Diego gave him an opening, pouncing out of a corner to attack his shoes. Zack picked up the kitten, ruffling his fur as he walked to Nell. “You take anything?”

“Yes.”

“Eat anything?”

“No. I don’t need a nurse, Zack. It was just a headache.”

Just a headache didn’t send a woman bolting out of someone’s house as if the devil were on her heels. Which was exactly how Gladys had described it. “You look pretty rough, honey, so I’m going to fix you the traditional Todd family restorer.”

“I appreciate it, but I was going to work for a while.”

“Go ahead.” He handed her the kitten, moved past her to the refrigerator. “I’m not much in the kitchen, but I can manage this—just like my mother did when one of us wasn’t feeling right. Got any jelly?”

It was right in front of his face, she thought crossly. What was it about men that struck them blind the minute they opened a refrigerator door? “Second shelf.”

“I don’t—oh, yeah. We always used grape, but strawberry should work. Go ahead and work. Don’t mind me.”

Nell set Diego by his dish of food. “What are you fixing?”

“Scrambled eggs and rolled-over jelly sandwiches.”

“Rolled-over jelly sandwiches.” Too tired to argue, she sat. “Sounds perfect. Mrs. Macey called you, didn’t she?”

“No. I did run into her, though. She mentioned you were upset about something.”

“I wasn’t upset. I had a headache. The skillet’s in the bottom cabinet, left.”

“I’ll find what I need. Place isn’t big enough to hide much.”

“Do you make scrambled eggs and rolled-over jelly sandwiches for everyone on the island when they have a headache?”

“That would depend. I’m making it for you because you tug at me, Nell. Have since I first met you. And when I walk in here and see you looking like something that’s been flattened by a passing steam-roller, it troubles me.”

She said nothing when he cracked eggs, dumped in milk and too much salt. He was a good man, she believed. A kind and decent one. And she had no right tugging at him.

“Zack, I’m not going to be able to give you what you want, what you’re looking for. I know yesterday I indicated I could—that I would. I shouldn’t have.”

“How do you know what I’m looking for, what I want?” He stirred the eggs in the bowl. “And whatever it is, it’s my problem, isn’t it?”

“It isn’t fair for me to give you the impression there can be anything between us.”