Page 21 of More Than Words (Trickle Creek: The Lyons #2)

“She might have mentioned something the night of the snowstorm about how the two of you were getting closer,” Avery said.

That didn’t surprise me at all.

“So she’s okay with everything?” Lauren plucked a block of cheese from the tray. “That’s good.”

“It is.” I nodded. “She’s fine as long as we keep things G-rated. ” I used air quotes. “She doesn’t want to see any gross stuff.”

“But the gross stuff is the best part.” Kat laughed.

I couldn’t deny that. I’d definitely been enjoying the very not G-rated things Ethan and I had been doing whenever we had a little bit of alone time. Which wasn’t nearly as often as I would have liked, but was completely understandable.

“And how do you feel about the whole bonus mom thing, Delaney?”

Avery’s question caught me off guard. “Bonus mom?”

“You know,” she explained. “You’re not her mom, because she has one of those.” The statement hung in the air because we both knew how absent Quinn’s actual mother was. “But you’re like a bonus. ”

“Huh.” I sat with that for a moment.

“It’s not a small thing,” Lauren said. “A while ago, I dated a man with kids. It brings a whole other element to the relationship. Like, it’s not just the two of you to consider.”

I opened my mouth but closed it again, because she was right.

Truthfully, I just hadn’t let myself go there yet.

Not in all the moments we’d shared together in the bookstore and the brewery.

Or even those times where Quinn would tell a joke or say something sarcastic that might push the limits a little, only to look at me to see how I’d react.

“You know,” Kat said, “you might want to talk to my sister-in-law, Lucy, about it. Their situation is a little different in that Lucy was technically Meri’s nanny before she and Craig hooked up. But, she had to settle right into that mother role, too. She might have some words of wisdom for you.”

I nodded. That wasn’t a bad idea.

“I’m not trying to be her mom,” I said, choosing my words carefully. “I’m not trying to…well, I’m not sure what I’m trying to do yet.”

“It’s still early days.” Lauren offered me a small smile.

I smiled in return before stuffing my mouth with a cracker full of cheddar and fig jam. But even as the conversation turned to Kat, Andy, and the baby, a quiet part of me couldn’t let go of the conversation or the new and unexpected questions it had brought up.

Ethan

“I forgot what mediocre beer tastes like.” I winked and reached for the pitcher the server had placed on the table.

“Not all beer can be fancy craft beer, brother.”

“Nor should it be,” Reid agreed with his twin.

“How is it going with the brewery, anyway?” Brody asked. “You still thinking about doing a patio expansion?”

Truthfully,the idea of a patio had been put on the back burner almost as immediately as it had come up when Brody had mentioned it. I was busy enough with the day-to-day running of the brewery.

Some days, it was all I could do to keep my head above water with managing inventory, production, operations, and then of course there was the whole human resources part of things.

I’d been pretty lucky so far with the staff I’d hired, but managing people came with a whole different type of stress I hadn’t considered before.

I shook my head and lifted the glass to my lips again. “Honestly? It’s been chaos.”

“Especially now that you’re juggling a new relationship along with everything else,” Brody said. “That’s never easy.”

“Because you’re one to know.” Preston elbowed him in the ribs. “When was the last time you were in a relationship? And hookups don’t count.”

We all stared at our oldest brother, who choked on his beer before finally wiping his mouth on the back of his hand. “All I’m saying is, it’s a lot.”

It was an interesting cop-out, especially since we’d all been wondering for years what exactly was going on between Brody and Lauren. But it didn’t take a detective to see we weren’t any closer to getting any information out of him this time either.

“Anyway.” Reid exaggerated the word, his eyes wide as he looked at me. “Back to the patio idea. It’s a good one.”

“Putting a few tables out front would be pretty sweet,” Preston said. “With those big garage door windows open, it would be like an inside-outside situation.”

“That’s smart,” Reid said. “A few heaters for the shoulder season, and some big planter baskets…maybe some string lights.”

“String lights?” Brody eyed him sideways. “Who are you right now?”

Reid shrugged. “What can I say? Avery’s shown me the way when it comes to string lights. It really does make a space cozy.”

We all stared at our grumpy, turned soft and gooey, brother and shook our heads before I pulled the conversation back.

“He’s not wrong,” I conceded. “And really, a few planters and strings of lights would be a hell of a lot easier than trying to transform the back-alley space right now.”

“Good point.” Grayson pointed at me with a chicken wing. “No construction and minimal overhead.”

I nodded. “There’s only one problem.”

“Oh yeah.”

“Good point.”

“Right.”

“Delaney.”

I stared at my brothers. “What? Delaney?”

They all nodded.

“What were you thinking the problem was?” Grayson asked.

“The town,” I said slowly. “Getting a permit to add tables into the plaza and expand my liquor license.”

“Oh.” Brody pretended to consider that for a moment. “Yeah, no. That’s not going to be a problem. The town is all about encouraging business and foot traffic in the plaza. I bet you take it to the next town hall meeting and it’s approved before you walk out.”

“Really?”

“Totally.” Brody shrugged. “I’ve been going to those meetings long enough to know how they’ll turn out. I doubt it’ll be a problem.”

“I agree,” Reid said. “The town’s been pushing for more community spaces and outdoor seating. This fits that vibe.”

I grabbed another wing and dipped it into the ranch before taking a bite while I let myself really think about the possibility of a front patio space for the first time.

I had to admit, the additional tables would be great for business, and there was nothing better than enjoying a cold beer on a patio in the summer sun.

“Yes,” I said aloud. “I think this will be good. Low investment, big payoff.” I let the smile cross my face. “Let’s do it.”

“And by let’s…” Reid shot me a look, and I laughed.

“Don’t worry, brother,” I told him. “I know you’re busy. I don’t think this project will require too much in the way of construction. I might even be able to handle it on my own.”

It was Brody’s turn to laugh. “Yeah, right. You know we’ll help out.”

The conversation drifted away from the brewery and expansion plans into talk about sports and whatever new adventure Preston had just signed up for, and it wasn’t long before I’d completely forgotten all about what the real concern regarding the brewery’s patio should have been.