raised the bottle to his mouth then paused when he noticed CC grinning at him. "What?"
"I think your sister wants to talk to you."
"What?" Dave looked past their table and sure enough, here came Angie. He didn't think anything of it, figuring she was coming to see Jay. His assumption was proved correct when she leaned down and gave Jay a quick kiss.
Then she straightened, glanced briefly at CC, then looked right at him.
"Dave, could I see you for a minute?"
CC scooted off his lap, a broad smile on her face as he reluctantly stood. She swatted him on the ass, again, and laughed as everyone watched them.
"I just can't wait for that full body massage later tonight."
Dave walked away, laughter ringing behind him as his face heated in embarrassment. He was just glad nobody could see exactly how her parting comment had affected him.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Angie led him around the bar then kept going, not saying a word as she pushed through the door to the back room. She kept going, her stride purposeful as she moved through a short narrow hallway filled with boxes that ended at another door. She turned sideways and pushed it with her hip, holding it open for him.
Dave walked out into the cool night air, turning as Angie propped the door open with a small block wedge. She finally faced him, her dark eyes studying him with curiosity.
The silence around them wasn't quite uncomfortable, but not exactly warm and comforting. Dave shifted, looking around at the pile of broken-down cardboard next to the dumpster, the aging bench pushed against the outside wall, the old painter's bucket filled with sand someone had been using as an ashtray. The music was muted out here, slightly muffled, not quite as loud. The spot was somewhat secluded, offering a certain amount of privacy, the surroundings quiet enough to have a conversation without the need for shouting.
Except Dave had no idea what to say. And he had the impression that Angie wasn't quite sure what to say, either. She stood just outside the door, her arms folded across her chest, her dark hair framing her oval face as she studied him. She moved her hands up and down her arms, like she was trying to warm herself, only it wasn't quite cold enough for that.
Disappointment and sorrow filled him, creating an ache deep in his chest. The woman standing mere feet away from him was his sister, his own flesh-and-blood. He'd been looking out for her for years, watching her grow as he struggled to be a big brother while takin on the role of father at the same time. They'd been through so much together. It shouldn't be this hard to find something to say, for either one of them.
And then he realized that he hadn't spoken to her in months, not since that night back in June when she came home from the camping trip.
The trip where he had abandoned her, left her behind in a fit of childish temper. All because she had chosen something that made her happy.
Dave swallowed against the lump of guilt clogging his throat, wondering if he could ever make it up to her. If they could ever go back to the way things were. She was his sister, dammit. It shouldn't be this hard.
He opened his mouth, closed it, shook his head. Angie looked over at him, her teeth pulling on her lower lip, then dropped her gaze to the dust and gravel under her feet. Dave took a deep breath and let it out, tried to smile.
"How's school? You keeping up with all your studies?"
Angie's gaze lifted back to his, her eyes cautious as she nodded. "Yes. Yeah, everything's good. I think Doc Cassidy is going to bring me on full-time when I finish in the spring."
"Hey, that's great. Congratulations, kiddo." Dave saw her wince, just the barest movement, when he called her 'kiddo'. He jammed his hands in his front pockets and sighed. "I'm, uh, probably going to always call you 'kiddo', you know? I don't really mean it like you take it."
Angie looked at him, both eyebrows raised in surprise—or maybe doubt—as one corner of her mouth
Castillo Linda
Jon Sharpe
Shiloh Walker
Hannah Davenport
Michael Slade
Joshua Zeitz
Margaret Vandenburg
Leia Shaw
Aaron Babbitt
J.C. Reed, Jackie Steele