Page 20 of To Have and to Scold

Leo sobers. “First off, we’re not kids.”

I roll my eyes.

“Second of all, it won’t be a construction zone at that point because you’ll be done renovating it. Third of all, I’ll even let you chaperone if it makes you feel any better. As long as you’re not Mister Awkward sitting at a table with us. Just be in the vicinity, please.” His eyes light up as he thinks of another point. “It might be nice to sort of have a trial run before you have weddings in there.” He’s waggling his eyebrows now. How has he already learned the subtle art of persuasion? Probably from his mother, Rosie. His father, Byron, wasn’t like this.

“No, Leo.” I start drying my dinner plate. “I think you need to mow my lawn for free next time, just for making me listen to this crazy talk.”

“There is no other place around here to take a date to a nice dinner before Prom,” he insists. “Nowhere.”

“There are some good restaurants in Wilmington.”

“You don’t pay me enough to be able to afford Calla Lily or whatever that fancy place is called.”

I let out a low whistle. “Can’t argue with that.”

Leo’s smile is triumphant. “And yeah, a lot of kids go to Wilmington, or they just eat dinner at one of their houses. But I can’t do that. Can you imagine my mom?”

“Aw, she’d love it.”

He fixes me with a look. “That’s the problem.”

Leo has a point. Rosie is a great lady and is friends with my mom. But she gets overly excited and overly protective over all things involving Leo. I could see her doing something crazy like dressing in a clown suit and serving a circus meal to the

rom goers. Not cool.

“I see your dilemma.”

“So, we can use Willow Wood Mansion?”

“I never said that! It’s not ready.”

“But it’s supposed to be by then,” Leo counters. “It’s what you’ve been saying all along. ‘The first wedding is in May, so it’s gotta be done.’”

“Yeah, and I don’t want you guys messing it up or trashing it beforehand.”

“You know that wouldn’t happen, Beck. Besides, like I said, I’ll let you chaperone that part of the date.”

“Letme?” I thread the dish towel back through the hanging loop and shake my head. “I’d rather streak down Main naked than do that.”

“Please don’t streak down Main,” he deadpans, and then brightens. “You could bring a date. It’ll be great. As long as you stayed mostly out of sight.”

“That’s a great idea.” I turn on the mock excitement real thick. “Hey, whoever, since I wouldn’t know who to ask.” It’s a lie because Dallas pops into my head. Which is crazy considering how she and I do not get along. “But hey, let’s go on a date to babysit a bunch of teens before they hit up their junior Prom. And we have to stay out of their way.” I give an emphatic shake of my head and lift the plate to its place on the shelves above the counter. “I’m not doing that.”

“Just think about it? Please? If I tell my mom we don’t have a place to eat yet, you know what she’ll do.” Leo’s eyes plead with me. “It’s Ella, man. Ella!”

I don’t respond because I don’t want to disappoint him. I guess the unspoken resolution is that we’ll resolve this later? We start talking about sports, and I appreciate that he and I can have an intelligent conversation about today’s news. But before Leo leaves, with a few mini donuts I offer him, he gives me a look, his wicked grin growing across his face.

“What?” I demand but can’t hide a little smile. Leo’s a great kid who loves his mother and is too smart for his own good.

Still, I’ve had about enough of him for one day.

He keeps chewing. “You’re not a very good liar,” he says around a piece of donut, powdered sugar on each corner of his mouth. “I saw the look on your face when you pretended not to know who’d you ask to help chaperone the dinner for Prom.”

Chapter Eight

Dallas

“You should have seen it, Mom. It looks like it’s not going to be ready until the following May, not this one.”

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