“Of course. Cup or bowl?”
The girl picked up the menu quickly, glancing at the cost. “The cup, please.”
“Is that it?”
Staring at her wallet, she nodded. Her hair fell forward, hiding her face.
“All right. Cup of soup coming right up,” Diane repeated in her singsong voice.
Billy stood on the other side of the swinging door, listening. She looked hungry and cold. There was no way a cup of soup would be enough for a pregnant girl. He waited for Diane to step through the door and before she ladled the soup, he pulled her aside. “Put an order for hamburger, fries, and a milkshake for the girl.” He pointed in her direction as if they could see through the door. “It’s on me.”
Diane gave him her motherly smile. “I was going to if you didn’t. I think she might be pregnant. The poor thing looks starved, but by the looks of her wallet, doesn’t have much money.”
He’d been curious, but as they spoke, it turned to concern. Why is a young, pregnant girl traveling alone with hardly any money? “Why don’t you use your magic and see if she’ll talk?”
“I’m on it.” A woman on a mission. The poor girl didn’t have a chance against ‘The Interrogator’.
Diane yelled out the order to Chuck and ladled the soup.
After dropping off the paperwork, he stood near the swinging doors, coffee mug in hand. His eyes never far from Diane and the girl.
When Diane placed the large bowl in front of the girl, the girl’s eyes widened. “I…I’m sorry, but I asked for the cup. I don’t have enough for the bowl.”
Diane gave her a kind smile. “Don’t worry, sweetie, it’s late and whatever doesn’t get eaten tonight will get thrown away.” Diane placed her hand on the girl’s. “Eat up. You look like you need it.” Diane shushed the girl before she could argue.
He couldn’t hear them, but it appeared Diane wasn’t getting anywhere. The look she sent and the slight shrug of the shoulder confirmed it. He was going to have to try something else. His concern grew by the minute. It was late, and the snowfall was picking up. If she didn’t have a place to stay or someone wasn’t going to pick her up, he needed to do something.
The second Chuck hit the bell to inform them a plate was ready, Billy had it in his hand. Diane raised her brows in question. “Get the shake, and I’ll take her the plate,” he whispered.
“Gotcha.”
“Here you go.” He slid the plate in front of the girl, bumping the half-empty bowl.
She stared at the plate as if she could devour the whole thing with just her eyes. “Oh...that’s not mine.”
“It’s on the house.”
“What? No…I already got too much soup…more than I can pay for.”
“Eat up. It’s on me.” He didn’t want to argue, just wanted to feed the poor girl.
She reached over the bar and grabbed his shirt. Her voice shook. “I don’t have enough money. I won’t be able to pay for this.”
He looked at her, really looked. She was young, maybe a little older than he initially thought. Her eyes said more than words could express. He loosened her grip on his shirt and moved around the counter. Her eyes followed him, and her body stiffened when he stood next to her. She shifted to face him, but her eyes didn’t meet his. He picked up her bag and her plate. “Follow me.” He took her things to a corner booth, scooted in, and then waved her over to sit on the other side. She didn’t move right away. Her eyes glanced toward the door then back to him. With a soothing voice he said, “Please, sit.” She placed her hand on her belly, crossed the diner, and sat across from him.
He pushed the plate in front of her and made a gesture for her to eat up. Before her first bite, he asked, “What are you doing here so late?” Her shoulders slumped, and her eyes turned away.
“I…I’ll pay you back for all the food,” she promised.
“It’s not about the food or money. I’m worried about you. How old are you?” He tried to keep his voice gentle yet firm.
“I’m sixteen.” He had to lean in to hear.
“Are you running away?”
She scoffed. “No. No…I no longer have a home.” Her eyes stayed on the plate. He wasn’t sure if it was because she was still hungry or to avoid looking at him.
“Why?” He gently placed a hand over hers.
“My dad…he kicked me out because…”
“Because…?” Billy asked.
“Because I’m pregnant.” Rejection and fear flashed across her face before her eyes closed as if she were blocking it out.
“Where’s your mom?” The girl slowly lifted her eyes to meet his.
“She passed away a year ago. I’ve been living with my dad ever since.”
“I’m so sorry.” So sorry. He rubbed at his chest. He knew too well the pain of loss. “I lost my parents five months ago.”
She stared at him. “I’m sorry, too.”
He nodded to her belly. “And the dad?”
Pulling her hands away, she covered her face. She had held firm until that moment. She hiccupped as she cried into her hands. “I…he doesn’t want anything to do with me.” Billy wanted to ask more questions, but she was in no state to answer them.
His hands fisted and shook with anger. How could someone do that? Abandon a child or turn away from the mother of his baby. Billy had to take deep breaths and swallow the desire to find these two men and beat the living shit out of them. After just meeting her and talking to her for a few minutes, he couldn’t imagine turning her away.
“So where are you going?” His mind was turning, coming up with a plan for her.
“I’m getting a hotel room tonight then tomorrow… I’m not sure. I suppose, find a shelter or…” She shrugged. It was too much for a sixteen-year-old to deal with, let alone one that was pregnant.
“What about friends or family?”
“I have no one.” He couldn’t imagine it, but he believed her. His earlier behavior toward Freja embarrassed him now. He might be lonely, but he never experienced being truly alone. He’d call her back and apologize for being a jerk.
Billy pulled a napkin out of the dispenser and wiped the girl’s face. With big eyes, she grabbed his hand and held it for just a moment before taking the napkin from him. That one moment of connection, when they touched and looked into each other’s eyes, tattooed his heart. He could feel the shift in his life, the one he’d been waiting for.
Diane stopped by to drop off the shake. “You okay, sweetie?” She looked back and forth between them before her curious eyes landed on him. Her eyebrows pulled down, her lips tightened, and, with hands on her hips, she gave him a warning.
The girl didn’t notice the unspoken words between them. She kept her eyes on her food. “I will be,” she said without conviction behind her words.
“Diane, I’ve got this if you want to start locking up.” Diane relaxed her stance and left them alone.
The girl lifted her head. “Oh… I’ll be going then.” She reached for her bag and moved to the end of the bench when Billy touched her arm. “Please sit, finish eating, and then we’ll talk some more.” He left no room for debate. She was hungry and hadn’t touched her food yet.
He left her alone to find Diane in the kitchen arguing with Chuck. As usual. “Can you do me a favor and run upstairs and put clean sheets on the bed?”
“Yes, of course. You’re doing the right thing. Your parents would’ve done exactly the same.” Diane patted his arm as she moved past him.
His chest tightened. When was the last time he did anything that made them proud? Even though he wasn’t doing it for them, the guilt he felt loosened its hold. Maybe taking care of this girl would be one way to make an amends for all of his missed chances.
When the girl finished, she took her dishes to the kitchen and pitched in without asking. Diane smiled at him as they watched her move from table to table, wiping them down and refilling the containers. From there, she swept and mopped, as if she had always done it.
/> When they finished and said goodnight to Chuck and Diane, he heaved her bag over his shoulder and took her hand. “Come with me.”
She didn’t pull away, but asked, “Where are we going?” Even though they just met, it warmed his heart to have earned her trust. Especially after the day she’d had.
He pointed at the ceiling. “There’s a studio apartment above us. We can talk some more tomorrow. I’m exhausted, and you look dead on your feet.”
She followed him up the back steps. As he unlocked the door, a cat that hung around the back entrance wound itself around her booted feet. She picked it up and before she finished the first stroke, the purring started—loud as an engine. The cat was normally skittish and never came closer than three or four yards to anyone; instead it waited for them to leave before eating the scraps they left. She smiled at him. “Your cat?” she asked. He shook his head and stared at the girl with the beautiful smile. It lit her whole face. No wonder the cat came to her. She was easy to like.
“It’s a stray that hangs around.”
“Is it okay if I bring him inside?”
“Sure.” Her big smile turned brighter. It broke his heart in a different way to see her smile so big. He guessed it had been a while for her.
“Does he have a name?”
“Cat.”
She laughed and repeated, “Cat? That’s original.” Billy shrugged and smiled at the sound of her laugh.
The door swung open once he got it unlocked. “The sheets are clean, so everything is ready. If you need anything, let me know. The phone is against the wall.” He handed her a piece of paper. “This is my number if you need to get a hold of me.”
“You don’t live here?”
“No. I stay here sometimes when I’m too tired to go home, but I have a house not far from here.”
“Thank you… I don’t even know your name.”
“Right… I suppose we should formally introduce ourselves. I’m Billy Hall. I own the diner.”
She put her hand out. “I’m Bridget Larson.”
“Nice to meet you, Bridget. I’ll see you in the morning.”
She said goodnight as he closed the door behind him.
Chapter Thirteen
August 10:00 AM
Billy
Billy climbed the steps to his girls’ apartment after closing the diner early for Katie’s party. The music coming from inside drowned out his knocks. He smiled to himself as he recognized the 80’s mix CDs he’d given Bridget for her twenty-second birthday. Katie, who had a love of all things 80’s, confiscated them a few years ago.
“Knock, knock,” he shouted, opening the door.
He stepped into an empty main room but heard Katie belt out, “Let’s hear it for the boy,” at the top of her lungs from behind the bathroom door. Just as the shower turned on, muffling the music, Bridget popped her head out from behind her bedroom door, gripping the top of her robe.
“Hey. I’ll be out in just a minute. I need to get dressed.”
After thinking about her all morning, seeing her in just a robe was almost more than he could take. The view of her just out of the shower with her fresh face clear of makeup and a pink flush coloring her cheeks and neck made his heart race. He swallowed the lump in his throat as his brain registered what she said.
When Bridget closed her door, he slumped on the couch and concentrated on slowing his rapidly beating heart. Billy stared at the closed bedroom door, wishing he had a right to be in there. What would it be like to share her bedroom, shower together in the mornings, and watch her get ready for the day?
Heaven.
That’s what it’d be. They already did everyday stuff together, and he loved every second of their time together.
Just as Billy’s breathing returned to normal, Bridget swung the door open and motioned him in. “I still need to do my hair and makeup. You’re welcome to come in—or wait. It’s up to you. I…just—you know, didn’t want you to be out there alone if you didn’t want to. Or…whatever.” She rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Come on in,” Bridget said with half a laugh. “I don’t know why I’m being weird,” she said more to herself than to him. Billy stared at her for a moment, surprised by how nervous she was acting.
Was it him or because of what was happening today?
“You coming?”
“Yeah—yes.” He followed Bridget into her private space. The last time he was in there, it was dark and they were hiding from Katie. His heart beat as excitedly now as it had that night, except now he could see her clearly.
He silently took her in. She sat on the floor in front of the long mirror hanging on her closet door, her back to him. Billy couldn’t take his eyes off of her or make his legs move forward. Just being in this space made his heart race. It was as if he were a fifteen-year-old boy going into a girl’s room for the first time.
Bridget’s eyes sought him out in the reflection of her mirror, noticing he was still standing. She turned around and asked him, “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” He shook his head and sat down on the edge of her unmade bed. Besides the corner, anywhere he positioned himself was only a few feet from her. Turning on her blow dryer, she gave him a much-needed break from speaking. He didn’t want to make her uncomfortable by prying into her personal business. Instead, Billy tried to find an impersonal place for his eyes to rest when two framed photos on her nightstand caught his attention.
His heart skipped a beat when he realized they were both of the three of them. The first was at her high school graduation and the second at Katie’s.
They appeared to be the happy family he had hoped they would be. How long had the picture of them at Bridget’s graduation been here? He figured she had former boyfriends in her bedroom. He didn’t want to read too much into it, but it gave him hope that being a family could still be a reality.
She turned off her blow dryer when she saw him pick up the photos. “I love those pictures of us.” Bridget kneeled next to him, leaning over his shoulder.
Billy breathed in her scent, a mixture of soap and vanilla-scented shampoo. He leaned back slightly to wrap an arm around her, giving her a better view of the precious images. Resting her weight against his side, Bridget reached for the frame with a shaky hand.
She lifted her head, meeting his gaze. With one look, all hope of restraint was lost. The shimmer in her brown eyes melted away any thought he ever had about patience or control, leaving behind only the love and passion he’d tried so hard to deny. Billy cupped her face with his large hand, pulling her closer to press his lips to her forehead and cheek. Her eyes closed as a sweet sigh escaped her lips. He let the anticipation and desire build. When he felt her breath on his face, Billy could no longer take it. He tilted her head as he guided their lips together. They held the kiss, neither pulling away nor pushing for more.
Home.
That is what it was all about. A place where his heart would always be whole. It took everything Billy had to rein in his desire and pull away. When he looked at Bridget with her eyes still closed and her mouth open just enough to take in a ragged breath, he wanted to do it again. She was beautiful.
At the sound of the bathroom door opening, Bridget jumped and pulled back, breaking the spell between them. Her chest rose and fell in short, gasping breaths. Her face flushed with heat, and her eyes focused on his mouth. She was parting her lips to speak when Katie walked in.
Katie looked back and forth between them aware she was interrupting something. “I’ll be ready soon.”
“Okay, sweetie.” Bridget gave Katie a forced smile before looking back at Billy. His arm tightened around her, unwilling to let her go, but with Katie watching there wasn’t much he could do. He gave Bridget a final, imperceptible squeeze and helped her off the bed so she could finish her makeup.
“All righty… I’ll be out here.” Katie pointed behind her and refrained from asking what Billy knew she wanted to know.
Bridget returned to her spot in front of the mir
ror. The silence was awkward and heavy. Only one other time in their history had it felt like this, but the situations were entirely different. Had he just ruined everything? He wished he could read her mind or ask what she was thinking, but she wouldn’t reply when Katie was within earshot.
Unable to sit still, he stood, shifting awkwardly from foot to foot, before sitting back down on the edge of her bed. When was the last time he felt this unsettled? The day already seemed long, and they weren’t even halfway through it.
He smothered a frustrated growl when Diane poked her head in. He hadn’t heard her enter the apartment. She’s going to ask for the umpteenth time if he finally grew balls and told Bridget he loved her. Billy’s avoidance skills were going to be tested today. He loved Diane, but sometimes…
“Hey, honey, guests are starting to arrive and a gorgeous man is waiting for you in Billy’s office.” Diane turned her eyes to him and smirked. “I think his name is Phil or Phillip.” She was trying to stick a thorn in his paw, and it was working. If Diane had any idea who Phillip was, she wouldn’t have been so cheerful. She was just as protective of the girls as he was.
His hands clenched at the sound of the man’s name. He was the only person capable of destroying everything Billy needed and wanted in his life, and having Phillip near Billy’s girls was going to make him crazy.
“Okay. Thanks, Diane.” Bridget’s voice shook with every word, and the smile she tried to force didn’t reach her eyes. Their eyes met again in the reflection in the mirror. She was still shaking when she brought the mascara wand to her lashes. It fell from her fingers, making her swear as it left a black streak down the front of her shirt.
Bridget humphed out her frustration and yanked the top over her head in one motion.
Swinging the closet door open, she pulled out another. Billy wasn’t sure she realized she had taken her shirt off in front of him.
A fourteen-year-old memory flashed across Billy’s mind—her twenty-first birthday and the slow slide of the zipper as he unfastened her dress. It was a favorite, but not a good one to have at the moment. Billy couldn’t seem to catch his breath as he stared at her. Everything about Bridget pulled at the very center of his soul, but seeing her in just a bra frazzled his brain.
Until Now Page 10