Georgia Sweethearts

“No need. We’re walking over to Frank’s. You like pizza?”

He didn’t even give her time to answer before he opened Will’s door and reached in to get him. He struggled with the buckle a bit, obviously not an expert at child restraint systems. She was about to ask him to move out of the way when the clasp released. Instead of fussing, like she expected Will to do when a total stranger reached for him, he let out a giggle and gave Daniel a slobbery pat on the face.

The little traitor.

“He’s cute.” Daniel handed Will over and casually wiped his face on the shoulder of his expensive-looking, light tan microfiber jacket, leaving a wet ring. He grabbed the diaper bag. “Need this?”

She took the bag from him and slipped the strap on her shoulder. “Sorry. He’s a drooler.”

“No problem.” He led the way across the street past the courthouse. Frank’s red-and-white-striped awning and flashing neon open sign welcomed them.

Once they were seated in a booth in the back corner and had placed Will in a high chair on the end, a man barreled toward them, arms spread wide in welcome. “Daniel, my boy! Who do we have here?”

“Frank, I’d like you to meet Lilly Barnes. Lilly, this is Frank Dellano, the member of my church I told you about.”

“Aah, Lilly, nice to meet you!” He warmly gripped both her hands in his and stared into her eyes, his own brown ones encircled by evidence of years of laughter and smiles. “Any friend of Daniel’s is a friend of mine. Enjoy your lunch.”

“Great place you have here. I’m sure I’ll love it.”

The waitress, a young, friendly female replica of Frank, took their order, Daniel asking her to put a rush on it if possible. Then he leaned his forearms on the table. “I’ve been studying your shop.”

She dragged away her gaze from his and focused on jars of baby food, opening them. Snapping a bib around Will’s neck. “Oh?”

“I noticed you don’t have a website. Could really use new, more visible signage. Need to advertise.”

Each word out of his mouth shot up her blood pressure another notch. So much to do and with limited funds.

He slid a list toward her. “I can help you increase your business traffic.”

The worst part was she suspected she might need help. Though her aunt hadn’t been much of a businesswoman, she’d been loving, fun, generous—and talented. Talitha herself had been the business’s biggest asset.

A cold fist squeezed inside Lilly’s chest. She could never take Talitha’s place.

A blob of green beans dripped off Will’s chin onto her thumb.

Daniel took hold of her hand and swiped it off with a napkin. Contact with his hand shut out everything else around her. Made her zoom in on the spot where they touched.

That level of awareness disturbed her. She pulled away her hand. “I can clean off my own baby food.” When she realized how ridiculous that had sounded, she laughed. “I mean, clean it off myself.”

His expression teased, almost as if he understood how he’d affected her. “Just trying to help.”

Trying to help feed her nephew. Trying to help run her business. What next? Trying to help run her life?

No, thank you. She’d been there, done that, and had the emotional scars left by an ex-fiancé to prove it.

She might end up having to rent the shop’s basement to Daniel. But she didn’t need any other involvement with a man who made her heart race just by touching her thumb.

She firmly planted the spoon on the table and steeled herself to look into his gorgeous eyes. “I appreciate your taking the time to evaluate The Yarn Barn. But I don’t think there’s anything you can do at this point. We don’t have the money.”

Daniel opened his mouth to respond, but movement drew his attention away.

“Dada!” Will pursed his lips and blew mashed green bean bubbles that splattered into her face.

Lilly swiped off the mess as the waitress delivered their pizza and her brother-in-law approached his son. The first time they’d seen him since he had left Jenna two days ago.

* * *

Daniel let the conversation with Lilly drop and greeted Ned.

Ned ruffled his son’s hair and nodded. “Daniel. Lilly.”

“Dada!” Will grinned and strained to reach for his father.

“Hang on, big guy.” Ned wiped his son’s hands and then lifted him out of the high chair. “I’m glad I found you, Lilly. I tried to call earlier, to arrange picking up my boy, here.”

Lilly gave her brother-in-law an odd look, as if nervous around him. “I’m sorry. My phone’s been off since I met with the accountant.”

“Jenna told me that you were in a meeting.”

Lilly’s eyes lit up. “So you two have talked?”

With red-streaked cheeks, Ned cut a glance at Daniel. “Not really. I called to set up a visit with Will.”

A visit? Had he and Jenna separated?

Ned tucked Will under his chin and kissed the top of his head. “I’m sorry I haven’t been by. I’ve been trying to find an apartment.”

“Your son misses you. Jenna misses you.”

Daniel rose from his seat. “I can take Will and let you two talk.”

“No, stay, eat your lunch,” Ned said. “You’re my pastor. It’s time you know what’s going on.”

Motioning for him to join them, Daniel sat. Lilly scooted over, and Ned, holding his son, slid in the booth beside her. She didn’t seem angry with her brother-in-law. If her attitude was any indication of Jenna’s, maybe there was hope of reconciliation.

As he and Lilly ate, Ned filled Daniel in.

Ned brushed a finger over his son’s arm. “So we’ve separated. I have to take responsibility for that. But we argued about everything. Then Jenna told me that she didn’t need me. That I might as well go ahead and leave.”

“Have you had marriage counseling?” Daniel asked.

“She refuses.”

Lilly shook out some Cheerios for Will. “She’s just scared, you know. Expecting you to leave at any time. She thinks it’s easier to push you away before she gets hurt.”

Daniel suspected the sisters shared that trait. Maybe from growing up with those “rotten parents”?

“Look, Lilly, I know what a tough childhood you and Jenna had,” Ned said. “But she’s pushed me away for a long time. I can’t take it anymore.” He stood with his son in his arms. “Jenna said it’s okay for me to take Will until after dinner.”