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“A breath is all I’m asking for. I’m Dakota.” She didn’t stretch out her hand for me to shake. Nope. She hugged me, instead. I couldn’t stop the surprised laugh that choked out as she rocked me back and forth. “It’s really great to meet you, Savannah.”
She stepped back, holding onto the outside of my shoulders as she gave me a once-over. It didn’t feel judgy, but like her only intent was to get to know me.
“Welcome to Time River,” she continued. “The best little town in the entire country, in my humble opinion. Ezra told me you had come through visiting and loved it so much that you decided to stick around a bit and might be interested in helping out here.”
She was gorgeous.
Dark, dark brown eyes.
Cheeks full and pink.
Tall and curvy.
I’d put her at maybe twenty-six or twenty-seven, a year or two older than me.
“I used to work at a breakfast place, so I should be able to catch on quickly,” I told her.
“Well thank God for that. Grab yourself a tray and get busy,” Beth tossed out, so casual.
Dakota swatted at her. “We need to at least let the poor girl decide if she wants to work here or not. An application might be in order, too. Let’s go back to my office so we can get that taken care of.”
She waved at me to follow.
“I’m going to head back out front,” Beth said as she moved toward the swinging door. “I’m sure customers are piling up. Shout if you need anything. It was really great to meet you, Savannah.”
Dakota laughed under her breath before she returned her attention to me. “We can be a lot to handle around here, but I don’t think I’m biased when I say I think you’ll like it. Plus, the tips are great, and you get an hourly wage on top of it.”
“That sounds fantastic.”
“We’re family around here.” Her voice lowered with emphasis. Like what she was saying actually meant something and she wanted me to know it.
My throat thickened, and I followed her into her office. The emotion I’d been trying to keep down crested, confusion and comfort, and the words came out a little softer than I wanted them to. “This is all very kind of you.”
She glanced back at me. “If Ezra vouches for you? Then I know you’re a good one.”
I bit my tongue, refusing to tell her that he didn’t even know me. That he’d all but arrested me last night. Our first interaction close to criminal.
“He seems like a nice guy,” I mumbled. It came out sounding like I was trying to suppress some kind of truth.
Dakota paused, gaze taking me in from over her shoulder as some kind of sadness quieted her tongue. “He’s the best, Savannah. Through and through.” Then her mouth tweaked up at the side. “Grumpy as all get out, but the best.”
My stomach tightened, and I was too much of a coward to ask her what that meant. Instead, I grumbled, “Tell me about it.”
Giggling, she rounded a cluttered desk that faced out, and she grabbed a tablet and punched a few things into it before she handed it to me. “Here. Fill this out. The job is yours if you’d like it. We’d love to have you here.”
I scanned the questions, and I nervously raked my teeth on my bottom lip when I saw one of the first questions was asking for my address.
“Um…I only decided I was staying yesterday.”
Dakota laughed again, like she truly didn’t have any reservations about hiring me. “Don’t worry about it. Leave that spot blank, and once you find a place of your own, we’ll get you updated.”
So, I filled out the information that I could, and twenty minutes later, I was picking up a tray like Beth had joked.
And just like that, I worked at Time River Market & Café.
I fought the wave of satisfaction I found in it, and I reminded myself not to be a fool and get comfortable.
This was temporary.
I was here for one reason and one reason only. I was going to find my sister…then we were going to get the hell out of here.
And we were never looking back.
SIX
EZRA
“Daddy, Daddy, Daddy!”
I’d not even fully stepped out of my truck before I was hit with a barrage of little voices calling me by my favorite name. The three of them ran my direction where I’d pulled up to the curb to pick them up from their after-school program.
My mother had stayed with them last night, then had dropped them off this morning since I’d been on duty. The woman was a saint, the way she’d stepped up to help me in my greatest time of need. I had no idea what I would do without her.
Relief flooded me as the kids approached.
