Page 5 of The Arrogant's Redemption

“Stop trying to charm my girl into giving you my muffins, Delores,” Mom teases. “At the very least, ask Angela to get the recipe,” she adds, referring to Delores’s daughter—the same one she protected and the reason she’s here.

“Only if the recipe comes with a magic spell, Auntie Marla,” Angela replies. “I can burn water.”

Delores reaches out and tucks a strand of hair behind her daughter’s ear. “You don’t need to learn how to cook. One day you’re gonna be the CEO of a big company and be able to pick any restaurant you want every day,” my mom’s friend tells her.

I know Angela’s a brilliant student. Even better than me—and I’ve always been above average.

It’s good to see that Delores can still smile after almost fifteen years in here. She and my mom have become each other’s lifelines.

“Come on, let’s get some privacy for a bit,” Mom says, wrapping an arm around my shoulders as we say goodbye to the two of them.

Alexis

CHAPTER THREE

As we headtoward the end of one of the quieter tables, I catch one of the guards giving my mother a nod and a smile.

Marla Gillis—the woman who gave me life—is the kind of person you simply can’t help but love.

Her life could be summed up as a personal version of hell—from the moment my father died until now, with only a brief pause when she found me, and then again until earlier this year. At just over forty, she’s had far more heartbreak than joy.

“I want to hear every detail about your week,” she says with a smile, and I know, deep down, she truly means it. I think that since she’s been in here, she lives through my small victories.

“Nothing major happened,” I say, then tell her how Badger’s been working nonstop lately, as customers seem to be popping up from everywhere.

I also mention how he still can’t get used to the new fisherman, how his mood turns awful every time the guy gives some excuse about not delivering enough.

I catch the corner of her mouth twitching upward, barely noticeable—but it’s there. I know it’s because she still takes pridein having been the best seafood supplier in all of Cape Cod. At the same time, I’m sure she also blames herself for not being able to meet the restaurant’s needs anymore, as if being in prison and unable to work are somehow her fault.

“He’s going to turn into exactly what he hates most—a fancy restaurant owner,” she says.

“I doubt it. Badger will never lose that grumpy streak of his—it’s part of his charm. What makesThe Ugly Shrimpdifferent from all the other places is that it has soul, and most of that comes from the chef’s personality.”

“No argument there. If there’s one thing to say about that big tattooed bear, it’s that he’s not someone you forget easily.”

“I think he’s in love with you,” I say.

She smiles and doesn’t look surprised.

“Whoa—what did I miss?” I ask.

“I know I’ll get out of here, sweetheart. But I can’t make plans just yet. Even so, I’m not saying a hard ‘no’ to Badger.”

My mouth opens, then closes again—maybe unconsciously mimicking a goldfish. I’m usually sharp when it comes to reading people, and even though I’d noticed that my boss seemed extra fond of my mother, I never imagined the feeling might be mutual—that they were actually considering a future together.

“So . . . does that mean your heart’s healed from losing my dad?”

I know they were what people call high school sweethearts—together since they were teens, planning to get married after graduation. But a car accident took not only my father—who was an orphan and practically raised by Mom’s parents—but also my grandparents. She was the sole survivor.

Traumatized and pregnant with me, she left me in an orphanage because she didn’t feel safe keeping me with her. She was admitted to a psychiatric facility for almost a year to recoverfrom the emotional trauma. As soon as she was released, she started searching for me. It took her eight long years to finally find me in northern New York, nearly at the Canadian border.

“No. It’ll never be fully healed. That’s not how feelings work,” she says, bringing me back to the present. “But after more than twenty years alone . . . I think I’m ready to give my heart another chance.”

Hearing that makes me happy—for two reasons.

One, because I honestly don’t think she could’ve chosen anyone better than Badger.

And two, because it means she believes she’ll get out of here.

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