though. She was resourceful when she needed to be. I admired that about her. I’d come to admire a lot of things about Maureen. She was one of the strongest women I’d ever had the honor of getting to know.
I set my chin on her shoulder, looking over at the bubbling—soup?— in the pot.
She smiled. “Don’t be one of those hover mothers or whatever they’re called. This is going to be ready when it’s ready.”
I laughed as I took a seat at the kitchen table, though it wasn’t as carefree as usual. This—this was a big deal.
Maureen set a beer in front of me before she took a seat. She had one of her own, but she didn’t touch it. Neither did I.
“You’re a lot like me when I was young,” she said. “If I had an itch—” she shrugged “—I scratched it. The world be damned.”
I lifted my bottle and we clanked, smiling at each other. “I’ll drink to that,” I said, taking a long pull.
She didn’t. And I wondered—was she sick? I hated to listen to rumors, but it was hard to tell with her. Maureen kept things close to her heart until she was ready to talk. I hoped if she was, she would confide in me. We’d take care of her.
“You’ve had a lot of practice taking care of other people, Mrs. Kelly,” she said, grinning at me. She rarely called me that, but sometimes she did when she got serious. “I’ve watched. Blood doesn’t seem to matter to you, not when it comes to love. Certain women have that way about them, you know. They can love without the bond of blood having to secure anything.”
“Cash thinks differently,” I said. “He thinks in order for me to truly love him, he has to bleed for me.”
“He does,” she said, “because he’s your man. I’m talking about the love you feel for my grandchildren.”
“I do,” I said, reaching out for her hand. Like Mari, I knew she wanted to pull out of my embrace, but I wanted her to feel this. “I love them so much, Maureen. Like they’re my own.”
“Any fool can see that.” She squeezed my hand. “And I’m no fool. Never was.” She paused. “Well, except for that one time I thought I was in love with Sean McFartin.”
I pulled my lips in before I blurted, “Maureen McFartin!”
“Dodged a bullet with that one,” she said, laughing with me. “Though I hear he’s living the good life. Owns a farm somewhere that’s made him plenty.”
I couldn’t tell if she was joking or not, but our laughter echoed throughout the kitchen. After a minute or so, we both sighed, but not at the same time.
“I told that story to CeeCee,” she said, shrugging. “But it didn’t get the results I’d hoped for. You. You broke through. We’re all meant for someone, you know, and you and that child were meant for each other. I’ve come to realize that those two children were meant for this family.”
“You, too,” I said.
Ignoring my last remark, she tapped the table with her pointer finger once. “As unconventional as it is, as unconventional as your husband is, I know there’s no place I’d rather my grandchildren be.” She stood, going back to the stove, stirring her pot of whatever. “We’ll be moved in by next week,” she said, her voice soft.
“I didn’t even get to ask,” I whispered. “I was going to.”
“No need,” she said. “Your husband already told me so. And when I said I had to think about it…” She paused for a minute or two, and then she lowered her voice, trying to match his, as she said, “I’ll wait.”
32
Keely
I suggested that Maureen and the kids move in right away, since CeeCee was so excited about the move, but Maureen claimed she needed a few days to get her things together. I offered to help, but she told me no, she had some personal effects to go through alone.
A couple of days later, that left me with a house full of men. All of my brothers were over, having a poker game in the kitchen with Cash, and since I didn’t want to hear it when one of them accused another of cheating, I decided to read for a while in the library.
Cash came in about an hour later and kissed me on the head.
“What’s going on?” I said, yawning, looking up at him. Then I inhaled. He smelled like cigar smoke and whiskey.