No sooner were they in the restaurant than Sofia pulled Sarah by the arm. “I’ll take Sarah to the back so she can try on one of the shirts.”

Angel frowned. “That’s okay, Sofi,” to Sarah he said, “You don’t have to wear a uniform, babe.”

Sarah lifted her chin. “But I like the shirts.” She turned to Sofia. “I’ll take a medium.”

Angel smiled and she blew him a kiss. When they got to the back room Sofia closed the door behind them and grinned wickedly.

“Oh my God, I’ve been dying to talk to someone about this and you’re the only person I can.”

Sarah wasn’t sure she wanted to be the only one that knew. From the very beginning Angel didn’t even have to say it. It was so obvious how protective he and his brothers were about Sofia. She thought of Alex breaking the head off the turtle figurine and smiled feebly.

Sofia opened a drawer, grabbed a polo with restaurants log on it and an apron. She handed them to Sarah. She continued eagerly apparently unaware of Sarah’s sudden lack of enthusiasm. “I told him!”

Sarah gulped. “Told him what?”

Sofia glanced at the door then whispered. “That I’m saving myself for him.”

“What?” Sarah’s heart raced. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

Sofia put her hands over her mouth and giggled. Sarah couldn’t help laughing too. She felt silly but Sofia’s attitude about the whole thing was startling. Was she crazy?

Sarah clutched the polo and the apron in both hands in front of her face. Her eyes were wide open. “What did he say?”

Sofia’s face lit up even more. “He kissed me.”

Sarah blinked, unable to find words.

Sofia didn’t seem to notice Sarah’s anxiety. She mistook Sarah’s previous nervous laughter for excitement and went on. “I’ve never been kissed before. But he was amazing. He knew exactly what he was doing. I never wanted it to stop. I was so glad your cousin was there to keep Romero busy. He probably would’ve ruined everything. I can hardly wait for it to happen again.”

Again?

“Oh but there’s so much more I wanna tell you.” Sofia gushed.

“More?”

“Yeah, there’s more than just kissing.”

Sarah wasn’t sure but she could swear it was getting hot in that room.

“I mean he’s so much more to me than just a crush. I’m really falling for him, Sarah. It killed me that he was acting so cold and distant last night after what happened in the parking lot at school. I knew he was thinking the worst. So, I suggested we go for a walk and I told him he had nothing to worry about, I was saving myself for him.”

Sarah stared at Sofia. “So, what’s going to happen now?”

There was no way her brothers would allow it.

Sofia looked defiant. “I don’t know. All I know is I want to be with him and no one is going to stop me.”

This was only getting worse. There’d be hell to pay if Eric was honestly considering going forward with this.

“You have to be careful, Sofia. You don’t want him to get hurt.”

“He wants to wait until I’m seventeen to tell Angel. But that’s not until next year.”

That sounded reasonable to Sarah but she could tell by the expression on Sofia’s face that wasn’t going to happen.

There was a knock at the door and Sarah jumped.

“She’s still getting dressed, Angel.”

“Alright, we’re getting ready to open in a few minutes.”

“Okay,” Sarah finished adjusting her apron. “We’ll be right out.”

She almost lost her balance when Sofia hugged her. “I’m so glad I have someone to talk to about this.”

*

At first Angel had protested her helping, but of course, Sarah insisted. Now he watched as she waited on a table, smiling, and talking to the customers as if it were second nature.

Angel went back and forth from the hostess desk, to the back office where he was trying to finish up writing a help wanted ad he was going to submit to the local newspaper that week. His parents were looking to hire a few more cooks and a couple more people to wait tables.

He thought about asking Sarah if she wanted the job waiting tables, but something told him she might be insulted. Plus, she had her weekends full already, babysitting. She was so damn devoted to the families she worked for. He knew she wouldn’t want to let them down.

The phone on the desk rang, disrupting Angel’s thoughts.

“Angel?”

He was surprised to hear Valerie’s voice.

“Hey, Val, what’s up?”

“Sorry I’m calling on this line, but Sarah’s not answering her phone.”

“It’s alright,” he said. “She’s waiting tables. She doesn’t have her phone on her. I’ll get her for you.”

“Wait.” She sounded nervous. “Maybe you should tell her, ‘cause she’s probably gonna freak.”

Angel sat up slowly. “What is it?”

“Sydney was in a car accident this morning.”

Angel gripped the receiver a little tighter. “Is she okay?”

There was silence on the other end for a second, and then Valerie cleared her throat. “Her ... uh parents were calling from the hospital but they don’t know anything yet. I have all the information, the hospital and the number and stuff. They gave me their cell phone number in case she doesn’t have it, so she can call them directly.”