“Right, and we’ve got wine open, too, if you’d like?” Steph indicated to the open bottle on the low glass coffee table.

“Oh, no thanks. Ever since you mentioned the hot chocolate …”

“Oh, Nate’s famous for it.”

Lucy smiled shyly and left for the kitchen.

“Hi, sweetheart. Feel good to freshen up?” Nate’s warm smile made Lucy feel right at ease as she climbed onto one of the stools at the breakfast bar.

“Brilliant actually. The flight was all right—I mean, it’s only nine hours—but the drive was a little, uh …”

“Unexpected?”

She laughed. “Well, yes, that, but at least on an airplane, you can get up and walk about and use the loo. That’s an experience I will never forget.”

Nate’s eyebrows rose in question just as Will made his appearance.

“You telling Dad about our adventure?”

“Do I want to know?” asked Nate.

“For sure,” said Will.

“No!” said Lucy at the same time. Will shot her an amused look.

“Maybe another time, Will,” Lucy countered. His cheeky grin was annoying, but she also found it charming, which made her annoyed with herself.

“So!” Nate clapped his hands like dads do when they want to change the subject, “you two must be starving.”

“Well, apparently, someone’s famous for their hot chocolate.”

“Oh, he’s famous for it all right. What Mom didn’t mention is that it’s full of rum.”

Lucy’s eyes widened.

“Are you game?” Will teased.

The worst that could happen was it would make her sleepy, and considering it was sometime near morning in the UK, feeling sleepy was probably a good thing. Otherwise, she’d be up all night in a post-flight, wide-awake-but-completely-shattered state. And in the absence of mulled wine, spiked hot chocolate sounded divine.

“I’m definitely game.”

Nate retrieved two mugs from a tall cupboard and went to the stove where a copper saucepan was steaming. He turned off the heat and ladled the hot chocolate into the mugs. Then he topped each one with a sprinkling of cocoa powder.

Turning to her and Will, he carefully placed a brimming mug in front of each of them.

Lucy took a tiny sip, her eyes lighting up. “That’s delicious.” Nate beamed. She took a bigger sip. “That is going down a treat,” she said before she took another.

“I mean full of rum,” teased Will. “And, believe me, the heat only burns off some of the alcohol.” He took a decent slug of his and Lucy could see his smiling eyes above the rim.

“Would you like anything to eat?” asked Nate.

“You’re spoiling me, you know.”

“Dad doesn’t mind. He spends half his time in the kitchen when we’re here.”

“It’s true.” She watched as Nate looked about the kitchen lovingly. “She’s my baby; I designed her.” Lucy retrieved the fact that Nate was an architect from her memory.

“Did you design this house?”

“Guilty.”

“It’s …” She struggled to find the right word and settled on, “beautiful.”

Nate dipped his head, a bittersweet smile on his face. Lucy didn’t want to dwell on why there was sadness in the smile.