Page 32 of Tempting the Heart

My dad chuckled. “What a concept. Nothing like kicking up our heels after we started collecting social security.”

I smiled, seeing the love between my two parents. That was the thing. It was always very apparent between them. They set the bar high, and I was so happy that Amelia and Emily had found their forevers too, and maybe Dottie becoming my happily-ever-after wasn’t so bad. She was a great little sidekick, had a heart of gold, and got on well with others.

Brad was helping himself to bruschetta while Audrey took a slice of focaccia. The table fell briefly silent while we let the news soak in.

“I think now is a good time to open your envelopes.” My mom looked over at me.

I nodded, sliding mine out of my purse and placing it in front of me while my siblings did the same.

My mom always had a flair for the dramatics, so it didn’t surprise me that whatever we were about to open had a lot of buildup.

“All together or individual?” Brad asked, glancing at my parents before shrugging.

“I’d like each of you to open it individually and read it aloud.” My mom’s gaze went from Brad to each of us.

“Are you about to tell us you’re never coming back?” I teased, feeling an uncertainty swelling inside me.

They were essentially only gone for the summer, but we’d always had our parents around to shoot ideas off or complain about life, and this was just so unexpected. I thought back to Tyler and how he’d never had that closeness with his parents.

He and his brother just had to face the world and whatever was thrown their way, and by the looks of things, they’d both excelled.

“No, but we decided we didn’t want to wait until we kicked the bucket to tell our children what they meant to us.” My mom smiled and took a sip of wine that the server had brought.

Foolishness curled through me briefly when I thought about how this would only be for a summer, and Tyler never even had parents he wanted to be around, let alone miss.

“Why don’t you go first, dear?” My mom looked at me, and I gave a quick nod before looking at the elegant scrawl of my mom’s handwriting on the envelope.

I sensed my siblings’ gazes on me, and I looked up to see Audrey gesturing to hurry up so she could get to hers.

Sliding my finger along the flap, I pulled out a handwritten letter and slowly unfolded the floral paper as a check fell out.

“What is this?” I asked, noticing the large sum scrawled in the box.

“We’re handing over the antique store to your siblings, and that is your share of the valuation.”

I shook my head. “Mom, I don’t…”

My dad’s hand shot up. “Nonsense. We’ve never wanted this antique store to get in the way of your dreams or be penalized for following them. This is the fair way to do it. Emily is also getting a little bit more of a payout since she’ll be getting less from the running of it.”

I glanced at my siblings, who smiled and nodded in agreement. “Well, thank you. I’ll put it to good use.”

I’d never had this kind of money before. Even when I was close, it all went to opening the coffee shop, and much of that was from loans I took out.

“Now, read the letter,” my mom said, smiling.

To our firstborn and the baby who tricked us into having so many more. From your giggles to your daily delight, we couldn’t be prouder of the woman you’ve become. You set goals, and you achieve them. But never stop believing in your dreams, even if they seem impossible. We love you and can’t wait to bother you nonstop while we’re retired. Dad already has his favorite table by the window picked out for his daily coffee.

Love,

Mom and Dad

I looked up at my parents and smiled. “Thank you, guys. It means a lot. Was I really that good of a baby?”

My mom chuckled. “Sensational, really.” She glanced at my brother, who was the second born. “And then this one showed up and kept us on our toes. But we loved every second of it all.”

I stood and walked over to my parents and hugged them, realizing how precious this relationship was, and I’d do everything in my power to show Tyler he deserved the same.

“I want to go next,” Brad offered, holding up his envelope.

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