“He did well, actually. He got an eighty-five, thanks to the help you’ve given him.” Dani settled herself onto the red vinyl, cushioned seat and smoothed her sweater in a nervous gesture.
It was ridiculous to be nervous about dining with Burke at Jessie’s, but she was. She was a little afraid of what people might say about them. She tried not to be affected by gossip, but she remembered all too well what it was like to be the topic on everyone’s tongue. When her mother had passed away, many had thought that the boys needed to go into foster care and that Dani, as a young girl of eighteen, wouldn’t be able to handle two young boys.
Their major concern had been Patrick. He’d started hanging around with a wild crowd just after their father had died, but their mother had refused to see the problem. Patrick had started skipping school, coming home late, and sneaking cigarettes. He had been headed for trouble.
Dani had been the one to sit down with him before their mother’s funeral and lay it on the line for Patrick. The government officials would let them stay together as long as there were no problems. One sign of skipping school or causing problems and they would be split up, regardless of what they all wanted. She was never sure if her brother was scared or just starting to grow up, but things had changed from that moment forward. Patrick had been a godsend to her from then on.
Dani’s thoughts were interrupted when the waitress came to the table.
“Good evening, Burke, Dani,” Shannon Brooker handed them their menus as she spoke. “The soup today is beef and barley, and the special is macaroni and cheese. Would you like anything to drink?”
“I’ll just have water, Shannon,” she answered.
“I’ll have a coffee.”
“Okay, I’ll get your drinks and be back to take your order in a minute.”
Dani watch the waitress walk away and then turned back to Burke. “How does Shannon know who you are?” Dani realized in a flash that it was really none of her business and that she was acting like a jealous wife. “Forget it, it’s none of my business.”
“Actually, I eat a lot of breakfasts here. I like to come in after my morning walk.” He smiled as he answered as if amused by her show of possessiveness. “That and the fact that I make lousy coffee.”
“Oh.” Feeling silly, she buried herself behind her menu before she made any more stupid remarks. Honestly, she didn’t know what was wrong with her tonight.
Jessie’s was an old-fashioned diner. The tables were covered with red-checkered clothes and matched the curtains that hung in the windows. The booth seats and chairs were covered in red vinyl that creaked and groaned when sat on. The napkins were stuffed into a metal dispenser at each table and sat alongside the salt, pepper, ketchup, and vinegar bottles.
The booth in which they sat was one of eight that lined the window side of the diner. There were also eight tables and a dozen stools along the counter that were favored by the truckers who came to Jessie’s. But it wasn’t the old-fashioned decor that kept Burke and everyone else coming back. It was the food. While the fare was ordinary burgers and fries, soups, and casseroles, it was delicious and there was always plenty of it. That, coupled with the economical cost and the friendly service, kept the business thriving from the time it opened at six in the morning until it closed at nine in the evening.
“So how does Shannon know you?” Burke was smiling at her when she lowered her menu to look at him. When she saw him smiling, she felt something inside her start to relax. This was just plain silly. She had no reason to be nervous.
“Actually, Shannon is Jessie’s niece. She’s been hanging out here for as long as I can remember. I don’t know where her parents are, but she’s lived with her aunt since she was little. She started waiting tables while she was in high school and kept it up when she graduated last year.
Just then the tall red-haired girl under discussion returned to the table and deftly placed two glasses of water, Burke’s cup of coffee, and cream and sugar in front of them. “Are you ready to order yet?”
“Dani, what would you like?”
“I think I’ll have the special, I love macaroni and cheese, especially Jessie’s.” Her stomach rumbled as she handed the menu back to Shannon.
Burke laughed when she slapped a hand over her stomach. She knew her face was as red as the ketchup bottle, but he didn’t make any comment. Instead, he studied his menu and placed his order. “I’ll have the hamburger platter, with fries. If I’m going to eat the hamburger I might as well go all the way. Make it with the works.”
“You got it.” Shannon wrote down their orders, collected Burke’s menu, and headed toward the kitchen.
Dani was just about to speak when she saw a familiar figure hurrying toward them. She sighed. The inquisition was about to begin.
“Don’t look now, but we’re about to be invaded.” Dani smiled at the short grandmotherly looking woman with curly gray hair and sharp blue eyes. “Good evening, Mrs. Woods. How are you this evening?”
“Evening, Dani. This the young man you bought one of my sweaters for?”
She could see very well that he was wearing the sweater that Dani had bought from her, but Mrs. Woods obviously wanted an introduction. She might be an older widow woman, but she was still sharp enough to know this could be serious. She had also been a close friend of Dani’s Grandmother O’Rourke, and she obviously felt she owed it to her old friend to keep an eye on her grandchildren.
“Yes, Mrs. Woods. This is Burke Black. Burke, Mrs. Woods.”
Burke, who had risen when the older woman had first spoken, held out his hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you ma’am. You do beautiful work.” He glanced down at his sweater as she took his hand in a firm grip and then released it.
“Sit down, boy, sit down. I don’t aim to stay. I just wanted to see who was keeping company with Dani. I must say, you look fit enough. Well, I’ll be on my way, Shannon’s coming with your supper.” She nodded at Dani and winked. “I’ll see you later this week.” With that, she turned and left.
With a bewildered look on his face, Burke watched her hurry over to the far side of the diner and join a group of older ladies who were already settled into a booth. Mrs. Woods turned and gave Burke a little wink and a wave before she sat down next to her friend and started talking immediately. Unable to help herself, Dani burst out laughing just as their dinner arrived.
Shannon placed the plates of steaming hot food in front of them, a knowing smile on her face. “His first time?”
“Yes,” Dani managed to reply between laughs.
Shannon gave Burke a look of sympathy before hurrying back to the counter.
“Who was that whirlwind? She actually called me boy.” He shook his head in wonder.
“She’s a wonderful woman, but she does love to gossip. She’s never mean about it, but she likes to keep on top of what’s happening here in Jamesville. She knows everything about everyone.” She had also been Dani’s first private customer for her cleaning business. Dani had never figured out if she was being generous or if she was hoping Dani would have gossip to share from the other places she was cleaning. If that was the case, she must have been disappointed, because Dani never talked about her customers. But she was still cleaning Mrs. Woods’ home all these years later.
They relaxed and dug into their supper. The conversation was light as they each talked about their day. Dinner was delicious and for a while only the sound of utensils scraping plates could be heard. It was a comfortable silence that didn’t need to be filled with mindless chatter.
Dani found that once she relaxed, she enjoyed herself. She had only been taken out to eat a few times in her life and that was a long time ago, when she had still been in high school. She had eaten at Jessie’s many times with Patrick and Shamus, but this was different. It was so pleasant to share a meal with someone you cared about. Someone you loved, she corrected herself. For she knew she still loved him. She only wished he would open up about himself a bit more. One step at a time, she admonished herself. An
d, indeed, they had taken many steps such as this one since New Year’s Day.
Shannon finished clearing the table and poured a second cup of coffee for Burke and a first cup for Dani. “Thanks, Shannon,” Burke said as she left their table. “Don’t look now, but the law is almost on us.”
Dani looked over her shoulder as Burke spoke, and smiled at the large, uniformed man, with the shrewd brown eyes and endearingly homely face, heading in their direction. “Hello, Sheriff Tucker,” she greeted him as he stopped by their table.
“Evening, Dani.” He smiled as he laid a large hand on her shoulder and gave it a quick squeeze. “How are you doing?”
“I’m fine. How are you and Mrs. Tucker?”
“We’re fine. Emma was saying just the other day that she hasn’t seen you in a couple of weeks.”
“I’ve been a little busy, but tell her I’ll call her this week.” She looked at him quizzically, wondering why he’d really stopped at their table. Mrs. Tucker knew that Dani would be contacting her soon about working on the upcoming spring fair.
“That I will.” The sheriff turned his steely gaze on Burke. “I heard from Mrs. Woods that you were having dinner with our Dani here, and I thought I should come and check you out.”
Dani figured that Burke should be used to the plain, blunt speech of the citizens of Jamesville. You knew where you stood, even if you didn’t always like the place you were standing. It was one of the reasons she liked living here, but it still took her by surprise every now and again. She watched him, curious to see how he’d respond.
“Burke Black.” He held out his hand as he stood and waited to see if the sheriff would take it.
“Albert Tucker,” he replied as he shook Burke’s hand. “Dani’s father was a good friend of mine. Yep, Patrick O’Rourke and I go back a long ways together. I wouldn’t take kindly to anyone who would hurt his little girl, if you know what I mean.” He gave Burke a pointed look.
“I know what you mean, Sheriff, and I’m glad that Dani’s had someone looking out for her for all those years before I got here. But I’m here now, if you know what I mean.” Burke put a lot of emphasis on the last part of his statement.
For a long moment, the sheriff stared at the man standing patiently waiting in front of him, and then he smiled. “I think you’ll do just fine, son. Well I got to get going. Emma will have my head if I’m late tonight. We got company coming. See you later, Dani. Burke.” The last was said as he gave Dani one last pat on her shoulder. Seemingly satisfied for now, the older man turned and left them alone, nodding and speaking to other people on his way out the door.
Dani just sat there, utterly speechless. Her cheeks felt like they were on fire. She knew for sure now that everyone had been checking them out tonight. It was embarrassing for a woman her age to have so many obvious chaperones.
“I’m sorry, Burke, I had no idea it was going to be like this.” She finally managed to pull her thoughts together to speak. Burke had calmly retaken his seat, picked up his coffee cup, and taken a sip as if nothing had happened. “Nobody has any right to question you like this.”
“It’s okay, honey,” Burke answered gently. “You don’t know how lucky you are to have so many people who care enough to be worried about you.”
She thought back to the few comments he had made about his childhood and knew it hadn’t been a happy one. “Burke, when are you going to tell me about yourself, about your past?” In spite of her resolve not to push things, Dani couldn’t help herself. She wanted to know everything about him. No, she needed to know what had made him the man he was today.
He watched her carefully, as if searching her expression for something. What she wasn’t sure, but whatever he saw in her expression made him close his eyes and sigh deeply before he responded to her question.
“Not here. There are too many interruptions. How about a walk down by the river?”
Dani knew that this would be the first time that they would be really alone since they had started seeing each other again. It was time to give him some of her trust.
“I’d like that.”
Burke rose from the table, helped her put on her coat, and grabbed his own. He flung several large bills on the table, more than enough to cover supper and a generous tip, and escorted her out to his truck.
Chapter Eleven
The silence in the truck on the drive to the river was emotionally charged and not the comfortable one they had shared over supper. Both of them were aware that their relationship was about to change in a big way, and there was no going back if they wanted to have any kind of future together. Their fears and anxieties about their coming talk kept them company during the short drive.
Usually Dani found the river to be a soothing companion. She especially liked to walk along its banks to where it met the lake. There was a large flat rock at the point where the two merged, and she had always found it a good place to sit and think. She hadn’t been there since she’d met Burke, and she had missed it.
The river had been strictly off limits when they had been having problems, as it was located not far from the Cozy Cabins. The last thing she’d wanted then was to run into Burke. It seemed only fitting that they end up here to be alone and share confidences.
Burke glanced at her and then quickly turned his attention back to the road. He didn’t have any idea what she was thinking, but she knew he felt the tension as much as she did. His knuckles were white where he gripped the steering wheel as he pulled the truck off the road.
“Damn it, Dani, this is ridiculous.” He parked the vehicle and turned off the ignition, his actions as abrupt as his words.
“I know it is.” It was a measure of their newfound closeness that they both knew what the other one was talking about.
“Let’s walk.” He suddenly pushed open the door of the truck, got out, and then slammed it shut behind him.
Dani opened her door more slowly and slid to the ground, unsure if she should approach him. He stood in front of the truck, staring up at the night sky, as if all the answers could be found there. Quietly, she closed her door and walked toward him.
“We don’t have to talk about this if it upsets you that much. We can wait until you’re ready.” She spoke softly, not wanting to disturb his thoughts. She didn’t touch him, as he seemed very remote at the moment. Somewhere very far away from her.
“No, it’s not that, Dani. It’s just…I’ve never talked to anyone about my childhood before. Not that I have any deep dark secrets. My life has been no better or no worse than anyone else’s has. It’s just mine, and I’ve never been one for sharing.” Shoving his hands in his jacket pocket, he continued to stare out into the night sky.
“Let’s walk on the river path.” She held her hand out to him.
Burke stared at her gloved hand for a long moment. The tension grew thicker, but she refused to withdraw. Slowly but surely, he removed his hand from his pocket, reached out, and clasped her hand gently in his.
She led him down the clearly marked path, and they started walking alongside the gurgling river. Pockets of ice had filled parts of the river, but it still ran freely and quickly. The air was crisp, but not too cold for late January, and the stars were shining brightly in the sky even though it was only about eight o’clock. Their boots crunched the thin layer of snow in a constant scrunching sound. That, and the sound of running water, were the only sounds to be heard.
“My mother was an alcoholic who never wanted children.” Burke spoke in low tones, keeping his voice hushed, as if he didn’t want to disrupt the tranquility of the night.
His voice shook her out of her thoughts, and although she was utterly appalled by what he’d said, she said nothing, waiting for him to speak again. She knew he would find it easier to talk if she didn’t ask any questions but just listened to what he had to say.
“My mother and father were never married, as far as I know. My father was just some guy she slept with.” He continued to walk for another minute without spea
king. “Maybe she didn’t even know who the father was. Maybe she just didn’t want to say. Anyway, there is no father listed on my birth certificate.” He continued to stare off into the night sky as he spoke. Not once did he even glance in her direction.
Dani squeezed his hand lightly in encouragement, but held her silence.
“I guess she did the best she could to raise me. Even in my earliest memories, she was always drunk and angry, and there was never enough food to eat. That never changed over the years.”
It took all her restraint not to throw her arms around him and hug him tight. Her heart felt as if it might break. She could easily picture him as a frightened, hungry little boy wanting his mother’s love, but never getting it. She wanted to hold him tight and promise that she would never leave him, but she was afraid to break the spell. She also knew he would reject anything he perceived as pity on her part.
“We moved a lot when I was a kid. We kept getting kicked out of our apartment because she drank the rent money.” Burke bent down and picked up a stone from the bank of the river. He held it in his hand as if weighing it, before he fired it into the depths of the running river. He found another rock and threw this one even harder. The splash was loud and angry.
“Oh, Burke,” Dani sighed before she could stop herself. It was if he hadn’t heard her because he kept right on talking.
“Finally, we ended up in a small place that wasn’t much more than one room with a kitchenette and bathroom. She collected government welfare, and as long as I was quiet, didn’t complain, and stayed out of her way, there was no trouble.” Dropping her hand, he walked to the edge of the river. “I came home one day, and she was gone. She’d cleared out while I was at school. I found a new place to stay, got a job, and never looked back.” He resumed his walk down the path, never once looking back to see if she followed him.
He had kept his explanation down to a bare minimum, and Dani knew this was probably the most he would ever say about his past. His childhood had been one of hunger and loneliness, and it was obvious that he had no idea what it was like to be part of a loving family. That much had become painfully clear to her from his seemingly endless fascination with her and her family. Christmas had shown her how much he had missed from his life, but knowing it herself, and actually hearing the stark details, were two different things. She ached for him, for all he had missed.
Discovering Dani Page 10