Page 7 of Doran

I blinked.

“Oh. Thanks. That…that makes things easier.”

“I’m sorry. I had no idea she was doing this. I only knew about Angelo’s. I had to make those reservations a month ago to be able to get a table for four.”

“I understand. So, it was just a convenient day for her to pull this, as I’m also off on Wednesdays.”

“She’s right, though. Since you can’t get Harold back now, you need to find a new husband. You can’t raise three kids by yourself. Love you, honey, but our waiter is here, and I’ve got to order.”

I stared at the phone in disbelief. Sure, our living situation was a bit precarious, but how could he say I couldn’t raise my kids without the help of some man?

“Everything alright?” Ward asked, his tone cautious as he took in my change in demeanor.

“Just peachy. Apparently a woman can’t raise kids by herself or something dire will happen. Also, apparently a gift card was left for me. I’ll be right back. I’m going to go ask the hostess about it.”

I got up to go to the hostess’s station, partly to get said card so I did not disappoint my kids who’d been looking forward to this treat, but also to cool down after hearing what my father had just said.

“Hi, sorry, my father just called and said they left a gift card for me here?”

“Your name?”

“Sarah Bennet.”

“Oh! Yes, sorry. Your reservation was under Kildare, so it didn’t clock.”

“That’s my parents’ last name. They made the reservation.”

She handed it over to me.

“Any idea how much is on it?” I asked.

“I can check for you,” she replied brightly, holding her hand out to take it back. I handed it to her, and she walked over to the register to do her thing. She returned a few moments later. “There’s two hundred on it,” she replied brightly, handing it back.

Holy shit balls! How much did she expect us to eat? Maybe it’s to pay for Ward’s dinner too.”

I walked back to the table, waving the card about gaily. “They left us two hundred bucks to enjoy ourselves,” I told Ward.

Emma gasped. “Two hundred whole dollars?”

“Wow, Grandma and Grandpa are rich,” Caleb commented. “We used to be rich.”

“We weren’t rich. Rich people live in mansions,” Emma corrected him. “We didn’t live in a mansion.”

“Grandma and Grandpa don’t live in a mansion,” Lucy reminded her.

“Yeah, but they’re retired. Retired people move to smaller houses,” Emma replied as if this made sense as to why my parents didn’t live in a mansion.

“So, are we staying? I’ll pay for my own meal, so you can treat the children another time as well.”

“We’re staying, and you can pay for the drinks. They’ll pay for the food.”

We shared a bottle of fairly decent wine, and the kids each got soft drinks, so the drinks total wasn’t terrible. Ward and I decided against dessert, but I ordered a chocolate lasagne to take home to share with the kids tomorrow when we’d celebrate us getting our colony spot after my test.

“Listen, I had a great time, and it seemed like you all did too. But I think I speak for both of us when I say I don’t think I’m what you’re looking for.”

He was right. Any other time, I’d have thought maybe after a one on one, kid free date, we’d find a spark and suggest we give things a try. But I had the test and was really hooked on the idea of getting to run my own inn with that start up money. Besides, there was the extra cash incentive, and I really wanted to give it to Grammie as thanks for giving me the push I’d needed to consider the whole idea. She could add it to her retirement nest egg, and I’d feel much better knowing that she was thirty grand better off. That kind of money would make a big difference to her, as all she had was her Social Security and a modest pension from the local school district. Unlike my parents, she and Gramps had not been extremely well off.

I smiled and nodded. “You’re a great guy and a very handsome one too.”