Chapter10
After the AA meeting, Mallory, Quinn and Mason invited Jace to join them for coffee at the diner. Jace had realized over weeks of meetings that Mallory, Quinn and Mason were close friends, so he was honored to now be part of their group.
The others said hello to Hope Martinez and Dan Torrington and introduced them to Jace as they were leaving.
“How did that room-for-rent thing work out?” Mallory asked when they were seated.
“Very well. I’m now Cindy Lawry’s roommate.”
“Oh, that’s great. Cindy’s the best.”
“Yes, she is. I’d already known her for a while. She comes into the Beachcomber for dinner a few times a week.”
“That’s a nice coincidence,” Mallory said, smiling as she rested her chin on her upturned hand.
“Watch out,” Quinn said. “I can tell when my wife has matchmaking on her mind.”
“You hush,” Mallory said. “Don’t listen to him, Jace. I’m just saying Cindy is a lovely person.”
Jace grinned, amused by her shamelessness. “I’m already aware of that, but thank you for the confirmation.” To Quinn, he said, “Is this why she invited me for coffee?”
“Possibly, although we’ve been saying for a while now that we needed to get you to come with us, so the timing may or may not be coincidental.”
“Good to know.” Jace’s phone chimed with a text from Seamus. He picked up the phone to read it.
Mate, we’re finally going through the things that came from Lisa’s place, and there are boxes with your name. Thought you might want them.
Yes, I do, Jace replied, surprised to hear she’d kept anything of his—and to have Seamus call him “mate.” When is a good time to come by?
Assume you’d like to see the boys, so maybe around 3:30?
He had to work at five, so he wouldn’t have much time with them, but he’d take what he could get. That works. Thank you.
See you then.
Jace put down the phone. “Sorry about that.”
“Everything okay?” Mallory asked.
“That was Seamus. He found some boxes of mine in Lisa’s stuff and asked if I wanted them.”
“Oh, that’s good, I guess. Right?”
“It’s a chance to see the boys, so yeah, it’s good.”
“Is it awful for you to have them living with people you don’t really know?”
“Mallory,” Quinn said with a note of warning in his voice.
“It’s fine,” Jace said. “And no, it’s not awful. Seamus and Carolina are great people, and by all accounts, they’ve been wonderful to my sons.”
“But?” Mallory asked.
Jace shrugged. “No buts. They were there for them when I couldn’t be, and I’ll always appreciate that.”
“What about you, though?”
“What about me? My mistakes cost me the chance to raise my kids. I don’t blame Lisa for making the choices she did when faced with a terminal illness. It wasn’t like she was going to call me in prison and ask if I’d become an upstanding citizen in the years since she’d seen me last.”