I rushed through the crowd trying not to bump into anyone. I hated being late. When I spotted the SkinnyCakes stand I slowed my pace just a bit since I was almost there.
Then I saw her. A young girl all by herself in the crowd. Crying.
I paused near her and looked around. I couldn’t just leave her there alone. Even I wasn’t that horrible of a person.
With a sigh, I focused on the girl instead of the crowd. She was beautiful. The kind of kid you expected to see on a commercial or the side of a toy box, not lost in a crowd. Her blonde ringlets fell halfway down her back and her bright blue eyes scanned the crowd, scared. Tears ran in rivulets down her rounded cheeks. She was little too. She could have been three, but something told me she was older. Maybe it was the jean shorts he wore with a pink and purple striped shirt instead of something with a character on it.
I dropped to her level and looked in her eyes. “Hey sweetie. Can I help you find your mommy or daddy?”
She stopped crying almost immediately and looked at me. When she nodded I asked her what her name was. “Becca. But I’m not supposed to talk to strangers.”
I nodded. “Well, I’m Tara.” I offered her my hand and she shook it. “How about we say we’re friends instead?”
She considered me for a minute before nodding. “Okay. I have lots of friends. You can be one too. Even though you’re old.”
I stifled a laugh and nodded solemnly at her. “Thank you. I appreciate you accepting me. Why were you crying?”
“Because my brother is a poopy head,” she answered, grasping my hand. We started to walk through the crowd. I figured if I could get information about her I could tell whatever security they had and find someone who could help her.
“What’s your brother’s name?”
“Kevin. He’s mean to me.”
“I’m sorry about that. I don’t have any brothers or sisters, but I always wanted one.”
“I wish I didn’t have a brother. He thinks he’s the boss of me.”
“Where’s your mommy or daddy?”
“I don’t have a daddy,” she said matter of factly. “My mommy is working.”
Alarmed, I stopped walking. “So she isn’t here? How did you get here?”
She shook her head. “She works here. She told my brother to watch me but he saw one of his friends and told me he didn’t want to stay with me.”
“I’m sorry. Do you know where your mom is working? Is she at one of the stands?”
Becca shook her head. “No. She was checking on everyone. Running around.”
Huh? That made no sense. “Is she cleaning up?”
“No. She said she hired someone to do that.”
Jackpot. She had to be in charge in some way. “Okay.” I saw the information stand not too far from us. “Maybe they can help us here.”
We walked across the square and stood in line. When the people in front of us moved away, we stepped up. I explained what happened and the woman behind the desk smiled at Becca. “I’m sure your mom is around here somewhere, honey. Do you want to keep looking for her or stay with me?”
Becca shook her head, blonde curls tumbling over her shoulders. “I want to stay with Tara. She’s my friend.”
Shit. “Actually, I have to work, Becca. I’m helping a friend out today.”
She shrugged. “I can come with you.”
The lady behind the desk shrugged at me. I sighed and said, “Okay, Becca. Let’s go.” To the lady I said, “We’ll be at SkinnyCakes. If her mom comes looking, send her there.” She nodded and thanked me.
We walked back across the square to the SkinnyCakes stand. Becca held my hand the whole time. When we walked behind the stand, her eyes got huge.
“Who’s this?” Abby asked cautiously.
I turned to her. “This is Becca. I found her crying in the middle of the crowd. She lost her mom and her brother left her to go off with friends.”
Tara crouched down. “Hi Becca. My name is Abby. I own this place.”
Her eyes got even wider. “You own the whole town?”
Abby’s lips turned up before she stuffed it down. “No, honey, I meant I own this shop. Can I get you something to eat?”
She shook her head. “My mommy said I’m not allowed to eat anything. I’m allgeric.”
How cute was she? I could almost see having kids if they were like Becca.
“Oh. Do you know what you’re allergic to?”
Becca nodded. “Peanuts.”
“Well, I made all the stuff here with my friends. These right here,” she handed over a cake pop, “were made on my allergy free station. No peanuts were used in or near them so you can eat these without any problem.”
Becca’s eyes widened. “Can I have as many as I want?”
Abby laughed. “Let’s start with one. I don’t want you to fill up on cake and not eat your dinner.”
“Okay,” Becca agreed, taking the stick from Abby. She still held my hand and tugged me with her toward a chair. “Do you want to share, Tara? My teacher told me I need to learn to share.”
I smiled at the sweet girl. “I think maybe I’ll get my own. Can you stay here for a minute while I grab one? I’m come right back and join you.”
“Okay,” Becca said, diving into her cake pop.
I went back to the front of the stand where Abby was waiting for me.
“I’m so sorry I’m late,” I said. “I was going to be a few minutes late anyway, but I couldn’t leave her.”
Abby shook her head. “It’s not a big deal. We’ve had so many people here. Who is she?”
I shrugged. “I have no idea. She told me a little, but it didn’t help. I think her mom is in charge somehow.”
Abby narrowed her eyes. “I wonder if Olivia would know whose daughter she is. Let me call her.”
Abby stepped away for a minute and I grabbed a cake pop then checked on Becca. She was almost finished with hers. “Where’s my mommy?” she asked, her voice sounding a little shaky.
I sat next to her. “I don’t know, honey. My friend is calling someone who might know. We’ll find your mommy soon.”
“What if she left like my daddy did?”
I shook my head and pulled the girl in for a hug. “Oh, Becca, I’m sure that didn’t happen. Your mommy will be here any minute looking for you.”
“How do you know?”
I shrugged. “Because that’s how mommies are. She’s probably scared because she can’t find you.”
“Becca! Becca!” a frantic voice came from the other side of the counter.
I beamed at Becca. “I told you, sweetie. Let’s go see your mommy.”
Abby ushered the woman behind the counter and Becca ran to her. They hugged fiercely and I knew the woman was going to regret leaving her son in charge for a long time. He was going to regret it too if the angry look on his face as he watched mother and daughter was any indication.
She stood, her long brown hair falling away from her face, and I gasped.
“Abby?” she said in a voice almost as familiar as my own. “Who did you say found her? A friend of yours?”
Abby stepped up next to her. “Yeah, my friend, Tara. We went to college together. Becca seemed really comfortable with her.”
Olivia’s eyes swung toward me. It took a second before recognition lit them. Her lips pressed into a tight line and she took a deep breath. She shook her head then looked down at Becca. “Thank you,” she said, sounding sincere. “I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your help.”
All the pain from the past came back and swamped me. I didn’t want to see her as someone who deserved my kindness. But anything that happened between Olivia and me had nothing to do with Becca. I couldn’t blame the child for her mother’s behavior before she was born.
But it didn’t mean I was going to look the other way and all of a sudden be best friends with her again either.
“Becca’s a good kid,” I told her. “I enjoyed meeting her.”
Olivia nodded, then turned to Abby. “Thank you for calling me. I was starting to get frantic.”
“No problem. I had no idea you had kids. I’m glad you guys will all be able to come to girls’ night on Tuesday.”
Olivia glanced back at me again, having the decency to blush. “Yeah. I don’t know if that’s a good idea.”
Abby waved away her concerns, not knowing why Olivia was hesitating. “Don’t be silly. We all love kids. Everyone will be great with having them there.”
“Mommy,” Becca tugged on her arm. “Will I get to see Tara again?”
“Oh, that’s perfect,” Abby gushed. She knelt in front of Becca. “Yes, you will. Every Tuesday night your mommy is going to go out with us, and you and your brother are going to come too. Tara will be there.”
Becca smiled up at me, her big blue eyes shining. “Will you sit with me, Tara?”
How could I say no to her? “Of course, Becca.”
Olivia caught my eye and mouthed, ‘Thank you.’
I nodded and wondered how in the world I was going to pretend to get along with the woman I used to know as well as I knew myself. The woman I saw having a double wedding with. The woman who was the sister I never had. The woman who made high school bearable for me, until she ruined my life.
Thank you so much for reading Puffy & Precious. This book is truly a book for you, my readers. If you hadn’t asked for it, this book never would have been written. For that confidence, I thank you! I hope you loved Abby’s story, and just maybe swooned over Graham a bit.
The series continues with Tara’s story. Her life takes a turn she never expected, and not necessarily for the better. Pick up your copy of Round & Ravishing now!
Or if you want more than just one, grab Big & Beautiful Boxed Set #3, including Round & Ravishing, Curvaceous & Captivating, Stocky & Sumptuous, and Ample & Alluring!
Already finished the Big & Beautiful series? Don’t worry, there are plenty more books for you to read! Check out the first book in my Better In Bed series, Wait For It.
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