“Good to know.”
She glanced at Liam as he opened the fridge and retrieved the steak sauce. “Is my brother behaving himself out there?” He was so surly around Liam she wanted to throttle him. She’d never seen him like this.
“Don’t worry about me. I can take it.”
“He’s probably just grumpy because Annalee broke it off after only three dates. He usually has the gratification of ending relationships.”
Maybe Sean and Liam should get together and compare notes. She got a little aggressive with the tongs. “What is it with men and commitment anyway? Don’t you guys want a family someday?”
The cautious look he gave her revealed he knew to tread carefully. “Um, sure. Of course.”
“Just not till you’re fifty or something?”
“I can only speak for myself, but I’d definitely like to settle down before I’m eligible for AARP.”
“But you’ve never had a serious relationship.”
He set the condiment down and settled back against the counter beside her. “I guess I’ve just never found that special someone. It’s hard when people have preconceived ideas about you—not to mention agendas of their own.”
He’d mentioned that before. She tried to put herself in his shoes. It would be hard to open up if you couldn’t trust the motives of the person you were dating. “I guess that would complicate things.”
“Women sometimes view me as a character from their favorite movie. But those were just roles I was playing, notme.”
And sometimes he didn’t feel that he was enough? “If they can’t see you for who you are, that’s their loss.”
Those gray eyes searched hers as if hungry to believe her words.
What did he see when he gazed at her that way? What was he thinking? His nearness, his scrutiny, made her skin tingle. She was intensely aware of the heat radiating from his sun-warmed skin. Of the way her arm brushed his. And those eyes—so attentive.
“What about you?” he asked. “Just haven’t found the right man yet?”
Was it just a simple question? Or was he intrigued by her the same way she was by him? “I thought I did twice over. But one of them moved away and the other broke it off after a year.”
After he’d been caught cheating. Evan’s final jab replayed in her head.“Maybe I wouldn’t have had to find someone else if you didn’t make me feel so alone. You’re so closed off, Chloe. You never let me in.”
Phooey.
She shook the memory from her head, not wanting to think about his troubling accusation.
Liam seemed to drink her in. “Well, they’re both crazy if they didn’t see what they had in you.”
She fell into the warm depths of his eyes. His words touched someplace deep inside her. Someplace soft and achy. She pulled her gaze away and resumed tossing the salad. “Yeah, well, after being abandoned by my father, I guess I’m not too keen on being left behind.”
“I’m sorry that happened to you. You deserved better.”
Remembering his own childhood, Chloe said, “So did you. I guess love can be complicated no matter who you are.”
“We can definitely agree on that.”
Fifteen minutes later they gathered on the deck in the twilight, the savory scent of grilling steaks filling the air. Dad hovered over the grill while Liam engaged him in conversation. Chloe stood at the deck rail between Sean and Meghan, enjoying the view of the endless blue sea.
“Turn around, kiddos.” Mom aimed her phone toward the three of them and snapped a few pictures. “Oh, this light is so beautiful. Let’s not waste it. Liam and Chloe, you first.”
They followed her down the steps where a white Adirondack chair sat facing the ocean.
“Sit right down,” Mom said. “This lighting won’t last long.”
Liam sank into the chair and Chloe lowered herself onto its wide arm. Liam put his hand at her waist.
