The little room, and the tub in it, hadn’t been designed for a man of six-one. The nozzle was aimed straight at his throat, and if he wasn’t careful he rapped his elbow against the wall whenever he moved his arms.

But he’d developed a routine during the time he’d been with Nell.

Bracing his hands on the front wall, he bent over so the spray sluiced over his head and back. Since she tended to use fragrant and feminine soaps and shampoos, he’d casually placed some of his own on the ledge above the lip of the tub.

Neither of them had mentioned these additions—or the change of clothing he’d left on the shelf of her closet.

They didn’t talk about the fact that they rarely spent a night apart. Other people did, he knew. He saw the winks and was becoming accustomed to having his name and hers roll off people’s tongues together as if they were one word.

But they hadn’t spoken of it. Maybe it was a kind of superstition, he thought, not to speak out loud what you were most afraid to lose.

Or maybe it was just another kind of cowardice.

He wasn’t sure it mattered, but he was sure it was time to take another step forward.

He’d taken one himself, the biggest step he’d ever taken, on the mainland that afternoon.

He had to admit he felt good about it. He’d felt a little jittery, but that had passed quickly enough. Even the hideous ride back from the mainland hadn’t managed to dampen his mood.

The sounds on the other side of the curtain surprised him enough to make him move too quickly. The rap of his elbow against the wall echoed in the little room, and was followed, viciously, by a stream of curses.

“Are you all right?” Torn between amusement and sympathy, Nell pressed her lips together tight and kept his wet bundle of clothes crammed against her chest.

He wrenched off the spray and whipped the curtain back. “This room is a hazard. I’ve a good mind to check the code and . . . what are you doing with those?”

“Well, I—” She broke off, baffled when he all but leaped naked out of the tub and snatched them back from her. “I was just going to toss them in the dryer.”

“I’ll take care of it later. I’ve got a change around here.” He dumped them on the floor again, ignoring her wince as they hit with a wet plop behind him.

“At least hang them up. They’ll just mildew lying in a pile like that.”

“Okay, okay.” He grabbed a towel, ran it roughly over his hair. “Did you just come in here to pick up after me?”