His it’s-been-a-long-week-and-I’m-tired excuse had been met with puzzlement, and Becky seemed even more perplexed today.

“Yep. We lost him.” Jolene grinned.

“No, you didn’t. I’m with you 100 percent.”

“That’s true now—but you were gone for a minute.” She patted him on the arm. “Not to worry. I’m sure you’ve got a hot case or two on your mind. We’ll cut you some slack as long as you keep our fair county safe. Right, Becky?”

“Sure.”

He glanced at her and called up a smile. She had enough to worry about without adding concerns about him to her list.

“Are Kathleen and Luke joining you today?” Jolene’s hand hovered over the stack of menus.

“No. It’s a working Sunday for them.”

“I hear you. With all the rain we had earlier in the spring, every farmer in the county is behind schedule.” She tapped the menus into a neat stack and started to retract her hand. “I don’t expect you’ll need these.”

“Actually, I may try something different today.”

The two women did a double take, but Jolene recovered fast and picked up two menus. “More power to you. We all have a tendency to get stuck in a rut. Nothing wrong with expanding our horizons. Let me show you to your table.”

She led them through the crowded diner, and Nate kept a firm, protective grip on Becky’s arm as he returned greetings from many of the patrons.

Once they were seated, Becky waved aside the menu Jolene held out. “I’ll have my usual waffle. Why switch if you’ve found what you like?”

The quick look she darted at him suggested she wasn’t talking about food.

He stifled a groan.

This was not going to be their usual pleasant, low-key, no-pressure breakfast.

Nate took the menu Jolene offered and braced as the waitress walked away.

Becky didn’t keep him waiting long.

“You want to tell me what’s up?” She unfolded her napkin, draped it across her lap, and fiddled with her tea bag.

The lack of eye contact was no surprise. Becky hated confrontation. Just bringing up difficult subjects was a stretch for her.

Meaning his uncharacteristic behavior was bothering her—big time.

It was bothering him too.

Why on earth would he want to jeopardize an eight-month relationship that was easy, stress-free, and comfortable? Did he really want to let a sudden surge of unruly hormones undermine the groundwork they’d laid for a potential long-term commitment?

No. Not without careful thought.

Becky was smart, kind, caring, and pretty, with solid values and a generous heart. They were a good fit in many respects—a fact Kathleen had emphasized before he’d agreed to let her set them up. And as his sister-in-law had also reminded him, he wasn’t getting any younger. If he wanted a family, it would behoove him to get serious about it and find a woman to share his future.

Trouble was, other than their first few dates, when newness had added a touch of spice, his relationship with Becky lacked zing. In all honesty, he’d probably have broken up with her six months ago if it hadn’t been for—