Page 28 of Honey Bee Library
The best thing I could do for myself and the diner was to make sure that Willow was safe and happy. In order to do that, I needed to keep her where I could see her.
Maddie slid the last bite of French toast around in her syrup before she slipped it into her mouth. She chewed for a moment then nodded. “True. Georgianna would have your head on a silver platter.”
“See?” I said, probably a bit too eagerly. But Maddie was too focused on gathering her dishes to notice.
I was full, so I did the same. “Heading back to Miami?” I asked as I followed her into the kitchen. She set the dishes in the sink and flipped the faucet on before pulling open the dishwasher door.
“Yep. My work is never done,” she said as she side-eyed me.
I snorted. “That’s why you can never leave me.” I gave her my widest smile.
She just shook her head. “You’d be lost without me.”
“Wandering aimlessly,” I added.
I watched her rinse the syrup from her dishes and load them onto the racks. When she was finished, she straightened and grabbed the nearby dish towel. With her hands dry, she set the towel on the counter and stepped out of my way.
“Let me know if you need anything else,” she said, her voice returning to the normal, business-like tone that I knew and loved.
“Yes, ma’am,” I said.
She narrowed her eyes. “Liam is set up at the inn. He said something about coming over this morning.” There was an annoyed snap to her voice. She wasn’t the biggest fan of my best friend.
Sure, he had some warts, but overall he was a good guy. Ever since Anastasia was born, he’d worked to straighten his life out. I was curious to see why he was here and what I could do for him.
“Go easy on Liam,” I said as I shot her a pointed look.
She just studied me for a moment before she raised her hands. “Fine. I’m just glad I’m leaving him with you.”
“I’ll take it from here,” I said with a soft chuckle.
“Alright. I’m going to go pack my bags and head out.” She slipped her phone from her pocket and tapped the screen with her finger. “I’m just a text away if you need anything.”
“Thanks, Maddie.”
Her smile was soft. “Of course.”
I turned my attention back to the dishes in the sink, and from the corner of my eye, I saw her walk through the doorway out to the hall. I heard a muffled exclamation and hurried to turn off the faucet just in case something was wrong.
“Willow, you scared me,” Maddie said with a soft laugh to her voice.
“Sorry,” Willow whispered.
I grabbed the dishtowel from the counter top and wiped my hands as I made my way to the doorway to see what was going on.
Maddie was standing next to Willow with her hands out like she’d just walked into her. I didn’t have time to assess what was going on before Willow’s wide eyes snapped to me.
“Everything okay?” I asked, glancing between Maddie and Willow.
Maddie nodded. “Yeah, I just?—”
“I came out here to let you know that Jasper and I are ready. If you’re not, I can just call a ride.” Willow’s cheeks were flushed, and she was staring at my chest as if she were unable to meet my gaze.
“Um, sure. I can be ready in five. Is that okay?”
Her gaze met mine briefly before she dropped it and took a step back. “That’s fine.”
I didn’t know what to expect, Willow turning and practically sprinting down the hallway to her room was not high on that list. Something was definitely off between us. Was it me? Did she overhear my conversation with Maddie?
