The Idea of You by Darcy Burke

was unlike anyone she’d ever known.
    She wanted to understand what made him tick. “What does that mean exactly? Is it because of what happened this afternoon?”
    â€œProbably. You . . . unnerve me.”
    She instinctively touched her mouth, thinking of their kiss. “That doesn’t sound good.”
    â€œIt isn’t bad. I don’t know what it is yet.”
    Sara came to the table with the silverware. “You want to do spoons and knives or forks?”
    â€œWhichever.” She held out her hand, and Sara gave her spoons and knives.
    Alaina helped her finish with the table just as the food started arriving. She stared at the gorgeously arrayed plates featuring pork loin with a sauce, some greens, and what looked like polenta. “You plated the food?”
    â€œHe can’t not plate the food,” Tori said.
    â€œWho here doesn’t like fancy-looking food?” Kyle asked loudly.
    â€œI don’t really care,” Evan answered.
    â€œYou’re the only one, bro.” Kyle set down the last two plates. “Let’s eat!”
    Sean, Tori, Derek, and Chloe all brought wine bottles and set them at intervals along the table.
    Alaina leaned close to Evan. “Where do I sit?”
    â€œYou can sit by me,” he said, taking a chair that faced the kitchen instead of the windows. Rob and Emily took the chairs at either end, and five chairs were crammed on each of the sides.
    â€œIf Hayden and Liam come home, let alone have significant others, we won’t all fit here,” Emily said.
    Rob smiled at her. “Maybe we just need a larger table.”
    â€œShall we toast to our illustrious guest?” Kyle asked, lifting his glass.
    Alaina scoffed. “I’m not remotely illustrious.”
    â€œLet’s see, Golden Globe and Oscar winner. One of the highest-paid actresses in the world. I guess you’re right. Total slacker. Never mind.” Kyle winked at her. “To Alaina What’s-her-name, the biggest loser to ever grace our table.”
    Everybody raised their glasses and clinked them against their neighbors’. Alaina laughed as she tapped her glass to Evan’s and then Sara’s.
    â€œKyle’s obnoxious,” she said to Alaina.
    â€œI can see that.” She could also see why he’d been the star of their reality show when they were kids and why Sean had wanted to profile him. He was naturally charismatic with crazy good looks to go along with it.
    She slid a sideways glance at Evan, who’d started eating. Had it been difficult growing up with someone who was such a master at things that came so hard to him? Or had Kyle and his other siblings helped Evan out and given him the confidence and inspiration to be who he was today? She’d never missed the idea of having siblings more than she did right now. It gave her something to think about as she planned the next stage of her life and started her own family.
    â€œDon’t worry, Evan, I made your plate special—no spinach, just Swiss chard and escarole.”
    Alaina paused in eating and turned her head to look at Evan. “You don’t like spinach?” she asked quietly.
    â€œNot particularly.”
    â€œYet you ate it the other night.”
    He glanced at her. “I didn’t want to be rude.”
    He really was a gentleman. She nudged his thigh with the back of her hand and had to swallow a gasp. Damn, she had it bad. She sucked in a deep breath. “Tell me what you don’t like in the future. And tell me what you do.” She realized, belatedly, that he could take that a variety of ways. Nevertheless, she didn’t clarify. Let him take it however he wanted.
    Unfortunately he didn’t look her way again, so she couldn’t detect a thing about what might be going on in his head. He seemed tense, his body more rigid than normal. Was that her fault? Had she strung him up tight with their kissing earlier?
    â€œKyle,