Page 47 of My Sweetest Temptation

“Um,” I said while I looked down and stirred my coffee. “Just hanging out.”

“With your family?”

I shook my head, taking a drink of my coffee.

“Winter?” His voice dropped a bit, a hint of concern creeping in.

I looked up at him and forced a smile. “Just what it sounds like. Tabi and Tristan might come over.”

That was a blatant lie. Tabi and I hadn’t talked about making plans, but he didn’t need to know that.

He nodded thoughtfully. “What about your family?”

My hands wrapped around the warm mug as I contemplated how to respond.

“You never talk about your family,” he said.

“Well, I… I was put in foster care,” I lied, the words tasting bitter on my tongue. “My parents died when I was young. I don’t remember them.”

Liam’s expression shifted, sympathy flooding his eyes. “Wow, Winter, I didn’t know. I’m so sorry.”

I shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant. “It’s fine. You get used to it, you know?”

“Yeah, but still.” He paused before speaking again. “Hey! I got an idea. Why don’t you hang out with my dad and me for Thanksgiving? We always have way too much food, and it would be nice to have you there. Bring Tabi and Tristan,” he offered

I hesitated, then said, “I don’t want to intrude. I mean, it’s your family time.”

“Nah, it’s cool,” Liam insisted. “You’re my friend, and I consider you like the sister I never had. Plus, my dad would love the extra company.”

His words made me want to cry. “That sounds really nice. I could come for a little while.”

“Great!” Liam beamed. “So, what’s it like? Foster care?” Liam asked, his curiosity appearing genuine. “I can’t imagine it was easy.”

I took a deep breath, gathering my thoughts. “It was… different. But I wasn’t mistreated or anything.”

“That’s good. I’ve heard horror stories about foster care.”

“Yeah,” I replied softly, my heart aching at missing my parents, Uncle Malik, and Kara.

Our food finally arrived, and I felt relieved that I didn’t have to continue this conversation and create lies to make it sound believable. My thoughts drifted back to our Thanksgiving traditions—including volunteering at the shelter. Mom always emphasized the importance of helping others, teaching me to appreciate the little things in life. She always said, ‘Don’t focus on what we don’t have, but rather on what we do have.”

“What about your mom? “ I asked, breaking the silence as I watched him shovel scrambled eggs into his mouth.

He swallowed and took a sip of his orange juice, pausing for a moment. “She died while giving birth to me.”

“Oh, Liam. I’m so sorry.” I felt a pang of empathy for him not knowing his mother, whereas I was able to cherish the time I had with my own.

He shrugged, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. “Yeah, it sucks, but Dad’s awesome. He always talks about her, so it feels like I know her.”

My dad was awesome too.

“That’s really sweet,” I said, grateful that he still had his father and that he kept her memory alive.

“Yeah,” he replied, his expression softening. “Family is important, you know?”

I nodded in agreement, feeling the weight of that truth in my shattered heart.

I’d been back at work for a few hours and had been toiling over the numbers when I remembered I needed to check in on the VIP room and take inventory of the bar. Clutching my clipboard, I exited the office, only to find Enzo leaning against the door. For a moment, his usual serious expression melted into a smile when he saw me.

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