Page 82 of Temporarily in Love

I walked into the kitchen, and they both had a look of concern on their faces. “I’m moving home,” I announced.

“Okay…” Dad trailed off.

Mom clapped her hands and ran over to me, enveloping me in a great big hug. “Oh, honey, that’s the best news ever!”

“And I want to buy the bar and take care of it so you can retire,” I continued. “And I want to marry Declan MacGregor.”

A small smile curled up on my dad’s lips. “Okay, honey, but I think you need to tell him that last one, not us.”

I took a shaky breath and ran my hand through my hair. “Yeah. And then I need to go home and sell my house.”

“What about your law career?” Mom asked.

I shook my head. “I don’t regret my success, and I had a great career, but I work eighty hours a week and go home to an empty house with no social life. And my fiancé, who I didn’t even like all that much, cheated on me with his damn secretary! And I didn’t even care! I want to own the family bar and keep it running. I miss the seasons and want to eat real Philly Cheesesteaks and have people say, ‘Go Bulldogs’ to me as a greeting. And for people to stop making fun of me for pronouncing it ‘wooder,’ which is the correct way. And I miss Wawa coffee! I want to have real, good Wawa coffee. And I want the man I love to know that he’s the only person I’ve loved, and I wished it hadn’t taken me sixteen fucking years to figure it out!”

I was out of breath after I ranted it all out, but when I looked at my parents, they were holding in their laughter.

“What?” I asked.

Mom’s smile could have made the Cheshire Cat jealous. “Oh, honey, go get your man.”

I hugged my mom tight. “I was so stupid. I shouldn’t have avoided him for all these years.”

Mom stroked my hair, and then she pulled back to look at me. She cupped my face. “You’re stubborn like your father, but Declan loves you. Now go tell him you love him too. And then get started on making me more grandkids.”

I laughed. “Mom!”

She shrugged. “What? You’re not getting any younger.”

I laughed again, but I hugged her tight. Then I walked over to my dad and hugged him too. “I know you think it’s ridiculous for me to throw away my career, but I want the bar, and I want to continue with the family business.”

Dad frowned. “It’s not that. If you want the bar and you want to take it over, I’ll support you. But only if you want to do it. That’s why I said I’d only sell if you moved back. I didn’t think you’d do it, but I wanted you to. I wanted my daughter back even if she’s gonna steal my job!”

“It’s what I want. I’ve been unhappy in my career. When Chad cheated on me, it made me reevaluate a lot of things about my life.”

Dad pushed me away. “Go on then, go get Declan. We’ll see you later.”

I spun around and was out of the house in a flash. I needed to tell Declan everything, and I needed to tell him now. Before I got on a plane and changed my mind.

Chapter Twenty-Four

DECLAN

“What’s up your ass?” my brother growled at me as we went over the numbers.

I ran a hand through my hair and didn’t know where to begin. One, Annie hit on me again today, so I made Nolan talk to her about it being inappropriate, which he literally growled at me about making him do that. And two, I was pretty sure Lila was going to leave and not tell me. Probably soon.

“He’s cranky because Lila’s going home soon!” Gemma answered for me from the other side of the room.

I shot her a glare.

She shrugged. “What? It’s the truth.”

Nolan rubbed a hand across his beard and gave me an ‘I told you so look.’

“I don’t want to talk about it,” I snapped.

Nolan raised an eyebrow. “I told you to be careful around her.”