I grinned.“Yesterday she put garlic olives in one of your bear claws and ate it.So who knows what she ate the night she had to go to the ER.”
“You’re kidding.”
“I wish I was.”
Gracie’s blue eyes sparkled with amusement.She turned her attention to Lenni and arched a brow.
“This is Archer Keel’s daughter, Lenni.Lenni, this is Gracie.She went to high school with Salem and Hadley, and she bakes all the delicacies in this fine establishment.”
Gracie kept her cool.Surprise didn’t color her expression, and she said, “It’s nice to meet you, Lenni.”
“You too,” Lenni said.“Cute place.”
Gracie beamed.“Thank you.Now what can I get you ladies?”She headed back around the counter and stood at the register.
“Lenni?”I urged.
“Oh, um.I’ll have the egg and cheese pie, a blueberry buttermilk donut and a hot chocolate, please,” Lenni said.
“Coming right up,” Gracie said as she grabbed a to-go cup.
“Upgrade her hot chocolate to a Hadley’s Hooch.”I looked at Lenni.“Trust me.”
Lenni’s grin was lopsided, and it looked so much like Archer’s it made my heart pang.
“It’ll take a few minutes for the meat pie to warm,” Gracie said.“And a new batch of blueberry buttermilk donuts are about to come out of the oven, so you’ll want to wait for the fresh ones.”
“You treat us so good,” I quipped.“I’ll have the exact same thing as Lenni, to make it easy.But add a shot of espresso to my Hadley’s Hooch.”
“You got it.”Gracie smiled.
“Why don’t you go snag that big booth in the corner,” I said to Lenni.“I’ll square up and bring you your drink.”
Lenni nodded and headed for the table.
“Archer’s daughter?”she whispered when Lenni was out of ear shot.“Archer has adaughter?”
“You didn’t know?”I asked in surprise.“She showed up on his doorstep yesterday.I thought for sure the entire town already knew.”
She shook her head.“I had no idea.”
“Huh,” I said slowly.“Well, Archer has a daughter, and I just became her nanny.”
“Don’t you already have a job?”
“I did ...”
She raised her brows.“Color me intrigued.Guess you’re not going back to New York, then?”
“Why would I?”I pulled out my wallet to pay.“All my friends are here.There’s nothing in New York for me anymore.”
“Forget it.It’s on the house.”
“Thanks.”
“Go sit.I’ll bring everything over.”
I dropped some dollar bills into the tip jar and then went to join Lenni.She looked like a doll on a shelf.The booths were huge and she was petite.Her pigtail braids and large brown eyes only added to the doll-like image.
