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They shared a quiet laugh, and Liam glanced between them just as Claire caught his gaze.

Blast. He wasn’t supposed to be looking at her. He didn’t want her to see how desperately he was trying to get out of spending more time with her.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to. He just enjoyed it too much.

“Really,” his mum continued, looking back at Liam, “you won’t be leaving us out. I’m headed to bed, and as soon Melody’s done with her appointment, I’m sure she’ll be going back to sleep, too.” She glanced to Claire. “Go have some fun, alright? Someone might as well.”

Then she moved to the hallway without another word, leaving Liam to stand mutely in the kitchen.

Claire stood, straightening the cushions that had shifted on the couch. “You don’t have to feel obligated to take me to dinner, you know.”

Liam cleared his throat, pulling on a look of sincerity. “I don’t feel obligated.”

She scoffed. “I saw your face, Liam. It’s fine. You spent all day with me. You don’t need to spend the night with me, too.”

He raised a brow. “Spend the night with you? I could be wrong, but I believe that’s beyond the scope of what my mum suggested.”

Her cheeks pinked exactly as he’d hoped they would.

“You know what I meant,” she said. She slipped her phone into her back pocket, then pulled on her soft pink coat.

He hesitated. He’d obviously offended her by not wanting to go out to eat with her. It was a shame, really, after the progress they’d made that day. “What are you going to eat, then?”

Shrugging, she secured the coat buttons. “Pizza Hut?”

Her suggestion produced a laugh before he had the chance to check it, and she smiled in response.

“No, I’ll find somewhere else that’s closer,” she continued. “I’ll see you later.”

As she walked alone down the hallway, Liam’s stomach turned at his own selfishness. This woman had traveled all the way to England to spend time with her friend who was now bedridden. Was he really going to make her eat alone?

With a stifled sigh, he followed her to the door. “Alright, we’ll go together. If only I can be sure you really don’t eat at Pizza Hut.”

“No, it’s okay, really,” Claire said, holding up her hand as he put on his own coat. “I don’t want you to feel obligated to—”

“I don’t,” he interrupted. “We both need to eat. We may as well go together.”

She eyed him hesitantly. “Are you sure?”

He opened the door, then motioned for her to precede him. “I am.”

And he was. Because as much as he didn’t think it would be wise to spend more time with Claire, he refused to do anything that would require him to apologize to her again.

He’d had enough of that to last a lifetime.

FOURTEEN

After a quick discussion about where to eat the fish and chips Claire was anxious to try, the two of them took the Underground toward the center of London.

“It’s about a thirty-minute ride without delays,” Liam said as they settled down beside each other on the black-cushioned chairs of the train.

Claire nodded, biting her lip to keep from smiling as the train whooshed ahead to the next station. She would never grow tired of traveling this way.

“You know you don’t have to hide your fascination from me.”

She swung her gaze toward Liam, a knowing look in his eyes. Honestly, she shouldn’t have been surprised that he’d seen her excitement. After all, he’d noticed when she’d snuck selfies and cringed at her sandwich. Why wouldn’t he notice this, too?

“I just didn’t want you to have yet another thing to make fun of me for,” she defended.