Livvy tried to pretend she wasn’t absorbing this unusual new dynamic between grandfather and grandson, but that would be a lie. She guessed this was what Nicholas had been talking about when he said he was often in the middle of the two older Chandlers.
Nicholas took a bite of his cucumber sandwich, his big hand practically dwarfing the tiny, crustless sandwich. “I always do.”
John grunted and nudged the plate of lemon squares toward Nicholas. “Here. I made your favorite dessert.”
“Lemon squares aren’t his favorite dessert.”
Both men looked at her, and she ran her tongue over her teeth. “Or at least, they weren’t.”
Nicholas shook his head, taking the attention off her. “No, thanks, Grandpa. I’m good.”
“You remember the sweet tooth he had, Livvy?” John mused. “He barely eats the good stuff now.”
“You don’t like sweets anymore?” He’d used to gorge himself on anything remotely sugar filled. He’d been lucky to have an equally fast metabolism.
“They aren’t good for you,” he said briskly, and picked up a cucumber sandwich.
She met his gaze. “Do you only like things that are good for you?”
“I try.”
“Boring,” John muttered, and passed the plate to Livvy. She picked up the lemon square and ate it slowly, catching the surreptitious glance Nicholas cast at her mouth as she nibbled on the tart sweet.
They talked more, Livvy relating a couple of the lighter, funny stories about her travels. She finally noticed the sun slipping away and checked her phone, wincing. “I have to get going.”
“Is Tani by herself?” John asked.
“No, my aunt’s with her, but I didn’t tell them I’d be out so late.” Tani probably wouldn’t notice, but Maile would worry.
John looked disappointed, but nodded. “Of course.”
“I can come back,” she said tentatively, heartened when John beamed.
“Yes. Please.”
Nicholas pushed his chair back. “Let me make sure Chad knows we’re leaving, Grandfather.”
He left the room, and Livvy watched him go.
“Do you know what Sam and I used to joke about?”
Livvy turned back to John and shook her head.
“That Tani and Brendan would grow up and fall in love. I even told Sam we should have betrothed them when they were young.” His smile faded. “That wasn’t to be. But then, you and Nicholas... ah, I had such dreams for you two. Uniting the two families would have been magnificent.”
She licked her suddenly dry lips. “John, you understand, we’re not back together.”
“Nicholas grew up into a fine man,” John replied, with enough hopeful eagerness that Livvy grimaced.
“He did.”
“Of course, you already know that.”
There were a million benign ways to read John’s words, but a shiver ran down her spine. “What do you mean?”
John regarded her sympathetically, but there was a certain shrewd quality that reminded her of a fact she bet a lot of people overlooked. Yes, Brendan and Nicholas had been the ones to expand their empire, but John had been the one to lay the first brick. “I know your birthday, Livvy.”
That shiver turned into a tremble. “So?”
