Into the Fading Twilight (Starlight Grove, #2) (11)

Cora chuckled, the sound a little rusty but like she was trying to find the light around her. I understood that, too.

I followed Brae to a cabinet behind the bar, where we stashed our belongings. As I secured my sunglasses case in my purse, I hoped my eyes would hold up okay. The bar wasn’t overly bright, but I’d never gone more than a few hours without giving my eyes a break.

Because I was used to living in the dark. And I couldn’t go even a few hours without a reminder of that.

Straightening, I steeled my spine and followed Brae to unlock the doors.

Today’s crowd probably wouldn’t be that huge—it was past the heart of tourist season in Starlight Grove. People mostly came to town for the outdoor activities: fishing, rafting, biking, rock climbing, hiking.

That’s what had brought Brae and me here originally. A girls’ weekend of eating, wine tasting, massages, and what was supposed to be a beautiful hike. One that had ended with Travis Moore kidnapping me.

I shook off the reminder and followed Brae around as she started her duties, getting a few folks seated and starting drink orders. After we dropped off two Cokes to a couple of tourists, we headed to a table of what looked like locals: two women who appeared to be in their eighties, assessing me with a single-minded focus.

“Good afternoon, ladies. How are you doing?” Brae greeted.

One of the women wore a shirt that read Knitting So I Don’t Stab Someone. She set her menu down and grinned at Brae. “Just lovely now that things are cooler. How are you, dear?”

“Just fine, Miss Patricia. This is my friend, Nova. She’s shadowing me today to learn the ropes,” Brae informed her.

The second woman’s eyes narrowed on me—not in a mean way but in an assessing one. “Nova? Are you the girl that—?”

“Maisy,” Patricia hissed.

Maisy let out a huff. “I’m just surprised she’d want to work here. That’s all.”

What the heck did that mean? She didn’t think I’d want to work in a bar? I guessed it made sense. Maybe she thought I needed to work in a library or at an accounting office. Somewhere quiet, where I wouldn’t startle. I’d have to get used to people making assumptions about my recovery.

Brae’s mouth thinned into a hard line. “Can I get either of you something to drink while you’re looking at the menu?”

Patricia’s cheeks reddened, clearly embarrassed by her friend. “I’d love an Arnold Palmer. Thank you, Brae.”

Maisy clearly gave zero fucks and simply tapped her fingers on the table as she stared at me. “I’ll take a Coke. Glad you’re okay, Nova. That must’ve been quite an ordeal—”

“All right, then,” Brae cut in. “We’ll get those right out to you.”

I followed Brae toward the bar.

“This is exactly what I was afraid of,” she mumbled. “People are going to hound you the second they find out who you are.”

“Maybe I should come up with a fake name. I always thought I’d make a good Sharleen.”

“It’s not funny,” Brae spat.

I shrugged. “People are curious. I get it. I probably would be, too. I know how to dodge folks if I need to.”

“Good luck with Miss Maisy,” Brae grumbled.

“I can handle her. Let me prove it.” I moved to the waitstaff end of the bar and gave Wylder the ladies’ drink orders. He filled them in a matter of seconds, and then I was off to the table.

“Here you go, ladies,” I said, depositing their glasses. “Do you know what you’d like to order?”

Maisy’s gaze roamed over me. “How long have you been out of the hospital?”

She was bold, I’d give her that. “I can tell you one thing: The food here is a heck of a lot better than what they serve there. I especially recommend the bacon cheeseburger.”

Patricia’s lips twitched, knowing exactly what I was doing. “You know, that sounds perfect. I’ll do the bacon cheeseburger, medium, and sweet potato fries.”

“You got it. Miss Maisy?”

The second woman let out a huff of annoyance. “I’ll do the chicken bacon ranch salad and curly fries.”

“Coming right up,” I said, taking their menus and heading to put in the order.

Brae watched me as I moved. I just had to hope that, with time, she’d trust that I could handle this—and that I wouldn’t turn out to be a liar.





Everything hurt. It had only been three hours, and my entire body felt like I’d run a marathon. I was happy as hell that I’d opted for sneakers, but my feet still felt like they’d taken a pounding. My lower back. My arms. My head. My eyes. Everything throbbed.

But I wasn’t even close to being done for the day, and I wasn’t about to let anyone know I was dying.

Cora had been keeping her distance, but I didn’t miss how her gaze flicked to me every so often. Checking in? Or maybe just wanting to know more about the woman her fiancé had held captive for over a year. But now, she finally crossed my way.

“Insoles.”

My brows drew together. “What?”

“Insoles for your shoes. They save my back. I can show you the ones I order when we’re done with our shift or things quiet down.”

Things had been surprisingly busy. But after an hour of working with Brae, I had been ready to go out on my own. And that was a relief and a half—just like this small act of kindness was.