Page 51 of Wildflower and Whiskey
Phoenix’s voice echoed in my mind,He’s strong. He’ll rock daycare.I clung to that reassurance. We were both strong. Riley wasn’t going to upend the peaceful serenity I was building for myself, which is what I tried to convince myself of as I drove to the brewery.
I walked in ready to start my shift. I wasn’t going to allow my nerves over Riley to ruin my shift. My customers deserved a pleasant server. The lunch crowd was steady and nothing I couldn’t handle. I was grabbing a refill on a basket of fries when Dominic nodded toward the door. “Table Six. Looks like she’s waiting for you.”
I wiped my hands on my apron, picked up my tray, and turned.
My heart stopped.
Colette Jansen. Riley’s mom.
She looked the same as always, her ginger hair brushed out and frizzy, she was wearing a tight shirt and tight jeans. But it wasn’t her appearance that froze me. It was the way her eyes locked on mine, sharp and cold, like she’d been waiting.
I forced myself forward, tray balanced in my hands. “Mrs. Jansen,” I greeted, trying to sound neutral.
“Elyna.” Her smile was thin and razor-edged. “Thought I’d drop in to see you since we haven’t touched base in a while.”
“Can I get you something?”
She folded her hands neatly on the table. “I’m not here to eat. I came to talk.”
My throat tightened. “Talk about what?”
Her eyes glittered. “I hear you got a call from my son.”
The tray trembled in my grip. I set it down fast before it slipped. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
She leaned back, voice smooth, rehearsed. “Don’t play games. Riley has been thinking about Braden. About his rights as a father. He may have made mistakes, but he has not forgotten his son.”
I stiffened. “He walked away and told me to leave Montreal.”
Her smile sharpened. “You always did think you were the victim. But let me remind you of something, Braden is Jansen blood. And we don’t take kindly to being cut off. Besides the news of your whore of a mother has not been sitting well with me. I don’t like that my grandson has Chabot blood in him.”
Ice spread through my veins.
“And another thing,” she added, her tone deceptively sweet. “I know exactly where that boy is while you’re working. Sweet little daycare on Birch Street. Lovely place.”
My stomach plummeted. “How. . .”
“Oh, people talk,” she said with a casual wave of her hand. “Val-Du-Lys isn’t that big. Word gets around.”
The ground tilted beneath me. She wanted me scared. And it was working.
Her lips curved into a satisfied smile as she stood. “Do yourself a favor, Elyna. Don’t forget who his family is. Sooner or later, Riley will want to see his son. And there’s not much you can do about it.”
“Maybe you should’ve helped Riley with his gambling problem. He came to me for help. Why didn’t he come to you, Colette?” I spat back, not wanting to take her shit.
Her bottom lip quivered.
“I hear you like to frequent the bingo halls. Is that where all your money goes? Did you teach Riley how to gamble? Because you sure did a good job. He blows all his money on gambling and women.” I didn’t like her talking about my poor sweet mom. She may have made mistakes, but life had been harsh on her.
Colette gasped and then she glided toward the door, her heels clicking against the wood floor. The sound echoed in my skull long after she was gone.
I stumbled into the backroom, my breaths coming in short, sharp gasps. Panic clawed up my throat, threatening to choke me. The walls felt too close, my chest too tight. My hands braced against the counter as if I could hold myself together by sheer force.
How the hell did Colette find out where Braden was? What did she think she was going to do? And bringing up my mother was just plain cruel.
“Elyna?”
I spun around, my heart lurching. Phoenix stood in the doorway; eyes narrowed in concern.
