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I handed over some cash as she tapped on the register. It wasn’t until she went to hand me my change that she paused.

“Rosie’s a good person. She’s been through a lot. She doesn’t deserve to be fucked with,” she pointed out, her warning unmistakable.

“Noted,” I agreed, not wanting to get into it.

She handed me my change, and I shoved it in my pocket. I turned and headed for the door with a million thoughts running through my head.

“You’re not going to back off, are you?” she called out from behind me.

When I spun around, I realized the whole diner was watching me. People had stopped eating, conversations had fallen silent, and they were staring at me awaiting my answer.

Luckily, I already knew what I wanted. And I wanted Tillie. “No, I’m not,” I declared publicly.

“Then I guess I’ll see you tomorrow,” she acknowledged, and I took that as her approval.

Chapter six

Tillie

Even through my exhaustion, my heart fluttered as he sauntered through the door.

I’d been up even earlier than usual to drive River to the airport. I hadn’t slept and was running on caffeine and emotional overload when he woke me, full of beans, excited to visit his grandparents.

I managed to get him dressed and in the car before we drove to Fort Marshall so he could board a plane. To say I felt sick was an understatement. I’d tried to convince them he was too young to fly alone, but they were stubborn, desperate to see their grandson, not that I blamed them. This was the first school vacation when we didn’t live just down the road, and it had been months since they’d last seen him. I was grateful they were so invested and wanted to see him so much that they sent the airline ticket, but at the same time, my stomach was in my mouth as we approached the gate.

“Remember, do not wander off. The lovely people on the plane will wait with you until Grandad picks you up,” I reminded him for the thirtieth time since we left the house.

“I know, Mom.” He groaned.

My baby boy was growing up before my eyes.

I stayed with him until he was called and watched him practically sprint down the jetway and away from me.

I waited until the plane taxied away from the terminal before I finally headed back to my car.

The nauseous feeling didn’t dissipate as I drove back to Wattle Creek, and I knew it wouldn’t until Mary called and told me they had him, safe and sound.

With my phone turned up to full volume and resting on the edge of the shower, I hurried to get ready. Emmy was covering for me this morning, coming in on her day off, and I didn’t want to keep her longer than necessary.

Finally satisfied I was presentable, I hurried across the lawn and through the gate, slipping through the diner’s back door, not a moment too soon. It was packed. Every table had people chatting away and even more importantly, eating. All the stools at the counter were occupied, and for the first time, Emmy looked flustered.

I grabbed my apron and the plastic tub and started clearing.

When Emmy shot me a relieved look, I felt like I’d been kicked in the gut. This wasn’t sustainable. Even though I wanted to be superwoman, the tights didn’t fit. I couldn’t be everything to River and run the diner the way I’d been trying to. I needed help.

“Morning,” regular customers greeted me as I refilled their coffee and cleared their dirty plates.

Ignoring all the thoughts in my head, I pasted on a smile and offered them the sweets menu.

“Did you want to share a slice of pie?” Georgia from the local B&B asked her hot, hunky cowboy as she rocked an adorable baby girl in her arms.

His eyes lit up as he took her in, before he turned to me. “We’ll take a slice of key lime, a slice of cherry, and a slice of pecan, thanks.”

“Ryder! I thought we were splitting a piece.” She gasped, shocked.

“Now we can share all three,” he replied, shooting me a wink that I was sure could charm the panties off a lesser woman.

I walked away before the jealousy hit me.