Luke nodded, gray eyes pensive. It was a few minutes before he spoke, voice so low and quiet it was almost swallowed by the tide. “My parents were definitely unhappy.” A sardonic smile curled one corner of his mouth. “Very unhappy.”

“Divorced?” Julia asked.

“Yeah.” He picked up a handful of pebbles, sending them skittering across the waves.

“I’m sorry.” She wasn’t sure if an apology was the right thing here. The way he’d answered seemed to indicate he wasn’t interested in condolences. But she didn’t know what else to offer him.

“Don’t be.” More pebbles bounced into the water. “You know how you said you thought it might be nice to have someone around to help? To do things for each other because you wanted to?”

“Uh-huh,” she said softly, tiptoeing around the sharp edges their conversation had exposed.

He bent and scooped up another fistful of pebbles, this time tossing them into the lake one by one. “My parents weren’t really the type to enjoy doing things for each other. Hated it, actually. Always acted like it was some kind of personal insult to have to help each other with anything. I’m amazed their marriage lasted as long as it did.”

Her heart twisted at the bitterness in his voice. “How old were you?”

“Eighteen.” He wiped his hands on his jeans. “I was fine. But my sister was only twelve. She needed them. Really, really needed them. And they were too selfish to put her needs first.”

“I know it may not seem like the right thing to do,” Julia began, treading carefully, “but sticking it out isn’t always the best option.”

Luke jerked his head toward her. “Do you have siblings?”

“Only child,” she answered simply. Julia sensed she’d hit a nerve, but she was determined not to let him change the subject. “I grew up with two parents who stopped loving each other years ago. But they chose to stick it out.”

“I admire them for having principles.” Luke snorted. “My parents were too selfish for anything like that.”

“You’re missing my point.” A wave crested and Julia kicked at the water in frustration. “What they did was selfish, too. They’re not still together because they care for each other but because they didn’t care enough to do anything else!”

A muscle rippled in Luke’s jaw. His face shuttered, emotions pulling back, as if he’d drawn a curtain behind those stormy eyes.