Shaking her head, she blew out a breath. “I want to. Anyway, a lot of times I’d find my mom crying when she didn’t know I was in earshot. Then a nice man with dark hair and a funny-looking nose started coming over when my dad was out of town. His name was Rich and he worked with my mom at the library. My mom worked part-time, and I remember thinking it was the coolest thing that she was around books all day. I decided that I wanted to be a librarian when I grew up. Pretty soon Rich was staying at our house during the time my dad was gone.” She picked up her empty glass and brought it to her lips.
“You need another drink. Hang on.” Diablo rose from the table.
“I’d like a glass of water and a ginger ale.”
Before he left the table, a buxom brunette came over and took their drink order. They watched the pine needles ruffling in the gentle wind as they waited. The waitress returned and placed their drinks down, winking at Diablo. He gave her a chin lift and turned to Fallon. She gulped her water, then gazed at him.
“One afternoon, after school, my mom told me to come sit on the couch next to her. She said she wanted to tell me something. I sat down and my mom told me that she and Rich were in love and wanted to be together. She said she couldn’t live with my dad anymore. I remember being happy when she told me about Rich. He was so nice, and I loved the way he took an interest in me. She then told me that she and I were going to leave my dad. She said we were going to move with Rich to California. I was so excited.”
“How old were you?”
“I was ten. She made me promise not to say a word to my dad. I never would’ve, but I promised her. A couple months later, she ran off with Rich and left me behind. For the longest time, I kept waiting for her to come get me, or send a message to me, but I never heard from her again. I used to go to her room and open the closet just to smell the lingering scent of her perfume. It stayed in the air for a long time. That surprised me. I still can’t believe my mother left me. She was the bright light in my life, and since she’s been gone, the light has never been any brighter than a candle. So there you have it.”
Tenderness filled Diablo as he watched her tear up her third napkin. He leaned closer and circled his arm around her, tugging her to him. He kissed the side of her head. “What your mom did fuckin’ sucks. You’re a survivor, sweet pea.”
Fallon didn’t pull away, resting her head in the crook of his neck instead. “You’re the first person I’ve ever told the story to. My dad told people that my mom was a slut and ran off with another man. He loved the sympathy he got and the accolades from the town. Everyone thought he deserved Father of the Year. They still do. What a fucking joke.”
Holding her seemed so natural and comfortable, and it surprised him. He normally wasn’t a touchy-feely type of guy, but she brought out a side of him he didn’t know he had. An urge to chase away her bad memories, her sorrows, overwhelmed him. He’d never felt such a pull to a woman. It was magnetic and mind-boggling.
“Are your parents still together?” she murmured.
“Nope. They split up when my younger sister was only a baby. My mom’s a meth freak and my old man’s in prison.”
“That’s awful. I’m so sorry.”
“No reason to be. That’s just the way the cards were dealt. I figured it out.”
“How many brothers and sisters do you have?”
“Three. A sister a couple years older than me. I haven’t seen or heard from her in a few years. She’s a fuckin’ mess like our mom. A brother who was almost two years younger than me. He died of a drug overdose. And a sister who’s five years younger. I hear from her when she needs money. A totally fucking dysfunctional family.” He laughed dryly.
“You must’ve had a tough time growing up. Was your mom able to take care of you all?”
“Nope, but that’s a story for another time, sweet pea. I don’t know about you but I’m hungry as hell. I’m gonna order a burger. You want something?”
“Not really. Go ahead and order.”
For the next two hours, they talked and laughed, and anyone seeing them would think they were a couple enjoying a pleasant afternoon.No one would think how fucked up we both are.He could see the great ache of desolation in the depths of her eyes. He recognized it because its persistent hammer clunked away, trying to break through the cage he’d put it in. But at that moment, he was content to indulge in conversation with her.
After glancing at her phone, she said in a soft voice, “We should head back.”
Diablo nodded, then helped her up and escorted her out of the roadhouse. On the way back to town, Fallon held him tighter than she had earlier, and she rested her cheek against his back. Those small gestures warmed him more than he cared to admit, and he found himself very aware of her presence during the short trip back to Leroy’s Diner where she’d parked her car.
“I had a wonderful time. Thank you.” She swept her fingers across his forearm. “I’m sure my dad will be pissed when I get home.” She giggled, but Diablo picked up a strain of fear running through it.
“You don’t really want to go back right now, do you?” Her head dropped down, shaking. “Then why don’t you spend the night?”
Her head jerked up. “Spend the night? I don’t know anyone in town. I don’t want to stay in a motel.”
He fixed his gaze on her. “You know me. You can stay with me.” He chuckled when her mouth flew open and a small gasp escaped from it.
“At your apartment? I don’t think I could do that. I barely know you.”
“I live at the clubhouse. It’d be my room, and I could crash in another one. There’re about fifteen people who live at the club. It’s up to you. I just thought you may not be ready to go home just yet.” He shrugged and leaned back on his boot heels.
“I’m not ready. I guess I can go over and see what it’s like.”
“Sure. You can always change your mind. You can follow me.”
