“April, you can talk some sense into him. I know you can. Hell, you talked sense into me all the time.” I wasn’t above begging anyone to get my money back.

April D’Angelo was the woman who ran the office and front desk of the rehab center my brother and I owned. Tim bought me out from the company and the childhood home we grew up in. I didn’t want any of it. Nothing seemed to matter to me anymore.

“I’d love to help you, but like I’ve told your brother, this is a fight between the two of you.”

“What does he want from you?”

“He wants me to talk some sense into you to come back home. Now, before you start spouting attitude and telling me where you go is none of my business, I just want you to know that I would love to see you again, but I don’t expect you to walk through that door anytime soon.”

“Good, because I’m not going to.”

“Why do you argue with everything people say? I’m agreeing with you for fuck’s sake.”

“Why?”

“Because, Brody, you need to find something, and until you find it, you won’t come home.”

She sounded tired and exhausted. I wanted to ask her what was wrong, but I didn’t have the right to ask. I didn’t want her in my business, so I couldn’t ask her about hers. I shook my head. I didn’t have the right, but I was going to ask anyway.

“Is everything okay, April?”

She was silent longer than she should’ve been. “It’s fine. It will be fine.”

“Which is it? It’s fine or it will be?”

“Both. Don’t worry about us. Worry about you and do what you need to so you can come home.”

“I don’t have a home.”

“Yes, you do. Home is where people love you and want to help you. It’s where we wish we could wrap our arms around you and keep you safe. The same way you wanted to keep her safe—well, that’s how we feel about you, big guy.”

“Yeah, but I did more harm than good.” I hung up before April could say anything else. She always tried to slip something in about Laney. It was why I only called her when I had to. I cared about April, and I knew she’d tell me the truth about Tim and the business, but she couldn’t keep it just to them. She had to slip in some truth about everything. I wasn’t willing to discuss everything.

“Hey!” Maggie jumped up and yelled in the window. She laughed when I jumped and dropped my phone on the floorboard of the truck. “Oh, God, that was funny. I didn’t think you’d scare easily.”

“I don’t.” I shooed my hand out the window. “I’m not above hitting you with the door if you don’t move. I need to get my phone.”

She stepped back, still giggling, and gave me space. My back was sore from the work the day before, but it ached more from sleeping in the truck. I stretched and raised my arms above my head as I stood. My back popped a few times and Maggie stopped laughing.

“Hey, you need to sleep in a bed tonight. Don’t be a hero and sleep in the truck.”

“I’m definitely no hero.” I bent down and picked up my phone, making sure the call had ended before saying any more. I wasn’t sure if I hit the button or not when she scared me. “What’s on the agenda today, boss?”

“Breakfast, but first a shower.” She looked in the truck. “Do you have any clean clothes in there?”

I shut the front door of the truck and went to the back seat. “Yes, I do. Do I offend you in my current state?”

“Uh, yes. Yes, you do.” She smiled. “You’re welcome to bring anything in that you don’t want to keep in the truck. The offer of a bed is still open if you’re staying.”

“Look, I’m sorry if you were scared last night. I never would hurt you like that.”

“Like that?” She tilted her head. “Is there another way you could hurt me?”

“Everyone has the possibility to hurt someone. Even if you think it would never happen to you.” Before she asked anything else, I changed the subject. “Now, I hear there’s a shower and breakfast around here somewhere. Know where that might be?”

* * *

I walked into Beverly’s diner and looked around for Maggie. She left me a note to come over after my shower. The place was busy, but I didn’t see her. Maybe she was in the restroom. I walked up to the counter. “Hi, Beverly.”

“Good morning, Brody.” She smiled, but it was more out of politeness than anything. Her eyes didn’t crinkle at the corners as they did when she smiled at her friends. They all called her “Bev,” but I wasn’t sure she wanted something that casual to come from me. I was sticking to Beverly.

“Has Maggie been in today? She left me a note to come over here, but I don’t see her.” I looked around again.

“She asked to borrow my car so she could run a few errands. She shouldn’t be too long.”

“Oh, she could’ve used my truck.”

Beverly stopped wiping the counter down and looked at me. “What’s your story? Why are you hanging around here with people you don’t even know and helping a girl you’ve never met before?”

“I understand your concern, and there’s nothing I can say that will ease your mind. I’m a stranger to you and everyone in this city. But, I have no other place to be. I have no other commitments, and I could use the money she’s going to pay me.”

“This is just a job to you?”

“Should it be more?” I sat at the counter and laced my fingers together. “Let’s consider it my good deed. Nothing more. Nothing less.”

“Most strangers do good deeds because they feel they need to make up for something terrible they’ve done.”

“You’re perfect? You’ve never done anything you wished you could change or take back? You’ve never made a decision you regretted later? No one is without sin.”

She grabbed a cup and put it on the counter in front of me before taking the coffeepot behind her and filling it up. “You’re right, Brody. Everyone has sinned. No one is without things to make up for.” She pointed to a booth behind me. “Matthew keeps popping the heads off his sister’s dolls and hiding them.” She pointed to the corner on the left. “Someone over there got drunk one night and beat the shit out of someone he had a grudge against. Sent him to the hospital and got himself some jail time.”

“You’re going to tell me the city’s secrets and hope I spill mine?”

“No, my point is, there are all kinds of sins. How severe are yours?”

“I hung on to someone longer than I should’ve. How about you?”

She licked her lips before sucking her top one in and biting down. I wasn’t sure she was going to answer me until she looked into my eyes. “I didn’t hang on long enough.”

Beverly slipped into the back before I could say anything else. She was in pain over something, but it was none of my business. I just wanted a few days of work and enough money to get me a few days away from there. I’d fight with Tim for my money in the next state.

The waitress, Mona, walked up and placed her hand on my shoulder. “Hey, there. Can I get you anything?” She leaned in and whispered, “It doesn’t even have to be on the menu.”

I raised my coffee cup. “Beverly took care of me already. I’ll wait for Maggie for the rest of it.”

“Suit yourself.” She looked me over once more while smacking her gum before she turned away.

I took a drink of the coffee and set it down just as Maggie sat next to me. “Are you hoping to find a different bed tonight? Double wrap it with that one. She’s been around.” She picked up my coffee cup and took a drink. I looked at her and raised my eyebrows. She shrugged and took another drink.

“I think that was mine.”

“Yeah, I know.” She slapped me on the back before heading around the counter to get a fresh cup for me and refill the one she was drinking out of.

Beverly had come out of the back with her arms full of plates. “Hey, Maggie, could you grab table eight and serve for me?”

“Sure thing.” She looked at me and mumbled, “If she’d hire more people than Moanin’ Mona over there, she wouldn’t be so backed up.” She took another drink of coffee before taking her coat off and shoving it under the counter. “Be right back.”

It was interesting to watch Beverly and Maggie handle the morning rush. I never knew Maggie had it in her to be a waitress, but she was good. She shouted orders at the kitchen and balanced plates almost as good as Beverly. They were quite the pair. Each time I glanced around to see what Mona was doing, she was flirting with another customer.

I was watching Maggie when a plate was slid my way and almost landed on my lap. I caught it right before it went off the edge. “What the?”

“It’s breakfast. I suggest you focus on that and the jobs you’re helping her with, but nothing else.” Beverly walked away and called for Maggie before she took another table. “Come on, Maggie. Your breakfast is getting cold. I can take it from here. Thanks for helping.” She kissed her cheek as she went to the table Maggie started for.

“This looks amazing.” Maggie picked up her fork and dug into her omelet. It did look amazing. She glanced my way with her mouth full and pointed to my plate. “Aren’t you hungry?”

“I am. I’m just surprised we have an egg white omelet with fresh vegetables and . . .” I picked up the plate and looked at it. “Is that spinach?”

“Yes, but it isn’t all egg white. There is a yolk.” She looked at my plate. “Or maybe two, considering they doubled yours.”

“So, this is what you eat here?”

“I do have the occasional scrambled eggs, bacon, and hash browns or toast, but I mostly eat like this.” She took another big bite and smiled with her mouth closed.

“I’m impressed.”

“You haven’t even tried it yet.” She pointed to the plate. “Hurry up. We’ve got a lot to do.”

I saluted. “Yes, you’re right.” I took a bite and nodded. “This is really good.” I took another bite. “Why does she keep Mona on if she’s useless?”

“She’s a single parent, and Bev can’t bring herself to fire her.”

“So, she does have a soft spot. It’s nice to know, even though she’s tough on me.”

“She’s tough on you because she doesn’t want to see me hurt.”

I had to change the subject. Neither of them had a clue as to what I’d done to the last woman I tried to help. I wouldn’t have been sitting in that diner if they did. “What are you turning all the rooms into? The one we worked on yesterday was the yoga room. What are the others?”

“Oh, it’s only the yoga room because I think that will be the most popular class people will sign up for. I put a feeler out to get recommendations from potential customers, and that was the number one answer, so that’s what I’m offering first. I need people to get interested.”

“You have a ton of equipment already. Why aren’t you busy now?” I looked around. “Clearly, this is a popular area of the city.”

“Yeah, but who at a diner wants to think about working out? Besides, I’m a girl.”

“Are you kidding?” I took her by the wrist and held her arm up. “With arms like these and boobs—” I was hit on the back of the head before I finished my sentence.

Maggie laughed as Beverly walked by her. “I’m not sure if it was the touching or the boob comment that earned you a smack.”

“Hey, at least I wasn’t touching your—” I got a dish towel to the face. Beverly had great aim. I’d have to remember that in the future.

Maggie was trying to finish her last bite but was struggling to stop laughing long enough to keep it on the fork. “Oh, God, you guys are too much.” She finally took the bite.

“Glad we could entertain you.” I wiped my mouth and tossed my napkin onto the empty plate. “So, just more of the same with the rooms and you’ll figure out the classes later?”

“One will be a self-defense room. The other two will be for classes.”

“Self-defense?” I nodded. “That would be a good addition.”

I could still feel the sting under my eyes where Laney had hit my cheeks with the broken hangers when she tried to get away. Things would’ve worked out much differently had she hit her target. I would’ve been blind, but she would’ve been free.