***
“WHEN’S THE LAST time you had yourself a real meal, sweetheart?” Danny stared at the skinny young woman who had entered the bar but had not taken a second step past the doorway. Sadness and loss rippled off her body in waves, too fierce for any person, let alone someone so damn young, to navigate. He’d seen that look before—every day when he’d seen his own reflection.
“Umm…” The blonde’s gaze darted around the open space, looking for what he had no idea, but when her shoulders slumped, she took a second step away from the door. And then a third.
“Seriously,” he coaxed, “have a seat, hun. We make a mean burger and a sweet cherry soda.” He didn’t leave his position behind the bar, fearing that his size may intimidate her, but he hoped the enticement of food would be enough to make her stay. Girl looked as if she’d been living off of hardly anything for weeks. She was clean and kempt but malnourished, which led Danny to believe that she could afford to eat but didn’t have the desire to do so. “Hamburger?”
“I’m not all that hungry,” the girl said with conviction that didn’t quite reach her eyes. At that moment, Julie delivered a burger and fries to customers having lunch at a table by the window. “But I guess a cheeseburger couldn’t hurt…and fries too. Please.”
He wasn’t sure why getting her to accept food felt like such a win, but it did. “You got it.” He tapped the order into the computer system that he’d finally learned how to use, then pointed at the stools. “My name’s Danny Marcus. My wife, Julie, and I own this place. Why don’tcha sit on down there, and I’ll pour you a cherry cola. I don’t use any of the pre-made shit.” He grinned, hoping to set the poor young woman at ease. “I have my own recipe.”
The girl gave a tiny smile, and just like that, her face transformed from innocent, maybe even appealing, to alluring.
Every one of Danny’s protective instincts kicked in as he handed her the soda. “Here you go…”
“Ashley. My name’s Ashley. And thank you. I have money to pay for the meal, so this isn’t like…a handout or anything.” Her brows pulled together as if she was rethinking her decision. “I don’t need any handouts. In fact, I don’t need anything from anyone.” She made a move to grab the bag she’d placed on the bar.
“Spicy little thing, aren’tcha? Ashley, didn’t your parents ever teach you there’s no such thing as a free lunch?” He thought his joke was funny, but from the way her pale skin turned ashen, he’d thought wrong.
“No, our parents didn’t teach us shit until it was too late.” She chomped on the inside of her lip. “Sorry, that was probably too much information. No, sir, never heard that one. But I do have money for lunch.”
“I’ll be happy to take your money, Ashley. In fact, I can charge you double if you want.” That got Ashley to smile, which made Danny chuckle.
Danny pulled up the bar phone and called the back office. “Hey, Jules, can you come up front please? Someone I want you to meet. Thanks, honey.” He needed his wife by his side. Julie would take one look at the young woman and help him assess the situation. Julie was astute, smart as a whip, and just as comfortable sitting in a corner as she was front and center, which made her invaluable in just about every situation.
After a few minutes, Julie came out wearing her ever-ready smile and carrying Ashley’s cheeseburger and fries. “I guess this is for you?”
“Umm, yeah. Thank you.”
Danny took in the way Ashley checked out his wife. The younger woman’s eyes traveled from Julie’s shoulder-length sun-berry hair to her black, worn-in Converse sneakers and the fit body in between. Julie may be closer to the young woman’s mother’s age, but his woman was a knock-out for any age. Whatever Ashley saw, she must have approved, because her face softened and her shoulders once again relaxed.
“I’m Ashley. Thanks for bringing me my food.”
“My pleasure, sweetie. I’m Julie, that guy’s wife.” She smiled warmly.
Danny slipped his wife the we-need-to-figure-this-shit-outlook. Julie’s nod would have been too subtle for anyone else to notice, but he caught it. The questions started.
“So, Ashley, where’s home?” Julie asked, sipping on a freshly poured club soda.
“Nowhere.” Ashley took a bite of the burger and moaned. “This is amazing.”
“Thanks, the recipe’s a secret. I could tell you, but then I’d have to kill you.” Danny grinned, Ashley snorted, and Julie rolled her eyes. “Where you from?”
“It doesn’t matter,” Ashley slowly said, enunciating each word, “because I’m never going back.” Another large bite.
A chill ran up Danny’s spine. What in the hell?
“Sweet girl,” Julie spoke softly, “is there anyone you need to call? Maybe someone who needs to know where you are?”
“Yeah, there’s someone. But he’s dead now. So he won’t be answering that call.” She popped the last bite of burger in her mouth, chewed, and swallowed before reaching for her drink.
If Danny lived to be one hundred years old, the look in Ashley’s eyes when she answered that question would be burned in his retinas forever. He watched his wife bite her lip, doing her best to hold back the same gasp he felt.
“Wow, that was the best burger I’ve ever had. For real.”
“There’s more where that came from. You should stick around a day or two and try the chili—Julie’s recipe…it’s amazing.” Danny wasn’t a rambler, but he didn’t think this girl had anywhere to go and didn’t want her to leave. He wasn’t sure how to say that without sounding like some sort of sicko.
“With all due respect, I’m eighteen. I never needed a babysitter, and I don’t need one now.” Ashley’s hazel eyes flashed with golden specks of fire.
An adult by legal standards, but still a child in so many ways. “Respect much appreciated.” Danny’s brow arched. “But I’m a shit-ton older than eighteen, and I know damn well when someone could use another cherry cola. So have mercy on an old man and give me your time. Yeah?”
Ashley’s eyes narrowed as she glared from Danny to Julie and back, then shrugged.
“Spicy little thing we got here, Jules,” he muttered as he mixed the drink.
***
“I SEE MYSELF in her,” Julie whispered in the dark, her leg draped over Danny’s, her head on his chest. “All of her pain bottled up…and those eyes…my God, it was like she was ready to explode.”
“I felt it too,” he admitted as he ran his fingers up the length of Julie’s naked back.
Ashley had spent hours at Danny’s on Main, leaving well after the dinner hour but before the heavy drinking crowd descended. She wouldn’t share where she was staying the night but promised to return the following day. While neither Julie nor Danny was comfortable with Ashley’s choice, they had no say in the matter. So they both hoped the young woman’s promises were as good as her ability to recite the alphabet backward (very much a talent in Julie’s eyes).
“She’s old enough to tend bar, Danny.” His soft skin felt hot under her fingertips as she drew figure eights over his bare chest.
“She is.” His hand paused on her back. “But like us, loss is written over her. She’s young, Jules. We can’t just take her on—we’ve gotta take her in.”
Falling more in love with someone she thought owned her was beyond her understanding, but it just happened.
Danny must have mistaken her silence for something else because he continued. “I’m not saying we invite her to live with us—I mean, we don’t even know the girl. But come on, we know that girl. We’ve been that girl.”
“Yes, we have.” Her fingers trailed up his chest. “I was that girl until you found me.” In the dark, her fingers found his lips and rubbed the soft skin. “And I say if she comes back tomorrow, we do what we can to keep her close. Okay?”
Her husband exhaled. “Love you, baby.”