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"Yes, you can do it."
Ten minutes later, after ordering our food, it's time to start the conversation. Okay, I really, really want to ask him about Scotland. But I won't do that. He got upset when I broached the subject in his apartment, and I need him relaxed tonight. So I opt for a safer topic. "Are you close with your cousin Rupert? I know you don't have any siblings, because your mother told me that, but she didn't mention other relatives."
"I have several cousins who are like siblings to me. Rupert is the oldest and the only one who works with me at Sommerleigh Sweets."
"He seems like a nice guy."
"Yes, he is a good bloke. He and his wife had a scare a few months ago when it seemed like she might have cancer, but it turned out to be nothing. I volunteered to mind their two young daughters for three days so they could concentrate on the medical issues."
"You babysat kids? In your swanky flat?"
He shakes his head. "I went home to Sommerleigh and spent those three days with my mother and the girls."
"You are an amazing man. Not many single guys would do that for a cousin."
"Since I don't have brothers or sisters, my cousins have become surrogate siblings. We see each other whenever I go home, though I prefer to stay in London."
I eat some of my food, giving Hugh a chance to do the same before I ask another question. "Isn't your best friend like a brother to you?"
"Yes, of course. Callum is the closest I have to a brother, though I've let our relationship founder a bit lately."
Callum is his Scottish best friend. I want to discuss that topic more, but it's part of the clearly painful events that happened in Scotland. I'll save that talk for another time. "You can ask me a question, you know."
"Are you sure you want me prying into your personal life?"
"Yes. That's part of dating. We need to learn more about each other in case anyone asks us questions. If we don't know at least the basics, it will be obvious we're not a genuine couple."
"I see." Hugh taps his fork on his plate's rim while he studies me. "What about your family? Your parents?"
"Mom died in a car accident when I was twelve. Dad passed away during my sophomore year at college. He had an aneurysm."
"I'm so sorry. My father died when I was at university too. It was a heart attack. That's when I became the Viscount Sommerleigh."
We have something in common that I never would've expected—loss.
Hugh still holds his fork, though he's stopped tapping it. "Do you have any siblings?"
"I have a brother, Derek. He's three years older than I am."
"Do you get on?"
"Mm-hm. He's a great guy, but he can be a little overprotective at times."
"Of course he's overprotective. You're a beautiful woman and must have all sorts of lustful blokes clamoring to seduce you." His lips curl into a sly smile, and his eyes sparkle with humor. "I'm one of those blokes."
"Don't think I'll tell Derek about Lord Steamy. He'd fly over here just to punch your lights out, then he'd drag me back to America."
"I'm not afraid of a rollicking fight. I've battled angry Scots, after all."
"You have? When?" I hadn't intended to ask about Scotland. But he mentioned it, and the question popped out of my mouth. "I know you don't want to talk about that yet. I didn't think before I spoke."
"Everyone does that occasionally. I'm not annoyed that you asked. But no, I don't want to discuss it."
"I hope sometime you will tell me about that."
He stares down at his plate and pokes at the remnants of his meal. "Maybe later. Much later."
"Okay." I take a sip of the chardonnay Hugh had ordered for us. It's delicious, but I'm drinking it right now only because I need time to think about what to say next to lighten the mood. "Would you like to know anything else about me?"
