He opens a top cabinet above the double oven. Inside are rows of empty glass jars. Taking one down, he passes it to me, and I fill it with water, then drop the stems in and set it on the counter island.
Marcus grabs a platter of pre-formed hamburger patties from the refrigerator. “Mom’s kind of throwing you in the deep end tonight, huh?”
Not the deep end of a pool but smack in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean is more like it.
“She’d say it was a form of tough love.”
He chuckles. “One of her specialties.” Bumping the door open with his foot, he nods his head in the direction of the backyard. “Ready to face the wolves?”
“When you put it that way, not really.” But I follow him outside, nonetheless.
My nephews, Charlotte, and Christopher are hunkered around the firepit, roasting marshmallows. More people are scattered around the backyard, talking and laughing, most of them I don’t know. I search the throngs of faces for Liz, and a flash of long blonde hair has my gaze stumbling to a standstill.
There she is.
Jesus fucking Christ. Every time I see her is like being hit with a wrecking ball. She’s wearing one of those off-the-shoulder summer blouses that accentuates her curvy figure, and her legs look a mile long in cut-off jean shorts.
Without my permission, my footsteps carry me over to where she’s helping Marcus at the grill. When I get closer, her body language changes as if she’s aware of my presence and somehow senses me. Liz slowly turns around, and those goddamn green eyes of hers light up. Those eyes have haunted my entire life since I was six years old.
“I’m so glad you came.” With a dazzling smile, she jumps into my arms and hugs the shit out of me, her happy welcome putting me at ease.
“Did I have a choice?”
She laughs. “Why do you think I made sure Julien insisted that you ride with them?”
“Told you. Deep end,” Marcus says, and Liz gives him a scathing look.
“Go see if Daniel or Drew need anything.”
I haven’t seen them since the last time I was in Seattle with Liz. I scan the backyard and find the two men sitting in lawn chairs at the firepit.
“Just did,” Marcus replies.
“Then go help your brother.”
“He doesn’t need my help roasting marshmallows.”
“Then go make out with Hannah. She wore that tight blue dress tonight for a reason.”
Marcus’s face flames a deep red. “Jesus, Mom.”
Liz chuckles when he stalks off. “One of the joys of being a parent is to embarrass the crap out of your kids.”
“I wouldn’t know,” slips out before I can stop it.
Liz takes my hand, her touch warm and reassuring. “I have faith that you’ll be able to mend your relationship with Bethany.”
Not if my ex-wife has anything to say about it.
“I appreciate the vote of confidence,” I reply and immediately change the subject. “I, uh, met Austin on my way in.”
The apples of Liz’s cheeks flush with guilt, and she tries to hide it by biting her bottom lip and dipping her chin. “About that.”
“It’s all good, Princess. But a heads-up would’ve been appreciated.” I lightly bump her shoulder, and she retaliates with a playful side swipe of the hip.
“I thought you wouldn’t come tonight if I told you.”
“I would’ve come because you asked me to. What do you always say about choices?”
