have to call everyone ‘mommy?’” She looked confused.
“No, squirt, you can call everyone by their names. They won’t mind,” Diana said.
“That’s right. My name is Amanda, but everyone calls me Mandy.”
“What about me? Can I call you Mandy?” Cassidy asked.
“You sure can.” Mandy pinched Cassidy’s nose before she stood to help the customers who walked in.
“Is it okay if I still miss momma and daddy?” Jessica asked.
“Yes, it’s perfectly okay. I miss them, too,” Diana said.
“Do you still miss your first momma?”
“No, squirt. I don’t. Do you know why?”
Jessica shook her head. “Because your momma was the best mom in the whole world, so I didn’t need my first mom anymore.”
“She was the best mom.”
Cassidy concentrated on her ice cream during the exchange between them, but Diana noticed a worried expression cross her face. “You okay, Cassidy?”
“What if my daddy never comes back just like your mom?” she asked Diana without looking up. Big blue eyes looked up at her, eyes she had inherited from her absent father.
“I don’t think that will happen because I know your daddy loves you, but if it did then you would have a whole town of daddy’s too, and you have your Uncle Zack.”
Cassidy nodded. “He is the bestest uncle in the whole wide world. He gives me puppies, and he makes pancakes for breakfast, and today he said we can have whatever I want for dinner because my mom isn’t home so she won’t know.”
Diana cringed at what she would choose for dinner and eyed the ice cream guiltily. She would have to be sure to have them over for dinner a couple of nights a week and send leftovers home with them. Cat might be gone, but Logan was there, and his cooking was wonderful. She was sure he wouldn’t mind having a few more people for dinner.
CHAPTER TEN
“No! No! No! No! No!” This could not be happening. Diana pulled the car over onto the side of the road and jumped out. It probably wasn’t a good idea to sit in a car with smoke billowing out from under the hood. She rubbed her hand across her forehead and looked down the road both ways. No one in sight. Of all days for her cell phone to die. The social worker from Child Protective Services was coming to the house to check on things. She could not be late. She looked over at the car. There was less smoke, but it was still not safe to drive. With no alternative, she pulled the strap of her bag across her body and started the trek home.
Ten minutes into her walk she was sweating. Her neat hair she had twisted and pinned into a bun this morning had fallen down, and her favorite red pumps were eating up her feet. Could this day get any worse? She knew she probably shouldn’t ask that question. Her mother had always told her not to borrow trouble.
Finally, she heard a vehicle approaching from behind her. She turned around and watched as a motorcycle approached. She was not about to hold out her thumb. If it were someone from Magnolia Falls, they would recognize her and stop. At least she hoped they would. Not that she could ride on a motorcycle, but maybe the rider had a working cell phone she could borrow.
The driver slowed down and parked ahead of her. She started walking toward him. In one fluid motion he got off the bike and stood facing her. She hesitated for a moment. With the dark helmet on she had no idea who it was. She had never heard of anyone in town with a motorcycle.
She clutched the strap on her bag and suddenly wished she hadn’t put it across her body. At least she could have swung it at him and use it as a weapon if she had to. She kept moving forward a bit slower. The driver finally reached up and pulled off his helmet, and the breath she had been holding whooshed out of her. Of all of the people who should happen by at that particular moment, it was Zack. She had never been so happy to see him or so annoyed with him.
“You could have told me it was
“No, squirt, you can call everyone by their names. They won’t mind,” Diana said.
“That’s right. My name is Amanda, but everyone calls me Mandy.”
“What about me? Can I call you Mandy?” Cassidy asked.
“You sure can.” Mandy pinched Cassidy’s nose before she stood to help the customers who walked in.
“Is it okay if I still miss momma and daddy?” Jessica asked.
“Yes, it’s perfectly okay. I miss them, too,” Diana said.
“Do you still miss your first momma?”
“No, squirt. I don’t. Do you know why?”
Jessica shook her head. “Because your momma was the best mom in the whole world, so I didn’t need my first mom anymore.”
“She was the best mom.”
Cassidy concentrated on her ice cream during the exchange between them, but Diana noticed a worried expression cross her face. “You okay, Cassidy?”
“What if my daddy never comes back just like your mom?” she asked Diana without looking up. Big blue eyes looked up at her, eyes she had inherited from her absent father.
“I don’t think that will happen because I know your daddy loves you, but if it did then you would have a whole town of daddy’s too, and you have your Uncle Zack.”
Cassidy nodded. “He is the bestest uncle in the whole wide world. He gives me puppies, and he makes pancakes for breakfast, and today he said we can have whatever I want for dinner because my mom isn’t home so she won’t know.”
Diana cringed at what she would choose for dinner and eyed the ice cream guiltily. She would have to be sure to have them over for dinner a couple of nights a week and send leftovers home with them. Cat might be gone, but Logan was there, and his cooking was wonderful. She was sure he wouldn’t mind having a few more people for dinner.
CHAPTER TEN
“No! No! No! No! No!” This could not be happening. Diana pulled the car over onto the side of the road and jumped out. It probably wasn’t a good idea to sit in a car with smoke billowing out from under the hood. She rubbed her hand across her forehead and looked down the road both ways. No one in sight. Of all days for her cell phone to die. The social worker from Child Protective Services was coming to the house to check on things. She could not be late. She looked over at the car. There was less smoke, but it was still not safe to drive. With no alternative, she pulled the strap of her bag across her body and started the trek home.
Ten minutes into her walk she was sweating. Her neat hair she had twisted and pinned into a bun this morning had fallen down, and her favorite red pumps were eating up her feet. Could this day get any worse? She knew she probably shouldn’t ask that question. Her mother had always told her not to borrow trouble.
Finally, she heard a vehicle approaching from behind her. She turned around and watched as a motorcycle approached. She was not about to hold out her thumb. If it were someone from Magnolia Falls, they would recognize her and stop. At least she hoped they would. Not that she could ride on a motorcycle, but maybe the rider had a working cell phone she could borrow.
The driver slowed down and parked ahead of her. She started walking toward him. In one fluid motion he got off the bike and stood facing her. She hesitated for a moment. With the dark helmet on she had no idea who it was. She had never heard of anyone in town with a motorcycle.
She clutched the strap on her bag and suddenly wished she hadn’t put it across her body. At least she could have swung it at him and use it as a weapon if she had to. She kept moving forward a bit slower. The driver finally reached up and pulled off his helmet, and the breath she had been holding whooshed out of her. Of all of the people who should happen by at that particular moment, it was Zack. She had never been so happy to see him or so annoyed with him.
“You could have told me it was
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