I felt almost dizzy with surprise. I’d never expected to meet her. I knew very little about her, except that Quinn had attacked and nearly killed her when he’d lost control shortly after becoming a vampire. I eyed the long sleeves and the cane, then reminded myself not to stare.
Holly was leading her back toward the counter. “I was just chatting with this girl,” she said, gesturing at my table. “She’s a vet.” To me, she added, “Although, I’m sorry, I don’t think I got your name. I’m Holly.”
Shit. I didn’t want to lie to them, but I also couldn’t give them too much information about me.
Um, you have more than one name, babe.
Oh. Right. I stood up and held out my hand. “Allison,” I said. That was the name on my birth certificate, even though no one had ever called me by it. “Nice to meet you.”
“You too.” Holly shook my hand, then gestured to her mother. “This my mom, Rosemary.”
Rosemary switched her cane to the other hand so we could shake. “Lovely to meet you,” she said, giving me a reserved smile. “Thank you for your service.”
I flushed again. I never knew what to say to this, so I mumbled, “Good to meet you too, ma’am. It’s nice that you come see your daughter at work.”
“Oh, she got me good and addicted to her espresso,” Rosemary said, rolling her eyes fondly at Holly. “She started bringing them to me after her shifts, and before I knew it I could hardly make it through the day without them. She’s sneaky like that.”
“I was telling Allison about Dad, and my capstone project,” Holly said, in a quieter tone. She was watching her mom for a reaction, but Rosemary’s expression gave nothing away.
“Oh, are you in law enforcement too, Allison?” she asked, with a new chill in her tone. Her eyes went to the bruising on my cheek and the brace on my hand.
“No, ma’am. I’m getting my degree in English.” I gestured toward my cheek with my braced hand. “I was in a fender bender.”
“Ah.” Rosemary relaxed, like I’d passed a test. “An English degree sounds lovely. People so rarely get shot for reading Great Expectations.”
“Mom,” Holly warned.
“Yeah, it’s really the Hemingway you have to watch out for,” I said. It was the first thing that popped into my head, but it earned a grin from Holly.
Rosemary looked at me critically. “Do you have kids, Allison?”
“Mom!” Holly complained. “She’s too young.”
“I don’t have my own, no,” I replied. “But I’m extremely close to my niece. She’s almost five.”
The older woman nodded. “Just wait until she’s old enough to choose a career. There’s such a fine line between raising a legacy and a vulnerability.”
Over her shoulder, Holly rolled her eyes and mouthed, I’m sorry.
I wondered, for the first time, how I’d feel if Charlie wanted to enlist when she grew up. I’d probably be torn right down the middle between pride and “over my dead body.”
“Yes, ma’am,” I said simply.
“We’ve kept Allison long enough,” Holly said. “Let’s go get you that espresso, Mom.”
She waved a cheerful goodbye, and I walked out of the shop feeling slightly dazed, as though I’d made it successfully across a field of land mines . . . barely.
Chapter 21
Maya texted me as I was driving back to Atlanta, wanting to know if I would meet Beau at the Atlanta History Center later that night. He wanted to discuss next steps.
I needed to stop for gas and a bathroom break anyway, so I pulled off at the next exit and looked it up on my phone. The Atlanta History Center “campus” was made up of a bunch of connected properties, including a general history museum, a historic farmhouse, and something called the Swan House, a former residential mansion that looked a lot like Azalea Manor. Beau wanted to meet at the main History Center building, which was famous for its Civil War relics. So that was pretty on-brand.
I wasn’t sure why he wanted to do it there instead of at his home, but I figured he might be trying to keep me away from Odessa. If someone was gunning for me, that was a smart move. And at least the History Center was another ghost-free location. I texted Maya back and agreed.
By the time I got back to the Atlanta metro area, it was time to go to the airport and pick up my backup.