As she busied herself at the counter, he took in the cozy surroundings—the festive decorations, Oscar’s drawings taped to the fridge, and the gingerbread men cooling on the counter.
“How have you been?” he asked.
She glanced over her shoulder. “Good. Busy with holiday preparations and keeping up with Oscar. Kathleen is desperately short of gingerbread men, so I said I’d make some this afternoon. Thanks to finding the tunnel and hidden room, the café has been frantic.”
He nodded. “That seems to be happening all over town. Mabel said she’s constantly telling people how to find the old steamboat museum. Percy’s even had to limit the number of people coming into the preservation society’s library. How’s Oscar doing?”
“He’s great,” she said with a smile. “He’s been talking non-stop about the snowman we built the other day with Paul.”
“Sounds like fun,” Liam said, his heart sinking at the mention of Chloe’s ex-husband.
She handed him a steaming mug. “Here you go. Oscar’s playing with Richard’s son at the moment. They’re both dinosaur crazy.”
Liam took a sip of the coffee. “Oscar will enjoy that.”
“He will,” she replied, stirring her drink. “Are you still able to go to Harper and Owen’s wedding with Oscar and me? If you’re too busy, we’ll understand.”
He met her gaze. “I’d love to go.”
“That’s awesome. Oscar was hoping you’d say yes, too.”
He took another sip of his drink and thought about what he’d say next. “Chloe, I wanted to check in with you. I know things have been a bit... hectic lately.”
She sighed softly. “That’s an understatement.”
He hesitated before continuing. “I was a little worried when I hadn’t heard from you.”
Her expression grew apologetic. “I’m sorry. It’s been a whirlwind with Paul showing up. I needed some time to talk to my lawyer and process everything.”
“How are you feeling about it all?” he asked gently.
She looked down at her mug. “Conflicted. Paul’s making an effort, and Oscar’s thrilled to have him around. But I can’t forget what happened between us.”
“I don’t blame you,” Liam said. “You don’t have to make any decisions right away.”
She met his eyes. “I wish that was the case, but we have to work out what we’re doing about Oscar’s custody arrangements.”
Liam frowned. “Was Paul serious about moving to Denver?”
“Apparently. It would make it a lot easier and cheaper if he lived there.”
“So, you aren’t thinking about moving back to Washington, D.C.?”
Chloe’s eyes widened. “Why would I do something like that?”
“I thought you missed your old job,” Liam said hesitantly.
“I do, but I’d never move back,” Chloe told him firmly. “I have a wonderful job at the café, I’ve made more friends since I’ve been in Sapphire Bay than I ever did back home, and Oscar loves it here. There’s also a certain someone with a four-legged friend that’s stolen our hearts, too.”
Liam breathed a sigh of relief. “I’m glad you said that. I thought… I hoped you weren’t joining Paul in D.C.”
Chloe tilted her head to the side. “I thought you realized that was never an option.”
“I must have missed that part of our conversation.”
Chloe held his hand. “How about we plan a day out? Just the four of us.”
His eyebrows rose. Was she including her ex-husband? “The four of us?”
