watched the people a moment, wishing their cheerfulness would wash over him.
When their silence became unbearable, he knew he had to say something. “Great day, isn’t it?” He winced at his mundane effort. He hated the distance he felt, and he definitely couldn’t start blasting her with questions.
“I love it. The peace. The cheery voices over there.” She motioned toward the revelers. “I’ve never had family relationships like that. I think I missed something.”
“When I was young, we did. Aunts, uncles, cousins. It was nice, but when we became teens, that ended that.”
She leaned her head back and drew in a lengthy breath. “Time moves on, and sometimes I think everyone wishes he could latch on to the moment and keep it in the present.” She turned toward him. “You know what I mean? Those wonderful days when everything goes right.”
He nodded, realizing that’s probably what he’d tried to do for so long. “Since that’s impossible, I suppose we have to make new wonderful days.”
She grinned and shifted her hands from her lap to the arm of the chair.
Nick longed to weave his fingers through hers. The urge was so strong he rose and checked the coals, then returned. “A while longer.”
“This is nice. No rush.”
Silence again.
Nick folded his hands against his stomach and leaned back, yearning for the old comfort between them to return. Getting more edgy, he straightened in the chair. “Did your brother show up yet?”
She shook her head. “Not yet. I hate to say this, but I hope he doesn’t come. I know he wants me to fix his problems, and I can’t do that anymore.”
Nick didn’t want to ask what she meant. He tried to smooth the frown from his forehead. “You mentioned he doesn’t live in Michigan.”
“Right. When my parents moved to South Carolina, my brother followed. He moves with the wind—or where there’s a windfall.” Her back straightened, and she sounded bitter.
“And your mom?”
Her posture yielded, and she lowered her head. “She died a few years ago shortly after my parents moved south. It was sudden.”
Nick’s pulse skipped. His own loss remained heavy. “I’m sorry about your mom.”
“Thanks. She was a good mother. No one can replace her.” Despite the family struggles, Steph realized her mother had done the best she knew how. She leaned back again. “I thought my dad might come back to Michigan, but he was raised in South Carolina. He has a life there now.”
“And your brother stuck around.”
“When we were all grieving Mom’s death, Hal moved in with Dad. But from Hal’s phone call, I’m guessing Dad’s ready to kick him out again.”
“That’s probably for the best. He needs to get his own place. I could never live with my parents. Or my brother, for that matter.”
Steph bolted forward, surprise etching her face. “I thought you lived with your brother.”
His back stiffened. “Not on your life. I have an apartment.”
“An apartment?” She shook her head. “I assumed you lived with Martin.”
“Why would you assume that?” But he knew the answer. Air rattled from his throat. “Never mind. Don’t answer that.” The picture flashed through his mind. “It seems like I’m there all the time, doesn’t it?”
“It seems as if you’re there more than he is.”
He sank deeper into the chair. “You’re right. He’s always asking me to do something for him. For some reason, I comply. I’m like that with people. If it’s something I can handle, I try to be helpful.”
“That’s admirable.”
Though she said it, he noticed a flash of question on her face.
“Be honest. Say it.” She didn’t. “Don’t admire me too much. I can do physical things—walk the dog, stop by the cleaners—”
“Fix a fence.”
That’s another thing he’d forgotten to do. He hadn’t taken care of the fence. “Right.”
She leaned forward, searching his face. “What can’t you do?”
“I can do anything that’s
When their silence became unbearable, he knew he had to say something. “Great day, isn’t it?” He winced at his mundane effort. He hated the distance he felt, and he definitely couldn’t start blasting her with questions.
“I love it. The peace. The cheery voices over there.” She motioned toward the revelers. “I’ve never had family relationships like that. I think I missed something.”
“When I was young, we did. Aunts, uncles, cousins. It was nice, but when we became teens, that ended that.”
She leaned her head back and drew in a lengthy breath. “Time moves on, and sometimes I think everyone wishes he could latch on to the moment and keep it in the present.” She turned toward him. “You know what I mean? Those wonderful days when everything goes right.”
He nodded, realizing that’s probably what he’d tried to do for so long. “Since that’s impossible, I suppose we have to make new wonderful days.”
She grinned and shifted her hands from her lap to the arm of the chair.
Nick longed to weave his fingers through hers. The urge was so strong he rose and checked the coals, then returned. “A while longer.”
“This is nice. No rush.”
Silence again.
Nick folded his hands against his stomach and leaned back, yearning for the old comfort between them to return. Getting more edgy, he straightened in the chair. “Did your brother show up yet?”
She shook her head. “Not yet. I hate to say this, but I hope he doesn’t come. I know he wants me to fix his problems, and I can’t do that anymore.”
Nick didn’t want to ask what she meant. He tried to smooth the frown from his forehead. “You mentioned he doesn’t live in Michigan.”
“Right. When my parents moved to South Carolina, my brother followed. He moves with the wind—or where there’s a windfall.” Her back straightened, and she sounded bitter.
“And your mom?”
Her posture yielded, and she lowered her head. “She died a few years ago shortly after my parents moved south. It was sudden.”
Nick’s pulse skipped. His own loss remained heavy. “I’m sorry about your mom.”
“Thanks. She was a good mother. No one can replace her.” Despite the family struggles, Steph realized her mother had done the best she knew how. She leaned back again. “I thought my dad might come back to Michigan, but he was raised in South Carolina. He has a life there now.”
“And your brother stuck around.”
“When we were all grieving Mom’s death, Hal moved in with Dad. But from Hal’s phone call, I’m guessing Dad’s ready to kick him out again.”
“That’s probably for the best. He needs to get his own place. I could never live with my parents. Or my brother, for that matter.”
Steph bolted forward, surprise etching her face. “I thought you lived with your brother.”
His back stiffened. “Not on your life. I have an apartment.”
“An apartment?” She shook her head. “I assumed you lived with Martin.”
“Why would you assume that?” But he knew the answer. Air rattled from his throat. “Never mind. Don’t answer that.” The picture flashed through his mind. “It seems like I’m there all the time, doesn’t it?”
“It seems as if you’re there more than he is.”
He sank deeper into the chair. “You’re right. He’s always asking me to do something for him. For some reason, I comply. I’m like that with people. If it’s something I can handle, I try to be helpful.”
“That’s admirable.”
Though she said it, he noticed a flash of question on her face.
“Be honest. Say it.” She didn’t. “Don’t admire me too much. I can do physical things—walk the dog, stop by the cleaners—”
“Fix a fence.”
That’s another thing he’d forgotten to do. He hadn’t taken care of the fence. “Right.”
She leaned forward, searching his face. “What can’t you do?”
“I can do anything that’s
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