Page 14 of Vodka and Chocolate Drops

“Those are good. And no, I’m still getting some odd glitches.”

“The same ones?”

He nodded.

“I think I came across a solution the other day while doing some research for something else. Want me to try and fix it?”

“Free pie for life if you do.”

Amber laughed. “Sounds good.” She was already getting free pie just by being Gloria’s daughter. “Hey, can I ask you something?”

“Anything.”

“How long have you and Mom worked together?” Amber stuck her plate and fork in the commercial dishwasher, along with her empty milk glass.

The chef stared at the ceiling for a moment before replying, “Fifteen. No, fourteen years. You loved my pie even then.”

“Women love anything with chocolate, so don’t let it go to your head,” she joked, stirring a pot simmering on the stove. It looked like spaghetti was tonight’s special. Maybe if the place wasn’t too busy she’d stick around. She’d finished her mother’s casserole and didn’t feel like getting back into the habit of cooking for one.

“Get away from that. You aren’t wearing a hairnet.” Leif shooed her back, then snatched her hand, inspecting the fingernails she’d chewed down to the quick. “You need to relax. Look at your hands.”

Amber tucked her fingers and their lack of lovely nails into the pocket of her hoodie. “Did you know my mom before you started working here?”

“Nope.”

Nuts. “Did she ever say anything about the man she--”

Gloria entered the kitchen and froze. “What’s going on?”

“Hi, Mom. Just hanging out with Leif.”

Her mother addressed the chef. “We need a grilled cheese and a tuna salad.” She moved around the kitchen, slicing pie and scooping fruit salad into a small bowl as though everything was normal, but Amber could tell her mother knew what she was up to and wasn’t too happy about it.

“What’s up?” Leif asked, giving both of them a look. As an ex-police officer, he was good at catching undercurrents between the two of them.

“Amber, why don’t we go to the staff room,” her mother said. “We can chat for a moment before these orders are up. I’ll be back in a jiff, Leif. Call me if you need me.”

In the small room, Gloria hissed to Amber, “Not here and not now.”

“You don’t even know why I’m here.”

“I told you I can’t tell you.”

“I promise I won’t tell anyone. Please? I’m desperate.”

“I said no. Your father doesn’t know, so just drop it.” Her mother’s mouth formed a fine line as she hurried out of the staff room.

Amber blinked away the shock of that statement. “He doesn’t know?” she called, hurrying to the doorway. By the time she reached it, her mother was already gone.

How could he not know? How did you keep a secret like that in Blueberry Springs?

You didn’t. Which meant he didn’t live in Blueberry Springs. That would also explain why nobody knew who he was. They weren’t covering for her mother--they simply didn’t know.

Hang on. If her father didn’t know Amber existed, then he couldn’t have rejected her.

She smiled. She hadn’t been rejected by him.

She let the feeling sink in. It felt good. Really good.

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