“It really does,” Amanda agreed as she slid into the bench seat opposite Mia. “Of course, I’m also having Sam add on a balcony to our room, and Nathan was a little surprised to find gaping holes in two of our walls when he came home yesterday.”
This is another reason why Mia had come to Amanda for help. Their lives were so different. Not only did Amanda have a home and a family to call her own, but she was a part of the very society that Mia would be pretending to belong to. The Battle family was every bit as wealthy as Dave Firestone and Amanda had found a way to not only fit in, but thrive.
Hopefully, she could help Mia do the same, however temporarily.
She took a quick drink of her tea and swallowed, pushing down the huge knot lodged in her throat. “I’d love to see the pictures of the baby’s room,” she said, looking up into Amanda’s smiling face. “And I’ve got a favor to ask.”
Instantly, Amanda’s smile faltered and she reached out one hand across the table to lay it on Mia’s arm. “A favor? Is everything okay?”
“Everything’s fine, why?”
“Because you never ask for anything,” Amanda pointed out. “I swear, if you were on fire, you wouldn’t ask for water.”
Mia blinked at the apt analogy. She hadn’t realized that her friends knew her so well. But she’d learned long ago to stand on her own two feet. To not count on anyone or anything. And to never ask for help—because invariably people would see that as a sign of weakness.
Wow. Childhood issues, she told herself. Amazing how much she had held on to from when she was a girl. It was never easy to be objective about your own past and your life choices, but even Mia could see how her childhood had affected her as an adult. Heck, until the past few years, her past had kept her from even attempting to make friends. Thankfully, she’d at least been able to overcome that hurdle.
Smiling, she said, “I promise, Amanda. If I ever need water that badly, I’ll ask.”
“Deal.” Amanda waved to her sister, indicating she was taking a short break. “Okay, now, before I run to the back and get my three-ring binder with all of my decorating pictures to show you…you first. Whatever you need, I’ll do it.”
“Without even knowing what’s going on?”
Amanda shrugged. “We’re friends.”
A rush of warmth spilled through Mia at those two simple words. Having a friend to count on was such a gift, she didn’t think she would ever take it for granted.
“Thank you. I really appreciate it.”
“I know you do, sweetie. So what’s going on, Mia?”
God, she hardly knew where to begin. Cupping her hands around the tall glass in front of her, Mia started talking. She started at the beginning and told Amanda all about the reporter and Dave and the offer he’d made and why she needed to go shopping. When she finally wound down, she took a long drink of her tea and waited for Amanda to tell her she was crazy.
Instead, her friend grinned. “That is so fabulous.”
“You really think so?”
“Well, come on,” Amanda said, lowering her voice. “Honey, I know you hate to admit it, but you really do need the money.”
Instantly, Mia flushed, remembering how her debit card had been refused right here at the diner just a few weeks ago. Amanda was right. She did need the money. And she did hate to admit it.
“I know things will be better when Alex comes back…” Amanda paused and both of them were silent for a moment, thinking about their missing friend. “But for now, it’s perfect. You each need something, and with this one little deal, you’ll be setting up your future. How much better can it get? Plus,” she added with a wide smile, “shopping.”
Mia was still laughing when Abby Price entered the diner and walked up to the booth smiling. “What’s so funny?”
“Nothing,” Amanda said with a wink for Mia. “What can I do for you, Abby?”
Abigail Price was taller than Mia, with long, wavy red hair and an air of elegance about her. She also had a ready smile, a loving husband and an adorable, adopted three-year-old daughter, Julia.
“Well,” Abby was saying, “you know the day-care center at the TCC is almost ready to open for business.”
The day care had been at the center of a contentious battle in town for months. The Texas Cattleman’s Club had been around for generations and they were pretty much stuck in the mud when it came to changes. It had only been a couple of years since they’d allowed women to become members. And now those women were spearheading the move to provide a safe, comfortable place for children to stay when their parents needed to be somewhere else.