“Hello, friends,” he said as he made his way to the counter. “How are you today?”
“Something happened to Sophia, and she won’t tell me what’s wrong,” Thea said.
“Thea,” Sophia hissed.
She shouldn’t have assumed Dietrich’s presence would save her, but she didn’t expect Thea to tell Dietrich that something was wrong.
Dietrich’s eyes widened as he turned to Sophia. “What happened?”
“Nothing’s wrong,” Sophia protested.
Dietrich threw an arm around her shoulders, his dark brown hair flopping over his forehead with the motion. “If you think I’m going to take no for an answer after saving your life, then something is definitely wrong with you.”
Dietrich’s concern made something well up in her throat.
He and Thea were her first friends, and the fact that they were worried about her made her want to cry, which was unusual. But showing emotion always led to future trouble, so she shoved it down and shook her head. “Honestly, it’s nothing. There was a stranger in the barn earlier and I overreacted.”
Across the counter, Thea frowned. “There aren’t many strangers around these parts.”
“I’m sure I just didn’t recognize him since I’m so new. It rattled me a little, that’s all. I don’t like strangers.”
Anything to convince them to stop asking her questions.
Sophia didn’t like being the center of attention.
“And yet you moved to a town full of strangers,” Dietrich said with an easy grin. “I’ll take my regular, Thea, and I’ll get the goat girl’s drink, too.”
“I can get my own,” Sophia protested. “I make enough money.”
Dietrich grinned. “Yeah, but sometimes it’s fun to throw you for a loop.”
Sophia sighed as Dietrich paid for both of their drinks. “You didn’t have to do that. Let me—”
“You know he’s not gonna let you pay it back,” Thea said as she bustled away to make their drinks, “so don’t even bother trying.”
“I was going to get my own drink,” Sophia said weakly as Dietrich ushered her over to the cozy seats where they usually sat.
Ginger was curled up next to Sophia’s usual chair, waiting. As Sophia settled into her seat, the orange cat made her way onto her lap, purring in anticipation. Sophia leaned down and gave her a hug before petting her gently.
“So other than the stranger, anything else happening this week?” Dietrich asked, taking up most of a double occupant seat as he sprawled back. He ran his fingers through his hair and looked over at Sophia. “Are the goats giving you more trouble?”
“Always,” she said. “Especially little Mollie. She has a way of getting out and getting into everything constantly.”
“And yet she’s your favorite somehow.” Dietrich said, rolling his eyes.
“I know,” Sophia said with a smile. “She’s just too cute. I just love her little brown nose and the white spot on her forehead.”
“She’s got you totally taken in,” Dietrich said. “You love every moment of it and she’s not even your goat.”
Sophia shrugged. “It’s not like Liliana is out there that often. She’s basically mine.”
“Sounds like an awful lot of trouble for your weekly wages,” Dietrich said.
“At least I get weekly wages.”
He frowned and sat up straight. “What do you mean, at least you get weekly wages? Did you not get paid at your last place?”
Sophia shook her head. She shouldn’t have brought it up. She didn’t want to talk about it, and now Dietrich wasn’t going to let it go.
