“I’ve never been a big celery fan,” Sarah admitted. “Too stringy.”
“It’s got a weird texture, I’ll give you that,” Lance agreed. “I know this doesn’t quite compare to Cornerstone Café takeout, but I’m glad it didn’t go to waste.”
“Don’t sell yourself short, son.” Zeke made his dinosaur nugget stomp and clomp dramatically across his plate. “Those spider spaghettis are a delicacy. Not easy to get the hot dogs and noodles cooked just right.”
“I ruined the first batch. Soggy noodles and undercooked dogs.”
“A common mistake,” Zeke said in jest, just to rib Lance a little.
“I’ll get all of this cleaned up if the two of you want to excuse yourselves and go relax by the fire.” Jill already had Sarah’s plate in her hand and was making a move for Lance’s.
“You don’t need to do that, Mrs. Hart. I’m happy to wash the dishes.”
“Mrs. Hart?” Jill cocked a hip and inclined her head. “Lance, dear, just how long have I known you?”
She was right. He’d called her Jill his entire life, sometimes even slipping when he was younger and accidentally referring to her as “Mom”. But something felt different now that his feelings for her daughter were different. There was a level of respect that he wanted to convey.
“Scoot.” She gave his shoulder a nudge with her elbow. “I’ve got this.”
Lance wiped the cloth napkin across his mouth and pushed back from the table as told. “Thank you.”
Jill just gave him a wink.
“I’m going to check on Laney.” Sarah slid her chair out from the dining table and placed the sleepy puppy on the ground near Lance’s feet. “Make sure she’s doing okay up there.”
“She’s due for another round of Tylenol if she’s awake and will take it.” Zeke looked at his watch. “I’ve already got it measured out on the bathroom counter for her.”
“Thanks, Dad.” Sarah squeezed her dad’s shoulders before coming over to Lance. “You don’t have to wait around if you’ve got somewhere you need to be.”
“I’ll be here.” He reached out and grazed her hand with his fingers lightly, but enough for something to flash across her face. “Take your time.”
A blush crept up her neck to her cheeks. “I won’t be long.”
Despite Jill’s protests, Lance made his way into the kitchen, grabbing a dishtowel to help dry the plates.
“So.” Jill was about to hand him a platter, but it still had some suds on the rim, so she quickly rinsed it under the stream of water before fully passing it off. “When are you guys going to make it official?”
“Official?” Lance paused, the dishrag mid-wipe. “Like, a relationship?”
“That’s what it is, isn’t it?” She gave him a knowing look. “You both like each other. Have you not acknowledged that out loud yet?”
They hadn’t. Truth be told, Lance hadn’t even outright acknowledged it to himself yet. Of course, he liked Sarah. But he couldn’t be sure where she stood on the whole thing.
“We haven’t really talked about things.”
“Do you plan to?”
Lance stacked the platter in the drying rack and leaned against the counter. “I don’t want to ruin anything between us. I’ve known Sarah for so long. You guys are practically family. If she doesn’t feel the same…”
Jill interrupted, the smile on her face saying everything he needed to know. “She most certainly does feel the same, whether she’ll admit it or not.” Dipping her hands below the layer of shimmery bubbles, Jill pulled out another plate to scrub clean with a sponge. “But Sarah has this thing where she worries about being a burden.”
Lance chuckled. “Oh, yeah. I’m fully aware of that.”
“She does it with Zeke and me, and she’ll do it in a relationship, too. I don’t know why she can’t seem to comprehend that she has so much to offer, and that any man would be lucky to have her in his life.”
It was a statement Lance couldn’t disagree with. And when it came down to it, he often worried he wasn’t worthy of her.
“I think so highly of Sarah,” Lance said. “And that little Laney has worked her way into my heart, too. I just don’t want to put any pressure on Sarah. She just got out of a relationship a little over a year ago.”
