“That sounds delicious,” she says with encouragement. “Why don’t you bring some on Sunday?”
We have a weekly dinner at Selena and Tim’s house. It started as my mom and siblings attending but we’ve always been close to them, despite our friendships with their kids ebbing and flowing over the years. Grady and Blake have been attending since he moved back last year.
“Sure.” I lay my hands on the table and stare down at my phone, letting my guard down.
“Great! Bring your boyfriend as well,” she says.
Bonnie Davies has spent her life fooling people with her sweet, unsuspecting tone and the playful snickers that have always sounded more mischievous coming from me. It’s all an act. When she wants one of her kids to do something, her tone leaves no room for argument.
I try anyway.
“I think he’s busy that day,” I hum, pretending to be uncertain. “Let me talk to him.”
“No, I can call him myself.”
“You don’t have his number,” I insist. Reluctantly, I add, “Do you?”
She laughs. “No, of course not. It wouldn’t be hard to get, though.”
That’s true.
“Mom, I’m not sure I’m ready to bring Liam to a family dinner,” I admit.
She’s silent for a long moment before slowly drawing out, “You’re living with the man, Calypso Rainn, and I’ve met him once already.”
“Then let’s have dinner next week—the three of us. But notfamilydinner.”
“He’s already spent a day with us,” she reminds me.
I huff out an annoyed breath. “This is different,” I argue. “You know it, or you wouldn’t be so pushy right now.”
“I don’t care if he only stayed at your home for one night,” she says in a strict tone. “I want to know the man who is with my daughter. He’s already spent time with your siblings and Grady. I figured having them there would be easier forhim.”
I twist my lips to the side. Yeah, Liam has been spending a lot of time with my brothers and Grady. The four of them are going to watch baseball and grill at Lucas’s tonight, actually.
“He might want to spend time with his sister,” I say. “She just moved to town.”
Without missing a beat, she says, “Bring her too.”
“Should I bring the sign guy across the street next?” I huff, referring to the guy who wears different fruitcostumes at the smoothie shop.
Amused, she says, “Sure, why not? It’s dinner, not a secret society.”
I let out a long, dramatic sigh.
“Thank you,” she says. “Love you. Can’t wait to try the scones.”
I roll my eyes. “Bye, mother.”
Hanging up, I drop my head back andprayfor an ounce of patience to get through the next two weeks.
I spent the entire day at the bakery, much later than usual for an opening shift.
Brighter Daze donates cookies to the local schools every year, and one of the orders goes out in a couple days. After my morning call with my mother, it was a full house in the kitchen, plus Lexi and Gavin. There were three hundred monarch butterfly sugar cookies that needed to be decorated for the public elementary school. The vibrant orange insect represents their mascot, and we have a cute cartoon-style design that’s perfect for kids.
There are four schools we do this for throughout the month of August. The public charter school that Grady, Vivi, and Selena work at, as well as the public elementary, middle, and high schools. Each one has between two to four hundred students, so we spread it across the span of a few weeks and spend the end of summer prepping for this.
Students also get a ten percent discount at a lot of places in Amada Beach, including Brighter Daze. That also applies to college students of any age. It’s one of a few ways the town is pushing for higher graduation rates, even though San Diego has a high rate to begin with.
