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“That sucks.” Who needed a mother in their life if they weren’t supportive? I always assumed that other people had the perfect family, the one that eluded me. I never suspected that others struggled with the family that was present in their lives.
She met my gaze. “I just need to push her words out of my mind. It’s just easier said than done.”
“Do something that makes you feel good to get your positive vibe back.” I didn’t like to know she was hurting. The thought had my stomach twisting into knots.
Lily shifted on her stool to face me. “You don’t strike me as a positive person necessarily. You’re a realist.”
“I’d say so.” I was quick to find the worst-case scenarios in any situation. It drove Ryan crazy, but I thought I was helping by pointing out all the possibilities. Then I was prepared for anything. I didn’t like to be blindsided.
“And you really think I’m on to something?” Lily asked.
Was I encouraging her because we’d shared a couple of incredible nights together and I enjoyed her presence? Or was it something more? “I think you’re doing all the right things. Even if one aspect of your business is slower to build, you pivot and find other options. That’s what a successful business owner does. You can’t think of it as failure or as not succeeding. You’re adjusting, changing course.”
Lily considered me for a few seconds before finally nodding. “Thanks, Jake. I needed to hear that this morning.”
I cleared my plate, pushing it away. “And you probably need to ignore your mother. Is it possible for you to avoid her?”
Lily let out a breath. “Believe me. I try. She just showed up at the store the other day.”
I liked to think I’d be there to help her through those days, but I wasn’t a long-term kind of guy. As much as I wanted to be there for her, it wasn’t realistic.
I didn’t want to get her hopes up, only to let her down. I wouldn’t be like my mother. I ignored the niggling doubt in the back of my brain, saying what I was doing was the same thing.
Lily stood, stacking my dish on top of hers. She rinsed and placed them in the dishwasher. Spinning around to face me, she smiled as if we hadn’t just had a heavy conversation and shared things about her past. “Now, where were we?”
Lily smiled as she moved around the counter and stepped between my legs. “You wanted to wake me with your tongue?”
I smiled wide, pleased with this turn of conversation.
Sixteen
LILY
The meeting with Zoe, Max, Gia, and the rest of the Happily Ever Afters crew went better than I expected. I showed them pictures of the farm, including the barn, pond, and ceremony area I had in mind. Everyone was excited about the possibilities. Weddings on farms, especially rustic-looking barns, were popular, and the closest option was an hour away, outside of our service area. Gia said she would help in any way she could to get it ready in time for their June wedding.
Gia worked her magic, conjuring up help for the day we needed to clear the barn of boxes and tools and the property of debris and weeds. She couldn’t be there because she had a family gathering.
On the morning of, I prepared pitchers of lemonade and iced tea and put water bottles in coolers on the porch. Sophie brought baked goods for breakfast, and Max dropped off beer for later. Everyone in the Shops on Main group was here, including Jake, Ryan, Corey, and Hailey. Everyone who worked with Gia was here too, including Harrison, who’d offered his truck. Anything we needed to donate or take to the dump went in it.
I directed everyone, telling them where to put the boxes from the barn. I decided on the dining room in the farmhouse.
“Are you sure you want all this in here?” Jake asked me, carrying in the first box.
“I need to go through it,” I said, not quite meeting his eyes.
“You think you’ll do it soon? Otherwise, we could put it somewhere out of the way until you can get to it.”
“This will force me to get it done sooner,” I said.
Jake put the box in the corner of the dining room. I didn’t use it for meals anymore. No one stopped by except for Jake, and we ate in the kitchen.
When he left, Max came in with two more boxes, and the morning continued in that fashion. Everly directed people outside. I’d hired a landscaping company to give us a plan for the property, and we decided to do the removal of bushes and existing plants ourselves, to save a little money. Then the company would come this week to plant. Gia came up with a plan for me to pay her back for the cost when more weddings were booked here. She was confident it would be an attractive option for couples.
The boxes continued to fill the dining room and, feeling a little lightheaded, I stepped outside on the back porch for water.
I sat on the rocker, wiping the sweat off my forehead with a towel. It felt good to be outside, watching everyone work on the property. It felt alive with people here. Grandma and Grandpa would have loved this. So many people coming together to make it beautiful again.
The back door opened with a squeak. “What are you doing out here?”
