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Her eyes widen in surprise. “Ma’am? Gia, you’re traveling in different circles these days,” she says, but when her eyes land on the mess of the living room, she sighs. “Or not.”
I step forward and pull Gia behind me, smiling at her exhausted mother. “It’s not Gia’s fault, ma’am. When I arrived, I noticed two burglars entering your home and I, well…I sent them packing.”
Her smile grows wider by the second, and the woman extends her hand. “Kathy MacFarlane. Nice to meet you.”
“All of my friends call me Preacher.”
Instantly her demeanor changes. “Aren’t you a little old for a nickname, Preacher?”
“Maybe, but it’s the name I got in the Army, and it’s just kind of stuck over the years.”
Kathy’s shoulders relax at my words, and she flashes a friendly smile. “Well in that case, thank you for your service, Preacher. And thank you for saving my daughter from daytime burglars.”
“No problem, ma’am.” I look to Gia, biting her lip as she eyes her mom warily. “Why don’t you go change or relax or whatever you do after work while Gia and I finish this up?”
“I won’t argue with that,” she says and disappears up the stairs.
“Wow, you’re like some kind of mother whisperer.” She smiles, impressed, I guess, by my ability to charm her mother.
“Good manners get you a long way in this world, Gia.”
She rolls her eyes. “Etiquette tips from a growly biker. Fuck my life.”
“Not just a growly biker,” I say, teasingly. “I’m also the club Chaplin.”
Her honey brown eyes go wide again. “Seriously? That wasn’t just some bullshit line to fool my mother?”
“Nope. Disappointed?”
“Kind of,” she admits and sags her shoulders. “Mostly, I’m intrigued.” The heat in her eyes tells me her intrigue isn’t about my position in the club.
Eventually, Kathy joins us and inspects the living room with a careful eye. “Good job. You’d hardly know that anyone had been thrown across my thrift store furniture. Good job.”
“Thanks.” I smile at her and survey the room. Everything is back in its place, and none of the furniture is broken. “Any job worth doing is worth doing right.”
Kathy points at me. “I like you.” She turns to Gia. “I like him. How did job hunting go today?”
Gia stiffens. “Okay. I filled out a few applications, so I guess we’ll see what happens. But Mom, I have something else to tell you.”
Her eyes dart left and right, and I wonder if I should be here to witness an obviously private conversation. “Take a seat.”
Kathy rolls her eyes and drops down on the loveseat with a dramatic sigh. “Just spit it out, Gia, so I can get dinner on the table.”
“How about I order something?” I ask. “What do you like?”
Gia’s mom points toward the kitchen. “There are a few coupons in the drawer near the microwave for everything from pizza to Chinese. Take your pick, and I’m a happy camper.”
I nod and head to the kitchen, keeping my ears on the conversation between the women.
“Mom, Frank hasn’t been around for a while.” Gia is nervous, and this piques my interest. I listen carefully while I pretend to sift through the menus, even though I’ll order off the food delivery app.
Kathy sighs. “What’s your point, Gia?”
“Well, I heard that his church burned down recently.”
Church? The Frankhasto be Frank Braden. That’s too much coincidence. I lean a little closer and keep listening while I use my phone to place the order.
Kathy sits up straight, suddenly at full attention. “Frankie’s church burned down? Is he all right? How do you know?”
