I did not feel like he was warming to the idea of me watching Sadie at all. Maybe he had another option lined up already, or maybe he just thought I was a pushy waitress and a little bit nuts. Also, he smelled good. Standing close to him, whispering, had made me lightheaded. Not just from being anxious and excited about talking to him. From the smell of, I don’t know, pine forests in the springtime or whatever delicious scent clung to his skin. Oh, God, I should not have thought about his skin. He had nice skin, especially for a guy.
I went and got iced tea for a customer and checked back for Max and Sadie’s order. She was having a grilled cheese and some carrots with ranch, and I teased her about liking the vegetables now.
“I still pick out the mushrooms when we have noodles.”
“But you cut them up all by yourself and helped me cook,” Max said with a smile. She lit up under his praise and nodded.
“I smushed one,” she said confidentially.
“That’s okay. I bet it was still good.”
“It was,” she assured me proudly.
I went and turned in their order and tended to my other tables, checked out a to-go order, and then ferried their food out to the table.
“It’ll be lemonade season before long. I know you love my fresh lemonade,” I said to Sadie.
“It’s so good and puckery! I don’t like sugary lemonade,” she said loyally.
“Me neither,” I told her. She dunked a carrot into the ranch and licked the dressing off. “Hey, girl, you gotta eat the carrot part, too,” I said. Sheepishly she took a bite and chewed it.
A group of ten came in and they kept me busy for a while. By the time Max and Sadie were done eating, I slid their check on the table and cleared the plates in a rush.
“I’ll let you know,” Max said to me, clearing his throat. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome,” I said. “Bye bye, girlie.” Sadie gave me a wave and they left.
I pocketed the tip and put the money for the bill in the register. The rest of the night was busy, and I silently took inventory of the workers I had now, and which ones would want more hours as soon as school let out. I could make this work if he’d give me a chance.
8
Max
Sadie and I went out for ice cream. Summer vacation was coming up soon, and we always had a weekly ice cream date in summer. It was something we both looked forward to, me especially because the longer work hours meant I got less time with her in the summer than what I’d like. We ate our ice cream while I drove us home. She was covered in chocolate from the tip of her nose down to her neck by the time we got out of the car.
“Did you eat any of it?” I teased, trying to mop up her sticky face with a napkin.
“Yeah,” she giggled. “It was melty.”
“Go start your bath water and grab some pj’s. Do NOT get in the tub. I’ll be right there.”
“I know, Daddy!” she sang out as she ran to her room to pick out pajamas.
“And don’t leave stuff hanging out of the drawer!” I called after her.
As soon as her bath was ready, I checked the temperature, cooled it off a little for her, and put her in to play. I looked at the calendar on my phone and tried to figure out how much time I had before the big orders started coming in for summer.
School was out in two weeks, and that was right around the time Denise was moving. She said she’d keep Sadie right up till the day she left, but I knew she was worried about her mom and struggling with the logistics of the move. I’d planned on giving her the last few days off, along with a bonus to help her out. She’d been indispensable to us since Sadie was an infant. Back in those early days, she’d been a lifesaver. Once Sadie was in pre-K at age three, she wasn’t needed as often, but she was still a dependable part of our lives. Even though they weren’t together every day, she’d done a lot of after-school care and sick days the last couple of years.
After her bath we read some of the new library books we’d picked up, and I kissed Sadie good night. Then I had time to really unpack the offer from Rachel. It had come out of nowhere, and I was taken aback at first. She always paid extra attention to Sadie, but I’d seen her with other kids—she was nice to them, good with them, but there was a special rapport she had with my daughter. The way Rachel looked at her, greeted her every time like she’d just been peering out the window waiting for Sadie to walk in