She sees my face and apologizes.
“It’s all right,” I say. “But buckle in. This might be a bumpy ride.” I start to tell her everything from the last time I saw her. I tell her about Dwayne in the alleyway and the diner. I explain why the sheriff lied about my file. I tell her about what happened when I got to the cabin.
I tell her all about the trip with the Don, the enforced stay in the coffin, about being rescued, about how it’s all over now. I tell her I know where my parents are buried, that I can mourn them properly now. Then I mention the five acres Enzo bought me.
“Shit,” she replies as I finally stop talking.
“I know.”
“You think he’d buy me a car if he’s that rich?”
“I can ask him.”
“A nice one like that Cadillac out front. A Buick maybe. Or a Chevy.”
“They count as nice cars to you?”
“I’d take anything if it’s going cheap.”
“Which is why you always got more dates than me.”
“Hey, don’t knock my skills. I joined you in deleting Tinder and I’ve got a date tomorrow night.”
“Who with?”
“You don’t know him. He goes to a different school.”
It’s an old joke but it gets me laughing. I look out at the yard and think maybe, just maybe, I might be able to get over all this. At least Maisie hasn’t changed. Still talking shit to me.
“You going to say anything about what I just told you?” I ask after a few moments of silence.
“It explains why Andrew came into the diner and left me the world’s biggest tip.”
“He did?”
“Yeah. Looked terrified. Said to apologize to you for treating you mean, said to pass on his father’s respects to the new Don. I’m guessing that’s Enzo.”
“Yeah, that’s him.”
“So we’ve got a mafia boss staying with us, right?”
“For now, I guess.”
“I better get out the decent teapot, hadn’t I?”
“He’s more of a coffee man.”
“Scandalous. You can keep him.”
“I intend to.”
She grins. “Hey, maybe if tomorrow goes well, we can double date sometime.”
“You do have a date then?”
“Course I do. The lie was about deleting Tinder. I need that so I can get my rocks off regularly.”
I smile back. “As romantic as ever.”