“Well, I’ll be. . .get up here and give me a hug, sugar,” the older woman commanded as she tugged on Savannah’s arm. “I’ve been serving you since you were no taller than a seedling. My how you’ve grown. You used to kick and scream until your granddaddy ordered you the peach pie no matter what time it was.”
That was when recognition kicked in for Savannah. Ms. Ethel had been one of the staples in the restaurant and she couldn’t believe that the older woman was still waiting tables. She was old even when Savannah came as a little girl.
“I’d still kick and scream for some of that peach pie,” Savannah said as the woman released her incredibly strong hold around Savannah’s body.
“Well, how about I get you an order of eggs benedict with some pie on the side.”
“You have eggs benedict?”
Savannah couldn’t recall much of the menu from her childhood, but it was typical diner food, and eggs could be any other way than scrambled or fried wasn’t common.
“Sure do. The owner Angie, funny, I know,” she said as Savannah smirked. Angie had always been the diner's name, but it had been run by a man named Angelo when she was younger. “She revamped the entire menu and added the space in the back. She’s the reason it’s stuck around for so long. Now you make yourself at home and I’ll get your order up. Dr. Pepper?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Ethel smiled as Savannah situated herself back in the booth and then the woman patted her shoulder before heading off to put in the order.
A few patrons turned in their seats to see who Ethel was making such a fuss over, but their stares only lingered for a few seconds before turning back to their meals. That was one of the things she liked most about the town, everyone knew everything, but they still kept to themselves.
Glancing out the window, Savannah took in the parts of the town she could see. Everything looked new and tidy and she couldn’t wait to explore. From what she could tell, there wasn’t a vacant spot at all, which was a far cry from what she could remember during her last trip. A bar named Horizons and a fabric store seemed to be the only places open.
My how things had changed.
As Ethel sat her cup of fizzing soda on the table before scurrying away, Savannah took in a few of the people coming in and out of the space. She tried to convince herself that it was to make sure none of the men from Baltimore had followed her here, but she knew deep down that she was secretly hoping to see the man that had shown up on her doorstep two nights ago.
A large man was wearing a scowl and a backpack dangling from his arm. At first, Savannah had a bite of fear, but then she realized that she recognized the man as he stood from the booth then a statuesque blonde holding a bundled blanket in her arms moved beside him. The woman whispered something to the man and handed off the bundle into his arms with the gentle ease of a new parent. That’s when Savannah realized that the blanket swaddled a small baby.
Savannah’s lips lifted into a sweet smile as the man pressed a kiss to the baby’s head, instantly removing the scowl that he wore, then he did the same to the woman.
Turning her attention back to the window, Savannah tried to appear as if she hadn’t been staring at the couple, but it was a failed attempt.
“Sav?”
She turned back around to face the woman that had caught her gazing. Savannah took in the woman’s well-dressed appearance and recognition chimed in the back of her mind, but she couldn’t quite place her. And no one had called her Sav since. .
“Cassidy?” Savannah exclaimed, elated to see her friend after so long. The woman had made a name for herself in the fashion world and had even married a member of one of Savannah’s favorite bands, Exoneration. That made the man Harlan. Savannah was trying not to fan girl at that thought.
“Wow. I can’t believe it’s you,” Cassidy said as Savannah stood from the booth and hugged her friend. She had been close with Cassidy and her family when she would visit. They were a little older than her, but no one seemed to care at the park.
“I wasn’t sure if I’d run into anyone that I knew while I was here.”
“Well, most of us tried to leave, but this place has a way of drawing you back in. How long are you here for? I know my mom and sisters would love to see you.”
Savannah cringed as she thought about the length of her stay. She really needed to call her lawyer and see how things were developing. It could be a few days to months, depending on if they could track down the people that vandalized her space and sent the threatening letter. Her grandfather was gone for at least a week but had already called to tell her he would probably extend his trip.
“I’m not sure, to be honest.”
“Well, we need to get together some night this week. Wednesday? We can meet here in town.”
“Sure. I should be able to do that,” Savannah said as she grabbed her phone from the small purse she’d brought with her and asked her friend for her phone number.
“Sorry to rush off,” Cassidy told her as she gestured toward the bathroom, “But I’m looking forward to Wednesday.”
“Same.”
Just as Cassidy dashed toward the bathroom, Savannah returned to her seat, subconsciously rechecking her surroundings. A large black SUV drove past the restaurant and she stiffened—no one needed to have windows tinted that dark.
Her hands gripped the table's edge as she considered her next move. Should she search for a new place to go? Should she stay? Thinking about her friend and the newborn, Savannah hated that she may have brought danger to the town.
Just as she made the decision to leave, Ethel set down a hot plate of poached egg with Canadian bacon, an English muffin and the best-smelling Hollandaise sauce that Savannah had ever smelled.
“You sit right there and finish your breakfast, young lady,” Ethel scolded. “I see those gears spinning in that pretty head of yours. You don’t need to run, my dear. We protect our own.”
“What?” Savannah whispered, completely confused at how Ethel had figured out Savannah had been on the run.
“Pssh, I know everything that goes on in this town. I’m not a member of the Lady Busy Bees for nothing. You got yourself in a pickle back home, rightfully so. I would have done the same as you, as would anyone else here. You love animals, have since you were a little girl. So, don’t you worry. We’ll all keep our eyes peeled for you.”
Savannah quickly glanced around the restaurant as other diners agreed with Ethel’s statement with words, claps, and grunts. She even noticed Harlan nodding in agreement.