LITMIR.BIZ

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panic flashed. Darn it! “We’re not leaving again, are we? Mom, you promised we could stay longer this time!”

      “We aren’t leaving.” Paige popped up and kicked the bag back in place. She hated that alarm in Charlie’s eyes—a look Paige was doing everything she could to avoid ever seeing again. “And we have stayed longer.” Longer than any other place in the last year. “I promised to give you some warning next time, remember? Are you feeling okay?” She immediately pressed her hands against Charlie’s freckled face. No fever. Paige breathed a sigh of relief. She didn’t have time for either of them to be sick. “The sun’s barely up.”

      “I couldn’t sleep anymore.” Charlie’s gaze widened as she looked at the flowers. “Simon’s coming to the diner for breakfast. We have stuff to talk about.”

      “Ah. Still thinking about the mysterious Butterfly Harbor treasure, are you?” Paige nodded and finished making her daybed that doubled as a sofa in the small living area. “I bet you miss Simon now that he’s in school. Makes it hard to go cave searching.” She’d worried how Charlie would adjust to Simon attending a charter school for gifted children just outside town. Thankfully Charlie’s common sense had kicked in and she hadn’t gone exploring on her own, while she waited for her school to start classes next week. All the more reason to keep her daughter occupied. A bored Charlie was never a good thing. “Don’t forget we have that meeting with your new teacher this week.”

      “I know. I even drew her a butterfly picture.” Charlie’s voice brightened. “Who gave you the flowers?”

      “Who says they’re for me?” Paige asked. “Maybe someone left them for you.”

      Charlie shook her head. “Flowers are things adults do. Do you think maybe they’re from Deputy Fletch?”

      “Fletch?” As much as the idea unsettled her, Paige had to admit the thought crossed her mind. Until she remembered how they’d left things yesterday at the wedding. She’d wanted to discourage him, to cut off his interest in her. Challenging his honor and reputation seemed to have done the trick.

      She retrieved the flowers and put them in a glass of water on the small dining table by the window. No need for the flowers to suffer. One of the daisies drooped in exhaustion. “No, I don’t think they’re from Fletch. What makes you think they are?”

      “’Cause he smiles when he looks at you. I heard Abby and Holly talking. They think he likes you.” Charlie sat in her usual chair and watched Paige skim her schedule for the day. “I think he likes you, too, Mom. And that’s what boys do when they like a girl. They give them flowers.”

      “Hmm.” Paige typed notes onto her calendar app on her phone then set her reminder alarms. She needed to find some time to talk to Willa again and thought she might be able to pop by her house later this afternoon. Since Holly and Luke weren’t leaving on their honeymoon until tomorrow morning, she wasn’t due at the diner today until after ten, which gave her time to stop at Duskywing Farm and get Calliope’s deliveries out of the way before heading to the Flutterby Inn for her second-floor housekeeping gig. “You want to come with me to Calliope’s this morning before you meet Simon?”

      “Moooooom, you’re not listening to me. I said I think Deputy Fletch likes you.”

      “I heard you. There’s just nothing to talk about.” Paige set her phone on the table and tweaked Charlie’s nose. “Deputy Fletch and I are friends. Nothing more.” And maybe not even that.

      “But I thought you liked him.”

      “I like him fine. There’s nothing wrong with just being friends, Charlie.” Paige tugged on her sneakers before heading into the bathroom to tie up her hair. When Charlie didn’t respond, Paige looked over her shoulder. The frown on her daughter’s face was part frustration, part confusion. “What’s all this about?”

      Charlie shrugged. “I’ve just been thinking about stuff. You know, how Simon has a dad now and he’s really happy. They’re like a real family.”

      “Hey.” Paige tried to swallow the lump in her throat as she returned to the table to stoop down and take hold of Charlie’s hands. On days that started like this, Paige had to wonder just how badly her mistakes had screwed up her kid. “We’re a real family. We always have been, right? We do okay together, don’t we?”

      “I guess.” Another shrug. “Sometimes I just wish I had a dad.”

      “I know you do, baby.” Paige stroked a hand down Charlie’s face. That Charlie had never known her real father was still a knife to the heart. Despite Doug’s flaws, he would have made a great dad, but a freak accident at his construction job when Paige was six months pregnant destroyed Paige’s hopes she’d finally found the family—and home—she’d always longed for. “But it’s not as easy as wishing. We have to work for what we want, you know? Just like I have to work to make sure we can stay here. If I just stood back and waited for something to happen, nothing would. Life doesn’t work that way.” She leaned forward and kissed Charlie’s forehead. “Now, how about you go get dressed. I bet Calliope will show you the butterflies if we’re early enough. Five by five?”

      The word butterfly worked its magic and erased the sadness from her little girl’s eyes. “Five by five.” Charlie confirmed everything was all right by using their secret code. “But I still think Deputy Fletch likes you.”

      “You can think that all you like, little Miss.” Paige tapped her on the bottom to get her on her way. “But Fletch and I are friends. That’s all. Now, scoot.”

      * * *

      “MORNING, CHARLIE!”

      Charlie pushed open the glass door to the Butterfly Diner and waved at Holly. She took a deep breath and smelled fresh-baked pies, buttery pancakes and crispy bacon along with coffee, which made Charlie’s nose wrinkle in distaste. Yuck. How did adults drink that stuff? “Good morning.” Charlie shifted her new school backpack—an honest-to-goodness butterfly bag with wings and everything—higher onto her shoulder. She had a big day planned between going to the library and taking a computer class at the youth center, and maybe, just maybe, she could do some exploring and find those caves. She’d printed a map off the internet after doing a search for the treasure box, but none of that was going to matter if Simon came through for her.

      She walked up and gripped the edge of the counter. “I’m meeting Simon before he goes to school.”

      “He’s in your usual spot.”

      Charlie looked over to the two seats at the counter in the corner and found a sluggish-looking Simon slumping half-asleep, chin barely propped up on an unsteady hand, his other hand dangerously close to dropping into his bowl of uneaten oatmeal.

      “I think the wedding wore him out.” Holly chuckled. “Luke will be by to take him to school in a bit.”

      “M’kay,” Charlie said and moved out of the way as the door opened and a bunch of customers walked inside. The noise in the diner picked up, much to Charlie’s relief given what she needed to talk to Simon about. “Hey, Simon.” She set her bag on the floor and hauled herself up on the bright orange high-backed stool as Holly set a mug of hot chocolate brimming over with whipped cream in front of her. “Thank you.” Holly fixed the best hot chocolate ever.

      “Simon, up and at ’em.” Holly knocked her knuckles on the counter. “You’ve got company.”

      “Hmm?” Simon blinked sleepy eyes behind his thick-rimmed glasses. “Oh, hey.” He smiled at Charlie. “Sorry.”

      “You want a waffle for breakfast, kiddo?” Holly asked her.

      Charlie nodded. “Yes, please.” She’d liked Holly from the instant she’d met her. Not only because she’d given them a place to live and her mom a job, even though that had been supercool of her. Knowing Holly was around reminded Charlie of New York, back when they had a bunch of neighbors around, people for her to talk to, stay with, play with. After New York and before Butterfly Harbor,

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