She shot him a wary look. “If you must.”

“Where’d you get the limp?”

“I took a fall.”

“What kind of fall?”

“The kind that leaves you with a limp.”

“Oh, that kind of fall. Why didn’t you just say so?”

She couldn’t contain a laugh. “Since we’re playing twenty questions, do I get to ask a few?”

“Fire away.”

“How long have you lived in Stowe?”

“Nine years.”

“Ever been married?”

“How do you know I’m not married now?”

“Because you’re here eating soup with me.”

“I’ve never been married,” he said, looking down to study his beer bottle.

“Why not?”

He shrugged and picked at the label on the bottle. “Never met the right girl, was busy establishing my business. You know, the usual reasons.”

She watched him as he spoke. Something didn’t ring true, but their truce was fragile so she left it alone.

“I brought cheesecake,” she said, noticing the relief that crossed his face when she changed the subject. Yes, there was definitely more to the story than he was letting on. That’s okay. I’m not exactly baring my soul, either.

“I love Diana’s cheesecake.”

“The woman is a culinary goddess.”

He groaned in ecstasy when he took the first bite.

I wonder if he makes that same sound when he… For God’s sake, Clare. Get a grip!

“Tell me about your kids.”

Clare cleared her throat and her dirty mind before she answered him. “Jill’s the oldest. She’s a sophomore at Brown. She’s my overachiever.”

“I’d say so, if she’s at Brown.”

Clare smiled. “She says she wants to be an attorney. She’s a great athlete. She played field hockey and lacrosse in high school, and she’s on the lacrosse team at Brown. She can’t wait to get up here to go skiing.”

“Does she look like you?”

“Nope. She’s a dead ringer for her dad. She has dark hair and gray-blue eyes. They’re all tall like him, too. I’m a shrimp next to them. Even Maggie, my youngest, is almost as tall as me. But Kate and I could be twins. She looks exactly like me.”

“Lucky girl,” Aidan said without looking up from his cheesecake.

Clare’s stomach took an odd dip at the unexpected compliment. “And you surprise me yet again, O’Malley.”

His sideways grin was all charm. “I’m just full of surprises.”

“Apparently so.”

“Kate’s the one in Nashville?”

“Yes. She called me the other day to tell me she’s been hired as a singer with a popular band that plays house parties in Nashville. I guess it’s a big deal because you never know who’ll be at the parties. Lots of people get discovered that way.”

“That’s great.”