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“Do you not have any family?”
“You’re not going to let this die, are you?”
“I mean, I don’t want to. I think this is what people do when they’re dating. They talk about their lives. The good, the bad, the ugly. All of it.” He did look over to her then. He kept driving, and when he eased the SUV to a stop at a light, she sighed.
“It’s not good or bad or ugly. It’s…nothing. I don’t have a relationship with my mom. My dad died with I was young. I was ten. My mom got remarried and she has a new family now.” The slightly bitter tone of her voice indicated it was definitely more than nothing. She had feelings about this, but Blake felt like he’d be pulling every one of her teeth to get more than she’d already said.
“I’m sorry,” he said. He got the SUV moving again when the light turned green, glad he’d lived here long enough to navigate easily. She sounded like she wanted a relationship, but simply didn’t have it. “My momma would love to talk your ear off any day of the week. I can give you her number if you’d like.”
Lauren gave him a subdued smile and shook her head. “My brother lives in California. He’s a big-wig movie producer something-or-other. He has three kids and a wife, and he doesn’t need his needy little sister bugging him.”
Blake wanted to say he was sure her brother didn’t feel like that, but he held his tongue. No need to poke the bear. She’d already said she didn’t want to talk about them, and then she had. He could be satisfied with that.
“I’m sorry,” he said again.
“I have my friends,” she said. “I had co-workers. I was getting along.”
He glanced over to her and found her once again shrinking into herself. He made a right turn, the highway to Sea Pines opening before them.
“What about you?” she asked. “Brothers and sisters? Only been married the one time?”
“Yes to all of it,” he said. “Married the one time. My ex is Jacinda, and she lives in Carter’s Cove. She makes a variety of bath and body products and sells them to hotels and bed and breakfasts there on the island. Some on Hilton Head too, actually. Sells them in a stand on the beach to tourists. That kind of thing.”
“Sounds fun,” Lauren said. “The total opposite of you.”
He chuckled. “We were pretty opposite. She’s more a free spirit. I’m buttoned to the collar.”
Lauren reached over and brushed her fingertips along his collar. “Not tonight. You’ve got a couple of buttons undone.”
“Just for you, sweetheart.” He gave her a smile, and when she returned it, he finally relaxed into himself. “I’ve got an older brother and an older sister. Both married. Both with kids. Tommy’s not quite the youngest grandchild. Lindsey has a daughter who’s ten, and she’s the youngest.”
“They must not be too close,” Lauren said. “You’ve never brought them to the fireworks.”
“Charleston,” he said. “Peter’s in Charleston. Lindsey is a bit north of there, in a smaller town. It’s close enough for big holidays like anniversaries or birthdays, but not quite pop-in status.”
She tucked her hair and adjusted her hat. “Something tells me you like that.”
“Them not popping in? One hundred percent,” he said. “I hate the pop-in.”
“You popped in with lunch yesterday.”
He looked at her to see if she was teasing, and she clearly was. Her eyes shone like diamonds, and he rolled his eyes. “Fine,” he said. “I won’t do that anymore.”
“I was teasing,” she said.
“Yeah, because you want me to pop in with lunch every day.”
“I wouldn’t say no to it.” She took his hand from the steering wheel and laced her fingers through his. “And I’d love to learn about Tommy and meet him when you think the time is right. I might even call your momma.”
Blake made the final turn into the parking lot, which wasn’t super easy with only one hand. “Oh, boy,” he said. “Sounds like I’ve opened a can of worms I shouldn’t have.”
“You’re the one who said you’d like to be bored with me.”
He eased down a row of parking spots, looking for one. “I would, Lauren. Slow, carefree days with you on the beach? Sounds like heaven.”
“Not every day can be carefree on the beach,” she said.
“Why not?” He spotted an empty space up ahead and swung into it. He parked and looked at her. “Why not?” he asked again when she didn’t answer.
