Devin Street quickly locked up the downtown office of the Chatelaine Daily News. He had a very important date. He was meeting his daughter, Carly, at the Cowgirl Café for dinner.
Most nights during the week, he worked late and ate his meals at his desk. As the owner, main reporter, and editor for the paper, his schedule was full. He did have to do a little work on the side tonight—it couldn’t be helped. He was the anonymous restaurant critic, but spending quality time with Carly was his main focus.
It had taken a lot to convince her to join him instead of going to a friend’s house to eat pizza. A chance to be one of the first in her friends group to check out the new spot in town had swayed her decision.
Lately, so many things had become a struggle with his thirteen-year-old daughter. He and his ex, Lauren, were co-parenting Carly through her seemingly endless mood swings. Last year, when she’d “officially” become a teen, almost overnight her communication style had shifted from intelligible words to huffs, eye rolls, and constant groaning over the rules they laid down to keep her safe and prepare her for adulthood.
What was that saying about how your teenager’s actions were payback for giving your own parents hell when you’d been growing up? Devin sighed. But had he really been that challenging when he’d been her age?
A vision of his father sitting behind the desk in the office he’d just left made Devin smile. Carl Street, who Carly had been named after, was probably looking down, laughing at him right then.
Carl had raised him as a single father after his wife had passed away when Devin had been just five years old. His dad had possessed the right balance of healthy skepticism, optimism, and a balanced view of the world. They were important qualities to have as a parent, journalist, and a boss. And now that he was following in his father’s footsteps, he made it a priority to emulate him.
As Devin walked to the restaurant, he reviewed a text from the pet shelter asking him if he had time to foster a dog. The pet’s elderly owner was moving into a senior-living apartment building and wouldn’t be able to take his beloved companion with him. The shelter was trying to find the dog a permanent home before the move. If they couldn’t, they would need Devin’s help. Without a second thought, he responded yes.
For many years, his father had also assisted the shelter. Carl had used the experience to teach him responsibility and the importance of helping others when they needed support. Hopefully Carly was learning the same thing from him as he continued that tradition as well as giving the shelter free space in the newspaper to feature animals up for adoption.
She’d done a great job helping him take care of Chumley, a Great Dane he’d fostered last month. He’d even considered adopting him for her. But a couple who’d been searching for that specific breed had reached out to the shelter about the dog, and from the way Chumley had immediately bonded with them, it had been clear where he belonged.
As Devin finished answering messages, his phone chimed with a familiar ringtone. It was his ex.
On a reflex, he checked the time on the screen before answering. Shoot. He was running a little late.
“Hey, Lauren. I’m a minute or so from the restaurant. Just drop Carly out front and tell her to wait for me.”
“Oh, I guess you missed the big news.”
The hint of light sarcasm in his former wife’s voice made him pause. “What happened?”
“The Cowgirl Café is postponing their grand opening.”
“Since when? They’ve been advertising it in the paper for weeks.”
“Since not too long ago. I suspect that no one saw this coming considering the amount of people they’re turning away.”
He quirked a brow. “Did they say why?”
“I have no idea, but why the restaurant isn’t opening is the least of your worries.”
Carly... Her having bragging rights for being the first of her friends to eat at the new hotspot was no longer a possibility.
He started walking again, picking up the pace. “I know she’s probably bummed. But let her know we can go anywhere she wants tonight.”
“Oh, no—I’ve already gotten my dose of attitude for the day. One of her teachers called this afternoon. Your daughter’s been goofing off in class. I told Carly if she doesn’t get her behavior in order and bring her grade back up, I’m changing her curfew to six on a school night and the weekends to make sure she studies.” Frustration tinged Lauren’s tone. “Now her hate-my-mom hormones are on full blast and I’m on the verge of losing my patience with her.”
Your daughter? Devin quietly huffed a chuckle. It was interesting how Carly became all his when she was acting up. But having been in Lauren’s shoes when it came to their daughter, he understood the exasperation she felt. “I’ll be there in a sec to handle things.”
A moment later, he arrived at the café.
More than a few disappointed people mingled near the entrance where Freya Fortune stood with one of the hosts.
“I’m so sorry,” the older woman said to everyone. “Something unexpected has happened, and we don’t have any food to serve you tonight. But we can put your name and number on our email list. We’ll contact you when we have an update.”
Some folks added their information to the list while others walked away, frustrated over their ruined dinner plans.
No food—that was why the opening had been canceled?
Resisting the urge to find out more, Devin jogged to Lauren’s tan SUV parked farther down the street.
As he got closer, his dark-haired ex-wife met his gaze through the windshield. He went to the driver’s side, and she opened the window.
Carly sat beside her in the front passenger seat, head down, texting on her phone. Their daughter had inherited his brown eyes and the color of Lauren’s deep chestnut-brown hair as well as her light brown complexion.
After exchanging a look of acknowledgment with his ex, he spoke to Carly. “Well, little lady, it looks like we have to hang out somewhere else tonight.”
“I guess,” Carly mumbled. As she stared at her phone, her face lit up. “But Michaela said I can still come to her house and make pizza. Her dad just built a pizza oven in their backyard.”
“But what about our father-daughter date? You’re not standing me up, are you? We can order pizza from your favorite place and watch a movie or go to the Saddle and Spur Roadhouse for some burgers and those triple-fudge brownies you like.”
“Father-daughter date? Seriously, Dad, I’m not ten years old.”
No, she wasn’t. At that age, she’d always been eager to spend time with him.
As if reading his mind, Lauren gave him an empathetic look before turning her attention to Carly. “You can hang out with Michaela and make pizza at her house another time. Your dad cleared his schedule for you.”
“But I told everyone I would be eating at the Cowgirl Café.” World-ending unhappiness filled Carly’s face as she slumped in the seat. “Just ordering pizza or going to the Saddle and Spur is embarrassing.”
Embarrassing? A small pang of sadness hit Devin, but he forced a smile. “I know eating at the Saddle and Spur isn’t as exciting as trying out a new place, but...”
“So I can go to Michaela’s?” Carly’s expression was hopeful as she looked between Devin and Lauren.
The last thing he wanted to do was force his daughter to spend time with him. And Lauren could probably use a couple of hours to herself. Figuring that accepting a compromise was the best solution, he gave his ex-wife a nod. “That’s okay with me if you’re good with it.”
“All right, then.” Lauren sighed. “You can go to Michaela’s. But you owe your dad a thank-you hug before we go.”
Smiling, Carly bounded out the SUV. She threw her arms around his neck. “Thanks, Dad. I love you.”
He hugged her back. The love swelling inside his chest almost choked him up. “Love you, too. Have a good time.”
He waved goodbye as Lauren and Carly drove away. Standing alone on the sidewalk, he stared at the front of the Cowgirl Café and the surrounding area. It was like a ghost town. A sense of desolation set in as he walked back to his car parked near the office.
The feeling was still there as he microwaved last night’s leftover enchiladas in the kitchen at his house on the outskirts of Chatelaine.
The ranch-style home had all the necessities. In the living room, a beige couch, side chairs, a solid-wood coffee table, and a media console underneath a wall-mounted widescreen television partially filled the space. The dining room with a window overlooking a small deck in the backyard was empty. A king-sized bed and dresser furnished his main bedroom, and he’d converted one of the guest bedrooms into an office.
The second guest bedroom was Carly’s.
In the kitchen, one of her purple hair ties sat on the counter. Not feeling up to the effort of walking down the hall and putting it in the bathroom, he stuck it in a junk drawer. It also contained a half-empty bottle of glitter nail polish, lip balm that was also close to done, and other odds and ends his daughter had left in his truck or around the house.
He’d learned a long time ago not to get rid of anything she owned, no matter how long it sat unused or how empty it looked to him. Because as soon as he did, she would come searching for it, claiming the item was something she couldn’t live without.
As he shut the drawer, he released a deep sigh. He’d really been looking forward to watching her eyes light up as they tried out several items on the menu. Her guard always came down when she was truly enjoying herself, and in those moments, he saw his little girl again.
Seriously, Dad, I’m not ten years old...
But wasn’t it just yesterday that Carly had been a toddler crawling on the rug between him and Lauren in the living room of their tiny apartment in Dallas?
As Devin stood at the kitchen counter eating dinner, nostalgic memories flooded his mind.
Back then, he’d been employed at a newspaper as an entry-level reporter and Lauren had worked at a clothing store. Money had been tight, but they’d made enough to pay the bills and take good care of Carly.
Within a few years, their priorities had shifted as promotions at their jobs had opened up a better life for them. But a house and all the possessions in the world couldn’t mask the obvious. He and Lauren had been growing apart. Busier schedules. Different interests. It had been a combination of a lot of things. Their love for Carly had become their main bond.
Wanting to give their marriage a second chance, they’d moved back to his hometown of Chatelaine seven years ago, and he’d started working with his dad at the paper. But even with more balanced schedules, he and Lauren had still struggled to find their way back to each other.
Just as they’d been considering a trial separation, his dad had gotten sick. He and Lauren had rallied together to take care of Carl.
Managing the paper in his father’s absence had given Devin a good look at the financials. The Chatelaine Daily News had been barely breaking even. But it was the one thing that had kept Carl going through the harsh chemotherapy treatments.
The image of his father, frail yet trying to remain upbeat for everyone until the end, came into Devin’s mind. Lauren had been a huge help as he’d coped with the loss. But a year later, they’d been more like strangers than husband and wife. The ending of their marriage had been an amicable decision, and they’d worked out the details of their divorce with a mediator instead of attorneys.
They’d also both agreed to remain in Chatelaine. Lauren had gone back to school at the local community college, and he’d kept the newspaper. Making it profitable again had required him to whittle the staff. He, along with the managing editor, Charles, who also contributed articles, and their staff assistant, Quinn, produced the newspaper that went out online every Thursday and in print on Sundays.
When the budget allowed, he used freelance journalists and photographers to fill the gaps.
They’d been saving space in tomorrow’s online edition for his review of the Cowgirl Café. But he wasn’t sure what he wanted to write yet.
Done with dinner, he went to his home office and reviewed his emails and messages.
A woman named Morgana was interested in looking through the newspaper’s archives. Everything from the past ten years could be accessed from their website. Anything beyond that Quinn was working on organizing and uploading to their cloud-storage account. But whatever this woman was looking for they could provide in one form or another.
After answering Morgana’s email, he went to the paper’s online social media page, the Chatelaine Daily News Community Corner. As the moderator, he reviewed the remarks from residents on posts regarding happenings in the town or teasing upcoming stories in the paper.
Usually there were just a few praises, concerns, or opinions, but the multiple comments under the post about the Cowgirl Café’s grand opening snagged his attention.
New restaurant in town is a huge disappointment...
The Cowgirl Café ruined my sister’s birthday...
New restaurant owner needs a lesson on customer service...
No food? Way to screw up opening night...
The chatter was brutal...but honest.
Devin pulled up the Cowgirl Café’s website. A statement was on the welcome page.
Due to an unforeseeable incident, the Cowgirl Café’s grand opening has been postponed. We apologize for the inconvenience and hope you will join us when we reschedule this celebration...
Freya Fortune had said they didn’t have food to serve customers. But when he’d asked Bea earlier that afternoon if she was ready for the grand opening, she’d given him an enthusiastic confirmation. What type of unforeseeable incident could have caused a cancellation? Incompetence? Poor planning?
He worried his lower lip, mulling it over. Bea’s response didn’t fit with either of those scenarios. But the statement the Cowgirl Café had issued wasn’t disputing Freya’s explanation. And as a restaurant critic, it was his job to give an unbiased opinion.
But he didn’t want to make Bea look bad either.
The memory of Bea walking past him on the sidewalk flashed into his mind. Along with the tingling sensation along the back of his neck that had made him look over his shoulder.
He’d been surprised and pleased to see her glancing back at him. Had he really glimpsed a sparkle of interest in her eyes? Or had he imagined what he’d wanted to see? That if he could ask her out, there was a chance she would say yes.
As he let the wonderful daydream of that moment run through his mind, a slight smile tugged at his mouth.
Another comment appearing under the social media post for the Cowgirl Café pulled him back to the present.
Having food on opening night is Restaurant 101 in the industry. Maybe the owner needs to find a different hobby to occupy her newfound wealth and time...
Devin sat back in the chair. That was harsh. But was the commenter right?