Midnight Roots (Silver Creek Ranch)

Chapter One

Dillon

Catch + Candle .

It looks pretty plain from the outside.

It is made of shiny red bricks, large bay windows out front, and the diner's logo screaming at me from the sign that hangs above the door.

The neighborhood’s best café & grill.

I chew the inside of my mouth thoughtfully. I’ve never been a waitress before. Hell, I’ve never worked before, but I’m hoping that being new in town and having youth on my side will land me a job.

If they’re even hiring, I tell myself nervously as I push the door open and walk inside .

The smell of fresh coffee instantly greets me, as does the delightful scent of baked goods.

I can’t help but smile because it reminds me of the summers I used to spend with my grandmother. The scent of freshly baked goods, handing them out at the church mission on Sundays for the people who didn’t have enough.

I already feel at home here, and I haven’t even spoken to anyone yet.

The inside décor is a one-eighty from the outside.

There are a couple of large, wooden, picnic-looking tables, lightweight, aluminum cast chairs, and an old, rusted, black and white Winnebago mini-camper parked against the back wall.

I turn my attention back toward the register, where a pretty young girl, her dark blonde hair pulled back in a ponytail, is smiling at me with big blue eyes .

I muster a small smile in return, determined not to mess this up. I walk over to her and glance up at the blackboards behind her, hoisted up on the wall.

“Cafe or grill?”

“Huh?” I don’t mean to sound as confused as I do, but she catches me off guard with that question.

She smiles kindly. “Cafe or grill, hon? If you want cafe, then you can stay here with me. If you want grill, you go through those doors,” she says, pointing to a set of double doors to the right.

“Oh!” I can feel my face blushing crimson, and I already know I won’t get a job if I ask for one, but I’m still going to try. “Cafe.”

“What can I get for ya?” she asks me brightly .

“Um …” Stop it, I scold myself. Clearing my throat, I try again, “Um, I’ll have a small latte and a breakfast pastie, please.”

She nods and turns to start entering my order into a screen on the long counter behind her, then walks half the length of the counter and starts up the latte machine.

I take the moment to glance around the diner again. It looks so much smaller from the outside that I would never have guessed an extra dining area would be just a double-door entry away.

“That’ll be seven dollars and eighty-six cents.”

That was fast, I think as I smile at her. She’s sliding my latte across to me as Iput my clutch on the counter and open it. I fish around for my money, then hand her ten dollars in singles .

“Here ya go, hon. Your breakfast pastie will be ready in a little bit,” she states cheerfully as she attempts to hand me my change.

I shake my head and pick up my latte, toasting her, then go to sit at one of the picnic tables.

So, either I have to be fast, or it’s just slow in the cafe part of this place, I think as I set my clutch down next to me on the bench and look down at my latte.

That’s why it’s called Catch + Candle, I think with a grin.

The design she made in my drink looks like a taper candle with a flame at the top.

I hope those are easy to make.

I lift the cup to my lips and take a sip, wondering how it is that I’m worried about making designs in lattes without even asking if they’re hiring yet .

I nibble on my pastie, pleasantly surprised at how good it tastes. From the rustic look of the place, I guess I wasn’t really expecting it.

I finish it in a few bites. I didn’t realize how hungry I was when I sat down until now. I dab at my mouth with a paper napkin.

I glance up at the counter, hoping to catch her attention, but she’s not there.

Pursing my lips, I ball up the napkin and place it on my plate as I reach for my latte and take another sip.

And just over the brim of my cup, I see a lone man walk into the place.

His eyes are damn near hidden under his baseball cap, his stride as confident as I’ve ever seen.