He’d chosen the Lakeview—a sedate, upscale eatery located in nearby Antioch, Michigan. The Lakeview was one of the few places in the area where Natalie enjoyed dining. The secluded tables and darkened interior afforded her the measure of privacy she preferred. They exchanged little conversation as they examined the menus and then placed their orders.
“You like the place all right?” Liam observed as he watched her gazing out the window onto the brilliant view of the sun setting above the blue waters of Lake Michigan.
She furtively removed her glasses. Although it was Thursday—usually a busy night for the Lakeview—the crowd tonight was thin. She nodded toward the window. “I’ve lived in this area my whole life, and I never get tired of the sunsets.”
“Me, either,” Liam agreed.
“And, yes, you’re right. This is one of my favorite restaurants.” She stared back out at the view, glad that with Liam sitting across from her, she could at least show him the “good” side of her face.
“So I’d heard.”
She turned her head. “From whom?”
Liam’s shrug looked a little sheepish. “I asked Mari if there was any place she knew you liked. After making such a big deal of things in your office last night, I didn’t want to risk taking you to a place like Jake’s and having you hate it.”
Natalie stared at him, her lips parted. She’d assumed he hadn’t noticed her discomfort for what it was the other night.
She’d assumed wrong.
It both pleased and confused her at once that he’d taken the time to ask his sister-in-law about where she might like to dine. Maybe Liam truly did consider their outing as a date of sorts.
“I had dinner with your brother, Marc, and Mari here last fall,” Natalie said, thinking it was best to sidestep the issue of her discomfort with crowds and staring eyes.
“Yeah. Mari told me. She said Eric came, too.”
“That’s right. Marc and Eric even managed not to get into a fight the whole time. All the more reason for me to adore this place.”
He gave her a dry glance, and she chuckled.
She examined him closely in the seconds that followed, trying to gauge his mood. He looked wonderful to her in the light of flickering candles and the setting sun. He wore a white button-down shirt with blue stripes, the cuffs open and rolled casually back, revealing his strong, tanned forearms. His eyes seemed to glow in the ambient light as he returned her stare levelly.
His expression sobered.
“So…feuding families aside, I guess you’re wondering how things went this afternoon.”
“I am curious.” Her throat felt tight when she swallowed. She glanced out at the golden pink sky and dark blue lake. “I’m…concerned, as well.”
“About what?”
“About you.” She kept her gaze on the stunning sunset.
He didn’t respond immediately. “I’m touched.”
She gave him a sidelong look. “Don’t be. Anyone would be worried about you going and watching that tape on your own.”
“I told you before, I’m only concerned about what you think.”
She rolled her eyes. He laughed softly, but for the first time that evening, she sensed his tension. He played the role of the easygoing, gorgeous daredevil so effortlessly, it was hard for her to see below the surface sometimes.
“I watched the video,” he said.
“And?” Natalie prompted hesitantly.
“It wasn’t easy.”
“No, I’m sure it wasn’t.”
He circled his iced-tea spoon in his glass several times, removed it and tossed it on a napkin. “It was easy to see why Jack Andreason described my dad as ‘sullen’ during the trial. I could only see him from the back, but his posture was deflated and wired at once. Jack’s good mood seemed to fade when he approached my dad. I wonder what my father said to him.”