AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Mrs. Lott took over. “That’s right. This money is not a gift or a favor. It was earned by your hard work. That’s all there is to it.”
I nodded mutely, and she patted my shoulder, the physical show of praise affecting me more than any words could.
I felt included. Wanted. Like a member of a team that I’d always wished to be part of—a family.
“Good. Now that that’s settled, all we have to do now is clean up and do a little prep for tomorrow. I’ll let you and Liem handle the kitchen while my husband and I work on the front. Sound good?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Monny and I replied in unison before following her back up the ramp and into the kitchen.
Wanting to make a better impression the next morning, I laid out my clothes after a short phone call with Vinh and a promise to talk again the next day. I got up at whatever was two hours before the ass-crack of dawn, finding Liem already up and sipping coffee at the kitchen booth, an open sketch pad on the table in front of him.
He put his pencil down and turned to me, showcasing the unshaved side of his head that was in a French braid that would’ve made twelve-year-old Bree squeal in delight.
Even so, it brought a huge smile to my twenty-two-year-old face. “Good morning. That braid is glorious.”
Liem got up, poured me a coffee, and added in some cream before handing it over. “Thank you. I was jealous of yours yesterday and thought we could be twins today.” He frowned at the bun on top of my head. “Join me on the deck and I’ll braid yours before we head out.”
“As long as we have time. I want to be early enough to help with opening.”
To my relief, we made it to Ari’s at the same time as Vinh’s parents. Liem rushed over to get Monny’s wheelchair out of his parents’ trunk as I rounded Cody’s truck.
“Good morning!” I greeted cheerily.
Mrs. Lott smiled and returned the greeting before heading to the front door.
“Morning,” Monny grunted unenthusiastically, catching me off guard. I glanced up at Liem, who was frowning down at his dad, and my smile withered. Monny must have seen it, because he apologized immediately. “Sorry, girlfriend. I’m just not feeling my best today.”
“Do you need me to take you home?” Liem asked, concern etching his forehead as he looked his dad over.
Monny waved him off. “No, no. I’m sure I’ll be fine once I get my meds. Carebear and I discussed it on the way over. I’ll man the counter today and give my big, brawny muscles a break.”
I eyed him more closely, noticing the tension in his neck and shoulders. “Do you have arthritis?”
“My arthritis has arthritis.”
We started toward the door together.
“Have you ever tried peppermint oil?”
“Hmmm, I don’t think so.”
“I’ll make you some of the same ointment I made for my grandmother. She never said how well it worked or if it did anything, but it couldn’t hurt to try?”
His expression softened, and his reply seemed to have a little more life in it. “Thanks, girlfriend. I’d love that. Have you heard from my oldest this morning?”
“Not yet, but I probably will soon. He should be headed back sometime this morning.”
We entered Ari’s dining room as Liem huffed. “I heard from him last night. Apparently, he thought something was wrong because Bree was vague about her day yesterday.”
Monny and Liem both turned to me and my face heated. “Yeah... I guess I wanted to tell him about this in person, and he was already so tired last night that we weren’t on the phone for long.”
Liem scrunched his nose. “It’s probably for the best. There’s a… small chance he might’ve flipped if he knew you were working in the kitchen.”
Monty grunted in agreement, and I looked at him, searching for answers in his tired eyes. “Vinh has a… hmm, well.” He shrugged apologetically. “It’s not for me to tell his business. Not worth risking Carebear’s stun gun.”
Mrs. Lott came through the saloon doors. “Okay, we’ve got an hour before the T-G-I-F crowd descends upon us.”
She took a moment to look at us all individually, and I straightened my posture, for once not from fear of reprimand. It was the posture of someone who took pride in being part of a team.
