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“You don’t think your dad’s fun?”
She snorted. “No.”
“He used to be. Everyone loved him. He was friendly and charming…” A smile curved my lips as I rinsed the soap off the roasting pan. “And kind. He was nice to everyone, no matter who they were, which is rare in high school, especially for someone as popular as your dad was.”
“Huh,” Maddy responded, taking the pan from me to dry it off.
“Your dad’s a really good guy, is what I’m saying.”
“Maybe in high school.” She opened her mouth like she was going to say something else, then clamped her lips shut, seeming to think better of it.
“What are you guys up to in here?” Donal asked behind me. I turned and found him leaning against the kitchen doorway.
“Nothing,” Maddy muttered, and I saw a flash of hurt in his expression at her cool response to him.
I offered him a consoling smile, keeping my tone cheerful. “Maddy’s been helping me with the dishes.”
Donal nodded, schooling his expression again. “Grandpa and Diane are leaving, Mads. You should go say good night to them.”
I took the roasting pan from Maddy, thanking her for her help, and she left the kitchen without looking at her father.
“Is everything okay?” Donal asked, lowering his voice as he came closer. “She wasn’t giving you a hard time, was she?”
“No, we were just chatting. She’s lovely.” I held the pan up to him. “Where does this go?”
He took it from me and squatted to put it away in one of the lower cabinets. The position, combined with the jeans he was wearing, did the most amazing things to his thighs and rear. I couldn’t help admiring the view.
Friend Zone, I reminded myself sharply.Friends don’t leer at friends’ butts.
I considered asking Donal to pass me a saucepan so I could club myself unconscious with it. Instead, I said, “She wanted to know what you were like in high school.”
“Oh God. I’m afraid to ask what you told her.” He straightened and turned to face me, rubbing his palms on his jeans like a nervous teenager. Except Donal had never seemed nervous as a teenager. He’d oozed carefree self-confidence out of every pore. At least some of it must have been an act—no teenager could possibly be that confident—but I’d never thought to look beneath the surface before now.
I gave him a reassuring smile. “All good things, of course.”
He drifted closer. “Really?”
“Promise.”
“Like what?” His blue eyes twinkled as he leaned his hip against the counter in front of me. “I wouldn’t mind hearing you say nice things about me.”
“That’s between me and Maddy.” All that twinkling was way too much. My saucepan plan was sounding better and better. I lowered my eyes and cleared my throat. “She’s a great kid.”
“Yeah, I know.” His voice was rough with the same pain that always crept into it when he talked about Maddy.
I angled my head to look into his eyes, and the sadness in them inspired me to forget how stupendously attractive he was and reach for his hand. “Don’t let her push you away. She’s testing you because she’s afraid of being disappointed again. Keep showing up for her. That’s all she wants—to know she matters to you.”
His gaze dropped to our hands as he curled his fingers around mine. “I’m not going to give up on her, no matter how hard she pushes.”
“She’s doing the exact same thing I did to you.”
The corners of his mouth pulled down as he rubbed his thumb over my wrist. “I failed that test pretty spectacularly. I never should have let you go so easily.”
“What happened to us wasn’t your fault.” It was long past time I forgave Donal and took responsibility for my own part in it.
His eyes lifted to mine, but where I expected to see relief I saw only regret. “Wasn’t it?”
“There you are, hiding in the kitchen! I wondered where Tess had snuck off to.”
