CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
The days that followed were a challenge. Between dealing with our private clients and our government contracts—especially the one regarding the cartel—all while helping Haley and Gabe move out, I was beat beyond reason. Not to mention moody.
I left the company in desperate need of caffeine. But since my head was dizzy—again—I needed to avoid coffee, so my poison of choice would be a cup of cappuccino. It still had caffeine, but in a lesser quantity and it tasted better, so it was fine…ish.
I drove to By Any Beans and welcomed the smell of pastries and chocolate that assaulted me as soon as I opened the door to Izzie’s bistro.
A couple of years before, Isabella Turner—Izzie—moved to Holy Water and opened the best coffee shop in town. She also managed to snatch one of our most wanted bachelors.
Benny and I were working on one of our assignments when they met. The chemistry was instant, and it only grew from there. But with his abusive past, admitting his feelings for her wasn’t easy. It took him a surprise pregnancy, a major screw-up on his part, a little persuasion on mine, a lot of groveling from him, and a couple of death scares, but it worked out beautifully.
After the cartel ran me and a very pregnant Izzie off the road, Danny came to our rescue and helped her give birth to Theodore Bryant Walker. Teddy was the most beautiful duckie ever, and he and Izzie soon became a part of our family.
Seeing Benny change from a commitment-phobe to a devoted partner and loving father was nothing short of amazing.
Izzie spotted me walking in and rounded the counter to hug me. “I can’t believe you’re here. It’s been so long since we last saw each other.”
I hugged her back. “Longer than I wanted. I missed you. And this place.”
“Then you’ll be happy to know I have cinnamon rolls in the oven; they’ll be out in a minute. And the best part: you’re not eating alone.”
I looked at the place she was pointing at and spotted one of my favorite people. Holy Water’s official grump.
A teenager was about to sit on the stool next to him, when Mr. John Cross waved energetically at the boy. “This isn’t your seat. Go look for a booth and get out of here.”
The kid sped away scared and plopped down in the first available booth he could find.
“I’m glad to see you’re still spreading love and joy. Care if I join you, John?”
“You better sit next to me, Ms. Mia. I was saving you this seat.”
I boosted myself up on the stool next to him. “Admonished any other people lately, besides that kid?”
“Just my son and my daughter-in-law. I was at their place for the last couple of weeks.”
“That’s so cool. How was it?”
“It was maddening. Can you believe George puts raisins in the pancakes?”
I gasped. “The nerve. I’ve heard of people like that.”
He shook his head. “But for your own son to do it. And then he said I should eat more healthily.”
I shook my head in disgust. “How dare he care about you?”
He squinted at me. “Are you sassing me, Ms. Mia?”
“I would never.” I would so totally ever. “After such harsh mistreatment, no wonder you decided to come back.”
“I would never leave this town. This is where my Daisy and I started our lives. And where we lived her last days.”
I couldn’t help my fond smile. He didn’t talk about his late wife all the time, but every time he did, it was with undeniable love. “Tell me more about her.”
He gifted me with a rare smile. At least a resemblance of it. “She was the most beautiful lady I met. And the most brilliant, too. She loved to read and cooked like no one else.”
We thanked Izzie for our order, and I let him have his time to nurture his memories.
“She always knew the right thing to say. She was funny and sharp. She loved deeply, yet she always called me on my shenanigans. She was a spitfire, that one.” He pointed an arthritic finger at me. “You remind me a lot of my Daisy.”
I touched his hand. “You have no idea how honored I am to hear that.”
“And because you remind me of her so much, I can tell that you’re sad. Talk to this old man.”
I looked down. “Haley and Gabe have just moved out.”
He nodded in understanding. “But that’s just one of the issues, right? My ears are old, but I heard what Ms. Isabella said. You haven’t been here, so where have you been?”
I picked my cinnamon roll, pulling at its layer to give me time to organize my thoughts. “I was out of town working.”
He grumbled. “What a surprise.”
“Hey! I needed to. What could I do? Just ignore the problems?”
“You sound just like my grandson. I swear he’s the smartest one, but he’s always wasting himself away working and being in danger.”
I shrugged. “There were some urgent matters I just couldn’t let go.”
“I see.” He sipped his coffee. “When my Daisy was gone, all I did was occupy myself, looking for anything and everything to do. It gave me a sense of purpose, something to keep me from growing crazy with my grief. But at some point, drowning in my activities wasn’t doing me any better.”
I drummed my cup with my index fingers. “I guess that’s the part where you tell me my brother would want me to be happy, just like Daisy would want you to be happy?”
He pffed . “If you mean that theory that people should get married again, that’s just nonsense. Had I been gone first, I wouldn’t want my Daisy to marry again with another man and be happy with him. I’d want her to always remember and miss me. That’s love. ”
I snorted. “Aw, that’s so beautiful.”
“See? You’re sassing me as my Daisy would. I also wouldn’t want her to suffer my loss and let it consume her. That’s also love.” John slapped my hand and squeezed it. “I know losing someone special is brutal. But losing ourselves doesn’t bring them back. Do you know what can? Their memories.”
“But what if they’re still too painful?” I whispered.
“Then we try again on another day. But to have another day, we must keep living, not just surviving.” He raised his index finger, asking me for a moment, “I want you to have something.”
He fished his wallet from his pocket and pulled out a ring. It was made of rose gold that swept around a pear-cut diamond, creating flowing lines and movement to imitate flames. One side of the stone featured a row of dark red rubies, bringing attention to the shape of the flickering fire. It was breathtaking.
“I’ve been carrying it with me since she passed. This was my Daisy’s engagement ring. I had it made just for the spitfire she was. I want someone special to have it. And no one could better match my Daisy than you. Who knows who my grandsons will end up with? I need to make sure this will go to the right person.”
To say I was speechless was an understatement. “Oh my God, John. It’s gorgeous! But I can’t accept it. This is part of your story with her. ”
“My story with her and our memories will always be with me. But this ring made me happy. The best years of my life happened when she was wearing it. And I want you to be just as happy.”
I bit my lip to keep my tears and my smile at bay. Who would’ve thought the town grump was also a romantic?
“You’re one wonderful friend, John. And incredibly generous. I can’t wait to ruin your grumpy reputation around town.”
“You wouldn’t dare!”
I giggled. “I’ll try my best to keep your secret. But John, as much as I love this ring, and as touched as I am that you’re offering it to me, it’s just too much. I can’t keep that part of her from you.”
He grumbled and carefully stowed the ring in his wallet again. “I’ll wear you down, you’ll see. This ring will be yours.”
We ate in a comfortable silence until he snapped his finger. “I didn’t tell you. My grandson has finally come to visit me.”
“That’s great! You’ve been waiting for him for a long time.”
“He couldn’t take time off work but managed to come and stay for a while. He arrived last night, but I was still at my son’s, so I’m meeting him tonight. Why don’t you come?”
“That’s your moment with him, I can’t intrude! ”
“I insist. That way I can admonish him if he’s stupid and have a witness if he complains.”
“You plead a hard bargain. I could never say ‘no’ to having dinner with a stupid person being shamed. Count me in! What should I bring?”
“Just your troublesome self and lots of judgment.”
My favorite kind of dinner.