“No,” Grady replied. “It was my brother, James.”
“You know the clerk, though?”
“She grew up in Barker Creek with us,” Grady replied. “She was best friends with my sister. Now she’s joined at the hip – and groin, more often than not – with my brother.”
Sophie smirked. “You don’t seem happy about that.”
“No,” Grady said hurriedly. “I love Mandy. She’s a part of our family. She was a part of our family before she turned my brother into a domestic doofus. I have no problem with her, or her relationship with my brother.”
“I guess I must have … misread … your reaction.”
“We’re just constantly teasing him,” Grady admitted. “He’s a fool in love.”
“Is there something wrong with that?” Sophie asked, sipping from her Diet Coke, fixing him with a curious stare.
“No. She makes him happy. She makes him really happy, in fact. I’m happy for them.”
“Did they date when they were kids?” Sophie asked.
“No. James was too old. They connected again as adults.”
“Does your sister mind?”
Grady had no idea where she was going with this line of questioning, but he decided to let it play out. She needed to lead the conversation, for some reason, so he let her stay in her comfort zone. “She’s thrilled.”
“That’s good, I guess.”
“It is for them,” Grady said. “They gossip like school girls, and gang up on my brother whenever they get a chance. It’s fun, for me at least.”
“Do they ever gang up on you?”
“Yeah. That’s not as much fun.”
“And your other brother?”
“Finn?”
“Is Finn in the security business with you?”
“He is and, yes, before you ask, they gang up on him, too.”
Sophie laughed lightly. “It sounds like a close group of people.”
“It is.”
They lapsed into silence for a few seconds.
Grady sipped from his pop as he considered how to progress. “You haven’t told me about yourself yet.”
Sophie sucked in a deep breath. “What do you want to know?”
“Where did you grow up?”
“I was born in Canton,” Sophie replied. “My parents died when I was six. I was in the system after that. I moved to Macomb County when I was ten.”
Well, that explained her constant suspicion. “I’m sorry.”
“Why?”
“Because that must have been rough on you,” Grady replied.
“I don’t really remember them,” Sophie said. “They died in a fire. I don’t even have any pictures of them. They’re just … the people who birthed me, I guess.”
“You didn’t have any other family?”
“No.”
That made Grady sad, although he couldn’t quite figure out why. “Did you stay with foster families?”
“At least six until I finally settled with one for the long haul when I was ten.”
“Did they adopt you?”
“No,” Sophie said, shaking her head. “They never treated me as anything other than a real member of their family, though. They are my family now.”
“That’s good,” Grady said. “It’s good you have someone. My family means a lot to me. They’re infuriating – and annoying – but they’re also loyal and great. I couldn’t imagine not having them.”
“Yeah,” Sophie agreed. “The Marconis do the same for me. My foster mother died a few years ago, but my foster father and his family are still very much a part of my life. I still see them at least once a month. We have family dinners and stuff.”
Suspicion niggled in the back of Grady’s brain. “The Marconis? Not Peter Marconi?”
Sophie stiffened, leaning back in the booth. “Yes, Peter Marconi. He was a good father to me.”
Grady pursed his lips. The Marconis were notorious. They’d been rumored to have mob ties for years, although nothing had ever been proven. “I’m not insinuating anything to the contrary.”
“Good. Don’t.”
“Got it.”
The waitress picked that moment to deliver their dinner – two coneys and an order of chili fries for each of them. Once she was gone, they spent the next few minutes eating. Finally, Sophie broke the silence.
“What did you mean when you said you could help me?”
“We have the capability to be able to research the financials of different individuals,” Grady replied. “We have investigative skills to help you … and we can keep you safe.” He had no idea why he added the last part.