Page 88 of Bad Habit
“But I am sure.”
“There’s no harm in waiting, though. Giving it more thought. A couple of weeks ago, you were equally sure you wanted to become a nun.”
I nodded. She did have a point. Although nothing in my life had ever felt as certain as Mac.
She poured out two mugs of tea, and we both pulled high stools to the large center island and sat.
“You know I fully support you,” she said, “no matter what your decision. But are you sure you’ve thought this through? I’d hate to see you give up on your calling because of a man.”
“It’s not because of him.”Well, not entirely.“But Mac did help me see that I never had a calling in the first place. Not really.”
She nodded, knowingly. “He talked you out of it.”
“No. It wasn’t like that. If anything, Mac tried to talk meintobecoming a nun.”
“Honey.” She took my hand. “Men can be very persuasive. They can make you think what they want is your idea.”
“That’s not what happened.”
“I didn’t want to tell you this.” She blew on her tea, then took a tentative sip. “I’ve asked around. Cormac Downey is a confidence man.”
“A what?”
“A con artist. His very role in life is to trick people, to make them think they want things that they don’t.”
I cupped my hands around the warm mug, letting the heat penetrate my tired hands. “Sister Henry, I do appreciate your concern, but I know my own mind. I don’t have a calling. I don’t think I ever did. If there’s any undue influence or coercion in this situation, it was from my mother—her pressure, her insistence that I had a calling.”
“Okay…” She tipped her head to the side, studying me. “So why aren’t you with your young man tonight?”
“He had plans with his brothers.”
“I see.” She took my hand and smiled in a way that looked more like pity than happiness.
“You don’t have to worry.” I sipped my tea, then straightened my posture to show her how certain I was. “He’ll call me tomorrow.” He wanted to get me a mobile phone so he could call me more often, but I wouldn’t let him. He’d already spent too much of his money on me.
“That’s not what I’m worried about.” Sister Henry shifted on the creaking stool. “I feel sick thinking how I actuallyencouragedyou to go on that date. If I’d known it was one of the Downey brothers…”
With pursed lips, she shook her head. “And I never should have let you go out of town with him. To Las Vegas, of all places.” She said the city’s name like it was Hell itself.
“What do you mean, ‘Let me?’” I tipped my head to the side, then took a sip of the comforting tea.
She shook her head sharply. “I meant that I should have warned you about him. The Downey boys are nothing but trouble.”
“They’re not exactly boys.” My cheeks heated, and I tried to disguise the reaction by taking another sip of tea.
“Downey men, then.” She pushed off her stool and placed her hand on my back. “Faith, I hate to be the one to break your heart, but I need to tell you something.” She leaned forward and whispered, “The Downeys, they’recriminals. Known thieves.”
“I know.”
Sister Henry’s head snapped back, her eyebrows rising. “What in the world are you doing with him, then? I assumed you didn’t know.”
I squeezed her hand. “Thanks for looking out for me, but Mac and I have thoroughly discussed his criminal past.”
She frowned. “How do you know it’s hispast?”
“Because he told me so. And because I know him. He’s a good man. Caring. Kind. Generous. Honest.”
Sister Henry’s lips tightened. “He might have told you it was in his past, just to persuade you, to get you…”
