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As they walked into the dining room, they ran into more of Chloe's friends, and were caught up in multiple conversations as they made their way through the buffet and sat down at the round tables in the dining room. Chloe checked on Leo, who was happily ensconced at a kids' table with Hailey and some other children. Then she returned and sat down next to him.
Over brunch, Chloe's friends were all friendly and talkative. He liked the way they riffed off each other with teasing and jokes, but also an underlying love. He also liked how Chloe held her own in the group of couples. She should have had Joel by her side, not him. But Joel had left town. Joel was jeopardizing a relationship he seemed to want, and while Chloe was trying to be understanding and supportive, with her history, he couldn't imagine she was happy about Joel's abrupt departure. It had to remind her of Kevin, of all the times he'd been called away, disappearing on her with little notice.
He rarely judged other people's relationships, but he thought Joel would have to step it up if he really wanted Chloe. Because she deserved better. She deserved someone who wanted to put her first. Maybe that was Joel, but right now, the only thing he was putting first was himself.
When lunch was over, they moved into the library, where Justin and Lizzie organized the couple's trivia game. With Chloe sitting next to him on a loveseat, he was really feeling like an imposter. While Chloe's friends knew she was with Joel, the other guests at the inn were treating them like a couple. Even worse, he was wishing he was more than just a stand-in. Not that he was any more right for Chloe than Joel. At least Joel was trying to stay in Whisper Lake. That wasn't in his plans at all. And Chloe was a relationship kind of woman, the kind of woman he usually stayed away from. He was half-tempted to leave now, because he was sweating more than he should be, but he couldn't be another guy who bailed on her, not even if it was just for trivia.
"Everything okay?" Chloe asked, giving him a speculative look.
"I'm just sorry Joel had to miss this," he said.
Her smile dimmed. "It's too bad, but I appreciate you playing. It's nice not to play alone or be added on to someone else's team like a third wheel. I've been odd man out a lot the last few years."
"Well, not today," he said. "Let's kick their asses."
"Let's do that," she agreed, the smile returning to her face.
A few rounds into the game, he was thinking he might have oversold his trivia talents, but then he and Chloe went on a run together. He was surprised at how much she knew about old movies, historical events, and also sports, especially football. He could hold his own in sports, but was really good at music, geography, and current events. In the end, it was geography that made them the ultimate winners, which resulted in a grand prize of two large chocolate Easter bunnies.
"Nice," he said, as the group dispersed, and Chloe handed him his bunny trophy. "I'll save this for later."
"Really? I thought you might give it to the kids."
"They've had enough chocolate. Are you donating yours?"
"Not a chance. I'll need this soon, probably on one of the days I'm cleaning out Eleanor's stuff."
"Probably," he agreed, not wanting to think about Eleanor. "How do you know so much about football? Especially quarterbacks who played before you were born?"
"My dad was a football player. He played in college and then was drafted by the Denver Broncos. My parents lived in Denver for three years while he struggled to get playing time. He had one decent year. Then he hurt his knee and had to get surgery. He wasn't able to make it back."
"That's too bad."
"He said it probably only shortened his career by a year. He'd been hurt a few times before that, and he didn't see his future being in football. While he was recovering, he went to law school. After he graduated, he worked for his former sports agent, handling athletic contracts, which he was very familiar with."
"Interesting career path."
"It worked out well. But he still loved the game and football season was sacred in our house. Every fall weekend, a big group would gather for food and football. I guess I absorbed more information than I realized."
"You got us this bunny," he said, holding up his prize.
She shook her head. "That was you. How on earth did you know where Rodrigues Island was?"
"Because my dad took me to the island in Mauritius."
"Another place I've never heard of."
"It's a subtropical island in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar. There are about 38,000 people on Rodrigues Island. So it's not as small as you might think. My dad set one of his novels there, or at least a good portion of the action. We spent a few weeks there doing research. Well, my dad did research. I went snorkeling and fishing and surfing with the local kids."
She stared at him in bemusement. "What an adventurous life you've led."
"It was an amazing way to grow up. My dad would take me somewhere every summer. We'd be on the road for three months at least. Sometimes, he'd take me out of school, and I'd do my assignments on my own and mail them in. He believed I was getting the best education just by traveling the world, seeing how other people lived. It was an eye-opener. In some places, the poverty is overwhelming and yet there is love and joy, too. I'd tell anyone that if you ever want to change your perspective, get on a plane and go somewhere you've never been before, somewhere completely out of your comfort zone."
"There are a lot of places outside of my comfort zone," she murmured. "Is there anywhere you still want to go?"
He thought about that. "I've never been to the Seychelles, and I'd like to go back to Africa. There's so much of that continent I have yet to see."
"What's stopping you from going?"
