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“Thank you.” Faith felt overwhelmed knowing Jude Donahue had prayed for her family. A person never really knew who was praying for them when they were in their darkest hours.
“I actually might have a picture of the three of you on the wall,” Jude said. “Would you like to see it?”
Faith felt goosebumps on her arms. “Seriously? I’d love that.”
Jude beckoned her over to the counter. He pointed to the wall behind the counter where dozens of pictures were posted, presumably of customers who’d frequented the Silver Spoon. “This is our hall of fame. It’s comprised of customers who touched our hearts in some way or another,” Jude explained. He walked behind the counter and tapped a picture in the upper left hand corner. “If I’m not mistaken, this is you and your parents.”
Faith let out a gasp. She’d never seen this black and white photo before. Jude reached up and plucked it down. He handed it to her. “I took this picture. If you like I can make a copy of it for you.”
She looked at Jude with tears pooling in her eyes as she took the picture from him. “That would be fantastic. I’ve never seen this before.” She swung her gaze down to look at the photo. She was sitting in one of the booths next to her father, while her mother sat across from her. There were plates in front of them loaded with food and drinks—milk shakes, curly fries, hot dogs, burgers and a huge salad.
“You look the same,” Micah said, standing close by so he could see the photo.
“I guess I do,” she murmured. On the inside she was drastically different. She hadn’t been as carefree or innocent ever since the fire had altered their lives. Tragedy changed people. And although Micah thought she looked the same, he had no idea about the burns that had ravaged her body. She did a really good job of hiding them. It was springtime. Pretty soon it would be nearly impossible to wear long sleeves all the time. To someone as perfect as Micah, her burns would no doubt be shocking.
She lightly fingered the photo, allowing the memories to flow over her like a warm breeze. Her mother had been such a beautiful, spiritual woman. Faith hoped she could one day become half the woman her mother had been. And her father—he had lit up every room he entered with his brilliant smile and bright personality.
“Are you okay?” She felt Micah’s tender touch on her shoulder.
She nodded as she handed the photo back to Jude. “I’m fine. I needed to see them today. I needed to remember what we had. How we were together.” She let out a brittle laugh. “It’s funny how grief works. Sometimes you think it’s best to stuff down the memories. And sometimes you stuff them down so much until they fade away.” As soon as the words flew out of her mouth, Faith wanted to rein them back in. What was it about Micah that made her want to divulge all her secrets?
Suddenly, Shayla appeared, creating a necessary diversion from her having a bad case of TMI (too much information).
“Hey. Sorry I’m late.” Shayla appeared, slightly out of breath. “There was an accident down by the harbor road. I tried to call you Faith, but you didn’t pick up the call.”
“Sorry, Shay,” Jude said, pressing a kiss on his daughter’s cheek. “That was my fault. I took her on a trip down memory lane.” He briefly explained about the picture and Faith’s parents. Jude was very delicate when he explained about the fire and the death of her parents. Shayla placed her arm around Faith in a comforting gesture.
Shayla shook her head, her pretty features creased with surprise. “I’m so happy I suggested we eat here today. What a wild coincidence.”
Micah reached out and tousled her hair. “And good thing you were late. If not, Faith might not have seen this fantastic family photo.”
“Micah! What are you doing here?” Shayla asked. “I thought you had a photo shoot today.”
“It’s not till later on this afternoon,” he said, patting his stomach. “I thought I’d have my favorite meal for some pre-shoot energy.”
“A photo shoot! It sounds exciting,” Faith said as images of Micah posing with a host of beautiful women flittered through her mind.
Micah made a face. “Believe it or not, it’s not as exciting as you might think. Lots of posing and dealing with lighting and photographers and other models. I enjoy it, but it all depends on the client and the working conditions.”
Shayla winked at him. “And the female models, right?”
Faith couldn’t help but notice Micah’s discomfort at Shayla’s comment. He shot her an annoyed glance.
“Faith, let’s go grab a booth,” Shayla said, looping her arm through Faith’s.
“Right this way,” Jude said, ushering them toward a booth in a prime location. “I’ve been saving this one for you.”
Faith turned back toward Micah who was resting against the counter. She smiled at him, wishing he would follow and join them for lunch.
Ugh! Why was she thinking about Micah? It was Shayla who she’d come here to meet today. It was Shayla who she was hopefully building a friendship with. Not her devastatingly attractive brother. But why was he so appealing? So kind and warm and…hot?
Faith sat down in the booth across from Shayla. Although a menu was sitting in front of her, she didn’t even need to glance at it. For old time’s sake she was going to order a cherry chocolate milkshake, curly fries and a juicy burger.
Once they’d placed their orders, Shayla and Faith began to chat about professional matters, their personal lives and hobbies. Faith couldn’t believe how easily they got along. Shayla made her crack up with tales about the antics of her students. Faith found herself loosening up. She felt comfortable around Shayla, much in the way she felt at ease with Micah. There was something about the Donahue family that tugged at her heartstrings. She couldn’t really put it into words, but they were special. And being in their presence made Faith feel all kinds of wonderful.
She cast a casual glance over her shoulder. Micah was still sitting at the counter. She quickly turned around, not wanting to appear as if she was staring at him. Shayla wiggled her eyebrows at her when she met her gaze.
“He’s pretty cute, right?” Shayla asked.
