AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She didn’t bother to hide her lingering gaze at my fingers entwined with JoJo’s. “Well. Well. You brought company.” She kissed my cheek and patted it before turning her attention to JoJo. “I’m Nancy Calhoun. Please. Come inside.”
“JoJo Cunningham,” she said quietly. Almost shyly.
Nancy grabbed her free hand and dragged her into the foyer. “He said he might bring someone, but you never know with that one.”
“Does he bring guests often?”
“Never. That’s why I thought he was pulling my leg.”
“When have I ever joked about something like that?” I asked as if offended, though I wasn’t. This felt normal. Like being home. A home where no one judged me for my choice of career.
I shrugged off my coat and hung it in the foyer closet.
“Oh, forgive me, honey. I got so excited you’re here I forgot to let you take off your coat.” Nancy stopped in the living room.
I took JoJo’s coat and hung it next to mine.
“What a beautiful dress,” Nancy gushed as their voices got farther away.
I’d done the right thing bringing JoJo here. I doubted anyone had ever said that to her. Nancy had a way of being brutally honest and kind at the same time.
Like a mom.
She loved her boys no matter what they did, but she wasn’t afraid to call them on their mistakes either. When they needed help, she was right there with them.
“How’s Joe?” I wandered to the refrigerator and grabbed a pitcher of tea.
“He’s doing good with the rehab. The woman and little girl he ran into have been supportive, and I think that’s helped.” She handed JoJo a stack of plates. “My son, Joe... he’s had a rough time of things lately.”
“He’s fortunate to have your support.” JoJo set the three plates down on the placemats on the table as if she’d been here before.
“Kane helped him get out of trouble.”
I shrugged. Normally I wanted the glory, but this was different. Joe’s situation could’ve happened to anyone. He wasn’t a killer or swindler or a trafficker. He was a fireman whose wife had left him and he hadn’t handled it well.
“He’d eventually have gotten out of it,” I said.
“Don’t be so modest.” She pinched my cheek and beamed. “Do you know this one wouldn’t take a dime from me for my boy’s defense?”
“I hardly spent any time on it.”
JoJo’s eyes narrowed. The last thing I needed was her thinking I was soft, especially when it came to money.
“Around here we pay our debts. That’s why I keep feeding him,” Nancy said. “And he’s not bad company.”
“Then I owe you.” The woman fed me enough food to pay her debts twice.
She swatted my shoulder. JoJo’s mouth fell open.
Maybe this hadn’t been the best idea.
“He’s not bad company?” she asked incredulously.
“Too charming for his own good.”
“Anybody else coming?” I asked, ready to change the subject... preferably to anything but me.
“Not tonight. So all my attention will be on you.” She winked.
