Page 80 of Second Chance at Sunshine Inn

“Please, sit.” Cade nodded toward the bench. “I’ll stand.”

They dug into their pretzels and watched the crowd while Everleigh peppered Declan with questions about his life in Elizabeth City.

After their pretzels were gone, she popped up to her feet. “Come on. There’s so much to see at this festival.” She led them around, pointing out different booths. Cade relaxed and sipped his soda while relishing the time spent with both his brother and Everleigh.

“Let’s go this way.” She took Cade’s arm and guided him past a booth selling beach-themed shirts and accessories. Then she stopped when they reached the booth beside it. “Oh, look. It’s Crafty Creations!”

Cade scanned his mother’s booth. She had various art supplies for sale, along with sign-up sheets for classes and a newsletter. In the back he spotted his mother teaching a wreath-making class.

“Oh, wow!” Everleigh sang. “I’ve always wanted to make a fall wreath.” She held on to Cade’s arm and yanked him toward the booth.

But this time he pulled back. “Hold on a sec, Everleigh.” He turned to Declan and found anxiety flickering over his features. “My— I mean,ourmom is here.”

“I see that.” Declan swallowed, and his Adam’s apple bobbed.

Everleigh bounced on the balls of her feet. “Should we go say hello to her?”

The muscles in Cade’s shoulders compressed as he turned to Declan and waited for his reaction. “Do you want to?”

“Yeah,” Declan said, determination replacing his worry. “Yeah, I do.”

“Then let’s go.” Cade waved Declan over, and they moved to the back of the booth. Mom was instructing her students how to attach bows to their wreaths. Everleigh stood near the front of the booth, perusing a display of adult coloring books. It seemed her plan today was not only to bring Cade and Declan together but also to bring them together with their mom. He wondered how long she’d been cooking up this scheme, but he’d ask her about that later.

Mom glanced over at Cade and Declan, then did a double take. Her eyes widened and her face went slack, and she whispered something to the young blond woman beside her. She wore a pastel tie-dye shirt and what looked like dozens of beaded bracelets. Lorna, her assistant manager, he realized.

“Okay, folks. Now you can decide which fall flowers you’d like to include on your wreaths,” Lorna announced.

Mom scurried over to Cade and Declan and divided a look between them. Fear and confusion seemed to overtake her face. “What’s going on here?”

“Can you step away from your class for a few minutes?” Cade asked.

She hesitated. “Why?”

“So we can talk,” Cade said, working to keep his voice even despite the irritation curling through him.

Mom shook her head. “No, no, I can’t.” She took a few steps backward, away from them.

Cade took in the pain in Declan’s eyes. He was determined tohelp Declan get through to their mother. He had to. He wanted Declan in his life, and he yearned for Mom to accept him too.

“Mom, please.” Cade could hear the desperation in his tone. “Just give us a few minutes. Then you can get back to your class.”

Her lip trembled. “No.”

This couldn’t be happening. Declan was standing right in front of her! How could she reject him as if he were nothing? “Mom,” Cade began, his voice rising, “Declan is yourson.”

She sniffed and wiped her eyes, and then her spine straightened. “I’m sorry,” she said, her tone wavering. “I-I-I just can’t.”

Cade’s lip curled. “His wife is expecting their first child. You’re going to be a grandmother.”

Her eyes glistened. “This isn’t a good time.” Her words sounded scratchy.

“When will be?” Cade’s voice boomed loudly—louder than he’d anticipated. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a couple of older women staring at him from behind the yarn display.

Declan rested his hand on Cade’s shoulder. “It’s okay, Cade. Really.”

How could Declan be so calm?

“I-I don’t know,” she blurted out before making a beeline back to her class. “I’m sorry about that interruption.” She gave her class a stiff smile. “How are we doing with those flowers?” she asked, and when she held up her hands, they were visibly trembling.

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