The Bad Boy of Butterfly Harbor(23)

“Thank you, er...” Holly frowned down at the sprite of a little girl. “What’s your name?”

“I’m Charlie Cooper.” She gripped Holly’s hand and gave it a sharp shake. “That’s my mom, Paige. We’re new in town.”

“Hi, Charlie. I’m Holly.” She pocketed her order pad and looked over to where Simon was watching them. “That’s my son, Simon.”

“Hi, Simon!” Charlie called and waved. Her smile could have illuminated every lamppost on Monarch Lane. Holly’s heart lifted as Simon waved back. “Cool! I’ve already made a friend.” She beamed up at Holly. “May I go sit with him?”

“You may,” Holly said, caught off guard by the girl’s vocabulary. “Can I get you something to eat?”

“Mom said she wanted to talk to you first. I need to get my things. Nice to meet you, Holly.” She scrambled to her booth and snatched up the worn Proton Patrol backpack she’d lugged in. Something told Holly a new bond had been formed before Charlie and Simon even spoke.

Holly busied herself with the other orders, keeping one eye on streamlined and unflappable Paige as she worked the counter, including refilling Simon’s soda for him before she tweaked her daughter’s nose. Whatever bills and money Paige collected she left lined up on the counter beside the register for Holly to ring through.

Instead of interrupting or, heaven forbid, stopping Paige’s jaw-dropping momentum, Holly ducked into the kitchen. “Ursula? You see this?”

“Dynamo, that one.” Ursula flipped a huge portion of fresh onions she kept on the grill for her signature patty melts. “Hasn’t gotten one order wrong yet and seems to have a permanent smile on her face.” Ursula poked her spatula at Holly. “I remember when you came to work like that.”

So did Holly. She missed those carefree days. “Do you ever think things are too good to be true?” Whatever other shoe was going to drop, Holly hoped she wasn’t in the vicinity.

“Take them while you can. If you don’t hire her, I will.”

“We don’t know anything about her,” Holly whispered as Paige popped up to the window and attached two new orders to the spinning wheel.

“Paige Cooper.” Paige stuck her hand through and Holly had no choice but to shake it. The young woman reminded Holly of a perky old-fashioned carhop. The only things missing were a paper hat and roller skates. “Charlie and I hit town this afternoon. Staying at the Chrysalis Motel out near the highway. Consider this an audition?”

“Sure.” Holly didn’t know what else to say. There wasn’t anything else to say, given Paige had just saved her sanity—and maybe her entire night. “Dinner’s on me. Whatever you and Charlie want. Pie, too.”

“Appreciate it.” Paige gave a bit of a salute before she grabbed the coffeepot and started making the rounds.

“Looks as if she could use a few meals.” Ursula rose up on her toes to watch Paige flit from table to table. “Seems strong, though. Doesn’t come off as crazy.”

“Crazy doesn’t always show.” People were rarely—if ever—what they seemed. All the same, given the way Holly’s luck had been going, she wasn’t about to turn her back on help no matter how it arrived. “Worth a shot. Order up.” Holly pointed at the new slips of paper and darted out of the way as Ursula waved her magic wand in Holly’s direction.

Holly exited the kitchen, scanned the diner and found her customers eating, laughing, drinking and enjoying themselves. When was the last time she’d seen the place this full or heard it this loud? And when, Holly wondered as she cashed out customer after customer, was the last time the register didn’t let out an anemic groan when it shot open?

By the time the rush was over and the crowd had dwindled to a mere three tables and one counter customer, Paige ordered herself one of Ursula’s veggie burgers for herself and a grilled cheese for her daughter before clearing the last of the tables.

“Charlie?” Paige called. “Five by five?”

“Yup,” Charlie called and held up her hand, fingers splayed.

“Five by five?” Holly asked as Paige shot past her with an overflowing dishpan.

“Shorthand for ‘everything okay.’” Paige shrugged. “We got it off a TV show. It’s also code for her to let me know if something’s wrong.”

“Oh.” Holly nodded. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d watched a TV show with Simon. Or did anything other than look at him across a counter or table. “You ready to take a break?”