Page 2 of Temporarily in Love

We laughed together. Pat’s and Geno’s were nowhere near the airport, but it was a joke we always made when I came to town. Only tourists who went to South Street went there.

Lizzie’s eyes darted to my niece. “Hey, Cora. You want a tattoo?”

My little niece nodded. Lizzie smiled and brought Cora over to a chair behind the booth. Lizzie made a big production of putting the temporary tattoo on my niece’s arm. She was good with kids like that, and I had a feeling she often did this with her own.

When it was done, Cora was all smiles and skipped over to me to show me the rainbow-colored butterfly tattoo on her bicep.

“Wow, look at that. Did that hurt?” I asked.

“Nope! I’m a big girl!” Cora said proudly.

I smiled at her and smoothed down her hair. “Yes, you are. Now, what do you say to Lizzie?”

“Thank you!” she told my friend.

Lizzie smiled at me. “Hey! You should come to the brewery later to get a beer with me after the fest.”

I made a face.

I had no intention of ever stepping foot in the MacGregor Brothers Brewing Company. It might be a block away from my family’s bar, and people raved about their beers, but I wasn’t welcome there. And for good reason, too.

“You still haven’t gone there?” Lizzie asked.

I shook my head.

“Lila, that was in high school. I’m sure Declan’s over your breakup by now. It’s been like fifteen years.”

Sixteen, but who was counting? Oh right, me. Because I wasn’t over the breakup with my high school sweetheart. I wasn’t sure I ever could be. Even though I was the one to break up with him.

Every relationship since had failed because my heart only had room for Declan freaking MacGregor. It explained why when I found Chad with his secretary, I simply took off my engagement ring and placed it on his desk. I didn’t even say anything to him. I sent him a formal email the next day informing him I was going out of town and wanted his stuff out of my house. If I had loved Chad, I wouldn’t have done that. But I left my heart in Drakesville long ago, and it was the reason I avoided coming back. It hurt too much.

“Think about it!” Lizzie said.

“We better go.” I waved at her while I walked with my niece to find my sister.

Unfortunately, Kelsey was exactly where I didn’t want her to be. I found her standing in front of the brewery’s booth, talking to a tall woman with pink hair and flower tattoos on her arm. The pink-haired lady looked excited and gestured wildly with her hands. I didn’t recognize her, but she looked younger than me, so we probably never passed each other in school. Drakesville was a small town, but despite what Hallmark or the Gilmore Girls told you, you didn’t know everyone and their business when you lived here.

Cora ran over to her mom, and my sister pretended to be wowed by the temporary tattoo on her daughter’s arm. Kelsey was a good mom; at least she gave my parents some grandkids. My biological clock was ticking, and I didn’t see that being an option for me anytime soon.

“Look who it is!” a big, booming voice said behind me.

I spun on my heel and came face-to-face with Nolan MacGregor.

He looked older than I remembered. He still had that big bushy beard, and coupled with his red plaid shirt, he looked like a burly lumberjack—like a husky Brawny Man. I scanned him, then narrowed my eyes when I noticed the baby strapped to his chest. The last I heard, Nolan and his wife divorced a couple of years ago. But maybe she had a change of heart, and that was a rumor.

“Hi, Nolan,” I sighed.

“He’s not around. He’s doing spreadsheets,” he said, fixing me with a warning glare. “And you better stay away.”

“Excuse me?”

This wasn’t the first time Nolan told me to piss off. The last time I saw him, I ran into him the next town over at the super grocery store, and he told me not to bother Declan while I was in town. Nolan was nothing if not fiercely protective of his little brother.

“You heard me, Lila. Stay away from my brother. He doesn’t need you opening up that old wound again.”

I couldn’t ask Nolan what he meant because the baby on his chest started to cry. Nolan’s scowl increased, but he took her out of the sling and rocked her. Watching the big bear of a man gently soothe his daughter was cute.

“Oh, there you are.” A dark-haired petite woman with curves came up behind Nolan. She took the baby from his arms. “Aw, Peanut, be good for Daddy.”