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“Oh, I saw it,” she says with a sly smile. “You know I can’t stay away from a rehab. They did an amazing job.”
“I swear, it was done by Disney woodland creatures and a fairy godmother, it happened so fast.”
“You’re not far off the mark,” she says with a laugh. “Hey, honey, I heard the call you were on, a few minutes ago. I know you’re understaffed right now.”
I sigh and shake my head. “Right before you got there, I had to fire Melissa. She was stealing from me while I was gone. So, it’s just Katie and me until I find someone.”
“I’d like to be that someone,” Mom says, shocking the hell out of me. “I have free hours every week, and I can come help you until you find some permanent help.”
I stop on the sidewalk and blink over at her, immensely grateful. “Are you sure? Mom, you don’t have to?—”
“I’m sure,” she assures me and links her arm with mine once more. “I want to help. I’ll come train with you this afternoon.”
“You have no idea how much I appreciate this.” I trust my mom more than just about anyone, and until she retired late last year, she worked in a service job for twenty years. She’s great with people. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” she says as we walk into the coffee shop.
“You’re a piece of work,” I hear Millie say, but she’s laughing and actually smiling at Holden Lexington, who’s leaning on the counter, smiling back at her.
“I just call it like I see it.”
“Well, you need glasses.”
Millie looks over at us and clears her throat, pastes a scowl on her face, and squares her shoulders.
“Do you want coffee or not?” she asks Holden.
“Just the house blend,” he says, that smile never wavering. I have to admit, Holden Lexington is hot with a capital H, all tall and dark, with that chiseled jawline and muscles for days.
It’s too bad that the Lexingtons and the Wilds have been rival families for the past hundred years. They’re obviously hot for each other; you can tell by the body language when we walked in, and I’ve seen Holden bring her flowers or just gaze at her longingly when he thinks no one’s looking.
Of course, when someone is looking, they bicker like cats and dogs.
Millie pours the coffee, then sets it on the counter for him.
“That’s five dollars.”
Holden lifts an eyebrow. “For drip coffee?”
“Inflation is a bitch,” she says with a fake smile as Holden passes her a twenty.
“Keep it,” he says as he pushes away from the counter and walks toward the door. “Ladies.”
“Hey, Holden,” I reply with a smile. “Have a good day.”
“Off to a good start.” He winks at me, and then he’s off.
“Why do they fight it?” Mom whispers.
“You know why,” I whisper back, and then turn to Millie. “Hey, I need a latte, stat.”
The game started thirty minutes ago, and I’m so mad that I missed the beginning, but I’m going, and I’ll see Jake after so he knows I was there.
He texted me this afternoon to make sure I’d come see him play, and I assured him I would.
I will not break that promise.
I rushed home from work and changed my clothes, stuffed a granola bar down my throat, and now I’m jogging the block and a half to the football field. There are moments like this that I’m grateful that I live so close to the high school. It’s an easy trek, and I don’t have to drive and find parking at the field.
