Clearing her throat, she addressed Emma. “Have you seen anything you like? The new shipment of silk nightgowns came in yesterday. They’re on display over there.” She gestured to the left side of the store.
Her friend fingered a pale blue nightgown, the revealing neckline edged with fine lace. “I’ll try on this one.” She held it up against herself, then checked the size. “Oh good, it’s in my size.”
“I’ve ordered lots more clothing in larger sizes.” Amber smiled. “And …” satisfaction was evident in her voice, “sales have improved already!”
“That’s wonderful, Amber.” Emma high-fived her friend and winked. “Maybe I should try on some more items while I’m here.”
Half an hour later, Emma left the shop with the blue silk nightgown, a little black dress, and a lavender blouse that set off her skin and hair color to perfection.
“This is going to knock Cade’s eyes out,” the blonde giggled, handing over her credit card.
As Amber rang up the sale, she couldn’t help feeling proud of what she’d achieved in the first two months as manager of the store. Her boss had given her a lot of leeway in choosing the stock as long as it was tasteful and appealed to potential customers. So she’d ordered in the type of clothes she wanted to wear: pretty dresses, alluring but elegant nightgowns, gorgeous shoes, as well as practical and sturdy clothes like jeans, long-sleeved cotton shirts suitable for ranch work, and boots. But in everything she ordered, Amber chose the most appealing option available. And so far, the women of Coldwater Springs liked her taste. Business had improved, and since she’d started stocking larger sizes, her customer base had grown as well.
And as an employee, she received a generous staff discount that certainly helped her budget.
“Have fun in Hawaii.” Amber hugged her friend as they said goodbye.
“Call you when I get back,” Emma promised, waving her plastic shopping bag in farewell.
***
The following week, Amber sipped a cup of black coffee at the diner. Since the store had always closed for lunch from 12 to 12.45 p.m., she’d eaten the sandwich she’d brought from home in the staff room at the boutique, then decided to go for a brisk walk to the diner and grab a cup of coffee, rather than visit the bakery across the street.
She felt guilty about not popping in to see her friend Kate, an incredible baker, but that was the problem. She knew she wouldn’t be able to resist a slice of something sinful, like her Red Velvet Cake, the softness of the red tinted sponge cake and the lush cream cheese frosting melting on her tongue in an explosion of flavor.
Right now, that was the last thing she needed - extra pounds around her hips and tummy.
Because you can’t stop thinking about Mikhail.
She gripped her mug. Since she’d met the sexy Russian, she hadn’t been able to get him out of her mind. It had to stop. He obviously wasn’t interested in her. If he had been, he could have asked Emma for her phone number.
Five days. That’s how long ago she had met him. Emma had departed on her trip with Cade yesterday, and since Mikhail was looking after their horses while they were away, he knew exactly when they were leaving. So if he hadn’t asked for her phone number by now, it obviously meant he wasn’t interested.
Story of her life.
“Hey, hon, like a top-up?” Betty, the matronly, gray-haired waitress who ran the diner, stopped by her table. Her gaze zeroed in on the bite mark on Amber’s hand. “Are you okay? That looks nasty.”
Amber glanced down at her hand and grimaced. “Barney did that this morning. My horse.”
She still remembered the shock and pain she’d experienced. After feeding Barney, she’d petted him, and he’d bitten her! She’d neglected him lately - heck, since she’d realized a few days ago that she’d been neglecting everything else because she was so focused on her new promotion, she’d promised herself to put more balance in her life with work and play, and had tried to make it up to Barney this morning. She hadn’t ridden him for a couple of weeks, and apart from a quick pat when she fed him in the mornings and evenings, she hadn’t spent much time with him at all. And it seemed he wasn’t as quick to forgive her as Emma had been.
Betty tsked. “You don’t want him to become a biter, that’s for sure.”
“I know. I’d take him to Cade, but Emma and Cade have gone on vacation.”
The waitress frowned in thought. “What about that new guy? The one who lives near Cade?”
Amber immediately flashed to an image of Mikhail saving her from falling. “Do you mean …” she cleared her throat, “Mikhail?”
Betty snapped her fingers. “Yep. That’s the one. I don’t think we’ve had someone from Russia living here before. Especially such a sexy man.”
Amber tried to keep her expression non-committal. It was bad enough that Emma suspected she had the hots for Mikhail. There was no need for Betty to know as well.
“Is Mikhail a horse trainer too?”