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“You come back and bake that cake, you hear? I need your help,” Miranda said.
“I will, Ms. Miranda.”
“Oh, it’s just Miranda now. You’re practically family.”
My eyes widened as I caught Mac’s amused face. He mouthed, “I told you so,” and I felt the ridiculous instinct to giggle.
Instead, I tempered my smile as I thanked Miranda and Waylon, who’d followed Delaney to the car, and promised to be back.
They stood together as a family, waving while we drove away. It was nice.
“Can we come back next week?” Delaney asked hopefully.
I met her eager gaze in the rearview mirror. “I don’t see why not. They were fun.”
“Tyler and Mac are so silly.”
“They sure are, for grown men. Silly and a little ridiculous.” I didn’t think they were acting either. If anything, they were censoring themselves because they had guests. But I found them entertaining. It was like they fell into their old roles as kids when they were in their parents’ house, and Miranda and Waylon were all too eager to let them. They loved their bickering as much as we had.
“I wish I had a brother or a sister.” Delaney sighed wistfully as she gazed out the window.
“I know you do.” I hated that I couldn’t give her that, but soon after I had Delaney, I realized Carter wasn’t going to be the father I’d hoped for my children. I kept holding out, hoping he’d change, but he didn’t. He lost more interest as she got older.
I was glad we didn’t have more kids. I wanted to have more children with someone who loved me and who’d stick by my side through everything. I wanted the family. The house with the white picket fence. I still wanted the dream.
“I didn’t have any siblings either.” I remembered how lonely I was. How much I adored Kylie and her big family. I wanted to disappear into hers. I liked to imagine I was her twin where her older brothers were mine too. Not that they paid us any attention. It was a great dream, but I always came home to my parents’ empty house.
They worked a lot and didn’t see a need to be home for things like dinner and homework. I was on my own. Eventually, I concluded they either didn’t want kids or decided that after one, they didn’t want more. They were good parents, just not particularly engaged ones.
I couldn’t complain. They checked in with me on occasional phone calls, but I wasn’t expected to visit. Not even when I had Delaney. That’s another reason why Carter’s family had been important to me. I wanted Delaney to have a close relationship with at least one set of grandparents. Now I felt like she just got shafted all around. We had each other, and it would have to be enough.
“They’re so nice. Grandma can be kind of mean.” Delaney’s voice was soft, as if she were afraid to admit that out loud.
“How so?” My heart stuttered as I waited for her to answer.
“She criticizes me.”
“I’m sorry.” I’d overlooked that, hoping that having one grandmother was better than none. But now, I was glad we’d moved. When Carter left, they defended his actions, saying he was following his heart. They never said what he did was selfish or wrong. They never acknowledged he betrayed me and abandoned his daughter.
As I entered the town limits for Telluride, I felt content. Everything was going to work out because it had to. I’d sunk my divorce settlement into the old Victorian, and I couldn’t afford to keep it without paying guests.
I’d do anything to ensure Delaney felt loved and supported. Providing for her was my top priority. Meeting Mac’s family was a nice development, and I wasn’t going to avoid them, even if Mac was occasionally grumpy about it.
I couldn’t help but wonder how he’d be in bed. I kind of preferred his growly voice to his playfulness with his brothers. I wanted him to press me against the wall and have his way with me.
But that was even more out of the question now that I was friends with his family. I couldn’t lose a good babysitter, but more than that, they’d become friends. I needed that in this town, where most people were new to me. My high school friends had left, leaving only Kylie, and who knew how long she’d stick around?
That night, I had trouble getting Delaney settled for bed. She was hyper from her evening at the Fletchers’, but it was good for her to meet new people, to see how other families interacted.
When she finally quieted down, I started a bath. I was looking forward to escaping into a good book. I worked hard but needed time to recharge, and Sunday evenings were it for me.
Each time my heart longed to be part of Mac’s family, or for him to desire me, I reminded myself I was a recent divorcée. I had no business dating. I needed time and space to figure my life out. Besides, I wasn’t sure marriage was something I wanted anymore. I had Delaney to think about.
It wasn’t about what I wanted anymore. I couldn’t upend her life any more than it already was.
* * *
The next week,I worked on the B&B’s website, going back and forth with a local designer, Piper. Alice recommended her as soon as I mentioned needing to create a website, and we immediately hit it off. She was fun and engaging and masterfully put my ideas on the website.
