Page 61 of Mine to Keep

“You and Bryn looked as though you were having a lot of fun together.”

“We did,” he admitted.

“Are you dating her?”

“Is this why you called me here today? To find out about my love life. Are you going to report back to Cheryl?”

“I guess I deserve that.”

He wished it was six, and he was done working for the day because he could use a beer. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have come in so hot, but you’re always so ready to set me up with my ex.”

“For the record, I’m not giving your ex-wife a detailed report.”

He wasn’t sure if he believed his mother or not. Maybe it would be a good idea if she did run back to Cheryl with the details of this conversation. Perhaps that would get his ex-wife off his back.

“But I am curious about you and Bryn, so are you going to answer my question?”

“Why do you care?”

She narrowed her stare. “You’re my son. I care about you, and who you’re seeing matters to me. And there are things that concern me about Bryn.”

Fuck. This was the last thing he needed. He shouldn’t ask, but curiosity killed the cat. “Like what?”

“I know the father of her baby died in a car crash. But have you looked into that crash?”

“Please, tell me you haven’t.”

“Not yet,” his mother said. “But I’m starting to get suspicious. She has no family. No friends. No one from her past comes to visit. It makes me wonder if she’s running from something.”

Jamison was sick and tired of people meddling in his fucking life. “Has she given you any reason to believe she’s anything other than the person she says she is?”

“Well, no.”

“Then drop this.”

“I can’t. I love you. I want what’s best for you.”

“Oh, and Cheryl is?”

His mother shook her head. “No. I can see that now. But I don’t think Bryn is right for you, either.”

“Mom. Stop. I spoke with Steve. It was a good conversation. We’re on the right track. Why are you trying to go and screw that up?”

“Because things with Bryn don’t make sense. I’m a cop, and I see things differently than other people. It’s my job, and there’s something off with that young woman.”

“I’ve heard enough. If you can’t back off Bryn, then you and I are done for good. I mean it, Mom. If you start poking around in her background or start asking her weird questions and making her feel uncomfortable, I will do what I said I would do two years ago and just haven’t had the balls to do.”

“You won’t cut me out of your life. Not over this.”

“Watch me.” He suddenly lost his appetite. He stood and dropped forty dollars onto the table. “Have a nice day.” He stomped off toward his Jeep in the parking lot.

“Jamison. Wait,” his mother called. “That wasn’t fair.”

He paused mid-step and glanced over his shoulder. “A lot of things in my life lately haven’t been fair.”

“Before you leave, there’s something else I need to tell you.”

He took in a deep, cleansing breath and blinked. “Is this about your biopsy?”

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