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She shoves the basket of fries at me. “You know I always order too much. And you have never given yourself enough credit, Honey Weston. If you have such a hard heart, you never would have quit the business.”
“Is that what we’re calling it now?” I dip a fry in ketchup and pop it in my mouth. Just as good as I remember.
“That’s what Dell called it.” Her expression darkens, her red lips pressing tight for a moment. “He got really paranoid after you left. Always worried about someone edging in on our game if they overheard us talking about it.”
“How’d you get out?”
“I was only in for a few more months after you left. You weren’t the only one who got turned off by what we saw.” She shakes her head. “You know I checked in on them a few months ago. They’re okay.”
I wrap my arms around myself, remembering. We thought we’d been conning a woman who could afford to lose a few hundred dollars. She dressed well and came from a wealthy family. We didn’t know she’d been kicked out of her house because she was pregnant.
“I should have known. People don’t fall for a scam unless they’re desperate.”
She waves a hand. “Oh, shut up.” Some of her old attitude shines through. “We conned plenty of people who were straight up greedy. We made a mistake targeting her, that’s all.”
“Except we can’t be sure that’s all.” Dark guilt sits in my belly like hardening clay, making me drop the fry I just picked up. “Her case proved we can’t ever really know what someone’s going through or what their financial situation really is. We can’t ever really know how many people we hurt.”
She nods. “I think about that all the time.”
I prop my elbows on the table. “Did you get out after Dell got arrested?”
She winces. “Right before. I saved enough money for a semester at community college and I walked away.” She tears up. “It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done, and Dell blames me for him getting arrested.”
“I’m glad you got out.” I wish I’d never helped her get deeper into that life. “You two were so close, and I felt like, most of the time, you just went along with the schemes because you wanted to be there for Dell.”
She nods and swipes at her eyes. “He took care of me, Honey. You know the stories.”
I know some of them, the little they shared about an abusive father, never enough to eat, and a system that failed them. “I’m so sorry.”
She nods. “Me too. Dell won’t talk to me. Won’t see me. He says I’m not his family any longer because I left him when he needed me.” She uses the palms of her hands to scrub away the tears running down her cheeks. “I couldn’t keep doing it. If I’d stayed, I’d have ended up in jail with him and I—”
“You were pregnant,” I whisper. This could be what pushes her away, but there’s only gratitude in her eyes when she looks up at me. “I saw pictures of your son on social media. The time line adds up.”
She nods. “Dell didn’t understand, but I couldn’t raise a child in that situation. He said he’d take care of my kid and me, but he couldn’t promise that and I didn’t want him to have to. I got out and got a good job. I just got my paralegal certification. I fell in love and I’m…” She swallows and looks away. “I feel like such a traitor for saying this, but I’m happier than I’ve ever been.”
“You deserve to be happy.” I reach across the table and take her hand in mine. “I’m so happy for you.”
“Thank you. Are you happy?”
I don’t think about the question too hard. I’m not sure how to answer it. “I’m living with my sisters and we’ve opened a sanctuary farm. I have an art studio and I’m in it every day.” After pulling a package from my bag, I pass it across the table to her.
She opens it carefully. “You were always so talented.” She gasps as she moves tissue paper aside. “This is gorgeous.” She pulls out a tiny cup from the tiny tea set. “So delicate.”
“I know you have a little boy, but…”
She smiles warmly. “And a little girl on the way. And my little boy loves playing kitchen. I bet he’ll love playing tea party, too. This is perfect. Thank you.”
She takes her time studying each piece of the tea set. I started working on it as soon as I found out she’d had a child and I love that it will be used by her children.
She closes the box and looks up at me. “Don’t let your past mistakes haunt you, Honey. You’re a good person. One of the best I know.”
Now my eyes are tearing up. She’s sweet, but she doesn’t know all my sins or the darkness that dwells in me still. “Dell told me he’s trying to go straight, but I don’t believe him. He claims he wants to open an auto repair shop, and he’s asked me for a lot of money to help him do it. Do you have any idea what he might really want the money for?”
Her eyes widen and her brow creases with worry. “I have no idea. He hasn’t talked to me in over a year. But Dell was always small time. As many risks as he took, he was smart enough to avoid anyone truly dangerous.” Her expression turns thoughtful. “At least, he used to be. I don’t know why he’d want that much money.”
“I’m worried he’s—”
A man slides into the booth next to me and tosses an arm over my shoulders. “Hey there, Honey. What you doing talking to my dead sister?”
