Amber Morn Read Online Free

made Carla feel like a teenager again instead of her thirty-three years.
    Wait, bad analogy. Not for a million bucks would she ever want to relive her teenage years.
    The noise increased as they pulled open the door. Everyone was talking at once.
    “Hey, Carla, finally!” Leslie broke away from S-Man and greeted them, arms out. “Ali, so glad you came.”
    “Me too.” They hugged, Ali all grins. After being caught up in the terror of two murders in Kanner Lake last year, seventeen-year-old Ali had become like a little sister to Leslie.
    “Wow,
love
your jeans.” Brittany’s large chocolate eyes roved over the bling.
    “Thanks.” Leslie caught Brittany’s hands. “It’s great to see you again. Carla is
so happy
every time you visit.”
    Brittany shot a look at Carla. Their eyes met in silent connection.
    Amazing
. A year ago Carla hadn’t even known Brittany was alive. Now look at the beautiful, vibrant daughter before her.
    Carla made the rounds with Brittany and Ali, reminding the girls of everyone else’s name. Paige. S-Man. Hank Detcher, pastor of the New Community Church, which Carla attended. Jared Moore, owner of the
Kanner Lake Times
newspaper and Leslie’s boss. Jared was sixty-seven but still worked long hours every day. Wilbur, perched on his stool as if it might run out from under him. Bailey — bustling behind the counter like a crazed chicken, making everyone’s drinks. Bev and Angie, retired schoolteachers in their sixties, and best friends who met at Java Joint every morning for coffee — even though their personalities were exact opposites. Angie was as fun-loving and giggly as Bev was prim and proper. But that Bev. She could needle Wilbur almost as well as Carla.
    “Ohhh, hiiii!” Angie’s plump arms swallowed Brittany in a grandmotherly hug, her rouged cheeks flushing.
    When she could extricate Brittany, Carla nudged the girls over to the counter. “Let’s see.” She draped an arm around each of them and looked around. “Not everybody’s here.”
    Bailey set Carla’s latte on the counter. “Jake can’t come. Remember, he and Mable are on a trip this weekend. And Janet — that’s Pastor Hank’s wife” — she smiled at the two girls — “is also gone this weekend. One of their daughters is sick.”
    Paige sidled up to the counter, her striking blue-green eyes focused on Brittany. “Hi there, beautiful girl.”
    Carla took her arm away from Brittany so they could hug. “Hey, Paige, where’s Sarah?”
    Sarah Wray owned Simple Pleasures across the street, where Paige worked.
    “Oh, she’s coming. Sarah can’t stand to miss a party.”
    “Hey, everybody, remember the drinks and pastries are on me!” Bailey frothed a mocha at the espresso machine.
    Wilbur caught Carla’s eye and pulled his mouth down at the corners. Crotchety Wilbur. Carla’s favorite person to argue with. He slipped off his stool and picked up the mug at his end of the counter that held the bathroom key. Dumped out its contents. Shuffled up to Carla, turning his back on Bailey. “She and John don’t have the money to pay for all this, what with his medical bills and all. Give her a donation.”
    A command, not a request. But Carla was happy to comply. Wilbur quietly hit up each person in turn. Brittany and Ali took the time to order their coffees.
    When Bailey slid the last drink over the counter, Wilbur thrust the mug at her, overflowing with bills. “Here ya go, Miss Bailey. Best woman in the world, after my Gertrude.” His lips twitched into a semblance of a smile. “We wasn’t gonna let this be on your tab. Looks like you made a pretty penny.”
    Bailey accepted the mug, eyes gleaming. “Oh, you all, I don’t know what to say.”
    “You deserve it!” Angie called.
    “Go ahead, count them suckers.” Wilbur jerked his chin toward the money.
    One by one, Bailey slipped them out. Fives, tens, twenties. At the bottom was a one-hundred-dollar bill.
    Wilbur
. Carla would bet on it. But the old