Page 57 of Temporarily in Love

“Why? Are you worried about competing?” Lila asked.

“Sorta,” Brian said. “Bar’s still busy the weekend before Halloween, especially since it’s on a Monday this year, but I’d prefer to do something unrelated to the holiday.”

“Does that give us enough time to plan?” Kelly asked nervously.

“We got the sign made, the new menus printed, and if we get entertainment, that should be good,” Lila said firmly. “I’ll start figuring out how to advertise it, and then we set a time.”

Sean grinned at his daughter. “Sounds like you got it all figured out.”

“You got the sign made?” Kelly asked.

Lila turned to me. “Go get it and show my mom.”

I pushed my chair out from the table and retrieved it from the living room. When I walked back into the kitchen, I held up the sign so they all could see.

Kelly had a grin from ear to ear. “I love it!”

“It’s good work,” Sean agreed.

“Love it,” Kelsey chimed in, while Brian nodded in agreement.

I handed it to Lila. “Well, I think you can have this now, so you can hang it up above the door.”

She gave me a bright smile and squeezed my hand.

We were about to finish dinner, so I cleared my and Lila’s plates and started helping clean up.

“You’re a guest!” Kelly insisted as she walked into the kitchen. “You don’t have to do that. God knows my children didn’t lift a finger to help.”

I noticed Lila and her sister had disappeared, as did Brian and Sean. That was fine. I didn’t mind helping clean up. It was nice that the Sullivans invited me. But I had to admit, dinner felt like a weird blast from the past.

“The sign looks good,” Kelly said to me while she wiped down the counter and I put the dishes away.

“Felix is an amazing artist. He does all of our artwork. I had to push him to pursue it on the side.”

She gave me a curious look. “You’re good at pushing people into what they should do, huh?”

I shrugged. I guessed that was true. I saw potential with both Felix and Gemma for different reasons, and pushed them to pursue it.

“Well, maybe you can push my daughter to move home.”

“I don’t know…”

“Declan, if she has a reason to stay, she will. Be her reason.”

I didn’t know what I was supposed to say to that, but it was interesting that both of Lila’s parents were pushing me to get their daughter to move back. I understood why Lila left. I left for college too, but I came back. Drakesville was my home, but it wasn’t hers. Not anymore.

Kelly took two pies out of the fridge. “I know you love apple, so I got you some of that.”

“Mrs. Sullivan, you didn’t have to do that.”

“Declan! You’re a grown man. Please call me Kelly,” she said with a laugh.

I laughed too. Some habits were hard to break.

“Or maybe one day you can call me Mom.”

I rubbed the back of my neck. “Umm…”