Liam nodded. “Pastor John and Percy have been taking lots of calls from people who had relatives living in Sapphire Bay in the 1920s. The Historical Preservation Society has received donations and loans of old diaries and letters. We’re hoping we can use that information to piece together what happened to Eleanor.”
Steve turned off the compressor. “Have you found any relatives of Eleanor or the guy who became the president of The Great Northern Railroad?”
“Not yet, but Chloe’s friend at the Smithsonian is hopeful her team will come up with something.”
“I hope they do. It’ll make your job a lot easier for the next book.” Steve started putting away his tools. “Eden said she saw you and Chloe at Oscar’s Christmas play on Saturday night. How did that go?”
Liam smiled at the memory. “Oscar was great. He played an elf and sung like a superstar with all the other kids. He was thrilled to have both his parents there.”
“Both his parents?” Steve echoed, his eyes narrowing. “So, Chloe’s ex-husband showed up?”
Liam nodded, his gaze drifting to a collection of metal scraps on the table. “Yeah, he was there.”
“How was that?” Steve asked cautiously.
“It was... interesting,” Liam admitted. “He hasn’t seen Oscar in more than a year. From what Chloe said, they haven’t had much contact with him for a lot longer than that.”
Steve crossed his arms. “What did you think of him?”
Liam took a moment before responding. He didn’t want what he knew about Paul to color his judgement. But it was hard not to be concerned after everything Chloe had told him. “He seemed like an okay guy. He was polite and friendly. Oscar was over the moon to have him there.”
“That must’ve been tough,” Steve remarked.
Liam frowned. “Why do you say that?”
“Well, you’ve gotten close to Chloe and Oscar. I can’t imagine it’s easy seeing her ex-husband re-enter the picture.”
Liam sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “It’s complicated. I want what’s best for them, but I can’t help feeling uneasy. Especially since Chloe hasn’t said much since she saw Paul.”
Steve gave a sympathetic nod. “Have you talked to her at all?”
“Not really,” Liam admitted. “Apart from seeing her last Saturday, she’s been pretty quiet. I texted her on Sunday to see how she was, but that’s it.”
“Do you think she’s pulling away?”
“I don’t know,” Liam confessed. “Maybe Paul’s return has made her reconsider things. He said he’s thinking about transferring to Denver to be closer to Oscar. But I’m worried Chloe could be thinking about moving back to D.C.”
Steve frowned. “Do you think she’d do that?”
“Honestly, I have no idea,” Liam said, his voice tinged with frustration. “Paul seems to be making an effort. He even joinedthem for lunch the other day. Chloe’s worried that if he sees more of Oscar, he might want joint custody. And I think she misses her job at the Smithsonian more than she says. Moving closer to Paul would make her life a lot easier.”
Steve rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “That could complicate things. But from what you’ve told me, living in Washington, D.C. was too expensive. That was one of the reasons she moved here.”
“I’m hoping that’s enough reason for her to stay, especially if her ex-husband moves to Denver.” Liam leaned against the workbench. “If she wanted to go back to D.C., I could go with her, but Buffalo was big enough for me. With the holidays coming up, everything feels... uncertain.”
Steve’s eyes lit up as if remembering something. “Speaking of the holidays, did you get an invitation to Owen and Harper’s wedding?”
Liam nodded. “Yeah, it came in the mail last week. Chloe and Oscar were invited, too. She asked if I’d like to go with them.”
“Well, that’s a good sign,” Steve pointed out. “She wouldn’t have invited you if she didn’t want to spend more time together.”
“Maybe,” Liam conceded. “But with everything going on, I’m not sure where I stand.”
Steve sighed. “Relationships are messy. Especially when exes are involved. But from what I can see, Chloe cares about you.”
Liam met his friend’s gaze. “I care about her, too. A lot. I just don’t want to overstep or make things harder for her.”
“Have you told her how you feel?” Steve asked pointedly.
