Blame it on the Bet by Lauren E. Rico

Author:Lauren E. Rico [Rico, Lauren E.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harmony House Productions, LLC
Published: 2024-07-25T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nineteen

HENNESSY

I don’t have the slightest idea what’s just passed between Bryan and me, but I know it was significant. It’s a moment of such intensity that it’s almost painful to sustain it…so I don’t. I break the spell.

“So was Janet right?” I ask him as he savors another bite of sweet potato pie.

“About what?” he mutters through a mouthful. “About the pie. Is it a ‘past’ pie?”

He nods at me, holding up a finger that indicates I should hang on a second while he finishes chewing. Once he’s swallowed, he takes a gulp of the coffee and wipes his mouth before answering.

“Yeah, I suppose it was. My grandmother used to make sweet potato pie. It was her thing. And I haven’t had any since she died.”

“And was she right about you being from the South? I mean, because I just assumed you were from the west coast…” He looks at me for what feels like a long time before he speaks. And when he does, his voice is softer—more hesitant

than I’ve ever heard from this overly confident man. “Yeah, I’m from North Carolina, actually. My mother still lives there, just outside of Charlotte.” Well, that begs the next question… “And your father?”

An awkward pause follows, and I’m starting to think he’s not going to answer. But then he does.

“He and my mom are…estranged, I guess you could say. He’s in North Carolina, too.”

This piques my curiosity.

“And where is he?”

“Oh, uh, well, you probably wouldn’t know it. It’s just a tiny little speck on the map in a rural area. It’s called Butner.”

I feel my eyebrows go up in surprise as he mentions the familiar name.

“Really? I have a friend who lives in Butner! She’s a public defender as well. And since that’s where the big federal prison is…”

The realization hits me like a piano falling from the sky. A grand piano, not one of the little upright jobbies. While plenty of people work in Butner, no one really lives there. That is, except for the inmates of the penitentiary. I see from his expression that he’s just watched me put the pieces of the puzzle together.

“I could use a top-up on my coffee,” I say brightly, waving at our server. “How about you, Bryan? Or maybe you’d like another piece of pie? I wouldn’t mind trying the sweet potato if you want to share a slice.”

The smile that he bestows on me is real. It’s not the one that he practices in the mirror so he’ll appear charming as he tries to win friends and influence people. This one is tentative and…what? Grateful. He’s accepting the life ring I’ve just tossed him.

“Yeah, I could go for some more pie,” he replies. “But we’ve got to get extra whipped cream this time, okay?”

“Well, duh!” I answer, taking a page out of Bailey’s book. We both laugh…and it’s nice.

…

Bryan pays the bill at the counter while I slip back into my parka. There’s a line of people waiting to get in, as usual, so I decide to wait for him on the sidewalk.

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