Page 18 of Temporarily in Love

I was upset about Chad cheating on me by fucking his secretary on his desk. Like, who does that? But I wasn’t upset that we broke up, and he hadn’t seemed like he was either. I was just upset he made a fool out of me.

I hadn’t been happy in my career for a long time, and maybe a change of scenery was a good plan. I could easily land at another firm here in Philly. I’d have to pass the Pennsylvania bar first, of course, but I could handle it. It wouldn’t be tech money, but that wasn’t important to me.

Kelsey patted my hand. “You think about it, don’t make any rash decisions. Your life’s in California, not here.”

That was the thing she didn’t get. I didn’t have a life. You didn't have time for friends when you worked eighty-plus hours a week in a high-demanding field. Which was why I ended up dating the CEO of the tech company I was in-house counsel for. I spent all my waking hours in that office and barely any time at the large home I bought with all the money I made. I hadn’t taken a vacation in three years.

The thing I wasn’t telling my sister, and could barely admit to myself, was that I wasn’t sure I wanted to be a lawyer anymore. But I was too young to have a midlife crisis, so I kept my mouth shut.

“Okay. I’ll think about it, but I’m staying until Dad agrees not to sell the bar,” I said.

Kelsey smiled at me. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad you’re home, but no one’s asking you to sacrifice your career for the bar. We’ll figure it out.”

Chapter Six

DECLAN

“Oh my god, will you go!” Wyatt huffed.

I rolled my eyes at him as I recounted the bills and put them back into the lockbox. Wyatt was holding onto the tablet we used for credit cards, but a lot of people still used cash at these events, so I always made sure we were prepared.

It had been a couple of days since I saw Lila, and I hoped she wouldn’t show up at the Harvest Fest. Brian Murphy and Sean Sullivan had been beside us all day, dishing out traditional Irish food and promoting their bar. There had been no sign of Lila, and I was hoping not to have another run-in with her. I was a dick to her the last time we saw each other. I wished that old hurt hadn’t stayed with me, but looking at her without wanting to imagine what it would be like to have her lips on mine again was hard.

Gemma bounced over to us. She really worked her magic at getting us a booth at the fest this year. I didn’t care how she did it because it would help us be more visible. I went over numbers with our lead sales guy this week, and sales were doing well. The pumpkin beer and the new Oktoberfest beer were pulling their weight. I was glad Nolan made the pumpkin beer for Avery last year. People loved it, especially around this time of year. I loved when the numbers proved me wrong.

“Let me take over,” Gemma said to me.

I shook my head. “Nope. That’s not your job anymore.”

She rolled her eyes and twirled her finger around a strand of pink hair. “But it’s not yours either. Let me give you a break until Felix gets here.”

The only reason I was manning the booth with Wyatt was that we ran out of pumpkin beer, so Felix ran back to the brewery to grab another keg. We still had the Oktoberfest beer, so we weren’t sold out, but people had been guzzling the pumpkin beer.

As I stared up at the Ferris wheel, my mind went back to all the times in high school when Lila and I ran each other ragged, trying to get on as many rides as we could. I had been so fearless back then, not caring that all the rides arrived in suitcases. I wasn’t so sure I wanted to partake in any of that now.

A commotion pulled me away from my thoughts. I looked up and saw Kelsey Sullivan with her toddler in her arms. Lila was walking behind her, holding the hand of Kelsey’s other daughter. Cora was maybe six, and for a moment, I thought about all those times in high school when I thought that would have been my future with Lila. Brian reached for his little one, and she jumped into her daddy’s arms. Watching all the men in my life become fathers sent a wave of jealousy through me.

Gemma peered at me curiously. “What’s with you?”

“Nothing,” I muttered. “I’m gonna go walk around and get some air.”

She narrowed her eyes. “We’re already outside.”

I didn’t answer her, but walked away.

I needed to get away from my ex-girlfriend. I wanted her family’s bar to succeed, so I didn’t mind helping them, but it didn’t mean I wanted to see her. Her dad still checked in on me from time to time because he was a good guy, but being around her hurt. I wished it didn’t. I was freaking thirty-four years old! I shouldn’t still be hung up on the girl I dated as a teenager.

I walked through the fairgrounds and bumped into my brother. He had Norah strapped to his chest and was talking to Kelly Sullivan while Avery stood next to him drinking a cup of coffee. It seemed like I couldn’t escape the Sullivans lately.

Kelly’s eyes lit up when she saw me. “Declan!” she greeted me and gripped me in a big hug.

I hugged her back. “Hey, Mrs. Sullivan.”

She made a face. “Honey, you know you can call me Kelly.”

I shook my head. That was so weird. I spent most of my life calling her Mrs. Sullivan because Mom had trained me that was proper. I couldn’t start calling her Kelly now.

Norah reached out toward me, and I smiled at my niece. I extended my hand, and she grabbed my finger in her tiny fist.