Farrah’s smile was quick and bright. ‘I think I like you, Detective.’
He had to smile back. There was no other alternative in the presence of such unfettered optimism. ‘Likewise, Doctor.’ He downed a few painkillers, hoping they worked. When the pain was this bad, they weren’t as effective. ‘So how did you two meet?’
‘She was my roommate at Tulane,’ Farrah said fondly. ‘I got back to my room after an orientation and there was this pasty white girl sitting on the other bed with this lost look on her face. She was overwhelmed that day – too much activity, too much noise, too many people. My sister gets like that sometimes, overstimulated, y’know. So I sat down next to her and put my arm around her shoulders and said, “Hi, I’m Farrah and I’m a hugger. I come from a family of huggers and you’re stuck with me for the next few months. Live with it, girl”.’
Rafe chuckled. ‘And how did that go over?’
‘About like you’d think. She got all stiff and proper with “I’m Mercy and I’m not a hugger.” She moved about a foot away, with that look on her face – the one that says she’s not amused. But then I gave her a cookie and she kind of melted.’ Farrah returned to the stove to stir the stew. ‘She was just . . . hurting and touch-shy. But Mercy has a good heart.’
‘I know.’ He did know. She’d sat with him for hours after he was shot, reading to him, watching whatever he wanted on the TV. Encouraging him when he was down. Little touches that he’d quickly realized were a big deal for her. ‘But now she hugs you back?’
‘Yes, but it took a long time. Not until I took her home for Sunday dinner and my mama got hold of her. Mama cuddled her and fed her and fussed over her and Mercy hadn’t ever had that before.’
‘She’d been in foster care up until that point,’ Rafe said carefully, not sure how to get the information he wanted without violating Mercy’s confidences.
‘Yes, she had. They weren’t bad people, her foster-parents. They wanted to give her love and affection. They wanted to adopt her, but Mercy wasn’t ready for that. I guess she finally was by the time our paths crossed.’
That Mercy’s foster family had been good to her was a relief. That they’d wanted to adopt her was a surprise. He was almost certain that Gideon hadn’t been aware of it. But another question rose in his mind, because Mercy’s path had crossed Farrah’s. ‘Why New Orleans? What brought Mercy there?’
Farrah focused on stirring the stew. ‘That’s a question you’ll have to ask Mercy.’
‘I will.’ He steered the conversation away from Mercy because that creak of the floorboard meant that someone was coming. ‘But you’re a New Orleans native?’
Farrah grinned. ‘Born and raised. Probably’ll stay there till I’m old and pruney.’
Rafe was charmed. ‘Why?’
‘Because my family is there.’
‘And her captain,’ Mercy said, entering the kitchen. She took a deep, appreciative breath before gingerly sitting at the table next to Rafe. ‘That stew smells really good.’
He tried not to get too excited by her seating choice, but it was hard when she was so near. She smelled like flowers, and the emerald green sweater she’d changed into hugged every one of her lush curves. Don’t rush her. Do not rush her. ‘Did Mom get you fixed up?’
Mercy nodded. ‘It needed a few butterfly bandages, just like I said. What smells so good?’
So her injury was not a topic of conversation. Rafe could work around it. For now. ‘It’s kavardak, which is really just a homestyle beef stew. The word means “mess”, so you basically throw whatever you want into it. Mom’s is the best.’ He pointed to Farrah. ‘Who is her captain?’
‘Captain André Holmes,’ Mercy said with a fond smile. ‘Farrah’s . . . intended.’
Farrah snorted a laugh. ‘That’s what he calls himself. My “intended”.’ She wiggled the fingers on her left hand, showing off a diamond that sparkled. ‘But he put a ring on it, so he can call it whatever he likes, even if he’s old-fashioned about it.’
‘Pozdravlayu c pomolvkoy!’ Rafe told her. ‘Congratulations on your engagement. May you have a happy home, blessed with laughter.’
‘Who is to have a happy home?’ his mother asked, shooing Farrah away from the stove after entering the room. ‘I’ll take over here. You are a guest. You sit and relax. I’ll make tea.’
‘Farrah is engaged,’ Mercy said, patting her friend’s hand when she sat at the table with them. ‘Her fiancé is a captain with New Orleans PD.’
Irina sighed. ‘More police officers. I am surrounded by them – three of my eight children are police officers. The fiancé, he is a good man?’
‘A very good man,’ Mercy assured her. ‘He’s been my friend for years. I introduced them.’
Farrah rolled her eyes. ‘Only because we were at a party and Mercy wanted to escape. She’d promised me that she’d stay for a while, but figured she could get out if I was distracted by a tall hunk of gorgeous man.’
Irina winked at her. ‘Was she right?’
‘Yes, I was,’ Mercy said. ‘They couldn’t take their eyes off each other. And I only agreed to go to the party to get Farrah to go because I knew André would be there,’ she added smugly. ‘I knew they’d be perfect for each other and they are.’
Irina put a loaf of bread in the oven, then put on a kettle to heat. ‘It was that way with Gideon and Daisy. I knew they’d be perfect together and they are, but they stubbornly resisted being introduced by me. Gideon actually denied himself my cooking for several months because Daisy attended our Sunday dinners.’
Farrah glanced at Mercy, whose smile had disappeared at the mention of Gideon. ‘How did they finally meet, then, if they rebuffed your matchmaking attempts?’ Farrah asked.
‘I introduced them,’ Rafe said. ‘I’d known Daisy since she was a little girl and she’d recently come back to town, but she was attacked and nearly abducted.’
‘Oh.’ Farrah’s gaze settled on Mercy, who’d grown a little pale. ‘The same one who took you, Merce?’
Mercy nodded soberly. ‘The same. Daisy pulled a necklace from her attacker’s throat when she was fighting for her life. A locket. Rafe had seen the design before, because Gideon used to have a nearly identical tattoo. Rafe called Gideon for help on the case.’
‘And then Gideon and Daisy realized I was right all along,’ Irina finished, then cocked her head as a car door slammed outside. ‘And here they are, just in time for dinner.’