Her Mother’s Grave

Chapter Eighty-Two

ONE MONTH LATER

The smells of pasta sauce and garlic bread filled Josie’s house. From her place on the living room couch, she could hear the sounds of dishes clinking and the kitchen faucet running. She could hear Ray’s mother and Misty talking and laughing, although she couldn’t make out what they were saying. Harris was fast asleep on Josie’s chest, his head turned toward Lisette, who sat next to Josie on the side of her casted arm, stroking Harris’s fine blond hair.

“Smells good,” Lisette commented. “Mrs. Quinn said Misty made the pasta herself. Homemade pasta! Who knew the stripper could cook?”

“Gram!” Josie admonished.

Lisette laughed, one arthritic finger stroking Harris’s rosy cheek. “You’re strange bedfellows, you two.”

“I’m just helping her out,” Josie said. “She’s not so bad. I get to spend lots of time with little Harris here.”

A blast of cool air announced Noah’s arrival. He closed the front door behind him and looked around, his eyes landing on Josie. He grinned. In his arms was a large bag. “I got three different kinds of wine,” he said from the foyer. “I wasn’t sure what kind of wine went with meeting your long-lost daughter you thought was dead after thirty years.”

“The answer is all of the wine,” Josie said.

Noah laughed and headed off to the kitchen. Lisette elbowed Josie, her eyes sparkling. “You’re getting to spend a lot of time with that handsome fellow too, aren’t you?”

“Slow your roll, Gram, we’re still work colleagues.”

“So? You don’t outrank him anymore, right? You and Ray were married, and you both worked for the Denton PD. It’s not an impossible situation.”

“Not now, Gram,” Josie said, but she couldn’t keep the smile off her face. Harris stirred, and Lisette lifted him from Josie’s chest, cradling him in her arms. Josie stood and peeked out the windows.

“Don’t be nervous,” Lisette said.

Josie turned from the window. Not being nervous wasn’t an option. It wasn’t possible. There were no guidebooks or tutorials for this scenario. She didn’t know if spending more time with her blood relatives excited her or terrified her—a little of both, really.

Josie sat back down beside Lisette. “Gram, are you okay with this? Really? I don’t have to pursue this.”

Lisette raised a brow. “Nonsense. You can’t walk away from your family.”

“But you—”

Lisette squeezed Josie’s knee. “I’ll always be your grandmother. You’ll always belong to me. But now you’ll also be theirs, and that’s okay. Truth be told, I’m happy you’ve found this out.”

“Happy?”

Lisette nodded. “I’m not getting any younger, dear.”

“Gram.”

“One day I’ll be gone. That day will be sooner rather than later. I feel at peace knowing you’ve got people to look after you.”

Josie leaned her head against Lisette’s shoulder. “Thanks, Gram.”

A moment later, the doorbell rang. Josie hopped up and walked into the foyer. She looked back toward the kitchen. Noah, Misty, and Ray’s mom stood in the doorway, offering smiles of encouragement.

Josie took a deep breath and opened the door.

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