Page 36 of Diners, Damsels & Wolves

“Well then, you better get in there and run interference.” He raised a hand to brush her cheek.

Bracing herself, she tried not to flinch this time. She did. Rather than a full body jerk, her face contorted, her neck yanking back.

The slightest of touches brushed against her, rough, calloused, and warm against her soft skin. Looking up at him, she expected to see anger or hurt, but she saw neither. His dark eyes filled with sorrow. She couldn’t understand why.

“I’ll walk you to the door,” he said.

It was only a few paces away, but she didn’t protest. Against her better judgment, she found she simply enjoyed being in his company.

“I’ll see you tomorrow at six.” Nodding, he turned to leave.

“Thank you!” she blurted out after him.

“For?”

“Yesterday, I didn’t get a chance to say thank you for the gift. I appreciate it.”

His face reddened as his familiar warm smile lit up his features. “You’re welcome.”

Watching him leave, her heart melted. Back inside the diner, she ignored Sylvia, Jeff, and Eugene. Pulling out her wallet, she retrieved his card, typing the number into her phone. With his contact saved, she messaged him her address.

* * *

The moon was bright in the hazy sky as Clarissa parked the car at the double-wide. Her feet ached and her stomach growled, all she really wanted was a hot shower. Trudging up the steps, she turned the key in the door. Pushing it open, she felt resistance.

“Go away!” Rachel yelled from inside.

“Aunty?” Clarissa tried to angle her face so she could see through the crack. “Aunty, it’s me. It’s Clarissa.”

“I don’t know you! Go away, you aren’t welcome here.”

“Rachel, you do know me. My name is Clarissa Roberts, I’m Maddy’s daughter. You remember Maddy, right?” Her aunt stopped yelling. She took that as a good sign and continued. “Your younger brother, Mason, you call him Maddy, he married the girl he met at school, Emma. They had a daughter, do you remember?”

“Maddy … Maddy and Emma,” Rachel muttered to herself while she thought.

“They had me, then I moved in with you. We’ve been living together for years.”

“I just went to Maddy’s wedding last week. You can’t possibly be their daughter, you’re lying! You’re trying to trick me, you’re one of them! You’re with the bears, aren’t you?”

Rachel shoved against the door and bolted it. Clarissa heard sounds of her lugging something heavy in front of the door.

Sinking onto the front steps, Clarissa leaned her forehead against the makeshift railing. Rachel had had so many good days, something like this was bound to happen. Her illness was like that, predictable in its unpredictability.

The problem was, it was after seven thirty, freezing cold, and she was locked out. She could call Sylvia and crash on her couch. That wasn’t a good option though. Rachel was unsupervised and highly agitated. What if she accidentally hurt herself? No, she had to stay.

She contemplated forcing her way inside, but what if Rachel thought she was an intruder? That would only make it worse. Scowling, she realized she only had one option. Pulling out her cell, she called the only person on her speed dial.

“Hello.” The voice sounded gruff on the other end.

“Hi, Greg, it’s me.”

“Clarissa?” He was suddenly alert. “Is everything okay, did something happen to Rachel?”

“She’s having a bad day, Greg, a real bad one. She doesn’t recognize me, and she locked me out. I don’t want to try to go in by myself and …”

“Say no more, I’m on my way.”

“Thanks, Greg.”