His mom turned and led him down the steps to where Menyara’s dark blue Taurus waited next to their beat-up red Yugo that needed repairs they couldn’t afford at present. Nick got in first. It was weird to be in Mennie’s car without her.
Normal y they only rode in it whenever there was a hurricane coming and they needed to evacuate when their own car was broken down.
Or Nick needed stitches.
Not wanting to think about that, he buckled himself in while his mom started the car.
She ruffled his hair. “You know, since I have the car, you could stay home.”
“Nope. You stil have to walk from Royal to Bourbon.” She shook her head. “My fierce little bul dog.”
“I’m bigger than you.”
“I’m meaner.”
She always said that, but it wasn’t true. His mom was the kindest person he’d ever met. It was one of the reasons why he was so protective of her. In many ways, she was stil a doe-eyed innocent who only saw the good in people.
Impossible to believe, but she even defended his dad and there real y was nothing good to be said about that man. He was like the devil himself.
Closing his eyes, he listened to the zydeco playing low on the car radio. That and Elvis were his mom’s favorite kinds of music. Zydeco, she said, because it spoke to her Cajun roots.
Elvis because it reminded her of being a little girl and playing with her cousins and sister. Apparently they used to get together and try to out-Elvis each other. And that thought made him grimace as the Mojo Nixon song “Elvis Is Everywhere” started echoing in his head—it’d take him days to get that to stop torturing him.
And it didn’t make sense that they impersonated Elvis since they were al girls, but far from him to interject sanity into anything, especial y after the day he’d had.
They reached Royal Street and parked two blocks from her club. Nick got out and scanned the street where tourists were walking, some stopping to browse in the windows of the antique and jewelry stores that lined the street. They were only a few blocks away from Liza’s store. She should be closing up right about now and getting her receipts together for her deposit.
He walked his mom to her club, then hesitated at the back door as she knocked for admittance. “Do you mind if I go check on Ms. Liza?”
She gave him a suspicious scowl. “Is that real y what you’re doing?”
“I promise. I don’t like her dropping cash at the bank alone.” His mom kissed him on the cheek. “I don’t know how I raised such a great son. Go on, but don’t be gone long.”
“I won’t.” He nodded to John as he let his mom in, then reversed his tracks back to Royal Street and over to the dol store.
Just as he thought, Liza was at the counter batching her credit card machine. She looked up and smiled at him as he knocked on the window.
Crossing the shop, she came to the door to let him in. “Wel , isn’t this a surprise. What are you doing here, sweetie?”
“I came to work with my mom and just wanted to see if you needed me to walk with you to the bank.” She locked the door behind him. “How thoughtful of you and yes, I’d love to have company. I’m just about done. You want a cola or something while I finish?”
“You got any cookies?”
“Always.”
Nick skipped around her to go to the back room where she usual y kept her fresh-baked cookies. Oh yeah, now this is what he was talking about. …
He didn’t know what she put in them, but they melted in his mouth and left him aching to eat his weight in them.
“By the way,” he cal ed out as he grabbed a handful.
“Thanks for sending some to the hospital. They made my day.”
“You’re quite welcome, Mr. Gautier. Have you been to Kyrian’s yet?”
“Was there earlier.” He came out of the room to stand with her behind the counter. “Met a friend of his named Ash Parthen-something I can’t pronounce.”
She went completely stil .
Nick wondered what that meant. “You know him too?”
“I do.” She tucked her bil s into the blue envelope she used to hold the deposit money.
“Any idea how to say his last name?”
“With great respect.” She winked at him. “It’s Pahr-thin-oh-pay-us. Ack-uh-ron Pahr-thin-oh-pay-us.”
“Yeah, that’s a mouthful. I don’t think I even want to know how to spel it. Can you imagine having to learn that in kindergarten? And I thought Gautier was hard. I was almost ten before I stopped putting an ‘s-h’ in it.” She laughed.
Nick had just finished the last of his cookies when she reached for her jacket. Shrugging it on, she went to set the alarm while he waited by the door. As soon as it was beeping, she led him out and locked it tight.
Liza wrapped her arms around his good one. “You know, I miss these walks with you. Any chance I can steal you back from Kyrian?”
“You’l have to talk to him about it. Since he paid for the hospital, he kind of owns me.”
“I’m sure he pays better too.”
“A little bit. But he doesn’t bake me chocolate chip cookies.
”