Page 75 of Can't Fight the Moonlight

"Very close. Sean looked after me from the day I was born, and in some ways, he became a surrogate parent to me."

"Why?" she asked curiously.

"My father is an infectious disease scientist. My mother is a nurse. The first several years they were together, my mom stayed home with me and Sean. We had a normal childhood. At least, that's what I'm told. I don't really remember that time. What I do remember is all the years that came after normal. When I was six and Sean was twelve, my parents got involved with a global medical team that went into poverty-stricken third-world countries to provide medical care. They hired a nanny to take care of us when they were gone. She was nice enough, but she wasn't our mother, so Sean and I turned to each other for support."

"That makes sense, but you must have missed your parents."

"Very much—in the beginning. It was never supposed to be more than two or three weeks every couple of months, but the assignments got longer with less time between them. They were missing big holidays. I remember one Christmas when they couldn't get back. We spent it with the nanny's family, and it was weird, but I actually liked that Christmas better than the others. It felt like a family should feel. But then Gloria, the nanny, she got another job. She wanted to take care of little kids, and I think Sean was pissing her off. He was fifteen by then and he did not want a nanny asking him questions. The next few people my parents hired stayed for a few months at a time. And sometimes Sean took care of me in between, which was fine. We ate pizza and played robot wars."

She could hear the depth of affection in his voice for his brother. Justin had told her he didn't do relationships, and she'd thought that meant he'd never felt love for anyone, but he'd loved his brother. He'd gone all in on that relationship, and then his heart had been broken. She felt a wave of anger toward his parents. "I don't understand how your mom and dad could just abandon you like that."

"They had a higher purpose. They were working for the greater good. And it was always supposed to be ending. They'd be back in a few weeks or next month or next year. There were so many excuses. I finally stopped asking when they'd be home. I couldn't believe whatever promise they gave me. I couldn't count on them to be there if I needed them. I had to take care of myself and Sean and I looked out for each other."

"What about your grandparents? Where were they? It seems like Marie and Benjamin would have stepped in."

"They were living in Europe during that time. My grandfather was a professor at Durham in the UK. My grandmother worked in a tea shop," he added, with a small smile. "I don't think they had any idea how much my parents were gone. I believe my father lied to them. I heard him on the phone once saying they would only be gone two weeks, but that trip turned into two months. Anyway…we're getting to the hard part."

"Do you want to stop?"

"I don't think I can stop."

She moved in closer to him, putting her arm around his waist. "I'm here—if the dam breaks."

"You think you can catch me?"

His question was meant to be light, but she could feel the weight behind his words. "I know I can," she said.

"Sometimes you're as overconfident as I am, Lizzie."

"That might be true, but I'll give it my best shot."

He met her gaze. "You're a very kind person. You have a big heart, for friends and for strangers."

"We're hardly strangers now."

"That's true. And at some point, we need to discuss that tattoo you have on your hip. That was an interesting surprise."

"And to think you don't like surprises," she teased.

"I liked that one," he admitted. "I hate to turn this night into a downer."

"We can talk about something else. I can tell you about my guilty TV pleasures, the fact I spend a little too much time watching the below-deck crew on a sailing yacht."

"I've never heard of that show."

"It's really fun. I think it appeals to me when I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed with work and an old house that needs constant care. Sailing off the coast of Greece in a luxury yacht feels like a good escape, not that I'd want to be the crew on that yacht. I'd have to be a guest."

"I've actually been on one of those yachts."

"Really? How was it?"

"As amazing as anything I've ever done."

"And here I thought a little cruise around Whisper Lake would be the highlight of your boating career," she teased.

"That wasn't bad, either, but mostly because you were there. I can't seem to stop smiling when I'm around you."

"That's a good thing."

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