Echoes of the Heart

“Angel,” I held out my hand. “Lovely to officially meet you. If you don’t mind, I’m not counting that night in the diner.”

“I don’t blame you.” He grinned, taking my hand and surprising me by raising it to his face and gently kissing the back of it. “It’s nice to meet you too, muse.”

I frowned. “Muse? I don’t understand—”

“He’s takin’ the piss,” Risk interrupted. “Angel here is still a little jet-lagged. Aren’t you . . . mate?”

“Oh, yeah,” Angel smiled at me. “Just tired, is all.”

“Well, that’s nothing a cuppa and good night’s sleep won’t fix.”

Angel winked. “Noted.”

We never got a chance to go inside May’s house to have any tea because he announced that he was hungry and the obvious choice, to me, for good food, was Mary Well’s but Risk disagreed.

“You were working there all day, you aren’t going back there for dinner.”

I understood his logic, no one wanted to go to their place of work when they didn’t have a shift to work, but I loved Mary Well’s. It was a hard job and on most days it was exhausting, but I loved it. I loved the atmosphere, and for the most part there was no drama between co-workers and working for Joe was honestly a pleasure. In many ways, we were kind of like a family.

“It’s after nine, Mary Well’s is the only place open that does a good burger. Those fancy restaurants in the hotels aren’t all they’re cracked up to be.”

Risk hesitated. “You’re sure?”

“Of course.”

With that said, we all piled into the SUV and Risk drove us five minutes away to Mary Well’s. The guys were talking amongst themselves about how the paparazzi that had been staking out May’s house had gotten into trouble with the police. They had been parking on a residential street and loitering, which was uncomfortable and disruptive for the residents so the police were called. They were talking about how it wouldn’t keep them away, but for the time being, they had a little peace.

Once that conversation ended, May turned to me and told me a bunch of funny encounters he’d had over the years with some of the crazier Sinners. I was cracked up in the back seat the entire time and I was so happy when he asked me to get in a selfie with him because I didn’t have any pictures of us together as adults.

He put his arm around my shoulder, mashed our faces together, and we beamed like two fools.

“Don’t post that.”

We both looked at Risk who was glancing at us through the rearview mirror.

“Why not?” May questioned, sounding a little annoyed. “We’re just smiling, main man.”

“It’s not about the picture, it’s about what the crazy Sinners will think of you posting a picture with a woman. That shit will spread online like wildfire and she’s not getting a spotlight placed on her for it.”

I didn’t think of that.

May slumped next to me. “Yeah, you’re right.” He looked at me. “I’m keeping the picture though, I like it.”

I chuckled. “Send it to me, I like it too.”

“What’s your number?”

Before I had a chance to say a word, Risk recited my number perfectly. I said nothing as May tapped on his screen and sent the picture my way. I checked my phone, opened the message May sent and smiled at the picture, then saved it to my phone.

“I’m going to get it printed and put it in a frame.”

“You’re cute,” May chuckled. “Save my number, we’re not losing touch now that you and main man are speaking again.”

I happily did as he asked. When we pulled up to Mary Well’s I hung back as the guys climbed out of the car. Risk came around to the open door and looked in at me.

“Everything okay?”

I tilted my head. “How did you know my number?”

“Frankie,” he snorted. “I knew it by heart, it’s just stuck in my head.”

“How did you know I still used that number though?” I quizzed. “It’s been nine years, I could have changed it.”

Risk lost his smile. “Lucky guess.”

I wasn’t buying it and he knew it.

“Risk.”

He shifted.

“I’ve called you a few times over the years,” he lifted a hand to his hair and ruffled it. “When I wanted to hear your voice, I’d call you then when you answered . . . I could never make myself speak so I hung up. I didn’t do it a lot, just a few times. I swear.”

My heart just about stopped.

“You missed me?”

Risk’s eyes found mine. “Of course I missed you, Frankie.”

“I missed you too.”

His shoulders lost some of their tension.

“Stop dawdling! You both coming or what?”

“Yeah,” Risk said over his shoulder to Hayes. “We’re coming.”

I hopped out of the car, Risk locked it up and the five of us strolled into a pretty empty Mary Well’s, which wasn’t all that surprising seeing that it was half nine at night and a weekday. Kids usually came in for late-night dinners more on the weekends and during the summer. Three booths were filled and they were all older couples. Anna Porter, Hannah’s twin sister, and Deena were on shift. Deena was busy cleaning tables but the second Anna saw the guys, she nearly dropped dead on the spot. I had to jump out of the way to avoid being shoved aside by her.