Chapter 21
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Amber was enjoying her new job at the café but couldn’t help her mind from wandering back to the events of that morning.
And to Daddy.
She finished clearing a table of left-behind dishes and giggled as she silently repeated that name.
Daddy .
How had her life changed so dramatically in such a short amount of time? She carried the tray full of dishes behind the counter where she saw Honey and Jazzie sitting on a stool against the wall. Marsha had known Amber might be a bit nervous starting a new job, so she’d suggested her stuffies spend the day at the diner with her.
It was working.
“See, guys? I’ve always said that if you remain positive and work hard, luck has a way of turning around!”
The plush dolls just smiled at her.
“What’s that, hon?” Marsha asked as she stood at the register, sorting through the receipts from the lunchtime rush.
“I was talking to my stuffies. Sorry, ma’am.”
“Now hon, why on earth would you be sorry? I’ve been around enough of you Littles to know you love your stuffies. Mind if I ask what you were saying? I hope you were telling them how much you love this job! I want you to stick around!”
Amber laughed. “Sort of, ma’am. I was wondering how my life has changed—for the better—so drastically over the course of just a few short days. And this job is part of that!”
Marsha turned around to face her and leaned back against the counter. “Well, I’m glad to hear that. You’re good at this. I can already tell. But I suspect that handsome devil named Sawyer Greystone is part of what you’re thinking about, too. In fact, I’d say he’s mostly what you’re thinking about.” The older woman grinned.
Amber couldn’t help but giggle. “Yes, ma’am. We kissed this morning and he’s my Daddy now!” Amber couldn’t stop giggling.
Based on the look on Marsha’s face, she found it adorable and seemed genuinely excited for her.
Before they could continue the conversation, the café’s door burst open and Mindy and Alyssa ran inside.
“Amber!” they yelled in unison.
“Whoa there, little girls. Slow down. Don’t holler,” Marsha said, still smirking. “Or do I need to talk to your Daddies?”
The women gulped.
“No, ma’am,” Alyssa said.
“We’re sorry, Miss Marsha,” Mindy added.
They walked slower toward the counter.
“That’s better,” Marsha said.
“Hey!” Amber said in an even tone. “I’m working right now but?—”
“Oh, honey, talk to your friends,” Marsha said, waving her hand around to indicate the empty restaurant. “We don’t have any customers right now and you’ve been working hard. Why don’t you put those dishes in the sink and then take a little break. Get you some lunch, too. You know you eat free here.”
“Ma’am, I can pay,” Amber countered.
Thankfully, it was true. She’d made good tips during lunch, and it felt nice to have a few dollars in her pocket.
But Marsha shook her head. “I won’t hear of it. Food is one of the perks of the job.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Amber said. “Thank you.”
She did exactly as told and five minutes later, she was sitting at a table with her two new friends with a turkey sandwich and some chips in front of her. Other dishes were available, but she’d purposely picked the cheapest and simplest option.
“So, you’re coming over tonight?” Mindy asked.
“Oh, the sleepover!” Amber said. “I forgot about that.”
“Is everything okay?” Mindy probed.
“Yeah. I’m super excited about it,” Amber replied. “I’ll be there!”
It wasn’t a lie. She was truly excited about spending time with Little friends. Having a sleepover was something she’d always dreamed of! But things had been left up in the air with Daddy with a big, fat TO BE CONTINUED sign hung on what they’d started earlier.
That would just have to wait, though. She’d made these plans with Mindy and the other Littles first and she wasn’t going to back out. Her plans with Daddy would just have to wait.
They had time.
They had forever.
“We’re going to watch scary movies, eat junk, and play at the park,” Mindy said.
“Not in that order,” Alyssa interjected. “I don’t think I’ll want to go outside after the scary movies.”
The girls laughed.
“We’re going to have a ton of fun,” Mindy said. “I just have to finish working at the store. It’s restocking day and I’ve still got a lot of shelves to resupply. Alyssa is helping me.”
“You should see some of the new outfits!” Alyssa added. “They’d look super cute on you.”
The thought crossed Amber’s mind that now that she had money coming in that wasn’t all going to rent, she could actually buy things like that. The future looked bright! Of course, money was only a small part of that.
New friends, a good community, and, of course, Daddy were the biggest reasons for her current optimism.
A bit of that goodwill faded, however, when the bell over the door jingled to signal a new customer.
Amber watched the man step in and for a moment, her blood ran cold. He looked like someone she’d seen back at her apartment complex in Oklahoma City. But the clothes didn’t match. This guy was wearing jeans, a flannel shirt, and boots. His hair was combed nicely, too.
Obviously, someone could change their clothes and hair, but this guy seemed to fit in around here.
Though he was a stranger, as was confirmed when Marsha said, “Hello. Haven’t seen you in here before, so I’ll give you the rundown. There’s a menu right here, but the day’s specials and a few other items are listed on the chalkboard up there.” She jerked her head to indicate the one hanging behind her. “Everything is house-made daily. Never frozen.”
“Sounds lovely, miss. But I’m actually just needing a to-go coffee, if you have it,” the man said.
“Sure. Coming right up.”
Amber rose but Marsha waved her off. “You eat, hon,” she called over her shoulder while she prepared his coffee.
The newcomer looked across the room at Amber and offered a friendly smile. She returned it but sat down quickly and was thankful when her friends on the other side of the booth shielded her from the guy’s view.
“Everything okay?” Mindy asked.
“Yeah. Sorry. Thought I recognized that guy for a minute,” she said quietly.
Her mind was reeling, trying to remember who exactly he looked like. A few seconds later, it came together. There had been a guy named Trevor who hung around the complex. If she was remembering him correctly, everyone called him T-Rex because of his name starting with a T and the dinosaur tattoo he had on his arm.
Amber didn’t see any tattoos on this guy, reptilian or otherwise.
Of course, the long-sleeve flannel shirt he wore would hide them, but still… if her memory was correct, T-Rex had ink all the way up his neck. The guy in the restaurant now had a much more clean-cut look.
It’s just your imagination. You’re still not over how creepy Donnie was to you. He doesn’t even know where you are. Just let it go. Besides, Daddy will protect you.
She smiled as the fear inside her began to dissipate. Just thinking of Sawyer put her at ease. Mmm.
“You sure you’re okay?” Alyssa probed.
“Yeah. I’m all good.” Her words intermingled with the sound of the jingling bell and she realized the guy had gotten his coffee and was moving on.
“Sorry. Just had a bad memory,” she told her friends. “But I want to forget about that. I’m excited about this slumber party! Let’s plan it!”
The women giggled and began chatting about what the night would hold.
Yes, Amber thought to herself, there is no reason to be afraid.
Life in Big Cedar was safe and amazing.