Page 23 of Two Weeks in Tahoe

“Jackson? No way.”

“Yeah. It’s true. He’s been through a lot. But he’s a tough kid. Thank you for being so great. I know we’ve kind of inserted ourselves into your vacation…”

“I’m glad you did.” Our gazes lock, and I smile, heat radiating through me that has nothing to do with the seat warmers.

He glances away as he pulls into a parking lot, and I take in our surroundings. We’re right by the shore and he’s pulling up behind a cute little restaurant with large windows across the entire front, looking out over the water.

“Early dinner?” I ask.

He grins like he’s holding in a secret. “Have to for the view. The sun sets before five. Best view in town.”

He hops out and sprints around to my side before I can even get out, taking my hand to help me down.

He leads me inside and we’re seated right in front of the window, which I’m sure he planned. We’re here for the view, after all.

The young hostess drops off menus and leaves to get us waters. Liam watches me the whole time. His constant gaze can be unnerving, but only because I’m so insanely attracted to him that when he looks at me like that, I turn to a blubbering pile of mush inside. Hopefully, it doesn’t show on the outside.

I try to meet his gaze confidently, taking him in now that he’s sitting in front of me. He has that messy dark hair look that somehow still looks perfectly styled, and his face is freshly shaved, which accentuates his angular jaw even more. The sleeves of his black button-down shirt are rolled up, showing off his strong, tattooed forearms. He’s really pulling off his clean-cut mountain man look.

“So, this is your spot, huh? I feel like such a lucky girl.”

He laughs, shaking his head. “It’s not usually where I take dates, if that’s what you’re implying.”

“No? Why not?”

He shrugs, looking away toward the gently rippling water. There’s a far-off look in his eyes. “It’s my spot. A friend of mine actually owns it. If I get a break now and then, I might come down here and have a drink or a bite to eat, enjoy the ambiance. You should see it in the summer. I could sit out on that patio all night, listening to the sounds, taking in the view, just enjoying being in the moment.”

I look out onto the snow-covered trees surrounding the vast lake as he describes his perfect night. I can picture it—a beautiful summer night out there spent with friends or family, a hint of a chill in the air but also the warmth of a fire pit. The looming mountains in the distance. It sounds perfect.

“I can see it,” I say simply, still gazing at the lake.

“Hey, Liam, how’s it going?” Our waitress finally arrives, and it’s clear she knows Liam. She looks a little older than him, maybe thirty, with a natural kind of beauty.

“Hey, Carly. It’s going good.” I notice how he flashes her a polite smile, then turns to me with a bigger one. “Just showing the place to my friend Layla here.”

If I had blinked, I’d have missed the brief flicker in her smile, but I catch it. She turns to me with a polite greeting on her face.

“Oh, hi,” she says in a kind manner. “Are you from out of town?”

“Hi,” I say with a smile. “Yes, I’m here visiting for a few weeks.”

“Oh. Well, I hope you’re enjoying the town! You’re lucky the winter is mild so far this year. Sometimes we get hit with so much snow that you can be stranded all day! Even in November, though it’s not so common.”

“I am enjoying it, thank you!”

She quickly takes our order and then leaves the table, casting one last look at Liam as she walks away. He doesn’t seem to notice, though; he’s watching me with a thoughtful expression.

“What?” I tease.

“Nothing. I just…like how much you enjoy it here.”

“I do.” I nod.

He smiles.

We order an appetizer to share, which is incredible. Then we start chatting about work. I tell him that I recently quit my job, and that I also recently applied for what might be my dream position. As it turns out, he did end up working in computer technology, despite dropping out of college his senior year. He and a friend developed medical software they later sold, and now he works on a solo project in his spare time, but mostly focuses on raising Jackson. So the brainiac thing was true. I tell him more about the job I recently left—how it wasn’t bad, just not the right fit for me.

“You hated it,” he states.

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