Page 60 of Up All Night
An unfamiliar dark-haired woman came to the double glass doors of the conference center. “They’re about to start.”
She led us to a medium-sized meeting room, and between the Honey family members and the town contingent, every seat was quickly filled. Tammy and I found seats off to the side but near enough to the front. Not surprisingly, Sean stuck close beside me and ended up sitting next to me.
At the front of the room, the oldest members of the Honey family sat at a table. An older woman with hair the color of peaches was first to speak, surveying the crowd. “Well, this is…unexpected.”
“We should have reserved a bigger room,” the man beside her added in a perplexed tone. He had a Hawaiian print tie that contrasted with his crisp dress shirt and balding head.
“There are a lot of people in Mount Hope who care about Honey’s future.” The mayor had sat right down in front, opposite the table.
Next to me, Sean added in a low whisper, “And a lot of people who care about yours, Denver.”
“Is that why you came?” I whispered back. “To convince me to stay?”
“Not exactly.” Sean’s tone was cagey. “I wanted you to have the option, but I mainly wanted you to see how many people care, and not only about the diner.”
“I see.” Around us, introductions were being made, but my attention was far more on Sean than the proceedings.
“Like I said, I want you to have the option of staying. A choice. Not staying for me, but a reason to stay foryou.”
“Oh.” I swallowed hard, unsure whether to be irritated with him for undervaluing himself or touched that he understood a little of where I was coming from. “Thank you.”
We were both quiet as the meeting got underway. The family lawyer addressed the terms of the original owners’ wills and the legalities around selling. Then, a Realtor, who was clearly friends with the peach-haired woman, judging by her chummy demeanor, spoke about buyer interest in the land and its value to developers. A low hiss swept through the room as she finished. Various Honey relatives laid out their opinions until finally, one of the younger relatives, a stout thirtysomething man who’d been one of the rotating crew of managers, suggested hearing from the representatives for the town as well as the concerned employees.
Show time.Concerned employees. That would be Tammy and me. I drew myself up straighter as the mayor launched into a lengthy monologue on the value of Honey’s Hotcake Hut to the community.
“If this goes south, I’ll go with you,” Sean whispered.
“You’ll what?” I turned to give him a sharp eye.
“I’ll go where you go. I’m not giving up on you. If you need to move on, I’m moving on with you.”
“Your job? Your family? Eric and his kids?” I shook my head. It was a nice and not entirely unexpected offer, and although I’d been the one to propose it the other night, I was also well aware of how unrealistic it would be for Sean to go anywhere other than Mount Hope.
Up front, the mayor droned on, followed by an executive from the hospital, speaking on behalf of the nurses and other shift workers. Next to me, Sean leaned closer.
“I’m not going to say it would be easy. But I’d work it out because it would be worth it to be with you, to try to find a compromise. I don’t have all the answers, but I know I want to be together.”
I inhaled sharply, my brain sizzling like an egg on the griddle.
“Mr. Rucker? I understand you wanted to speak?” the peach-haired woman called out before I could reply to Sean.
“Go.” He pushed my shoulder. “I’ve got your back.”
Someone had my back. That was a first. Like Sean, I didn’t have all the answers, but the warmth of someone caring enough to want to compromise filled my chest, giving me hope and courage. I could do this.
ChapterTwenty-Eight
Sean
As Denver stood to speak, my own knees trembled and my belly wobbled. I’d had bystander nerves before at Declan’s races or Bridget’s school events, but this was different in that my future—ourfuture—seemed to hang in the balance, and all I could do was watch.
“I don’t belong here,” Denver mumbled, then cleared his throat. “Let me try again. I don’t belong in Mount Hope. I’m not a lifer like many of you. But I’ve worked in a lot of places over the years. Honey’s is special.”
All around the room, people nodded. And I agreed, but I also thought Denver was the special one. After all, he was why I’d kept coming back.
“I see it every shift. And it’s not only that the diner is open late. It’s where folks come after a rough night or a good one. We’re there for our regulars, and they’re here for us.” He gestured around the room, a ruddy cast coming over his skin. He was embarrassed by the support, undoubtedly thought it was all my doing, but the truth was it washim. Sure, people liked their hotcakes and omelets late at night, but they also liked the good people working at Honey’s, like Tammy and Denver.
“I know our offer isn’t what you could get from selling the land. But this place means something to a lot of folks. Me too.” His voice dipped, a subtle waver most would miss, but I knew Denver, knew what it cost him to admit to an attachment to anything. And if Honey’s meant something to him, perhaps there was hope for us as a couple. Maybe I could mean something too. My stomach twisted, nerves and want and need all mixed up. Denver looked so good in his suit and tamed hair. He glanced down at me like he was looking for something. I nodded at him as he continued, trying to send reassurance. I wished I could promise him it would all work out, that his efforts would pay off. But the faces of the Honey family at the front of the room were hard to read, even in light of Denver’s heartfelt speech that had much of the room murmuring in agreement as he laid out more of his and Tammy’s plans and the specifics of their offer.