Page 35 of Grim

“I’m so sorry.”

My throat tightened. “It was my fault. I let it happen.”

“You let what happen?”

“I... It doesn’t matter.”

I picked up the drink from the counter and tilted it back, drinking what was left in the glass. As I put the glass down, I glanced over at Jenna and found her staring back at me. She studied me for a moment, then said, “I don’t know if this will mean as much to you as it did me, but my grandmother used to say that death can’t take everything from us. It can’t take our memories, and if you had good memories about them, there’s a pretty good chance that they had good ones about you, too.”

“Your grandmother sounds like a smart lady.”

“She was. I miss her.” Her tone turned somber as she added, “She was the only person who really seemed to love me without wanting something in return.”

“Mind if I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

“What’s going on with Luna’s dad? Why isn’t he helping you two?”

Even though I already knew the answer, I wanted to see if there was more to the story. I didn’t want to admit it, but I was curious to see if she was still in love with the guy. “He would if he could, but he died a few months before she was born.”

“I hate to hear that.”

“The whole thing was crazy. He joined the military because he thought it would help us get out of the city, but it ended up costing him everything. We weren’t married, so I couldn’t get any of his benefits.”

“What about Luna?”

“There was no way to prove that she was his, and I didn’t have the money or the know-how to contest their ruling.”

“Damn. That’s rough.”

“Yeah, well, it was a long time ago.” Her dark eyes met mine, and a warmth settled over me as she said, “And while we aren’t any better off, we’re still here and trying.”

“That’s right. You are.” This girl was something. Without even trying, she’d gotten under my skin, and that was something I didn’t need. Not now. Not when everything had gone to shit. I needed to put some distance between us, so I glanced up at the clock and said, “It’s late. We should call it a night.”

“Oh, okay.”

“We’ll pick up from here later.”

Disappointment marked her face as she muttered, “That would be good. Thanks.”

“You still good with going to the grocery?”

“Of course.”

“Good deal.” I started putting the liquor bottles back in the cabinet as I told her, “I’ll leave you some cash on the counter.”

“You won’t be here?”

“Afraid not... I’ve gotta get to the clubhouse first thing, and I’m not sure when I’ll be back.”

“Oh.”

“I’ll leave you a key so you can come and go and all that.”

“That would be great. Thanks.” She lingered for a moment, then turned and started out of the room. “I guess I’ll see you when I see you.”

“You, too.”

---