made all the more pleasant by it. We’re in Texas and it sucks, but that’s because if you’ve been to Texas in late August you know it’s a furnace. I wipe the sweat from my brow and keep my mouth shut though, because this is where she wanted to come after everything settled enough and I will never tell my wife no.
CHAPTERTHIRTY-TWO
HONEY
When I asked Law to come with me to find my grandmother I knew he’d already looked into if she was safe or not. If she wanted me to find her. It’s why I’m not nervous, because he agreed immediately.
But even knowing that she wants me here and the fact that we have had a phone conversation where she told me she wanted me to come, the reality still has my stomach all twisted up. I wasn’t sure how that phone conversation was going to go, given that I couldn’t understand her as a child, but Agnes knows English well enough. She’d just wanted me to learn Greek so she tried to teach me when I was little.
It’s been too busy or I would have taken lessons before I came to meet her. I thought about holding off until after the grand opening of Sweet Rose Roastery but if the past few weeks have taught me anything it’s that life is fleeting. It’s unpredictable and tenuous, the routines that feel solid aren’t and we have to seize the day when we can.
I decided to come visit her the second I got off the phone with her. I had to see her. Two days later I had tickets. It’s only been four days since that phone call where she told me, “I always wished for you, Honey. I love you.”
I cried and so did she. The feeling that I have family that wants me, loves me, family that has spent years worrying over me…I don’t understand it. I want to, but I don’t. Maybe that’s why I’m so nervous right now, standing at the foot of her driveway and looking up at the two-story house that’s framed by mesquite trees.
It’s a pretty house with a wrap-around porch and painted a sage green with a white roof and shutters. The yard is more than well tended and roses are everywhere. A riot of pinks, reds, yellows and whites make up the yard and extend to the back, framing the house as pretty as any fairytale castle. My heart aches seeing that my grandmother brought a small piece of The Promised Land here and replanted what she could.
Overhead the sun is bright and hot and a breeze carrying the drone of cicadas ruffles my hair. It’s a beautiful day for me to meet my grandmother. I take a step forward and then another, slowly making my way up the driveway until I’m standing at the foot of the covered porch. It’s cooler here, which I know Law will appreciate as he wipes sweat from his forehead.
He looks like he’s dying and has his sleeves rolled up with his suit jacket draped over one shoulder but he doesn’t say a word about the heat. Instead, he gives me a reassuring smile.
“It’s okay, princess. She wants to see you.”
I nod. “Do I look okay?” I ask and smooth my hands over my dress. It’s a pale yellow sundress, something I knew would work with the heat but still be dressy enough to meet my grandmother in. I’ve got dust on my toes though from the sandals I’m wearing and I wish I’d gone with something else, but can’t take it back now.
“You look beautiful. You’re perfect.”
I laugh because I could look like hot garbage and Law would tell me how perfect he thinks I look. I’m about to take out my compact to check if my hair is a disaster when the door clicks open. I freeze when a woman appears in the doorway.
