Page 55 of Stolen Hearts

I douse the sting with the rest of the whiskey in my glass.

“I’ll call them right after this,” I growl. “I’ll take care of it, I promise.”

“Thanks, Castle.”

“You don’t have to thank me.”

“Yeah, I—”

“You talk to Shawna recently?” I interrupt, changing the subject.

“Yeah, actually. She’s doing good.” She chuckles. “I’m not sure… I think she met someone, she’s just too embarrassed to tell me.”

I chuckle. “Well, if he can keep up with Shawna, I’m sure Matty would approve of him. It’s been ten years. She’s allowed to find someone again. So are you, ya know.”

Loraine snorts. “Nah, I’m good. Please, I downloaded Tinder about a year ago and wanted to throw up. Dating sucks these days.”

“Tell me about it.”

She laughs. “Yeah, well luckily, in case you’ve forgotten, you’remarriednow? As in,today?”

Right.

That.

Loraine chuckles again. “Speaking of which, what the fuck are you doing wasting time talking to me? Shouldn’t you be knockin’ boots and consummating the thing with your blushing bride?”

My jaw tightens as my lips remember the taste of Callie’s.

“Hey, what about Megan?” I switch tracks again. “Heard anything lately?”

Loraine is silent for a few seconds. So am I.

We all lost a lot that day. I lost my three best friends. Loraine lost two friends and her husband. So did Shawna.

Megan was Matt and Bryce’s little sister. She lost both her brothers and her husband that day. I talk to Loraine fairly often, and Shawna when we have time to catch up. I know they keep in touch with each other.

Megan’s the lost one, though. She got the worst of it that day. I know she’s got a new number, and that she moved. I don’t know where. But I do know she cashes her trust checks every month when I send them. So at least they’re getting forwarded to her.

That’s all I need to know.

“She’s still hurting pretty bad,” Loraine says quietly. “I talked to her maybe two years ago. It wasn’t a good conversation. She’s in a lot of pain, Castle.”

I close my eyes. My body flinches involuntarily when I replay the blast punching me out of that doorway and into the sand. My vision swimming as I tried to make sense of the smoking crater where my three best friends had been just seconds before.

“Anyway,” Loraine sighs, “I really should let you go. Go be with that new wife of yours. And whatever the reason, Castle, I’m real happy for you. I hope you know that.”

I nod. “Hi to Tea for me. We’re overdue for a catch up.”

“Hey, if you can get that girl on the phone, let me know your secret. She never picks up when I call, even when it’s from the next room over to tell her that supper’s on the table. I have to send her a flipping text. Atext!”

I chuckle. “Take care, Loraine.”

“Lots of love, Castle. Bye now.”

I put down the phone. I’m just reaching for the bottle for a much-needed refill when I hear the crash upstairs.

Shit.

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