On A Night Like This (Callaways #1)

on."
    "Yes," he agreed, turning to Nicole. "It's good to see you out of the house."
    "Actually, I'm leaving," Nicole said, getting to her feet, despite Emma's protest. "I'm sorry, Em, but I have to go. Thank you. I haven't had this much fun in a long time. You are a great sister. And Sara, it was wonderful to see you, too. I hope we don't have to wait another ten years for you to come for a visit."
    "I hope not, too."
    "How are you getting home?" Burke asked.
    "I'll get a cab out front."
    "I'll help you with that," he said, walking Nicole through the crowded restaurant.
    "Your brother is always a gentleman," Sara commented.
    "He does have good manners. Put your wallet away," she added when Sara reached for the bill. "This is my treat."
    "Are you sure?"
    "Positive."
    "Well, thank you."
    "Any time." She put some cash down and said, "Let's move next door. I hear the band warming up."
    The dining area was adjacent to the bar and dance floor, and through some decorative pillars separating the room, Sara could see a crowd of people moving towards the small stage.
    "Looks like a good crowd for the fundraiser," Emma commented. "Sean will be thrilled by the turnout. I just wish it wasn't for such a sad reason. Hopefully, we can raise some money to help out Kyle's widow and his baby son. I just wish Aiden would come. I know he's taking some heat for the decisions he made, but he wouldn't have done anything to hurt Kyle, not on purpose. I get angry every time I hear someone express doubts about that. It pissed me off that Vicky asked him not to go to Kyle's funeral, but it was better that he wasn't there, because I heard a lot of nasty comments about Aiden that day."
    "I didn't realize you'd gone to the funeral," Sara said.
    "Most of the family went. Kyle spent so much time at our house, my parents felt like he was one of their kids."
    "I suspect your parents feel that way about a lot of kids."
    "Well, they feel that way about you," Emma said with a warm smile. "Our moms were as close as we were. My mother was so sad when your mom died. We all wanted to take care of you, but you went back to school. I always wondered how you handled it. Your emails were pretty short and we always seemed to miss each other's phone calls."
    "I buried myself in my class work and let the days go by," she said.
    "You're a strong person, Sara."
    She'd had to be strong; she didn't have anyone to lean on.
    She sipped her water as the waitress set down their check, her gaze moving idly around the room. She saw Burke again, this time talking to an attractive brunette. "Who is your brother talking to?"
    Emma glanced over her shoulder. "That's Hannah Abrams. She works in dispatch."
    "Are they a couple?"
    Emma immediately shook her head. "No, she got married last year. It was too bad. She would have made a nice sister-in-law, but I think she and Burke only went out a few times." She paused. "Burke hasn't been with anyone seriously in a while. He was engaged about five years ago, but his fiancé was killed by a drunk driver." Emma's gaze filled with sadness. "Burke was working that day. His truck responded to the scene."
    "Oh, my God," Sara said, horrified by the thought.
    "It was beyond awful. Ever since then, Burke's serious side has gotten darker. He's overprotective when it comes to family. That's why he walked Nicole outside. He checks in on everyone all the time. I think that's why he's so angry with Aiden. He wants to help him, but Aiden won't let him, and as usual they're butting heads."
    "They always seemed competitive growing up."
    "That hasn't changed. In some ways it's good. They push each other to be better. But sometimes that competitive drive stops them from just being brothers." Emma put some cash on the table and said, "Let's check out the bar. I think the band is going to start soon."
    They made their way through the growing crowd. There were a few tables in the bar but most people were standing on the dance floor. Sean and his band were setting up. Sara recognized Emma's little brother right away, although he wasn't so little now. He wore faded jeans and a light green t-shirt. His hair was much longer than his brothers, curling down past his neck. He definitely had a rock star vibe about him.
    "Sean is super talented," Emma said as they paused in the middle of the room.
    "I can still remember him walking around your house with a guitar."
    "Drove me nuts," Emma said with a nod. "He wasn't playing songs back then, just hitting chord after