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Authors: Daly Thompson
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down in an inconspicuous spot and waited for the mourners Evan Howard and his new wife had thought of as family to fill the front rows.
No one filed in. No family? No one else, no one who understood what a normal family was like, who would welcome Brian into their happy home?
The chapel was full, though. Business associates, almost certainly. Friends, probably. Bouquets packed the dais, topping and surrounding the coffins. A group ofyoung women sat together, some of them crying. Friends of Celine’s?
The service began. The minister pontificated for a while about what a wonderful wife, mother and daughter Celine had been…
So where were Celine’s parents? They ought to be fighting him for the guardianship of her child.
…and what a wonderful man Evan Howard had been. He actually said, “a fine man and a great humanitarian.”
One of the group of young women went to the podium to say what a wonderful friend Celine had been.
Two friends of Evan’s rose to say what a wonderful member of the community he had been, probably disappointed that the minister had already said, “a fine man and a great humanitarian.”
Both Celine and Evan had apparently been wonderful. During speeches from more business friends and golf buddies, Mike resisted the impulse to doze. At last it was over. Someone at the funeral had been Evan’s lawyer, but Mike didn’t stick around to find out who. He needed some serious sleep.
A LLIE WAS halfway down the block from the restaurant, still thinking what an open, friendly person Lilah was, when she realized she’d forgotten the folder containing the linen samples and her notes on the benefit dinner. She turned back and found herself wondering how Mike was doing. Losing an old friend could hurt, but funerals could also be stark reminders of one’s own short time on earth. When she reached the diner, she went directly to the table by the windows where she and Lilah had sat. The bright-red folder was gone.
No, it wasn’t. Colleen stood at the pass-through into the kitchen waving it at her.
Allie smiled and started toward her, but Colleen pointed to the counter and raced on to her duties.
She picked up the folder, and stayed a second to say hello to Barney and Maury. “Whoo,” she heard Barney say. “Everybody’s eating lunch today. I’m wiped out. I feel like an elephant’s sitting on my chest.”
It was the word chest that galvanized her into action. She darted toward the swinging door to the kitchen. She found Maury, wide-eyed, still holding his chef’s knife, staring at Barney, an unfamiliar Barney, whose face was gray and pinched.
She rushed toward Barney, with Maury right behind her. “Are you all right, Barney?” she asked calmly.
Instead of answering, he slumped to the floor.
“I’ll call 911,” Maury said in a scared, shaky voice, and Allie knelt beside Barney, checking vital signs with no equipment except her fingertips.
M IKE WENT straight to the hotel, checked in, lay down on the bed and slept for two hours.
He woke up hungry, called room service—to hell with the cost—and ordered a bacon cheeseburger with all the trimmings—to hell with gourmet food. While he waited for it, he decided to call the restaurant, because even in his worst moments, he couldn’t say “to hell with the restaurant.”
“Mike’s Diner,” said a lovely, familiar voice.
“Allie?” His heart thudded.
“Oh, Mike, I’m so sorry you called.”
“Well, thanks. Give it to me straight. What’s happened?”
She sighed. “Nothing for you to worry about until you get back.”
Mike froze, worry creeping up his spine. “What don’t I have to worry about until I get back.”
“Well, Barney had a—a spell of some sort and had to go to the hospital.”
“He had a heart attack, didn’t he?” Mike rested his head on his hands. He’d known Barney had been working too hard and hadn’t done a thing to stop him. Barney meant so much more to him than great burgers. He’d
No one filed in. No family? No one else, no one who understood what a normal family was like, who would welcome Brian into their happy home?
The chapel was full, though. Business associates, almost certainly. Friends, probably. Bouquets packed the dais, topping and surrounding the coffins. A group ofyoung women sat together, some of them crying. Friends of Celine’s?
The service began. The minister pontificated for a while about what a wonderful wife, mother and daughter Celine had been…
So where were Celine’s parents? They ought to be fighting him for the guardianship of her child.
…and what a wonderful man Evan Howard had been. He actually said, “a fine man and a great humanitarian.”
One of the group of young women went to the podium to say what a wonderful friend Celine had been.
Two friends of Evan’s rose to say what a wonderful member of the community he had been, probably disappointed that the minister had already said, “a fine man and a great humanitarian.”
Both Celine and Evan had apparently been wonderful. During speeches from more business friends and golf buddies, Mike resisted the impulse to doze. At last it was over. Someone at the funeral had been Evan’s lawyer, but Mike didn’t stick around to find out who. He needed some serious sleep.
A LLIE WAS halfway down the block from the restaurant, still thinking what an open, friendly person Lilah was, when she realized she’d forgotten the folder containing the linen samples and her notes on the benefit dinner. She turned back and found herself wondering how Mike was doing. Losing an old friend could hurt, but funerals could also be stark reminders of one’s own short time on earth. When she reached the diner, she went directly to the table by the windows where she and Lilah had sat. The bright-red folder was gone.
No, it wasn’t. Colleen stood at the pass-through into the kitchen waving it at her.
Allie smiled and started toward her, but Colleen pointed to the counter and raced on to her duties.
She picked up the folder, and stayed a second to say hello to Barney and Maury. “Whoo,” she heard Barney say. “Everybody’s eating lunch today. I’m wiped out. I feel like an elephant’s sitting on my chest.”
It was the word chest that galvanized her into action. She darted toward the swinging door to the kitchen. She found Maury, wide-eyed, still holding his chef’s knife, staring at Barney, an unfamiliar Barney, whose face was gray and pinched.
She rushed toward Barney, with Maury right behind her. “Are you all right, Barney?” she asked calmly.
Instead of answering, he slumped to the floor.
“I’ll call 911,” Maury said in a scared, shaky voice, and Allie knelt beside Barney, checking vital signs with no equipment except her fingertips.
M IKE WENT straight to the hotel, checked in, lay down on the bed and slept for two hours.
He woke up hungry, called room service—to hell with the cost—and ordered a bacon cheeseburger with all the trimmings—to hell with gourmet food. While he waited for it, he decided to call the restaurant, because even in his worst moments, he couldn’t say “to hell with the restaurant.”
“Mike’s Diner,” said a lovely, familiar voice.
“Allie?” His heart thudded.
“Oh, Mike, I’m so sorry you called.”
“Well, thanks. Give it to me straight. What’s happened?”
She sighed. “Nothing for you to worry about until you get back.”
Mike froze, worry creeping up his spine. “What don’t I have to worry about until I get back.”
“Well, Barney had a—a spell of some sort and had to go to the hospital.”
“He had a heart attack, didn’t he?” Mike rested his head on his hands. He’d known Barney had been working too hard and hadn’t done a thing to stop him. Barney meant so much more to him than great burgers. He’d
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