Buried in Bargains (Good Buy Girls) by Josie Belle Read Free Book Online

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    “Nice to meet you,” the young woman said.
    Diane glanced over at them, but she kept her eyes downcast, as if she was nervous to make eye contact. Maggie wondered if it was more than shyness that made her so aloof. Maybe it was a guilty conscience. Maybe Joanne’s radar wasn’t that far off, and the cute young blonde had a thing for Michael, and Joanne had sensed it.
    “You, too,” Maggie said.
    “Are you new to St. Stanley?” Laura asked. Her voice was kind, and Maggie was proud to see her daughter reaching out to the young woman, even though she wasn’t yet sure Diane was the sort of girl Laura should befriend.
    “Yes,” Diane answered, but her eyes darted around the room as if she was looking for someone.
    “Where are you from?” Laura asked.
    Diane sent Michael a nervous look, but he nodded at her as if to let her know that it was okay.
    “I’m from up north,” Diane said.
    “I go to school in Pennsylvania,” Laura said. “I’m on break now for the holidays. You know, I never realized how quiet St. Stanley is until I went away.”
    Diane gave her a small smile. “I like it here. It feels safe.”
    “Well, if you ever want to catch a movie—” Laura offered, but Diane interrupted her.
    “Thanks, but I’d better get back,” she said. “We have lots of special orders.”
    Diane turned and pushed through the doors and disappeared back into the kitchen.
    Maggie looked at Michael. “Well, she seems nice.”
    He looked after his employee with a sad smile. “She is,” he said. “She just needs time. She’s been through some rough stuff.”
    “Oh, well, make sure you bring her to the Madison ball,” Maggie said. “It’ll give her a chance to meet people.”
    “I’ll try and talk her into it,” he said. “She’s pretty shy, though. That sort of thing may be too much for her.”
    “I’ll stop by tomorrow and invite her for coffee,” Laura said. “Moving can be a lonely transition. Maybe I can help her with it.”
    “That’d be nice, Laura,” Michael said. “Usually, Joanne spends more time with the new staff, but I know she’s caught up with the baby . . .”
    He frowned, and Maggie suspected he knew it was more than the baby. She wanted to tell him what Joanne was going through, but she didn’t want to betray her friend’s confidence.
    “You know, a pregnant woman has a lot of hormones rocketing through her,” Maggie said. “Sometimes they just don’t make sense.”
    Michael met her concerned gaze with a hopeful one, “Really? It’s normal?”
    “Perfectly,” Maggie assured him. “Just be attentive and she’ll be all right.”
    “Would flowers be a good move?” he asked.
    “Flowers are always a good move,” Maggie said.
    Michael grinned. “I can do that.”
    Maggie and Laura left the deli, and Maggie felt relieved. Yes, Diane was pretty, but Michael showed no sign of being interested in her. If anything, he seemed big-brotherly toward her, like he was looking out for her. And he was obviously worried about Joanne.
    As they walked back to the shop, where Maggie’s car was parked, Laura slipped her arm through her mother’s, and said, “You know, Claire and I were betting that Sam Collins stopped by the shop to ask you to the ball. So, did he?”
    “Nope.”
    “Really? We were so sure. I mean, it’s so obvious that he likes you. You know that, right?”
    “I know no such thing,” Maggie said.
    She felt her cheeks grow warm, and she was grateful that the winter night was dark, so she could hide her face.
    “Aw, come on. The man obviously likes you,” Laura said. “He looks at you like you’re a chicken and he’s a chicken hawk.”
    “A chicken?” Maggie asked. “That’s the best analogy you can come up with? How exactly did you get into that fancy-pants college of yours?”
    “You’re a really pretty chicken,” Laura teased.
    “Yeah, because Butterballs are known for that,” Maggie said. “I can’t tell you what this conversation is