apparently taking no offense. „Don’t worry. He’s safe with me.“
Spinnelli nodded his reassurance. „Mia takes care of her own.“
Still doubtful, she moved to the door. „Well, then, I’ll leave you to your meeting, now.“
Abe watched Mia heaping casserole on a dangerously full paper plate and growling at Jack, who backed away, hands held up in surrender. „I’ll walk you downstairs, Mom.“
His mother waited until she got to the bottom of the stairs. „So who was the other one, the one with the white coat?“
„She’s the medical examiner.“ Abe had to chuckle at the look on his mother’s face. „I’m sure she washed her hands before she left the morgue.“
„Oh, my.“ She shrugged. „Well, I suppose someone has to do it. So what about your new partner?“ She looked up at him through her lashes. „She’s cute.“
Abe laughed. „Cut it out, Mom. You don’t want her thinking about me that way. She’ll get all befuddled and won’t be watching for the bad guys.“
His mom grinned. „You’ve got a point there. You’ll bring back all the dishes?“
„On Sunday when I come for ham, if not sooner.“
„Ah, you’ve talked to Sean.“ Her smile dimmed. „Then you know.“
He knew. He’d managed to push it to the back of his mind, but the thought had nagged him all day. Now the thought of seeing Jim and Sharon slid to the front of his mind and his stomach twisted. He and Debra’s parents had never been on friendly terms, but their relationship had deteriorated to litigiously hostile by the end of his wife’s life. He squeezed his mom’s arm. „Don’t worry. I promise I won’t ruin the christening for Sean and Ruth.“
„I didn’t think you would, Abe. I just didn’t want you blindsided.“
No, she wouldn’t. Faithful to her children to the bitter end was his mother. And he loved her for it. „Consider me warned.“ He dropped a kiss on her cheek. „Thanks for dinner, Mom. I’ll drop by as soon as I can.“
She pressed her palms against his face, keeping him in the slight bow that put him in her reach. „I’m so glad you’re in a new job,“ she whispered fiercely.
„I know.“
„I worried about you every day.“
She was the wife of a career cop, the mother of two cops. She knew the danger and lived with it, but the undercover work had taken a toll on his family, and he knew it. Early in his undercover career, he’d chanced visits home once a month, but the deeper under he went, the further apart his visits became. The last time he’d risked a trip home had been the night Debra died. A full year ago. In secret, under cover of darkness. But all that was over now. As of this week, he could go home whenever he chose. „I know, Mom. But I’m fine. Really.“
Her hands didn’t budge, and his neck started to develop a cramp from bending so awkwardly, but he made no move to straighten. „I hope I didn’t embarrass you too much by coming down tonight. I just couldn’t seem to help myself.“
„I love you, Mom. You did a wonderful thing.“ Her eyes glinted and he grinned to break the solemnity. „But you probably don’t want to make it a habit. It’ll be like feeding a stray – you’ll never get rid of them.“
She laughed shakily and released him, then pointed at the window to the street. „Abe, help that woman. She’s too small to be carrying such a load.“
Kristen was trying to open the door with one hand, the other grasping at a large paper bag, and he remembered her errand. Dinner from the diner. He hoped she wouldn’t mind refrigerating it. He doubted anyone would be hungry after finishing his mother’s food. That anyone would choose diner food over his mom’s home cooking never even entered his mind. Quickly opening the door, he plucked the bag from her hands. „I’ll take that.“
Kristen rolled her shoulders. „Thanks. It didn’t seem that heavy when Owen was carrying it out to my car.“ She glanced over to where his mother waited
Spinnelli nodded his reassurance. „Mia takes care of her own.“
Still doubtful, she moved to the door. „Well, then, I’ll leave you to your meeting, now.“
Abe watched Mia heaping casserole on a dangerously full paper plate and growling at Jack, who backed away, hands held up in surrender. „I’ll walk you downstairs, Mom.“
His mother waited until she got to the bottom of the stairs. „So who was the other one, the one with the white coat?“
„She’s the medical examiner.“ Abe had to chuckle at the look on his mother’s face. „I’m sure she washed her hands before she left the morgue.“
„Oh, my.“ She shrugged. „Well, I suppose someone has to do it. So what about your new partner?“ She looked up at him through her lashes. „She’s cute.“
Abe laughed. „Cut it out, Mom. You don’t want her thinking about me that way. She’ll get all befuddled and won’t be watching for the bad guys.“
His mom grinned. „You’ve got a point there. You’ll bring back all the dishes?“
„On Sunday when I come for ham, if not sooner.“
„Ah, you’ve talked to Sean.“ Her smile dimmed. „Then you know.“
He knew. He’d managed to push it to the back of his mind, but the thought had nagged him all day. Now the thought of seeing Jim and Sharon slid to the front of his mind and his stomach twisted. He and Debra’s parents had never been on friendly terms, but their relationship had deteriorated to litigiously hostile by the end of his wife’s life. He squeezed his mom’s arm. „Don’t worry. I promise I won’t ruin the christening for Sean and Ruth.“
„I didn’t think you would, Abe. I just didn’t want you blindsided.“
No, she wouldn’t. Faithful to her children to the bitter end was his mother. And he loved her for it. „Consider me warned.“ He dropped a kiss on her cheek. „Thanks for dinner, Mom. I’ll drop by as soon as I can.“
She pressed her palms against his face, keeping him in the slight bow that put him in her reach. „I’m so glad you’re in a new job,“ she whispered fiercely.
„I know.“
„I worried about you every day.“
She was the wife of a career cop, the mother of two cops. She knew the danger and lived with it, but the undercover work had taken a toll on his family, and he knew it. Early in his undercover career, he’d chanced visits home once a month, but the deeper under he went, the further apart his visits became. The last time he’d risked a trip home had been the night Debra died. A full year ago. In secret, under cover of darkness. But all that was over now. As of this week, he could go home whenever he chose. „I know, Mom. But I’m fine. Really.“
Her hands didn’t budge, and his neck started to develop a cramp from bending so awkwardly, but he made no move to straighten. „I hope I didn’t embarrass you too much by coming down tonight. I just couldn’t seem to help myself.“
„I love you, Mom. You did a wonderful thing.“ Her eyes glinted and he grinned to break the solemnity. „But you probably don’t want to make it a habit. It’ll be like feeding a stray – you’ll never get rid of them.“
She laughed shakily and released him, then pointed at the window to the street. „Abe, help that woman. She’s too small to be carrying such a load.“
Kristen was trying to open the door with one hand, the other grasping at a large paper bag, and he remembered her errand. Dinner from the diner. He hoped she wouldn’t mind refrigerating it. He doubted anyone would be hungry after finishing his mother’s food. That anyone would choose diner food over his mom’s home cooking never even entered his mind. Quickly opening the door, he plucked the bag from her hands. „I’ll take that.“
Kristen rolled her shoulders. „Thanks. It didn’t seem that heavy when Owen was carrying it out to my car.“ She glanced over to where his mother waited
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