“Boy, you tell it like is, don’t you?”
Jenna flushed. “Sorry, I can’t seem to help myself.”
“It’s too bad you don’t like my son.”
She set down her coffee. “Is that what he told you?”
“Basically.” Pat gave her a shrewd look. “He’s got that all wrong, doesn’t he?”
She liked Ben’s mother too much for anything other than the absolute truth. “Yes. But it’s not that simple. Neither of us is in a position to start a relationship right now. I just got this job here in town, and Ben’s life is eight hours away in Miami.”
“Where there’s a will, there’s a way. I know my son. He might not realize it yet, but deep down he wants a wife and a family. Eventually he’ll get those. I wouldn’t mind a couple of grandkids with red hair and a whole lot of spunk.”
Jenna nearly choked on her muffin. “That’s a little out there, don’t you think?”
“Not really. Ben is thirty-six. How old are you?”
“Thirty-one, almost thirty-two.”
“Then what are you waiting for?”
Jenna shook her head and laughed. “I’m not the only one who says what she thinks.”
“Ben isn’t a snob. It’s not the Stop and Go he objects to so much as the hours. He thinks I work too hard. And then there’s Rachel. She needs a strong parent figure in her life right now. Speaking of which, I’m sure my son has thanked you already, but please allow me to tell you how grateful I am for finding my granddaughter. When I think of her walking down that road, all alone…” She shuddered.
“Luckily, it all ended well. And Greta is out of the picture, so there’s that.” It sounded so glib, but what else could she say?
“A good ending would be to see that woman strung up by her heels,” Pat seethed.
“Join the club.”
“Rachel is really taken with you. All she can talk about is Jenna this and Jenna that. And she hasn’t stopped talking about Annie. Do you know that she wants to get a dog and name it Sandy?”
“Oh! I’m so sorry.” Still, Jenna couldn’t help but laugh.
“I never had girls, so movies like Annie aren’t my forte. My boys a
lways liked adventure movies. Ben loved anything military and Jake…he liked…” Her voice faltered. “Ironically, he liked cop action movies.”
“Ben told me about him. I’m so sorry.”
Pat glanced down at her empty cup. “What did he tell you?”
“He told me that he and Rachel’s mother died of a drug overdose. And a little about his problems with the law. It must have been rough on everyone involved. Drug addiction is a terrible disease.”
She nodded. “No matter how much you try to help… It’s never completely up to you.” Her eyes were moist with tears.
There she was always putting her foot in her mouth. “God I’m a horrible person. I’m so sorry. I never think before speaking. I didn’t mean to make you sad.”
“Oh, honey, my son is dead. I’m going to go through the rest of my life sad.” She swiped at a tear and smiled ruefully. “Talking about him is the one thing that actually makes it a little better. I accepted Jake’s illness a long time ago. I’m just grateful that, despite everything, Rachel is so well adjusted.” Pat looked at her thoughtfully. “I’m surprised at how much Ben has told you about our family situation.”
“I forced him,” Jenna admitted. “I told him I wasn’t leaving the house until he explained about Rachel.”
“And you think that’s why he told you? Ben doesn’t do anything that he doesn’t want to do. If he told you about Jake, it’s because he trusts you, and my son trusts very few people in this world.” She fidgeted with the edge of her napkin. “What else did he tell you?”
“What do you mean?”
She went to say something, then the door to The Bistro opened and Pat’s brown eyes immediately lit up with happiness.