Page 81 of Play It Again, Ma'am

“Agatha Browning,” said Ava. “She’s five, going on forty. Please tell me that you haven’t been talking about your love life with one of the reception kids.”

“No!” Billie said. “She just made me think that maybe, I don’t know, she made me think about what we deserve in life and what we get, that’s all.”

“Again, going to need more detail,” said Ava.

But she didn’t get it.

The door of the cafe opened and Amelia walked in, followed by Cass looking upbeat and laughing. They both stopped when they saw Billie.

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t little Billie Brooke,” Amelia said, her face hardening and her hands on her hips.

“Alright, there’s no need for that,” said Ava. “Enough of the act. Cass, hold her back if she can’t control herself.”

“I can control myself perfectly well, thank you,” Amelia said, dropping her hands to her sides. “Now this is family business, between me and little miss Brooke here.”

“Enough,” Ava said, using the voice that scared the pants off seven year olds and, given Amelia’s flinch, didn’t do much for adults either. “You’re not here to defend anyone’s honor.”

“Yes, miss,” Amelia said.

Cass snorted a small laugh.

“I’m an idiot,” said Billie, finally speaking up. “I know that. I’m a complete idiot and I’m going to make things right.”

Amelia eyed her. “You sure about that?”

“I’m going to do my best.”

“Come on, Am, give her a break,” said Cass. “She deserves a second chance, lord knows, you and I get enough of them.”

Amelia sniffed. “I suppose.” She looked at Billie. “I told you I thought you could handle this, don’t let me down. You can’t walk out on her like that. Not like mum did. Do you understand that?”

Billie nodded. “It was a stupid thing to do. Thoughtless. I just… I thought it was for the best.”

“Maybe you let my sister decide what’s best for her,” Amelia said.

“I will,” Billie said. Or she would as soon as she came up with a way to show Jules that she’d changed.

“Hold on a second,” said Ava. “You two aren’t here just to bully Billie, what are you doing here?”

Cass grinned. “We’ve got an appointment. A top secret appointment.”

“Oh, there you two are,” Gertrude said, shuffling out from behind the counter. “These two young ‘uns are going to be taking over the cafe,” she said to Ava.

“So much for top secret,” Amelia mumbled.

“We won’t tell anyone,” Billie said hurriedly.

“Have you got any experience?” asked Ava, curious.

“Made enough cups of tea for granddad,” said Amelia. “And Cass makes the best cakes in town, so there’s that. Anyway, that’s what we’re here for, to find out how things run and all that before Gertrude retires.”

“She’s giving us a good deal,” put in Cass. “Three months to see how things work out and then we can pay for all the equipment and stuff in installments.”

“I’d rather see the place went to someone in the village,” Gertrude said. “Now come on, the both of you. You’d better have a look around the place.”

They all wandered off toward the kitchen and Ava shared a look with Billie. “Who’d have thought that?” she said.

“I suppose it’s better than turning everyone in town orange,” Billie said.

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