Chapter Two

Bridgette started up the car and turned it around to start back the way they had come. Bridgette didn’t miss the dark look Ginny had on her face as they pulled away. She knew that the miserable woman was up to something. She heaved a sigh of relief when they finally put some distance between them. Bridgette took a deep breath and told Sammy that she could finally sit up. Once she had strapped into her seat, Sammy turned serious eyes on the woman who was now her guardian.

“Who was that woman and why did she say that the land belonged to her husband?” Sammy asked, frowning.

“That woman is my Aunt Ginny and she’s not someone that you should trust.” Bridgette whispered.

“Is she like my daddy?” Sammy asked.

Bridgette sighed sadly, hating that she had someone to compare it to. Bridgette looked at the girl in the rearview mirror and shook her head.

“I don’t know, honey.” Bridgette whispered. “I sure hope not.”

“You would think that given how much time has passed that no one would remember her.” Said an older woman to the group of women she was sitting with at The Coffee Palace.

“Yes. Well, it is a bit hard to forget something like that happening in a town like this.” Said another older woman, nodding her silver hair.

“It’s so sad… They were such a lovely family. Even if the husband hung out with that Motorcycle Gang.” Said a third woman with a heavy sight.

“Everything got so much better once that no good Digger left. Don’t know what happened to him and don’t care much either.” Said the first woman sniffing.

“Oh I know! Besides the men there today, so much more appealing to look at.” Said a fourth woman. “Like that Kane. If I was about thirty years younger I’d be after him like a fish to bait!”

The older women cackled at that. They came everyday to The Coffee Palace and they loved watching the men of The Devil’s Knights MC as they came and went. They knew the previous owners of the place and were happy to see that their daughter had taken over. It was the town’s central hub and almost everyone came here once a day.

Mary chuckled as she listened to the older women gossipping about this person and that person here and there. She had stopped wiping down the counters when she heard them bring up the family that had been murdered all those years ago. Her whole body tensed. No one could think about them without thinking about her. She had been a bright girl. She had been a shy but friendly girl. She had made her parent’s day when she would stop in. They had loved her like she was their own and Mary had enjoyed her company as well. When she had gotten the news that her friend was missing and her family was dead she had felt like her world had crumbled. Even now, eight years later, her heart still aches for her. She never did learn of what had happened to her but she prayed that she had made it out unscathed although she knew that was wishful thinking.

Mary was distracted from her thoughts when the bell over her door rang. Inside stepped a small young woman with a young girl. Her blonde locks were windblown and her blue eyes seemed to dart around the room. Mary watched her every move, noticing how she mimicked quite a few of her brother’s actions after he had returned from overseas. Mary, who knew everyone, couldn’t place her face although she seemed slightly familiar.

“Oh! That’s the girl I was telling you about!” Said the first older woman.

“Well, I think she might have some potential. Only time will tell. Based off of looks alone I’d say you were quite right.” Snickered the third woman.

“Wouldn’t she make a darling little companion for him?” The second woman sighed wistfully.

“What are you ladies plotting?” Mary asked, raising a brow at the group.

“Nothing, dear.” Said the fourth woman. “How is that brother of your’s?”

“He’s fine.” She said, shaking her head with a smirk.

Mary sighed at their obvious attempt to pry information out of her about his current dating status. She wasn’t about to throw him to the wolves just yet but if he kept it up she might consider letting him dangle over the fire. If he only knew just what those old biddies were plotting he might just start walking the straight a narrow. Mary would doubtlessly give her last penny to see that. She snickered and walked away with menus in her hand to go greet the new arrival.

“Welcome to The Cafe Palace. What can I get you to drink?” She asked with a friendly smile.

Mary ignored the urge to frown when the young woman stiffened upon seeing her face. Even though her face was totally blank her stiff posture gave her away. Something Mary had said or done had apparently bothered the young woman. She stood there with the same friendly smile on her face and waited.

“Can I have some orange juice and a water?” Bridgette asked with a neutral face.

“Sure and what about you, kiddo?” She asked, turning to Sammy.

“A glass of milk please?” She said, softly.

“Of course! I’ll go get your drink order and be right back.” She said, pocketing her notepad and turning away.

“Do you know her?” Sammy asked when she had gone.

“We used to be friends.” Bridgette whispered.

“Why didn’t you say anything?” She asked, tilting her head.

“It would put her in danger.” Bridgette whispered. “We can’t tell anyone who we really are. We can’t take the risk of innocent people getting hurt.”

“Is it hard?” Sammy asked, frowning in thought.

“Is what hard?”Bridgette asked softly.

“Well, not being able to tell anyone who you really are.” Sammy mumbled.

“It doesn’t matter if it’s difficult for me or not. My comfort and my safety shouldn’t come before anyone else’s. If I can never tell anyone who I am because it could get them hurt then I’m willing to keep as much distance as possible between myself and them.” Bridgette whispered, glancing over where Mary stood getting their drinks.

“You’re a very confusing person.” Sammy mumbled.

“What do you mean?” Bridgette asked with a chuckle.

“I-i… about that night…” Sammy began not really sure where to start.

Bridgette could see the confusion on her face and smiled gently at the frowning child in front of her. She knew that it was impossible for a child who had witnessed what she did to understand how Bridgette, someone she knew as kind and loving, could be so brutal towards another person.

“I understand.” Bridgette began, “What you saw that night… That’s not how you were used to seeing me.”

“Exactly. I don’t understand how you can do what you did and still be so…” Sammy trailed off looking for the right word. “Um… you know, kind and sweet.”

“I’m not exactly kind and sweet.” Bridgette said with a sigh.

“Here’s your drinks. Did you get a chance to look at the menu?” Mary asked.

“Um… I’ll have a pancake and scrambled eggs.” Sammy said, folding her menu shut.

“I’ll have two eggs over easy, white toast, and some fruit.” Bridgette said, doing the same.

“I’ll have that right out.” She said, writing down their order and taking the menus.

“Thank you.” Bridgette mumbled softly but Mary heard and nodded her head before disappearing.

“So, what would you call yourself then?” Sammy asked after once again assuring that the waitress was gone.

“Protective?” Bridgette asked, shrugging.

“Well, yes you’re obviously that.” She mumbled, not happy with the answer. “But it’s something else.”

“Well when you figure it out let me know.” Bridgette said softly.

“Deal!” Sammy said with a toothy grin.

Bridgette often found herself giving the young girl small things to think about. Well, they were small for her, but for Sammy it was like discovering another world. Bridgette didn’t want her to be thinking about such heavy topics at such a young age. She wanted to try to preserve some of that innocence and wonder adults were supposed to protect. While Sammy happily chatted about this and that Bridgette found herself drifting back to that night. It was the first time Sammy had been afraid of her and she still regretted it. She never should have lost it like she did that night. It had set her over the edge and she had nearly killed Sammy’s father in a blind rage.

“Hey, Bridge?” Sammy began, twiddling her thumbs.

Bridgette found herself frowning at the motion. It was such an odd thing to do with her fingers for a child her age. She raised a brow, wondering if she had seen someone else do it. She remembered her dad had done it but couldn’t recall if she or anyone her age had done it as well.

“Sammy, you’re a six year old little girl. What on earth are you twiddling your thumbs about and where did you learn such a thing?” She asked with a chuckle.

“What?” Sammy asked, looking up at her in surprise.

“Your thumbs. You were moving them around in a circle.” Bridgette snickered. “I haven’t seen anyone younger than my dad do that.”

“Oh…” She whispered, staring at her thumbs as she tried to twiddle them on purpose.

Bridgette smiled when she saw Sammy’s thumbs fumble over each other. She pursed her lips with a small frown and continued to stare at them. Bridgette knew that the little girl would be preoccupied with her thumbs and moving them over each other for a while until she got it down flawlessly. Bridgette just shook her head and smiled softly as the little girl practiced the movement in between bites of food.