“Good,” he said. “Of course, that is. Anyway, when we met . . .”

“In Florida . . .”

“Right . . . well, I knew right off we could never be friends.”

She arched a puzzled eyebrow.

“Oh?”

Nimec shook his head, frustrated with himself. Had he just said what he thought he’d said?

He held up his hand.

“No, wait, that isn’t what I mean,” he said. “What I mean is that I didn’t want to be just friends. That meeting you was special . . . I felt we really clicked, you know—”

“I know, Pete. I felt the same way,” Annie said. “I thought we both realized it.”

“Exactly,” he said. “Exactly . . .”

“What surprised me was that you could choose to let something that special go.”

Nimec’s heart was racing in his chest.

“I didn’t,” he said.

“Pete—”

“I never let it go.”

“Pete—”

“Not for a day. Not for a single minute—”

She gave him a look.

“Pete, is it only me, or are you aware it’s been months since I’ve heard from you?”

“I am,” he said. “I didn’t intend—”

The sudden anger on her features stopped him.

“I don’t care what you intended,” she said. “You aren’t even making sense. Did it occur to you . . . did you ever once in all those days and minutes of supposedly not letting go think it might be wise to share that information with me?”

Nimec looked at her.

“Annie,” he said. “I was afraid.”

She touched a hand to her forehead in disbelief, rolled her eyes.

“Come on,” she said. “We aren’t two college kids—”

“I know. I know that. But after my wife left me . . . I guess the idea of getting close to someone else . . . opening myself up to a woman—”

Annie flashed him another silencing glance.

“Pete, it isn’t like I’ve been living in a paper bag for thirty-five years,” she said. “I lost a husband. Lost my best friend aboard Orion. I understand those things. But that doesn’t excuse—”

“I’m not asking to be excused,” Nimec said hoarsely. He swallowed again, realized his throat was no longer dry. In fact, it had almost clogged with moisture. “I’m asking you for a second chance.”

Annie was quiet. Nimec waited, trying in vain to read her expression.

“A second chance,” she said.

He nodded.

Silence from Annie again. This time it seemed infinitely, torturously long.

Nimec’s heart kept tripping away in his chest.

Then she met his eyes with her own, locked her eyes on his own.

“Okay,” she said. “You’ve got it. I’m giving it to you. But I’m telling you very honestly there won’t be a third.”

Nimec pulled some air into his lungs. If he hadn’t known better, he might have thought it had been an hour since he’d last caught a breath.