“That’s great. Come back anytime. Tell all your friends.”
“How about a little shopping?” Charlie asked Maren. “Then we’ll head on over to Riversong. April’s dying to meet you. You’ve already met her son, Kevin, and her husband, Shane.”
“I’d love to meet her,” Maren said. “But shopping first.” She looked down at her clothing and pulled at her waistband. “This is fine, but?—”
“But not your style. I get it,” Charlie said. “And your jeans don’t quite fit right. Boy, do I get that.” Charlie looked up and down at herself and laughed.
NINETEEN
Clothes shopping was a smashing success.Charlie took Maren to a consignment store that had cute summer dresses, shorts, and t-shirts. The only thing that made Maren pause was when she grabbed a third dress off the rack and suddenly realized that she was trying on enough clothing to last her a month in Colorado.
A month in the safehouse.
“Everything all right?” Colin was at her side instantly. His presence felt comforting and Maren’s shoulders dropped. She hadn’t realized they were up around her ears.
Right. She was out with two bodyguards making sure no one killed her. Even now, Charlie was discreetly scanning the store and the street outside as she pretended to rummage through a sale rack near the window. And Colin had watched her like a hawk all day. Which actually felt…nice.
Dangerously better than nice.
“Yeah, great,” Maren lied. “Just doing math in my head and failing. I’m going to go try these on.” She quickly headed for a dressing room, hoping her answer was enough to satisfy him, and knowing it probably wasn’t.
After she spent way more than she should have and Charlie had found not one but two pairs of jeans that went all the way to her ankles—”a banner day,” she declared—they made their way to Riversong.
“About time you got here,” a woman behind the counter greeted them. She looked like she was in her early thirties. Her dark hair was pulled back, and she wore a Riversong Coffee apron
“April,” Charlie said. “This is Maren. Maren, April—Shane’s better half.”
“Wow, and that’s coming from Shane’s best friend,” April said, tossing Charlie a fond smile as she reached across the counter, extending her hand to Maren. “It’s so good to finally meet you. Shane called and told me Kevin has been having fun with Juni all morning.”
“Really?” Maren felt warmth spread through her chest.
“Oh yeah. Apparently she knows everything about Pretzel and also has opinions about Bennie’s training regimen.” April grinned. “I have a feeling those two are going to be thick as thieves.”
“That would be wonderful,” Maren said. “Juni could use another friend.”
So could I. She liked April already.
“Kevin could, too. He’s a good kid. A little serious sometimes, but Juni seems to bring out his silly side. Shane said she was making him laugh within five minutes.”
Maren felt her throat tighten. Juni at ease enough to be making another kid laugh felt like a miracle.
This is her home.
Maren pushed down that random thought. It was too heavy and scary at the moment.
“What can I get you?” April asked, already turning toward the espresso machine. “Charlie, I’m making your usual. Lattewith a splash of cream, no sugar,” April said over her shoulder. “I’ve got your number, King.”
From behind the counter, an older man with salt-and-pepper hair looked up. His name tag readSonny. “April. Customer service.”
“I’m being customer service-y!” April protested. “What do you call knowing my favorite customer’s favorite drink?”
“Bossy,” he said mildly.
“That’s just efficient.”
“Hey, I thoughtIwas your favorite customer.” A woman had crossed the coffee shop from her seat in the window. She grinned at Maren.
“Girl, you aren’t a customer, you’re furniture at this point.”
