Page 2 of A Secret Promise

"That's Riley," Juno whispered while untying the apron strings behind her back. "She just moved here a couple of days ago."

A rare influx of tourists prevented Vixen from replying, and it was only when much time had already passed, and Vixen was at the back of the cafe and preparing the lovebirds' "dinner" that she belatedly remembered to check in on Juno's new friend.

Vixen waved at the younger girl, and the girl waved back at her with seeming hesitation. Vixen set aside her veggie chop for the moment, and both Salt and Light hopped on one shoulder each as she headed over to introduce herself.

"Welcome to LC—-" Vixen grinned upon seeing the girl's brows furrow. "Short for Lavender Cove."

"Oh." The younger girl looked flustered. "I should've realized..."

"Don't worry," Vixen assured her. "I was exactly the same when I moved here a few years ago."

The girl's expression turned to one of relief. "Iwaskinda worried."

"About being the only new girl in town?"

The other girl nodded.

"It may not seem like it, but LC does get to welcome new residents every year. I'm Vixen, by the way...and as Juno has been quick to inform me, it's Riley, right?"

Riley nodded.

"These two—-" Vixen gestured to her lovebirds. "—-are Salt and Light." The look of interest on Riley's face made Vixen smile. "They can step up on your hand if you want?"

"Really?"

Vixen taught the younger girl what to do, and minutes later, Riley was laughing in delight as the lovebirds decided they trusted her enough to perch on her shoulders next.

"They're too cute," Riley exclaimed.

"And they know it, too," Vixen said with a shake of her head.

Their conversation soon turned to other topics, and Vixen could only laugh when Riley was unable to resist voicing her opinion over the collection of books displayed in her cafe. "Why are they all Bibles and religious books?"

"Why not?" Vixen countered cheerfully. "You can never read the Bible often enough, and it has all the answers to everyone's problems."

"I don't think so."

Vixen carefully studied the girl's face. Riley wasn't just incredibly pretty, but she also had the height and slimness typically associated with professional models. She didn't look lacking in money or status either, but it was also impossible to ignore the troubles that seemed to weigh heavily on the girl's shoulders.

"Whatever it is you're going through, you shouldn't worry too much about it," Vixen offered gently. "No one ever added a day to their life by worrying, you know."

Riley slowly nodded. "That's a really good point." Her brows furrowed. "Who said that, though?"

"The Bible."

Riley's brows met together in a frown. "Yeah right."

Vixen couldn't help but laugh at Riley's dubious tone. "I'm not lying."

"Oh."

Vixen had a feeling it was Riley's first time to have someone talk to her about God. "May I tell you a story?" she asked impulsively.

Riley appeared startled that Vixen even cared to ask first. "Sure."

"There's this dream I have since I was thirteen years old," Vixen confided. "I wanted to have my own cafe and fill it with books. I also wanted to start my own book club. Grow lavender in my backyard. I worked hard my entire life to make my dream come true, but things just kept happening, and I'd find myself back in square one. I was feeling more and more frustrated and desperate. I couldn't figure out what I was doing wrong...until someone invited me to church. And that's when everything made sense."

"Because of God, you mean."