Page 53 of Mourner for Hire
His hands magically drift down my arms until he’s holding my wrists out and letting his eyes admire the whole of me.
“Well, thank you.” I nod out the pleasantry, and he takes my hand, pulling me through the crowd.
“Come on, I want you to meet my friends Jenna and Dean?—”
“Real names?” I question.
“Jenna and Dean.”
A chuckle rumbles out of me. “Just checking.”
The deeper in the crowd we get, the more it smells like spiced apple cider and cotton candy, intermingled with freshly bakedcupcakes and carne asada. I love every single smell, even experiencing them all at once.
“Miriam and Carlos make the best tacos al pastor you will have this side of the border. Well, unless you’re in like San Diego or something.” He points at the red Taqueria sign, then pulls me closer, whispering over his shoulder. “But don’t tell them I said that.”
I pretend to zip my lips.
“Marylou’s cupcakes will blow your mind. The spiced cider is simply a tradition. I’m pretty sure my Grandma Louise made the majority of it this year.”
My gaze pings to each side of the street like a pinball machine with every spot he explains. It’s sweet. It also reminds me of the night I met Dominic, who pointed out every stranded citizen of Shellport in his bar as if it were a family reunion.
“Drink?” he asks.
“I’d love one,” I answer.
He drags me by the hand to the pop-up bar near the bobbing for apples station.
A woman with a jet-black bob and bangs reaches out her hand. “Hi, I’m Jenna.” I take her hand, shake it, and before I can fully say my name she adds, “This is just so wild that you’re here. We haven’t seen Dominic in a tizzy in a while. He’s normally so serious.” Her voice drops as if she’s imitating his voice.
“Now Jenna, don’t stir the pot,” Dean warns.
“Really? He seems like such a goofball,” I say, leaving the bait on the line.
At first, Jenna isn’t sure if I’m being sarcastic, but she catches on, letting her lips slide into a small smile.
“But also, he’s been through a lot so I’m just trying to respect his space while he grieves. Losing a parent is a big deal,” I add, and when I do, I lock eyes with Dominic from across the way. He’s scowling at me so hard, I wonder if he has a migraine. I blink away just as a man I recognize from the funeral approaches him.
“And Annabelle was the best,” Dean says. “We all loved her.”
“She is quite a character,” I add, spotting her ghost at the picnic table next to us. I let out a breath through my nose and shake my head.
“Have you met Sully?” Connor asks, noticing my gaze.
I squint at him, unsure if he’s stirring the aforementioned pot.
He shakes his head. “Right. Let’s not open that can of worms. Madam! A drink!”
He sticks out his arm for me to grab, and I smile at his theatrics. But as we walk toward the pop-up bar, my heart begins to pound. It’s like my blood knows when I’m getting closer to Dominic.
I almost say I don’t want one, but my voice doesn’t speak. I almost tell him he can get the drink and bring it back, but my street sense won’t allow it. I’ve been roofied under even more wholesome circumstances.
Thankfully, when we get to the bar, only his bar hand is there, dressed in a sage-colored sweater and ripped jeans. She has smooth olive-colored skin and light green eyes. She’s gorgeous. At first, I assume she’s Dominic’s girlfriend, but she smiles far too kindly at me for me to believe she’s romantically involved with the man who wants me to disappear.
I order a pear apple cider and take in the rest of the event with Connor.
Bobbing apples, racing rubber ducks, an apple sling shot. Not to mention the town gossip. Within forty minutes, I learn that Connor dated Jenna all throughout high school but she ended up marrying Dean after he got her pregnant in college. Connor also took Joelle to homecoming while she and Eli were on a break. Eli almost beat him up after school. They got back together by Tolo, and she wound up getting pregnant at the end of junior year. It worked out because, apparently, they’re forever port locals, and their daughter is everyone’s favorite babysitter.
I make note to never tell Connor anything personal. Ever. Itwill make it through the port pipeline faster than a game of telephone.
