But I never found him.
I’d do anything to see him again. To find out what happened that night.
Did he find a way out? Was he free? Caught up with some gang? In jail?
Did he finally manage to secure a job?
I shove the lighter back in my jacket pocket and force a smile as Annie walks toward the booth.
She looks kind of tired, her blonde hair slipping free of its ponytail and framing her pale face. I notice her hands are red when she rubs a finger under her eye, but then she catches me watching her and puts on a sunshine smile.
Smoothing down her apron, she curls her fingers, hiding the chipped polish and cracked nails. She works hard. Maybe too hard?
Stopping near me, she points at my plate, her smile sad. “You didn’t like the pie? I thought it’d be a winner.”
I glance at the plate. The barely nibbled pie is now resting in a lake of vanilla ice cream. “It was delicious. It turns out I’m not as hungry as I thought I was.”
“You are lookin’ pale. Are you feeling okay?” Her blue eyes narrow, her head tipping like she’s a mother hen about to inspect me.
I quickly nod and lick my lips, scrambling for a distraction. Pointing at her name tag, I smile. “Annie. That’s a nice name. My mom used to love that movie.”
She grins and softly sings, “The sun’ll come out tomorrow.”
I chuckle, captured by her prettiness. She has a nice voice too. Soft but in tune.
“My full name is actually Annabelle Mae, but that’s a pretty big mouthful, you know? So I’m just Annie. Although my gramma still calls me Annabelle when she remembers who I am.” Her smile is sad, and she hitches her shoulders. “Dementia. She’s in a home about twenty minutes out of town.”
“Do you get to see her much?”
“I try to make it there once a week. They’re taking real good care of her.”
“I bet she appreciates your visits, though.”
“I hope so. She doesn’t know who I am most of the time, but… if I can make her smile, then I’m doin’ all right.”
“You have a beautiful smile,” I murmur, the bloom in her cheeks suddenly making me realize what I just said.
She tucks a strand of silky hair behind her ear and bites her bottom lip. “What’s your name?”
Do I want to tell her?
Yes!
Should I?
No!
I clear my throat, trying to decide which voice to listen to. She’s staring at me, her eyes so expectant. So clear. So mesmerizing.
“Michael,” I blurt. “I sometimes get Mike, but my mom always called me Michael.”
“Then that’s what I’m gonna call you.” She touches the table with the tip of her finger, her blue gaze so sweet and hopeful. “If I ever see you again, that is.”
Her cheeks tinge pink again, and she dips her chin.
I wish I could tell her something different, but there’s no point keeping up this farce. I have to get out of here.
“That’d be nice, but I’m just passing through.”
“I thought you might have been.” She slips into the booth opposite me. “What do you do for a livin’?”
Like I can ever tell her the truth.
I hitch my shoulder and softly murmur, “I’m in between jobs right now.”
Annie winces, no doubt wondering if I got laid off and probably feeling bad for me.
“I’m all right. I’ll find something new. Something better.”
The corner of her mouth lifts, and then her eyes match to join the smile she’s giving me.
“If you could do any job in the world, what’d it be?” Her eyes sparkle with the question as she leans her elbows on the table and gives me her full attention. I haven’t had this kind of interest in such a long time that I can’t help but answer.
“Ranch hand.” The answer makes me blink. “I mean, maybe. Riding horses, steering cattle. Stuff like that.” My voice trails off as my mind is bombarded by one happy image after another. The sun gleaming across the mountains, the feel of the saddle beneath me, the reins in my hand. The smell of hay in the barn. The sound of cattle mooing.
My chest starts to hurt all over again. I rub my sternum.
“That sounds fun. You’re in the right state for farmin’. I’m sure you’ll find something. Are you fresh out of college, or…?”
“Didn’t make it to college.”
“I get that. I won’t be going either.” She looks around. “This right here is probably my future.” Her eyebrows dip together, like she regrets saying that.
I wonder why.
“If you don’t want to be a career waitress, you shouldn’t settle for it. You look like you’re about what… nineteen? Or maybe sixteen? I can’t tell, I’m sorry.”
She chuckles. “I’m eighteen. I’m just small, so it makes it hard to figure out. I should be finishing my senior year of high school, but…” Her voice trails off and she shakes her head.
I can sense she doesn’t want to share more, but I’m super curious about why she dropped out. The way she said it makes me think she didn’t want to.
“I’m twenty. I didn’t finish high school either. There’s a place for us in this world, though. Right now, we’re scraping for pennies, but it won’t always be that way. That’s not going to be my life.”
I don’t know where the hell these words are coming from, but there they are.
I hold my breath, waiting on her reaction, and feel my muscles ease as a smile slowly grows on her face. Grinning back, I scratch the side of my nose, still kind of weirded out by the fact that I’m feeling so open with this girl. There’s something about her that puts me at ease.
That’s probably a dangerous thing, but am I getting up to leave right now?
I should.
I should be walking away from this girl as fast as I can. She deserves better than some runaway criminal with a bullet hole in his side.
“I should probably go.” The words come out husky and reluctant.
She looks disappointed, and it makes my lips twitch. Aw. She wants me to stay.
Damn, I wish I could.
“Do you have a place to stay tonight? ’Cause there’s a motel just outside of town. It’s a little scummy, but it’d be a place to sleep. Otherwise there’s a bed-and-breakfast about four blocks that way.” She points past my shoulder, then cringes. “Although, the owner can be real meddlesome, so unless you feel like sharing your life story, I’d stick with the motel option.”
“Sounds good,” I murmur. “Which way is it?”
“Oh, you just drive north for about fifteen minutes or so. It’s right near the highway. An ugly white building with red letters. Hard to miss.”
“Thanks.” I like the sound of her voice. Her soft Southern drawl is adorable.
I want to stay here and listen to her all night.
But stars are scattering the outskirts of my vision.
I need to sleep. I doubt I’ll make it to the motel. If I’m lucky, I’ll make it to the car… or maybe I can just find a shadowy spot behind the garage and sleep there for the night. It’ll be uncomfortable, which will no doubt wake me in the early hours, and then I can escape while everyone’s asleep.