Fighting Dirty - Sidney Halston Page 0,63
screwed her face up as if she’d just bitten into something sour.
“I know, I know. But she sounded different on the phone.”
“It’s your life, honey,” Esther said, leading her to a booth and placing two menus on the table.
The waitress walked over to the table and without looking up said, “Can I get you some—” Then she saw who her customer was. “JL! What are you doing here?”
“Penny? Are you working here now?”
Penny’s shoulders bowed. “I’m working here too.”
“But you’re working full-time at the Pier. You must be dead on your feet, honey.”
“Need the money. I’m only here part-time.”
“What’s going on with you, Penny? You don’t ever want to talk.” The diner was relatively empty. “Sit.” JL pointed to the booth.
“No, I can’t.”
JL reached for Penny’s collar and pulled something off. “Is this…” JL squinted. “A Cheerio?”
Penny brushed it aside and her cheeks reddened. “Can I get you something to drink?”
“Change of subject. Got it. Well, one thing before you leave,” JL said. “You don’t have friends in town. At least not that I’ve seen. I’m a real good friend. Ask anyone. I can listen and not give my opinion if that’s what you want. I can get shit-faced drunk with you one night, if that’s what you want. Or I can hug you while you cry. Up to you. Just know that this is a good town. Good people. Just let us in.”
Penny’s eyes watered. “I wish I could, JL. I wish I could.”
“JL?” It was the voice she’d been hearing her entire life.
“Hi, Mama.” Her mother came around and sat on the opposite side of the booth, Penny shifting to let her through. “This is my friend Penny. Penny, this is my mother, Rita Calhoun.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, darlin’,” Rita said.
“Likewise, Ms. Calhoun. What can I get you to drink?”
“I’ll have sweet tea,” her mother said.
JL was dying for coffee, but she’d heard caffeine wasn’t good for the baby—if there was a baby. Until she could do some research she would be careful. “Water for me, and a slice of lemon pie.”
“Oh, I’ll have one of those too,” her mother added, knowing that JL didn’t share food.
“What’s going on, Mama? You look better than I’ve seen you in a long time,” JL commented. Rita’s hollow cheeks were a little more filled-out, and she had some color in her face. Her lifeless hair was brushed and neatly pulled up into a ponytail.
“I’m in NA. After you refused my calls and Billy left me—Billy left me, by the way. Did you know that?”
“Mama, I don’t even know who Billy is.”
“Oh…uh…well, doesn’t matter anymore. Anyway, I decided it was time for a change.”
“Do you think you should be doing it for a man?”
“It’s not. I’m not, I mean. I’m doing it for myself. For my children. Travis won’t even acknowledge me, you know?”
“Yeah, I know. He’s got good reasons. So do I,” JL said.
“I know, honey. I want to tell you how sorry I am for everything. I’ve been a terrible mother. The worst. But I want to make up for it.”
Penny dropped off their order, and JL took a bite of her pie as she contemplated what to say. On one hand, by making selfish and toxic decisions Rita had changed the course of JL’s life forever. It would be understandable for JL to hold a grudge against her mother forever. On the other hand, it sometimes took more energy to hold a grudge than to forgive.
“Don’t know, Mama. We’ve been here before. I’m not going to make light of the situation by saying that you haven’t been that bad. You have. The things you’ve made me go through…” She shook her head as if that would get the thoughts out of her head. “But I’m willing to give you a chance, a very arm’s-length chance.”
Rita’s eyes shimmered. “Thank you, Jamie Lynn. I promise I won’t let you down.”
At that moment JL’s phone chirped, and she looked down and smiled at a text from Enzo that said, Miss your face. Then it chirped again. I’m lying. I actually miss your naked body lying on a bed of Oreo crumbs. She chuckled before slipping it back in her purse.
“Who’s the guy? Same one who answered your phone the other day?”
JL hesitated a moment. In the past her mother would put her down whenever she was happiest, and she didn’t want anything to ruin her mood.
“You don’t have to tell me,” Rita went on. “None of my business. But whoever