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"Me, too. I didn't want the entire Whisper Lake Fire Department coming to my rescue. It would have been the talk of the town for at least a week." She held out her hand, revealing a set of keys. "One key for the apartment, and one for the café. They will work on both the front and back doors."
"Thanks."
"Can we eat now?" Leo whined.
"Yes," she said, as she headed downstairs.
He locked the door behind them and followed her into the café, which was a warm, bright space with wood tables and chairs, along with a couple of cozy booths and a counter hosting a dozen seats. It was a little before five on a Wednesday evening, so there were only a couple of tables that were taken.
Chloe swung Leo onto a stool at the counter, and he took the seat next to the little boy while she moved behind the counter.
"What would you like to drink?" she asked. "We have sodas as well as beer and wine."
"I'll take a beer, whatever you recommend."
"Great. I'll get you a menu, so you can decide what you want to eat."
"I don't need a menu. I'll take the chili. It smells amazing."
"It tastes amazing, too."
"Mommy, I want mac and cheese," Leo said.
"I know what you want." She pulled out a tablet and entered their order. Apparently, technology was alive and well in the small town. "I'll get the drinks."
As soon as Chloe turned her back to grab drinks from a large refrigerator, Leo gave him a smile and then surprised him by climbing onto his lap. Leo put his hands on his face and giggled.
He couldn't help but smile back. "What are you doing?"
"Meow," Leo said, his tongue darting in and out.
"Ah, you're a cat."
"Meow."
"I had a cat once. His name was Freddie."
"Was he a white cat?"
"No, he was a black cat with a white stripe on his head. Some people thought he was a skunk. They'd run when they saw him coming."
Leo patted his cheeks as his little face drew closer. The kid clearly had no boundaries.
"Leo," Chloe said as she returned with their drinks. "Remember what I told you about touching other people's faces? Get back in your seat. Your mac and cheese is coming soon. You can start with some fruit and milk." She set a glass of milk on the counter and a small plate of sliced strawberries, bananas, and apples.
Leo climbed off his lap and onto the adjacent stool.
"Sorry about that," she said, putting a beer down in front of him, as well as a large bowl of salad. "The chili will be ready soon."
"Thanks, and you don't have to apologize for Leo." As Leo meowed, Decker laughed and said, "Or should I say your cat?"
"He loves to be a cat. Or a dog. He's very interested in animals. He's dying to have a pet, but I can't take on another responsibility right now."
At her words, he couldn't help but notice the tired gleam in her eyes. She seemed to have her hands full. He couldn't imagine how difficult it was to be a single mother.
"I'll check on the food."
He dug into the salad she'd brought him while she returned to the kitchen. The lettuce was crisp, and the vegetables tasted like they were right out of the garden. The salad immediately perked him up. It had been a long day of traveling, and he had eaten nothing healthy in hours.
