Page 32 of Playing Hard to Get

The girl scrunched up her nose but didn’t say a word as Vinny and I laughed. That tuft of unruly hair atop Cael’s head might lay flat once the night was done if it kept going the way it was.

“Vin, I'm taking the guys out to Luciano’s for supper. Why don't you join us?”

“Luciano's, huh? What's the occasion?”

Frankie shrugged. “No occasion. We scheduled a little staff meeting-slash-dinner here, but Bianca’s sick and Lee got waylaid, so it’s just us.”

“Well, if you don't mind.”

“Sure.” Frankie motioned Vinny to the couch and took a step toward the kitchen. “Can I get you boys anything?”

“Water’s fine,” Vinny said as he took a seat at the end of the couch closest to Cael.

“None for me, ma…” Cael flushed at Frankie's pointed look. “I mean, I'm okay, thanks.”

Standing, I went to Frankie’s side. “Sit, darlin’, I’ll get it.”

“Thanks, sweetie,” she said as she squeezed my shoulder. “Just a water for me, please.”

As I walked to the fridge for the water, Vinny told Cael, “Tell me about yourself.”

“Well, sss… well,” Cael started, and while I didn’t see it, I’d bet anything his hand was on the back of his head again. “I got married last year, and Chrissi is due with our first child this summer.”

As I crossed back into the living room, Frankie was grinning and leaning forward in her seat. “Do you know if it's a boy or a girl?”

“No,” he said, “Chrissi wants it to be a surprise. I'm not sure I care one way or another, as long as Chrissi’s happy and the baby is healthy.”

The man was beaming with pride, and Frankie had this look in her eyes that made me wonder if she and Corey would try for a baby soon after they got married. I’d never thought of it myself. Had enough to deal with helping my parents out with their brood before I joined the Marines. Diapers and bottles, chasing kids down and keeping them out of trouble— it was all been there, done that for me.

But this kid? He reminded me of someone from long ago. Young wife. Baby on the way. Taking on his job like he was meant for it. Every scar on my back throbbed with the memory.

They talked for a while about kids and families, most of it directed at Cael. Frankie and Vinny skirted the edges of their own childhoods, and I wasn’t much for talking about mine. Of course, Frankie knew the mess I left behind when I joined the Marines. The five brothers and two sisters and me, all vying for my parents’ attention. Dirt poor and living off government assistance just to make it through. It wasn’t something I talked about easily, even if I did like the person as much as I liked Cael. He was a good kid, full of hope for his future.

When the conversation found a natural lull, Cael excused himself to the bathroom. Once he was out of sight, Frankie turned to Vinny. Her whole face had gone serious.

“You heard from Viv?”

Vinny straightened in his seat and pulled at the sleeves of his fine gray button-up. “She's in New York, last I knew.”

“Why? She just got back.” Frankie frowned, then threw her hands in the air. “And we were planning on going next month when Corey plays there.”

Vinny’s eyes darted to me, like he was unsure he should speak. Then, like he’d decided I was trustworthy, he asked, “Did something happen to make her run?”

“Not that I’m aware of,” Frankie said. She shook her head and leaned back in her chair. “She came to our party after the opener, but she went home early. Said she still wasn't feeling good at lunch the next day.” Frankie glanced at her phone. “I don’t know what to think. She hasn’t responded to any of my texts or phone calls. I wanted to make sure she was feeling better.”

“I’m sure she’s fine. She wouldn’t fly out if she were sick.”

Frankie looked at her phone one more time, then stood. “I better go freshen up before we go. I'll be right back.”

Once Frankie was up the stairs and out of sight, I leaned in closer to Vinny. “What's that mean, ‘something making her run’?”

Vinny shook his head and smoothed his hands across his slacks without looking at me. “My sister, she puts a lot on herself, and she can take a lot. But sometimes things get to be too much and she up and disappears.” He glanced up the steps before pulling his eyes toward me. “I think that's part of the reason she was gone so much the past year. With Frankie and Corey and all that. And the minute she gets home, our father freaks out on her, so she bought her own place and moved out. But this time, going to New York, it doesn't make sense.”

“What’d he freak out for?”

He shrugged. “She flew in the night before she showed up at home and never told anyone. Dad’s got this thing about wanting to know when we’re in town. He’ll drop everything for a day to be with us, take us back under his wing and his control. She came right to me afterward and said she needed her own place.” Vinny pulled at his sleeves again and shrugged. “It’s hard coming home when you know that’s waiting for you.”

Sitting back in my seat, I chewed the inside of my cheek. “She talking to you, then?” Because she wasn’t talking to me. I'd texted her a couple times the last few days and got nothing in return, same as Frankie.