One Wild Night (Hollywood Chronicles #1)(67)

"Damn right they do, but I'm not sharing a piece with you." She smirks. "You're the hot shot attorney who can afford to buy me a piece of pie now." She laughs and nudges me with her shoulder.

"I suppose you want me to drive, too?" I raise an eyebrow at her.

"You know it. Show me that fancy car of yours." She smiles at me. God, I've missed my sister.

We slide into my Mercedes and head into town—and by town, I mean the city block that holds every business in Crescent Ridge.

"How's Ted?" Faith asks as she fidgets with the seat belt. I almost laugh that she's buckling herself in. There's probably only five other people out and about in town right now, the chances of us being hit by lightning are probably greater than us getting into a car accident.

"He's good. Patient with me," I sigh.

"Are you still nervous about committing?"

I wince at that question. "It's not committing that makes me nervous, it's just—"

She puts up her hand to stop me. "You've had a shitty past, Franny. No need to explain. You've still managed to come out on top, though, so don't beat yourself up, and don't let Ted pressure you into something you're not ready for." She eyes me cautiously.

"I couldn't have done it without you, Faith." My voice breaks as I look at my sister.

She reaches out and squeezes my arm as we turn down Main Street. "Hey, turn here!" Faith yells suddenly, and I hit the brakes, cranking the steering wheel hard to the right. "You haven't seen this yet," she says, leaning forward. "Now turn left."

I ease the car down First Street, a street that used to be nothing but abandoned buildings from businesses that lost their way. This street looks like it's being revitalized, a handful of buildings having been updated.

"I never thought I'd see the day," I mumble under my breath as I drive slowly down the street. Many of the exposed brick buildings have been modernized and updated.

"I know," she says with the same awe. "There's even a new little coffee shop with a bakery down there." She points straight ahead out the window. "Gus was pissed as all hell when they opened, and Mom was worried they'd take all the breakfast business from the café, but it hasn't affected the café at all."

"Interesting. I was sure this place would be a ghost town by now," I remark as we pass the coffee shop.

"I was certain, too, but that's not the case." She blows a puff of air from her mouth. "See that building on the end?" She nods her head toward the large red brick building with construction activity. "That's going to be a bar and grill. Only open late afternoons and weekends, catering more to the dinner and bar crowd. I heard a rumor that whoever was opening it was careful not to interfere with Gus and the diner."

I stare ahead in disbelief as I watch the little town that had all but died now rise from the ashes before me.

As we get settled into a booth, two cups of piping hot coffee appear, along with a bear hug from Gus. His arms are tight and his embrace so mighty he lifts me from my seat.

"How's your mom?" he asks, squeezing the air right out of my lungs.

Gus has to be approaching seventy, and he’s owned this diner since I was a little girl. He hired Mama when Dad left, and he's been a constant source of support for her. When she had no money, he hired her. When we had no food, he fed us. When she needed extra hours, he let Faith and I do our homework in the back corner booth while Mom picked up an extra shift.

"She's good, Gus. Getting better. It's so good to see you," I manage as I catch my breath.

He finally releases me, dropping me back in the booth. Shaking a finger at me, he scolds me, "Franny, we've missed you. Your mama was a wreck when you left." He shakes his head and tsks.

"Gus," Faith warns him with a stern look.

"Someone needs to tell her," he fires back grumpily.

"It's okay." I lay a hand on the table in front of Faith to shush her. "I know it was hard on Mama when I left, Gus. But sometimes we need to leave and not look back," I say quietly, feeling guilty for leaving a few people that I cared about behind without an explanation.

I look up at burly old Gus and shoot him a sympathetic smile while he just watches me, looking for an apology that I can't give him. Instead, I try to lighten the mood.

"Got any of that famous apple pie of yours?" I ask with a smile. "You know it was always my favorite."

He sighs and nods before walking away without another word.

"Is everyone going to be like this?" I ask Faith cautiously, leaning across the table.

She blows steam off her coffee and shrugs. "Don't know, but I sure as shit wouldn't worry about it. The only people that matter are Mom and me. Don't worry about anyone else. This town and Cole Ryan were nothing but a dead end for you. Look what you've made of yourself. Be proud." She smiles at me and sets her coffee cup down.

The sound of Cole's name falling off Faith's tongue brings up emotions I'm not ready to deal with. I swallow hard and take a sip of the black coffee, avoiding having to respond.

"How are Maggie and Matthew?" I ask, feeling guilty. It's hard to see my niece and nephew without seeing my past.

"They're so good. Thank you for always making sure they're taken care of." I wave a hand, dismissing Faith's comment.