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“What?”

“You want me to have dinner at Irene’s in case either one of them comes back, right?” he asked.

“Yeah, that’s exactly right,” I said.

He laughed. “Don’t sound so surprised. I know how you feel about Irene. And honestly, it’s not a hardship. She’s hilarious, and her food is fantastic.”

“Thanks, man. Let me know if anything happens.”

“Will do,” he said and ended the call.

Gabby was quiet for the rest of the drive to my house. It was a comfortable silence, so I didn’t realize she had something on her mind until we sat down to have dinner.

“Will you tell me about Irene?” Gabby asked.

“I’m not sure what you mean,” I hedged. I had a feeling I knew exactly what she meant, but there was only so much I could tell her. And I hated that. The lie I was living had never been an issue until I met Gabby. Lying to everyone else was easy, but I didn’t want to lie to her.

“You said she was the first person you met when you moved to Cedar Valley, and she’s like a crazy aunt. But she’s more than that, isn’t she?”

“She is,” I said and blew out a slow breath. “I told you my mom died when I was eighteen. What I didn’t tell you was that I left town the very next day. I had my laptop, a few changes of clothes, and very little money. After spending almost an entire day on a bus, Irene’s diner was the first place I went. She took one look at me and knew I needed help. Help I didn’t even know to ask for. She gave me a job and a place to live. At first, I thought she felt sorry for me, but that wasn’t the case at all. She’d recently lost her husband, and she didn’t have any other family. She said her lonely soul recognized the loneliness in mine. Well, she didn’t tell me that part until years later.”

“So, she claimed you as her family?”

“That’s exactly what she did. She made sure I had food and let me wash my clothes at her house. She taught me how to survive on my own, but stood by me so I didn’t have to. Then she introduced me to the Blackwings.”

“She knows the club?”

“Yes, and no. They stopped by the diner from time to time. One particular day, she overheard Phoenix talking about upgrading the computers at the clubhouse and switching to wireless internet access. She told him she knew someone who could help and pulled me from the kitchen to introduce me. I started prospecting two weeks later.”

“Well,” she said and got up to take my plate, “I’m glad you found her.”

“Me, too.”

Gabby foundme in the living room with my feet on the coffee table and my laptop in my lap.

“Did they give you any trouble?” I asked.

“Henny and Penny? No. Lenny? Yes,” she said.

“She was like that with me at first. I’m not sure what kind of situation they came from, but she takes longer to warm up to new people than the others do,” I said and continued typing.

“What are you working on?”

“I’m emailing the video clips to Detective Hayes and making sure he knows about the other police reports we filed. I don’t think we mentioned those during the meeting since we didn’t realize there was a connection between Chad and Lauren,” I said and clicked send before closing my laptop. “And now I’m finished.”

“Have you heard from Edge?” she asked.

“No, but I can call him and check in if you want.”

“Yeah, I’d like that.”

I took a moment and studied her face. “Are you worried?”

“A little,” she said shakily, and inhaled deeply. “I don’t want to be the reason something happens to your family. I can’t be.”

“Gabby,” I said and pulled her into my arms. “If something happens at the diner, it won’t be your fault. You didn’t ask for any of this, and you didn’t do anything to cause any of this.”

“That’s what I keep telling myself,” she said quietly.

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