Page 96 of Singled Out

“Talk to Monty.”

“It didn’t do any good the first twenty times,” she said. Again, she checked the entrance behind her. “There she is.”

Cambria entered, looking chipper and a lot more awake than my roomie. She spotted us and headed toward the counter.

“Hey, Cambria,” I said. “So you two have a breakfast date?” I hadn’t seen Dakota last night because she’d closed Henry’s and I’d gone to bed early. She hadn’t told me she was meeting Cambria.

“And you too,” Dakota said. “While you work, so a sort-of breakfast date. Hi, partner.” She directed the last to Cambria.

“Morning, ladies.” Cambria side hugged Dakota, then settled onto the stool next to her. Reaching across the counter, she held out her hand, and I took it. “How are you doing, Harper?” she asked, concern in her eyes.

That was all it took to arouse my emotions that seemed to be perpetually bubbling right under the surface these days. I forced a smile and nodded as I waited for the tightness in my throat to ease. When I could answer without crying, I said, “Doing okay.” I squeezed my lids shut on potential tears, refusing to go there at work. “Happy to see these two gorgeous faces so early in the morning.”

“Bet I can make you even happier,” Dakota said. “Ian decided to keep the property. The studio’s safe.”

I sucked in a gasp, my mouth popping open. “Really?”

“Really. He’ll find someone to manage it and run it like a business.”

“That’s fantastic news,” Cambria said.

“The best,” I agreed. “Your wiles worked.”

Dakota laughed. “I doubt that’s it.” She sobered. “He’s got some weird stuff going on, I think. Like, regrets with Naomi if I had to guess.”

“That wouldn’t be surprising,” I said. “We all owe you a big thanks anyway.”

“That’s not all,” Dakota said, her eyes lighting up as she looked from Cambria to me. She leaned in closer. “He’s considering financing us.”

“What?” Cambria grabbed Dakota’s arm.

I stared at my roomie, waiting for more.

“I don’t know yet. It’s too early to get our hopes up, but…my hopes are up.”

I shook my head, trying to wrap it around the idea of the sullen, keep-to-himself guy I’d lived with for two weeks doing something so generous. “What does he want from us?”

“His percentage is reasonable, just like what we talked about.”

Cambria and I looked at each other, our eyes wide.

“That’s the best news we’ve had,” Cambria said. “How can we convince him?”

Dakota laughed. “If I knew, I already would have. But we should get together to strategize.”

“For sure,” Cambria said.

“Order up,” Monty called from the window, dragging me back to work before anything could really sink in.

When I turned around with the plates, I saw the diner was filling up faster than usual. Ben Holloway and West Aldridge and his three little girls had joined Luke and Chance. Dean Miller and Lisa Brimm, math teachers at the high school, were at a table close to the counter.

I delivered the food to Cash and Ava Henry. When I whirled around to greet the math teacher duo, I noticed my dad entering and sauntering toward the counter, so I greeted him.

“Hi, honey,” he said, planting a kiss on top of my head as I passed.

“You know it’s Friday, right?” I asked over my shoulder. He was a Monday regular, saying a good breakfast was the best way to start off a week.

“Sure do.”