less drama and she'd be wearing better clothes.
* * *
After ditching his family and friends with assurances that he was fine, Burke went home, changed out of his champagne-drenched shirt and put an ice pack on his rapidly swelling left eye. He was pissed that Mitch had gotten the jump on him. He had five brothers; he knew how to fight, but he hadn't wanted to fight Mitch or ruin the Parkers' memorial or celebration or whatever the hell it was.
He sat down on the couch, tried to watch some television, then opened his computer and read through some of his favorite news sites, but nothing grabbed his attention. He felt restless and distracted, his mind replaying the evening's events, and it wasn't just the sucker punch that had left him feeling unsettled, it was seeing Maddie Heller again.
How crazy was that? He hadn't even known she was in the city. And there she was—right there to break his fall.
He smiled at that thought. He wished he'd had a second to talk to her, but his family had urged a speedy departure, and he'd gone along, thinking it would be good to put some distance between Mitch Warren and himself. He'd thought that situation was resolving, but it seemed to be getting worse. Mitch was completely blind when it came to Leanne's accident. He couldn't seem to see any picture but the one he'd created in his head.
Burke couldn't help wondering what the Parkers thought about their exchange. He really should apologize to Leanne's parents.
That thought ran around his head for another few minutes. Then he jumped up from the couch, grabbed his keys and headed out the door. He could probably catch the end of the party.
Ten minutes later, he pulled up just down the block from the Hanover Club. Now that it was almost nine, the street had cleared out and there were plenty of parking spots. As he got out of his car, he saw a crowd of people come through the front door, including Marjorie and Chuck. The party was obviously over.
He jogged up the hill as Chuck placed the posters of Leanne in the back of his sedan.
Marjorie gave him a surprised look. "Burke. You're back."
"I wanted to apologize. I hope you know that the last thing I would ever want to do is ruin a memorial gathering for Leanne."
"You didn't start it," she said, but there was a hint of uncertainty in her voice. "What was Mitch talking about? Is there something we don't know?"
"Mitch is just stuck in a circle of anger and grief. I wish he could get himself out of it. Leanne wouldn't have wanted him to be so unhappy for so long."
Marjorie slowly nodded, but there were shadows and a little doubt in her eyes, as if she was starting to wonder if Mitch knew something she didn't.
"Anyway, I'm sorry," he said.
"It's not your fault," she replied. "I'm just glad you came. I wasn't sure. You seemed hesitant this year."
"It's a hard day for me," he admitted.
Chuck nodded grimly. "For all of us. We miss our girl."
"I miss her, too."
"Come to dinner one night," Marjorie said. "We'll catch up. It's been too long, Burke."
"I'll do that."
He stepped back as they got into their car. He was about to leave when his phone rang. It was Shelby. "What's up?"
"You sound better than I thought you would. How's the eye?" she asked.
"It's fine. I've taken worse hits in my life."
"I still can't believe Captain Warren hit you. We were shocked. What's between you two anyway?"
"It's a long story. I don't want to talk about it."
"No problem. Listen, Rachel, Dylan and I are at Brady's. Why don't you come over for a drink?"
"Thanks, but I'm going to head home."
"I thought you went home a long time ago," she said, a question in her voice.
"I did, but I came back to the club to speak to Leanne's parents. I wanted to apologize to them."
"You're always so considerate, Burke."
"I'll see you next shift."
"See you then."
He had just slipped his phone into his pocket when he saw some of the wait staff exiting the building. His heart skipped a beat as Maddie waved
* * *
After ditching his family and friends with assurances that he was fine, Burke went home, changed out of his champagne-drenched shirt and put an ice pack on his rapidly swelling left eye. He was pissed that Mitch had gotten the jump on him. He had five brothers; he knew how to fight, but he hadn't wanted to fight Mitch or ruin the Parkers' memorial or celebration or whatever the hell it was.
He sat down on the couch, tried to watch some television, then opened his computer and read through some of his favorite news sites, but nothing grabbed his attention. He felt restless and distracted, his mind replaying the evening's events, and it wasn't just the sucker punch that had left him feeling unsettled, it was seeing Maddie Heller again.
How crazy was that? He hadn't even known she was in the city. And there she was—right there to break his fall.
He smiled at that thought. He wished he'd had a second to talk to her, but his family had urged a speedy departure, and he'd gone along, thinking it would be good to put some distance between Mitch Warren and himself. He'd thought that situation was resolving, but it seemed to be getting worse. Mitch was completely blind when it came to Leanne's accident. He couldn't seem to see any picture but the one he'd created in his head.
Burke couldn't help wondering what the Parkers thought about their exchange. He really should apologize to Leanne's parents.
That thought ran around his head for another few minutes. Then he jumped up from the couch, grabbed his keys and headed out the door. He could probably catch the end of the party.
Ten minutes later, he pulled up just down the block from the Hanover Club. Now that it was almost nine, the street had cleared out and there were plenty of parking spots. As he got out of his car, he saw a crowd of people come through the front door, including Marjorie and Chuck. The party was obviously over.
He jogged up the hill as Chuck placed the posters of Leanne in the back of his sedan.
Marjorie gave him a surprised look. "Burke. You're back."
"I wanted to apologize. I hope you know that the last thing I would ever want to do is ruin a memorial gathering for Leanne."
"You didn't start it," she said, but there was a hint of uncertainty in her voice. "What was Mitch talking about? Is there something we don't know?"
"Mitch is just stuck in a circle of anger and grief. I wish he could get himself out of it. Leanne wouldn't have wanted him to be so unhappy for so long."
Marjorie slowly nodded, but there were shadows and a little doubt in her eyes, as if she was starting to wonder if Mitch knew something she didn't.
"Anyway, I'm sorry," he said.
"It's not your fault," she replied. "I'm just glad you came. I wasn't sure. You seemed hesitant this year."
"It's a hard day for me," he admitted.
Chuck nodded grimly. "For all of us. We miss our girl."
"I miss her, too."
"Come to dinner one night," Marjorie said. "We'll catch up. It's been too long, Burke."
"I'll do that."
He stepped back as they got into their car. He was about to leave when his phone rang. It was Shelby. "What's up?"
"You sound better than I thought you would. How's the eye?" she asked.
"It's fine. I've taken worse hits in my life."
"I still can't believe Captain Warren hit you. We were shocked. What's between you two anyway?"
"It's a long story. I don't want to talk about it."
"No problem. Listen, Rachel, Dylan and I are at Brady's. Why don't you come over for a drink?"
"Thanks, but I'm going to head home."
"I thought you went home a long time ago," she said, a question in her voice.
"I did, but I came back to the club to speak to Leanne's parents. I wanted to apologize to them."
"You're always so considerate, Burke."
"I'll see you next shift."
"See you then."
He had just slipped his phone into his pocket when he saw some of the wait staff exiting the building. His heart skipped a beat as Maddie waved
Similar Books
Echoes of Tomorrow
Jenny Lykins
The Death of Rex Nhongo
C.B. George
The Butcher of Smithfield
Susanna Gregory
T.J. and the Cup Run
Theo Walcott
The Ivory Road: A Walk in the Sand
Siobhan Muir
Murder in the Dorm
C.G. Prado
Looking for Alibrandi
Melina Marchetta
Rescue Nights
Nina Hamilton
