Character Coffee Chat with Courtney Greene

Readers immerse themselves in books they enjoy, especially when they can relate to the characters as if they are real people. Friends you can turn to, family you spend special moments with and even those characters you love to hate. Character Coffee Chats offer a little extra time with some of the characters readers have enjoyed meeting or getting to know in the Jorja Matthew mystery series. For those who haven’t yet read the series, be warned some coffee chats might offer spoilers.

For those who have kept up with the series since the beginning, here’s your chance to spend extra time with each character, gain insight about recent events in the novels and learn more details about their backstory.

Now it’s time to grab a cup of coffee and enjoy!

Today’s coffee chat will be with Courtney Greene from the Jorja Matthews mystery series.

Let’s begin with Courtney introducing herself and how she knows Jorja Matthews.

Hi. Well, I live just outside Tenino and I run a flower and gift shop in town called Courtney’s Courtyard. I met Jorja after she moved to town and opened her bookstore and coffee shop, Books ‘N Brew. Jorja helped me during a time when I really needed it and Taylor hired me to help her with the flowers for her wedding. I now consider both of them good friends. In fact, although I started out as a florist for the wedding, I later became one of Taylor’s bridesmaids.

How long have you lived in Tenino?

I actually lived here when I was younger, with my parents, but after my mom’s death I had to go live with an aunt in Oklahoma. I graduated high school and stayed with my aunt while I attended college, but eventually I decided to move back here because…even with the bad memories, I always liked this town. This town has felt more like home than anyplace else.

Sorry to hear about your mom. That must have been difficult. Why didn’t you remain with your dad?

That’s a complicated story, but the short answer is that he had disappeared before my mom’s death, so there was no place else for me to go but to the home of another family member.

Have you had contact with your dad since his disappearance?

Well, he didn’t actually disappear. Someone killed him. But no one knew he had died, other than me and a friend who was there when it happened. And because of the way he lived, it was easy for most people to believe he had run off and left me and my mom. The discovery of his body earlier this year is how I got to know Jorja and Taylor much better than I might have otherwise. I was in a real bind when the police questioned me about what I knew about his death and I needed someone to help me.

Do you want to share a little more about how that came about?

It’s not easy to talk about, honestly. My dad died at the hands of another and while I knew about it, I was too afraid to say anything because I was afraid. I believe my actions, or inaction to be more precise, is what later led to my mom’s death. That’s something I’ll have to live with the rest of my life. But when the police questioned me because they thought I might be responsible for my dad’s death, or at least knew something about it, Jorja tried to help me. I didn’t make it easy for her, though, because it was complicated and I couldn’t be truthful with anyone about what happened to my dad. Then, when I was attacked, Jorja continued to try to help me. I say “try” because I was too scared to let her help me. I was afraid of what the responsible party could do next. But I have to say, Jorja is like a dog with a bone, and she kept pressing on until I was finally able to share my secrets with her and could agree to let her help me.

So Jorja’s stubbornness was a benefit to you?

Most definitely. Not only that, but it was her ability to be so perceptive. I was keeping a secret out of desperation to protect what was most important to me, but Jorja was able to figure it out. Once that happened, I really had no reason to keep lying to her. She’s very persistent, but in a good and caring way. She’s really good at her job as an investigator and I’m thankful I had her to help me through such a horrible ordeal. I’ve lost a lot in the past when I lived here as a kid, but since moving back I’ve gained so much more and I’m thankful every day for my business and my friends.

Are you married or have other family nearby?

No, I’m not married and I don’t have kids. My only family was my aunt in Oklahoma and she passed away a few months after I graduated college. It was the reason I decided to move back to Tenino. I enjoy the friends I’ve made here and I’ll probably be a bridesmaid a few more times before I get my chance to be a bride. But that’s okay. I know I’ll meet my soul mate when the time is right. I’m a hopeless romantic but I realize I’m limited when I live in a small town, so it’s a good thing I have the option of making flower arrangements for weddings that are held in other cities and locations. I dream of someday meeting my prince charming at one of the weddings I make flower arrangements for. Who knows, right? It’s possible. I just love watching Taylor and Dylan when they’re together and I enjoyed helping them with the wedding and also being a part of it. They are an adorable couple and I hope someday I’ll find a guy who looks at me the way Dylan looks at Taylor.

Do you enjoy living in a small town?

I do. Even with the bad memories from my childhood, which would follow me no matter where I live, this town just feels comfortable to me. The town I lived in with my aunt was small, but it never felt like home. Here, I have my own business. I have roots, even if they are a bit fractured. And I’ve made fast friends of other local business owners. I enjoy the tight-knit community and after what I went through, I realized my friends were there for me even when I didn’t make it easy for them to help me.

When you live in a small town, it’s not always easy because everyone knows everyone else’s business. I was a private person, because I never wanted to talk about my parents and what happened to them. I couldn’t tell anyone, because I would then have to admit my own blame in what happened. But small towns also have a heart in a way large cities do not. And the beat of that heart is the result of the constant rhythm of a caring community with a heartfelt desire to help each other through difficult times.

That’s well said. Is there anything else you’d like to share?

I’m just really thankful for the friends I’ve made here. I wish I had such a strong support group when I was a kid. Part of what I have to live with for the rest of my life is that I didn’t tell someone about what happened to my dad when I witnessed it. But at the time, I didn’t have anyone I could trust. My silence led to the death of my mom, which is something I will always feel guilty about and have had to learn to live with.

I guess what I’m saying is that if I’d had friends or family I could trust back then, I might have been able to deal with the situation when I was young and would have also saved my mom. When the police questioned me recently about my dad, I still didn’t have anyone I could trust or confide in. But Jorja and Taylor proved me wrong. And that’s what we all need in our lives…someone we can trust. Someone who will stand with us no matter how bad things get. We might not always have family to support us, but that’s why it’s so important to have friends. Friends are the family you choose and with them by your side, you can get through almost anything.

Friends are most definitely an important part of life and it’s fortunate Courtney had good friends to help you. And on that note, it’s probably a good place to end our chat, but if you have a question specifically for Courtney, please note it down in the comments and she’ll reply to best of her ability. If you want to read more about Courtney and the case Jorja helped her with, you can find her story in Cross My Heart, Volume 4 of the Jorja Matthews mystery series.

I hope you enjoyed this Character Coffee Chat and those shared over the past year.  If you missed any of the earlier installments of the chats, just choose “character coffee chat” under categories on the right side of the page and you’ll see the whole list of chats shared over the past twelve months.

Until next time, carry on, drink coffee and read a mystery!