Chapter 282

Claire Richards set her fork down. The whole table, like they’d rehearsed it, turned to look at her. Even Viola Coleman joined in. Her son’s question had been so blunt—wouldn’t the girl think he was nuts? Or was this just his weird way of scaring her off? Wait a sec... was he actually trying to do that? Claire forced a breath out, trying to stay calm under the pressure. In the steadiest voice she could manage, she said, “I think... people need time to really get to know each other. Like the old saying goes—you can’t see someone’s true self in just a few summers. So, yeah... there’s no rush.” A few summers? Like, four summers? That’s... four years? Even a kid born now could probably run errands by then. It was like one person wanted to fly a rocket, the other was cruising in a tractor. Everyone suddenly went quiet. Awkward much? The younger siblings tried to sneak a peek at Julian Archer’s expression. Vincent Archer definitely hadn’t expected that it’d be Claire—the supposedly calm and