Free Cattle Valley 28 - Second Chances by Carol Lynne

the woman to talk without it. Luckily they were alone in the shop. “Quiet day.”
    “Hmmm, yes. Don’t tell anyone, but my favourite time of the day is the lull in the afternoon, especially today. I’ve spent the last hour watching the snow and grinning from ear to ear.” She handed Drake his coffee. “My name is Julie, by the way.”
    “I’m Drake,” he introduced himself, taking a seat in front of the window. Hell, if Julie liked to sit and stare at the snow, he couldn’t imagine a better place to pull her into a conversation. “Are you new to Cattle Valley?”
    Julie nodded. “Born and raised in Miami. I needed a change, so I sold my house, quit my job and moved up here about three months ago.”
“Well, welcome to town.” Drake put on his friendly face, something most people in town had never witnessed. He looked around the shop and spotted a row of three desktop computers towards the back. “You have internet?”
“Sure do. I’ve found it keeps people in here longer if they can surf or answer emails while they drink.”
“Smart woman. So do you have to pay a fee to use them?”
Julie shook her head. “No, I haven’t had a problem with people staying on them too long. It’s usually a quick check of emails or updating their Facebook page.”
Drake needed to get Shane over to check out the history on all three machines. He had no doubt Shane could get around any passwords on the damn things.
“Do you work here in town?” Julie asked.
“Yes, over at Montgomery Enterprises.” Drake didn’t tell her what he did for them and hopefully she wouldn’t ask.
“How nice. A lot of your fellow employees come here for lunch.”
“You serve lunch?” Drake glanced at the display case again.
“Just soup, salads and sandwiches. I make fresh tuna, ham and chicken salad each morning.”
Drake perked up. “Soup? What kind?”
“Today it’s chicken and dumpling or vegetarian vegetable. All homemade, of course.”
Drake’s stomach growled. “Can I get a big bowl of each to go?”
“Sure.” Julie seemed pleased at the order.
If a single order made the woman that happy, Drake couldn’t imagine her jubilant attitude during a lunch-time rush. He found he liked it, like her.
She came back carrying a large paper sack. “I think I’m going to shut down for the day, so I gave you extra.”
Drake smiled. “I appreciate that.” It would be a nice change from the canned soup he’d eaten most of his life. He’d attempted to make it from scratch once, but it hadn’t turned out. “You don’t, by chance, make potato soup, do you?”
“With or without cheese and bacon?” she asked with a twinkle in her eyes.
Drake’s eyes drifted shut. “Don’t tease.”
“Thursdays are loaded potato and beef and barley soup day.”
Shit. It was only Tuesday. Drake eyed the large sack Julie had set on the counter. Guess he’d have to survive on what he had until then. “Promise you’ll save me some?”
“I have a feeling you’re going to quickly become my favourite customer.”
Drake laid a twenty on the counter and winked. “Fitting, since you’re already my favourite soup lady.”
“You haven’t even tried it yet,” Julie reminded him.
Drake opened the sack and inhaled. “Don’t need to. Smells a helluva lot better than the Campbell’s Bean with Bacon that I was planning to have.”
“Oh, honey, if you ever get that desperate again, call me, I’ll deliver.” Julie giggled and shook her head. “I don’t know what it is about you, but thanks.”
“For what?”
Julie pushed his money and his soup towards him. “I don’t know, for reminding me why I needed to leave Miami, I guess.”
Drake hoped the woman wasn’t developing a crush on him. “You do know I’m gay, right?”
“Don’t worry, I won’t propose or anything. Besides, you don’t have the right equipment.” Julie reached in the display case and withdrew a lemon square. She took the time to wrap it neatly in a sheet of pink waxed paper