Page 77 of Callahan

And I got to meet Hugh.

Shawn was the spitting image of his dad, much like I suspected Conor was also going to be.

“I see Adam gave you Shawn’s ring,” Teresa commented with tears in her eyes as she held her grandson in her arms while we munched on freshly baked cookies.

My gaze flew to Lainey’s hands. She’d put the engagement ring on her right ring finger. She held her hand out for the diamond to catch the light as she replied wistfully, “He did. I can’t believe Shawn bought this without me knowing.”

“Neither can we,” Granny O’Brien chimed in from her chair next to Teresa where she could also fawn over Conor. Had I not already known Granny wasn’t a fan of Lainey, it would have been made obvious during our visit.

All this shit over religion.

And, Lainey was letting Conor be baptized in the church, so I really didn’t know what the old woman’s problem was. I think Teresa recognized Lainey could change her mind at any time and treaded lightly when it came to her son’s baby mama.

“Shawn would have loved being a dad and husband.” She kissed the baby’s downy hair. “But we’re blessed that he lives on through Conor.”

I think I needed to do a Zoom meeting with my counselor to work through these feelings that had resurfaced since stepping off the bus in Haven Springs.

Either that, or steer clear of Catholics to try to keep the guilt at bay. Or stay away from Lainey and Conor. And that wasn’t going to happen.

Maybe I needed to go to confession.

It was as if Granny O’Brien was dialed into my feelings because she said, “So, Adam. Are we going to see you at church?”

“Probably not, ma’am. I haven’t been active since I went away to college.”

“Well, what better time to start back. New town, new church… Think of all the available Catholic women you’ll meet.”

“I’m not really looking to meet anyone right now. I’ve got enough on my plate with my new job.”

“Oh, yes. I heard Angus convinced you to come work for him. I hope you know what you’re getting yourself into.”

“I think Haven Springs will be pretty tame compared to what I dealt with in the Middle East. At least I won’t have to worry about roadside bombs.”

“Or RPGs,” Hugh said sadly.

Oof, there was that punched in the gut feeling again.

“No,” Granny snarked. “Just getting whacked in the head with a baseball bat while sneaking out of Lainey’s apartment at the crack of dawn.”

****

Lainey

I choked on my breath and tapped my chest.

“Excuse me?”

Granny pulled no punches.

“It’s all over town. He was leaving your apartment at dawn when he was attacked. He’s got the black eyes to prove it.”

Adam intervened before I could go off on Conor’s great grandma.

“First of all, it was well after dawn, and I was hardly sneaking. When I was over at her place giving her Shawn’s ring, I fell asleep on her couch after barely getting any sleep on the bus ride here the night before. Lainey was gracious enough to let me sleep.”

I turned to him with a smile. “And then we discovered you’re the baby whisperer.”

Granny scoffed.

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