Page 53 of Death By Llama
Her childhood, for the most part, seemed pretty idyllic to me.I never understood her need to completely distance herself after growing up with her parents’ carefree and hippie lifestyle.
I was starting to wonder if both my mother and my aunt had secretly been adopted.
“Lea, it makes sense that we don’t want to be the inn while they’re conducting a murder investigation,” my dad said, clearly growing irritated with her behavior.“Plus, it’s nice to get the chance to spend time with Sophie.”He gestured around us.“And to see her business.”
Mom glanced around the pub, her lips pressed in a thin line.“The place hasn’t changed much since I was a teenager.”
“I think it’s charming,” Dad said, meeting my gaze with a warm, encouraging smile.“Quaint and inviting.And it looks like you’re doing pretty well for yourself.”
I returned his smile, grateful for his unwavering support.“Well, business can always be better,” I admitted.“But summer’s our peak season.It keeps the place going.Have you ever been here before, Dad?”
Dad glanced sideways at Mom.
“No.Your mom never wanted to bring me here,” he answered evenly.
I frowned.I still couldn’t fully understand why Mom held such resistance toward this place.It was one thing to cling to the old suspicion that her mother could have been involved in her father’s death—but now that theory had been debunked, what was left for her to cling to?
I studied her silently, trying to push past my frustration.Maybe I wasn’t being empathetic enough.Maybe moving on from a belief system built over decades wasn’t so simple.Still, I wished that she could let go of old resentments and just enjoy the time here with me.
Our table fell silent even as the patrons around us chattered and the speakers played classic rock.
After a moment, my mother, in one of her rare moments of self-awareness, must have realized that both Dad and I were feeling a bit deflated, because she spoke in a more upbeat tone.“It has been a nice visit, though.And I know I’ve been hard on you about Cameron, but he just seems like such a catch.I just want to be sure you have someone here since you’re so far away from Dad and me.”
I looked up from my fried clams.“I know you worry about me, Mom,” I said.“But I have a lot of friends here, and even if Cameron and I don’t work out, I still have a great support group.”
Her gaze held mine, and to my surprise, she just nodded.“You’ve always been able to make friends, Sophie.People know how genuine you are.”
I fought the urge to blink at her, stunned into silence.Wow.Maybe the white wine my mother had been drinking, even though she had declared it tasted like floral vinegar, was going to her head or something.Or maybe she understood me more than I realized and she just worried.Maybe I should just appreciate the time we had together.
“Hey folks!”came over the speakers.
I closed my eyes for a moment, realizing I had completely forgotten about the change in schedule.Trivia night had been shifted from our usual Wednesdays to Sundays for the summer in hopes of drawing a bigger crowd.When I opened them again, I glanced at my parents, expecting their expressions to betray a desire to leave as quickly as possible.To my surprise, both of them craned their necks to catch sight of the source of the announcement.
“Just let me know who is on your team and what your team name will be as I’ll be going around to pass out your answer forms,” the host continued.“And let’s have some fun!”
Dad turned to me, grinning.“You have trivia night?”
Of course, my dad would think this was exciting.I shifted my focus to my mom, expecting her to wear the same sour expression she’d been making every time she sipped her wine.But to my shock, she appeared pleased too.
“Your dad and I go to trivia night sometimes at the club with the Roosevelts,” she said.
The Roosevelts had been my parents’ neighbors for years.This news surprised me more than I let on, although trivia at “the club” meant at their country club, which was bound to be a whole different experience from trivia night at Steamy’s Pub.Still, they both seemed delighted by the idea.
“We should be a team,” my dad suggested enthusiastically.
“Okay,” I agreed, despite my lingering surprise.
I wasn’t sure about the legitimacy of the pub owner playing, but it wasn’t like I had some insider knowledge about trivia questions.So, I supposed it was okay.
“I think I’d like a beer,” my dad said, clearly gearing up for a night of fun.
“And I’ll have another wine,” my mom added.
I tried not to laugh.Maybe the wine was making her tipsy.
“I’ll go get them,” I told her, noting how busy the place was tonight.I only had Brandy, Dave, and Janelle on the floor, so things were stretched thinner than usual.Sliding out of the booth, I headed toward the bar.I had to admit I was happy to be hanging out with my parents at Steamy’s instead of having dinner at the inn again.
“How are things going with your parents?”Brandy asked cautiously as I squeezed in between George Sprague and Dougie McDougall at the bar.
