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“I thought it was a nice gesture as well,” he said awkwardly.
“What Dad means is, you’re welcome,” Marissa said with an exasperated look at her father. “We thought it might be a nice reminder to visit us when you go back to the city.”
Us? Sarah swallowed hard. “Um, well, actually. I may be staying a little longer than planned.”
Wes’s head shot up. “You are?”
Was he happy about it or pissed? Impossible to tell by the surprised expression on his slightly sunburned face, but the awkward tension filling the air when his gaze met hers made the room suddenly feel suffocatingly small.
“That’s awesome!” Marissa’s reaction was better, so Sarah turned her focus to the little girl.
“Yeah. Whitney thought hosting an event here might be nice to show the community the new and improved inn before I put it on the market,” she said.
Wes nodded. “That makes sense.”
Again, difficult to know how he felt about it. She wasn’t great at trusting her gut instincts these days.
“What’s the event?” Marissa asked.
“A family reunion. An old high school friend of ours,” she said, glancing at Wes. He’d definitely remember Lia. She’d been part of the popular crowd he hung out with. “Lia Jameson.”
Marissa shrieked in delight. “Aunt Lia’s coming home?”
“Aunt?” Sarah frowned, looking at Wes. Neither Kelly nor Wes was related to Lia as far as she could remember.
“Lia is her godmother,” Wes explained.
“Oh.” Sarah hadn’t realized Wes and Lia were that close. Maybe Lia had been friends with Kelly.
He checked his watch. “We should get going,” he told Marissa. “We just wanted to drop off the gift.”
“Oh, we’re not working today?” Sarah asked Marissa, genuinely disappointed. Again, she hoped the untimely kiss didn’t have Wes rethinking letting Marissa hang out with her.
“Dad’s going fishing,” Marissa said, rolling her eyes.
“Yes, and I’ve got to be on the road in an hour, so I need to get you home to pack your things. I know you didn’t do it this morning when I asked,” he said, shooting his daughter a look.
Marissa glanced at Sarah.Guilty, she mouthed.
Despite the awkward situation with Wes, Sarah had to suck in her lips to avoid laughing out loud. The kid was really funny as well as smart. She had Sarah cracking up all week with her nerd jokes that only the two of them would get.
“Then I need to drop you off at your grandparents’ place,” Wes said.
Marissa groaned. “Do I have to stay there all weekend?”
“Yeah. We’ve talked about this. Aunt Carmen can’t be with you at the house all weekend and you can’t be alone. And there’s a winning rockfish with my name on it,” he said.
Ah, the annual fishing trip. Sarah had seen photos posted online every year. It looked more like relaxing, eating, and drinking than actually fishing, but there was always the customary photo of the biggest catch of the weekend.
“But Grandma and Grandpa don’t even have Wi-Fi,” Marissa said.
Sarah did a double take. “How is that even possible?” The McKennas weren’t that old.
Wes sighed. “They have a playset in the backyard and a basketball net in the driveway…”
Marissa looked at Sarah, and she could only offer a sympathetic look back at the child. She’d rather die than be stuck someplace without Wi-Fi, too. She understood Wes’s desire for Marissa to get outside more and play with kids her own age in real life, not online, but she could also relate to Marissa’s desires. Sarah had always preferred her books and inside, too.
There had to be some sort of balance or compromise they could reach. But she kept her thoughts and opinions to herself. She’d already inserted herself in the middle of their family dynamics enough.
