Drained (Edgars Family #6) - Suzanne Ferrell Page 0,47
Reaching across the table, she touched his hand briefly, surprised at the warmth of his skin. “No, I like this very much. It’s comfortable. And besides, it has something on the menu I really like.”
His expression softened and he lifted the corners of his mouth, “Burgers or beer?”
“Nope,” she said with a little grin. “A Reuben.”
“Oh, a corned beef and cabbage kind of girl, huh?”
Before she could answer, the waitress came to take their orders. Brianna got her favorite with a side of kale and snap pea slaw, while Aaron got a burger smothered in cheese and mushrooms, fries on the side. He got a standard stout beer, while she chose something with chocolate in it.
“So why do you love Ruebens so much?” he asked after their drinks arrived a few minutes later.
“When I was growing up at the orphanage, they had this great cook, Mary Rozzeli McCarthy. She cooked both Irish and Italian food that was delicious as well as healthy, but her corned beef Ruebens were the best. So, whenever I find a restaurant that makes them, I have to give it a try.” She took a drink of her beer and was surprised at how good the chocolate made the beer taste. “Oh, man that’s good. Want to try it?”
He shook his head. “Nah, I’m good.”
She laughed and the conversation turned to other favorites. He confessed to loving stadium hotdogs with the mustard they served there, while she was more a bratwurst fan. The waitress returned with their meal and Brianna was amazed at how good the food and company was this late in the day. After Aaron picked her up at the hospital, he’d changed the plans for the evening. They’d gone first to Paula’s apartment, picked up the extra dog food she’d gotten for Stanley, and packed a bag of warm, comfortable clothes for Paula, as well as her laptop and some schoolbooks she was using for the accounting and computer classes she was taking at the local community college. Next, they’d driven to a parking lot where Aaron picked up an old sedan.
“That’s your car?”
Aaron laughed as he climbed out. “No. It’s an unmarked undercover car. I’d like to not have your car or my SUV identified on the streets we’re going to go to later, and I won’t mind if someone breaks into this one.”
“Why didn’t we take this car last night?” she asked.
“Last night we were just going to find a friend. Tonight we’re looking for a murderer.”
She’d then followed him to the far west end of Cleveland to an area of upscale apartments and houses, not too far from her own condo, maneuvering the car behind a house that looked like an English cottage she’d seen on the Travel Channel once. Pulling into a drive, he lowered his window at a keypad and punched in a set of numbers to open the garage door.
Curious about what a safehouse looked like, Brianna had investigated all the rooms. The inside was very neat, with an open concept kitchen and living area, a powder room, as well as a master bedroom with attached bathroom and a second bedroom on the first floor. Two more bedrooms and attached baths completed the upstairs. This was where Paula and Stanley were going to stay for a while.
“So, you were an orphan?” Aaron asked as they neared the end of their meal.
Brianna finished the last bite of her sandwich and settled her hands in her lap, wondering how she was going to explain that part of her life to him. She rarely spoke about those years before her mother passed away and she was left at the orphanage by the last of her mother’s boyfriends.
“I’m sorry I asked,” he said, making her look up to see the compassion in his eyes—compassion, not pity. “You don’t have to tell me about it if it upsets you.”
“No, it’s okay. It isn’t the orphanage itself that disturbs me. The nuns were actually quite kind, and I got a sense of security there I’d never had before. And of course, that’s where I met Abby,” she smiled remembering that day.
Abby. Poor frightened-of-her-shadow Abby. The image of a gangly, rail-thin girl sitting on the bench outside Sister Compassionatta’s office with her dark brown hair hanging down to her shoulders and almost covering her face. They’d both been sent to see the principal of the orphan school that fateful afternoon. Abby for crying when one of the boys teased her, Brianna for talking to