Cassey sat at the outdoor bar as Marvin walked up with a smile. “There’s our favorite girl. How’s tricks?”
She smiled. “Not bad,” she said as he poured her a cup of coffee and set a larger-than-normal cinnamon roll in front of her. Steam rolled off the sticky bun and when the smell of cinnamon and raisins hit her, her mouth watered. Forgoing the coffee for a nibble of the hot roll, she closed her eyes and moaned.
“Marvin, I have said it a million times before, but this is the best thing I’ve ever had in my life.” She took another bite, bigger this time. When her eyes slid open, she looked around. There were fewer than a dozen people sitting around the tables in the small building. She could remember a time when it was a fifteen-minute wait just to get a cup of coffee on a Sunday morning here.
“How are things going around here?” She frowned a little.
“Don’t worry about us; we’re doing just fine. We paid the bank off last year and anything we make just pads our pockets. You on the other hand…” He frowned as she took a sip of her coffee. “We’re worried about you. We know where your money goes and…”
She held up her hand, shaking her head. “It’s fine. Roman and Marcus are helping out right now.” She smiled as relief crossed Marvin’s face.
“We’d sure hate to see anything happen to that place. All the good you four have done.” He shook his head and smiled.
When she was done eating her breakfast, she walked towards the small mall area where there were clothing shops. Deciding that tomorrow night called for a new dress, she took her time picking out the perfect outfit. A few hours later, she found what she was looking for. The dress was perfect. Its teal lace set off her eyes and skin tone perfectly. Not to mention she already had a pair of heels that matched the cheery color.
She took her time walking back down the boardwalk. It was just past noon and almost every place was open. She took her time stopping at each shop, talking to the owners or workers for a while and enjoying her time.
She really did feel like part of a community here. It was wonderful how close everyone was. There had never been animosity between businesses owners. Everyone was kind and generally concerned about keeping the boardwalk flowing with tourists.
She knew a few of the local kids and always knew when they’d ditched school during the week because most of them hung out at the beach. Walking over to a group she knew well, she smiled at Bobby, the leader.
“How’s it going?” she asked as she leaned back against the railing of the walkway. Looking out towards the beach, she saw that the sand was almost empty. There were a few joggers and several families braving the cooler weather but nothing like during the season.
“Oh, hey, Cass.” He lightly put an arm around her. He’d grown almost a foot since last summer and now she had to crane her neck just to look into his blue eyes. His unruly brown hair was falling in his face, a face that most high school girls would fall for immediately.
“I heard you got onto the soccer team this year,” she said with a proud smile on her face. Two of Bobby’s friends chuckled, so she raised her eyebrows at them in question.
“We all did,” Steve, the shortest of the three, said. “By default. There wouldn’t be enough kids for a whole team if he hadn’t dragged us along for tryouts.”
“Well, I still think it’s wonderful you all are going to play.” She smiled and patted Bobby’s arm. She knew Bobby’s history, which was much like her own. He’d been put in the system when he was five after his father had put him in the hospital by pouring scalding water all over his little body.
Taking part in Roman’s charity, the Spring Haven Home for Boys, had its ups and downs. Watching Bobby grow and become a trusted young man in town had been a perk. She’d seen him grow so much since he’d been placed in the home run by her brother.
“Well, I’d better get going. Let me know when your first game is. I’d love to cheer you on.”
He nodded and smiled, looking a little embarrassed. She turned and walked towards her place, a smile on her face and her heart lifted.
When she walked in, she didn’t expect to see Luke sitting at the bar, but there he was, dressed in khaki jeans and a short-sleeved shirt. His leather jacket was tossed over another chair as he talked with Wendy, laughing at something she’d said.
She smiled and walked over to him. “Well, this is a surprise.” He turned and faced her upon hearing her voice. His smile grew wider.
“We were just talking about you,” Wendy said before moving down the bar to fill an order.