Page 6 of The Devil in Blue Jeans
Even now, as she sat there, she knew she was still finding her footing in Timber Falls, trying to build a life that was better than the one she’d had with Marcel, but even she knew Timber Falls didn’t really feel like it belonged to her yet.
She shook away the thought, no use getting hung up on it. The only way forward now was not looking back into the past and the heartbreak that lay there.
Glancing across the table, she knew she wasn’t the only one adjusting. Willow and Aubrey had gone through hard times over the past few years too. Willow had endured an abusive ex-boyfriend. Aubrey had quit her job in Atlanta because of harassment from her boss.
Now they’d called in their pact and were all starting over, trying to fix all the things that had gone so very wrong in their lives.
Aclangdrew her gaze to the owner of the diner, Jenna. With her curly brown hair bouncing on her shoulders, she arrived at their round table, where they sat in metal chairs decorated with flower-patterned cushions.
Aubrey said with eagerness, “Seriously, Jenna, these waffles are the best I’ve ever had.”
Willow gave a light smile. “She’s beyond picky about food, so you can trust what she said.”
Aubrey rolled her eyes at Willow before suggesting to Jenna, “Have you thought about having weekly waffle dessert specials?”
Jenna gave a questioning tilt of her head. “What do you mean?”
“What if you had different flavors every week?” Aubrey offered. “Like a cinnamon bun waffle one week, then s’mores the next or maybe hazelnut banana crunch. You could bring in lots of people that way—teenagers, date nighters, everyone.”
“That’s a brilliant idea,” Jenna said, topping up Charly’s coffee. “I hadn’t considered that before.”
Aubrey beamed.
“It’s her specialty—she’s a brilliant chef,” Charly said with a laugh, but she meant it—Aubrey had come up with amazing recipes ever since she was a child. Being a chef seemed ingrained into her DNA.
Jenna finished topping off Aubrey’s coffee. “Well, if you have any other ideas, send them my way, all right?”
“You got it,” Aubrey said with a proud nod.
As Jenna walked away, Charly stirred some sugar into her coffee and remarked, “They could do a lot with this place.”
Aubrey nodded in agreement. “The whole town needs an update if it wants to stay relevant.”
Charly gazed around at the space, which had an energy to it that was both inviting and tranquil, as Willow said, “I don’t know. Modern isn’t always good. To take away all the Old West vibe will steal away the charm.”
“Maybe.” Aubrey shrugged. “But keeping up with the times isn’t a bad thing either.”
Charly agreed with a nod. Aubrey always encouraged them to reach higher and strive for more, while Willow supported them through every phase of their lives. As for Charley, she thought of herself as the planner who added excitement into the mix.
“Willow, my dear!”
Willow lit up as Betty—an eighty-year-old widow with tight, purplish-gray curls—approached her with a beaming smile. “Hi, Betty, how are you?” She rose to give Betty a warm embrace.
“I’m well, sweetheart,” Betty replied before presenting Willow with a stack of hand-knit dishcloths. “I made these for you.”
“Thank you so much,” said Willow enthusiastically. “You know I love these.”
Although Charly enjoyed them too, they had a whole drawer full of knitted dishcloths already, but Charly would never say a word to Willow about it as she watched her accept them appreciatively. After all, Charly relied on Willow’s kind heart during her darker moments.
After Betty left, they finished their coffee and, the bill settled, lingered to talk with everyone in the restaurant. Charly knew that mingling with the locals was crucial to being accepted in this town. Breakfast at the diner each morning quickly became a strategy to fit in, but it also turned into something they had all come to look forward to.
The townsfolk in Timber Falls were amazing people—until the grand opening yesterday. Now, and even this morning, they’d received more than a few nasty looks. No one seemed thrilled that they’d modified the Western bar into a chic cocktail lounge.
Opening an upscale bar in this small town had seemed like an excellent idea, since the town lacked modern luxuries. And because Charly and her friends were mending broken hearts, they wanted to create a place where women could come together and heal from their pain. They wanted a place that brought women together and celebrated them, while also providing the town with something it lacked, a higher-end bar.
Only, she hadn’t anticipated the regulars who frequented the bar would feel annoyed over their plans.
Charly pushed memories of yesterday aside as she and her best friends left the restaurant, walked down Main Street and arrived at the bar to begin their usual routine as a couple customers started to file in.
