He offered her a beer, but she shook her head and got a water tumbler from the cupboard instead. “I’m glad the O’Brians are staying for another week,” she said, “but I miss Cody and the Kramer girls. Still, the new kids are cute. I saw you bought more bikes.”

“I forgot about the rug rats. We needed some Big Wheels.”

“The older kids all seem to be enjoying the basketball hoop, and you did the right thing hiring a lifeguard.”

“Some of the parents are a little too casual.” He carried his beer over to the kitchen table, took a seat, then hesitated. But he’d already put this off long enough. “I really appreciate the way you’ve been helping out.”

“I don’t mind, but I do miss Molly. Everything’s more fun when she’s around.”

He felt himself growing defensive. “I don’t think so. We’ve had lots of fun without her.”

“No, we haven’t. The O’Brian boys keep complaining, the old folks miss her, and you’ve been grouchy and unreasonable.” She leaned against the sink. “Kevin, it’s been two weeks. Don’t you think it’s time to go after her? Amy and Troy and I can take care of the place for a few days.”

Didn’t she realize he’d already thought about this from a hundred different angles? There was nothing he wanted more, but he couldn’t go after her, not unless he wanted to settle down forever as a married man, and that was something he couldn’t do. “It wouldn’t be fair.”

“Fair to whom?”

He poked at the label on the bottle with his thumbnail. “She told me … She has feelings.”

“I see. And you don’t?”

He had more feelings than he knew what to do with, but none of them were going to make him lose sight of what was most important. “Maybe in five or six years things will be different, but I don’t have time right now for anything but my career. And let’s be realistic—can you see Molly and me together long-term?”

“Without any trouble.”

“Come on!” He shot up from his chair. “I’m a jock! I love being active, and she hates sports.”

“For someone who hates sports, she’s an excellent athlete.”

“She’s okay, I guess.”

“She swims beautifully and dives like a champ.”

“That’s just from summer camp.”

“She plays an excellent game of softball.”

“Summer camp.”

“She knows everything about football.”

“That’s only because—”

“She plays soccer.”

“Just with Tess.”

“She’s studied martial arts.”

He’d forgotten about that kung fu move she’d put on him last winter.

“And she told me she’d played on her high school tennis team.”

“There you go. I hate tennis.”

“Probably because you’re no good at it.”

How did Lilly know that?