He raised his eyes to meet hers, and the vulnerability she saw on his face touched her deeply. “I’ve been thinking… about Scotty.”

“So have I.”

“Really?”

She nodded. “You’re spending a lot of time driving back and forth to Richmond.”

Shrugging, Nick said, “I don’t mind. I love being with him.”

“I do too. He’s such a sweet kid.”

“I love how grateful he is for even the smallest kindness. He reminds me…”

“He reminds you of yourself, doesn’t he?”

Nodding, he said, “I know what it’s like to be alone in the world. Even though I had my grandmother, she didn’t want me around. I always knew that.”

Sam’s heart ached imagining Nick as a lonely little boy. “We could do so much for him.”

Nick took her hand and linked their fingers. “I think about that all the time. I can’t explain it, but the moment I met him I felt like I knew him.”

“What’re we going to do about that?”

“I have no idea. We barely have time for each other. Just because I’d love to swoop in and change his life, we have to be realistic. He could end up lonelier with us than he is now.”

“That wouldn’t happen.”

“How do you know?”

“Because he wouldn’t have just us. He’d have my dad and Celia and Ang and Spence and Jack and Tracy and Mike and their kids. Then there’re the O’Connors, your dad, his family. He’d be surrounded by our entire village.”

Nick sat up a little straighter. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”

“I’m saying we should absolutely talk about it and be sure we’d be doing the right thing for all of us.”

“Once again, you surprise me, Samantha.”

She laughed. “Because I’m thinking the same thing you are? Why is that so surprising?”

“I was pretty sure you wouldn’t be all that into the idea.”

“From the first time I saw you with him, I knew he was going to be a part of us. I didn’t know how or what or when, but I could see that you love him.”

Nick reached out to caress her face and leaned in to kiss her. “Thank you for understanding.”

“We’ll do something about it.” She leaned into his embrace. “After the wedding. We’ll do something.”

“Ready to get out?”

“If we have to.”

“It’s getting late.” He got out first and reached for towels, wrapping one around his waist and holding the other for her. As he draped it around her, he brought her in close to him and held her for a long time.

“Thanks for staying home tonight,” she said.

“My pleasure.”

Smiling up at him, Sam ran her hands over his muscular chest. “Speaking of your pleasure…”