Chapter Thirteen
Maureen
Ignoring the sheriff and the beautiful woman he was sitting with, I walked to the counter and sat down. If I had been able to see them through the window, I never would have stepped into The Diner. Now that he’d seen me, I couldn’t leave.
“Good afternoon. Can I get you something to drink while you look over the menu?”
I looked up at the waitress. She was young. Well, younger than me. She looked to be maybe late twenties or early thirties. The nametag on her T-shirt said Julie.
“Hi, Julie, I’ll start with a coffee and a water.”
“You got it,” she said with a smile and bounced away. Young girls were always bouncy. I hadn’t been bouncy in years.
Looking over the menu, I wasn’t sure what I should order. Knowing Declan O’Rourke was sitting at a table behind me with a beautiful woman, who was likely his girlfriend, or maybe his daughter’s mother, caused me to lose my appetite.
The waitress set down my coffee and water and asked, “Have you decided?”
Looking up from the menu, I stalled on making any decisions, like wanting to flee from the building, by asking her what she recommended.
“The pot roast is always good, and the meatloaf is phenomenal, but the burgers are my favorite.”
A burger did sound good, but would it be too heavy for my nerves at this moment? Probably. Was I a glutton for punishment? Definitely.
“I’ll take a burger with everything,” I said, handing her my menu.
“Great. I’ll get that right in for you.”
As she walked away, I sat there, wondering what I should do. I wasn’t used to eating alone. At least, not at a restaurant.
Back in Boston, I had Colleen. I had friends. Here, I had made what I thought was one friend. But he was currently avoiding me, and I wasn’t sure if he was mad at me or his overbearing brother, who clearly had been lying to him about where he came from.
My thoughts, of course, turned back to that brother. I couldn’t help but wonder why Mr. and Mrs. O’Rourke had moved so unexpectedly all those years ago. Where were they now?
From what was said on Thanksgiving, it sounded like they had moved to Arkansas. But why? And why didn’t they all go?
Before I could ask myself any more questions I couldn’t possibly answer, a woman sat down next to me.
“Hi, I hear you just moved to town. I am Allison Hoffman. The mayor. I wanted to officially welcome you to Diamond Creek.”
I turned and was caught off guard when I realized the beautiful woman who had been sitting with Declan was now sitting next to me.
“By the look on your face, I can see I caught you off guard.”
“Um, a little, yea.” Why was she here, talking to me? “You’re the mayor?”
I don’t know why I was surprised; Boston had women in public offices. However, I never really paid much attention to politics. In my world, men ruled. I guess I always just assumed Boston was just more liberal than a small town in the conservative Midwest would be.
“I am.” She laughed. “Declan said you’re from Boston.”
“He was talking about me? And not scowling?” I scoffed.
“Oh, he was scowling alright.”
We both looked back to where he was sitting, and sure enough, he was scowling at both of us. Alison laughed, and I couldn’t stop myself from joining in.
“Yea, he isn’t exactly my biggest fan.”
“Why is that?”
Turning back around, I sighed. “I’m sure he told you where I came from? Not just the city, but what I grew up in.”
“He did. I was also told you knew each other as kids.”
He was willingly telling this woman things he had kept from his brother. It made me wonder what their relationship was.
Changing the subject I asked, “Are you two together?”
Why I asked, I had no idea.
It wasn’t my business, and it had no bearing on my life.
You know that’s not true. You’re still hoping he’s meant to be yours.
“Oh, God no.” She laughed. “Actually, I’m his boss. And I’m married. Well, about to be divorced.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. Wait, did you say you were his boss? Sheriffs have a boss?”
“Yup. Think of me as one step up from a police commissioner back in Boston.”
“Well, I’m glad to know he has someone keeping him accountable,” I mumbled.
“Declan’s a good guy. I’m sure in Boston, you deal with a lot of bad cops. We don’t put up with that here. He has the whole town holding him accountable, not just me.”
I stole a quick peek back at the man we were talking about, and for a moment, I wondered if I’d judged him unfairly. I couldn’t dwell on that right now. If I did, I would let myself think about what could have been, or what could be. And that just wasn’t smart.
The waitress came back with my food and set the plate in front of me. I still wasn’t quite sure I could eat it all, but at least some of my appetite had returned, because the burger smelled delicious.
“I’ll let you have your lunch; I just wanted to say hi and introduce myself.”
She asked for my phone, and I handed it over without thinking. Maybe this small town had more of an impact on me than I thought.
“If you need anything, don’t hesitate to call me,” she said. Typing her number into my phone, I heard a ding across the room.
“Thank you.”
I chose not to look back when the mayor walked back to the table she shared with Declan. It wasn’t easy. Forcing him out of my thoughts, I ate my lunch, surprised when I finished the whole thing.
I wouldn’t think about the fact that my appetite returned when I learned the mayor wasn’t involved with Declan.
With my head held high, I stood from my stool and walked to his table. I didn’t miss the way his eyes perused me from head to toe. Stopping at the table, I focused on the mayor.
“It was nice talking with you, Mayor. I hope we can do it again.”
“You can count on it. In fact, some of the other ladies in town have a book club that meets once a month. I’ll text you the time and place.”
“That sounds fun.” Her smile was so genuine, it gave me the courage to turn and look at Declan.
With a tip of my head, I said, “Sheriff.”
“Maureen.” His voice was like gravel across my skin. I knew he didn’t want me here, and I got it. But I was staying, and he needed to get used to it.
Walking out the door, I had a choice to make. Go back to my house and work, or talk to King and let him know I wouldn’t be staying at the clubhouse anymore.
Pulling into the clubhouse a few minutes later, I took a deep breath and pushed my shoulders back. I could do this. Sure, he had been avoiding me, but I didn’t really think I was the one he was mad at.
When I walked into his office and he turned his cold eyes to me, I realized I was wrong. I stood in the doorway, unsure if I would be welcomed.
“Hi,” I said quietly.
“What can I do for you, Maureen?” he asked, turning back to his paperwork.
“I wanted to let you know, I finished my bedroom at the house, so I will be moving my stuff over there today and sleeping there from now on.”
“Ok.”
That was all he said. He didn’t look up. He didn’t acknowledge me in any other way. Slowly, I moved into his office, sitting in one of the two chairs placed in front of his desk.
I sat there quietly, waiting for him to notice I was there. After what felt like ten minutes of silence, I gave in and asked, “Are you upset with me, King?”
He continued what he was doing for another moment before answering. Tossing his pen on his desk, he leaned back in his chair and looked at me.
“Do you know why my parents left Boston?”
Shaking my head, I answered, “No. I was only ten. One day, Declan was at school with Duane and I, and the next day, he was gone.”
“Do you know if my mother was pregnant before they moved?”
“I’m sorry, I don’t. After they moved away, I never heard anything more about Declan or your parents.”
I could see the questions in his eyes. I wasn’t sure what he was asking. People moved, there was nothing strange about that.
“How are your parents?” I asked.
“Dead.”
My hands flew to my mouth, trying to cover the gasp that escaped beyond my control. He was so cold when he said it.
“I’m so sorry. When did they...”
“Almost thirty years ago. I was ten.” He shrugged like he wasn’t affected by it. “Declan raised me. I don’t even really remember them.”
He stood from his desk and walked to the bar against the wall. Holding the bottle in the air, he looked at me, silently asking if I wanted a drink.
“No, thank you.”
I didn’t believe his unemotional decree. Ten years old wasn’t young enough to forget your parents. Not parents like his. Kathleen O’Rourke was a loving, devoted mother. She never turned her back on her boys. Even though she had every reason to.
His father was a man to look up to. He stood for what was right, even when it didn’t benefit him. If something helped someone in need, Curran O’Rourke was the first person in line to do what he could to make sure whatever needed to be done got done quickly and correctly.
I hadn’t seen his parents since I was ten years old. Even only seeing them a few times a week, I remembered everything I ever knew about them.
How could he not remember them, when he spent every day with them?
King threw his drink back and poured another, taking it with him back to his desk. Talking about his parents must be hard. Maybe his detachment was how he coped with the loss.
It wasn’t healthy, but it also wasn’t my place to judge.
“Were my parents in the Mob?”
King caught me off guard with that question. Looking at my hands that twisted in my lap, there was only one way to answer that question.
“You need to ask Declan about that.”
“I did. He lied.”
When I lifted my eyes to his, they focused on me. Swallowing the lump in my throat, I desperately searched for the words that would appease his curiosity.
Declan said he didn’t know the truth. If I had any hope of making a life here, I couldn’t reveal the secret King didn’t know. It wasn’t my place. It wasn’t my story.
“Not as far as I know. Your dad was a mechanic; he worked with his hands. Made men don’t do physical labor unless it’s solving a problem or cleaning up the mess that results from it.”
“What about—”
“How did they die?” I asked, interrupting his next question. I needed to change this subject, or get out of here before I said something I couldn’t take back.
Knocking back the rest of his whiskey he said, “Car accident.”
That was why he had questions.
Standing from my seat, he watched my every move.
“Thank you for letting me stay here. It meant the world to me. I am sorry about Thanksgiving. I didn’t realize who Declan was until someone mentioned your last name. All at once, I saw the resemblance he had to your dad. I wasn’t going to say anything. It wasn’t the place to—”
“Yea, Dec doesn’t understand the notion of wrong time, wrong place.” He drew in a deep, harsh breath. “I’m not upset with you, Maureen. My brother has never lied to me before. I know he’s keeping something from me. I just don’t know what it is or why.”
Hearing a throat clear behind me, I turned, and the man I had met whose name was Nav stood there with a file in his hand.
“Hey, Prez. Got that information you wanted,” he said, holding the file in the air. He moved to lay the file on King’s desk.
Looking at the file, I wondered what the information he had asked for was.
“Maureen, if you need help getting your things—”
Focusing back on King, I assured him, “Thank you. I’ll get out of your way.” I was almost out the door when King stopped me.
“Maureen.”
Turning back, I waited for him to continue. I tried not to stare at the file on his desk that he still hadn’t opened.
“Stay for dinner tonight. I know you don’t have a kitchen,” he said with a knowing smirk. “And you are welcome to come share a meal anytime.”
“Thank you,” I told him, before quickly slipping through the door and rushing to my room to pack.
Halfway up the stairs, I tripped, startled by the sound of King’s voice when he yelled, “THAT GODDAMN LYING MOTHERFUCKER!”