Bigger or frighteningly thin, she’s always been beautiful to me, but I have to admit the healthy curve of her glutes and the muscle in her shoulders look good on her. And the confident sway of her hips looks even better.

She shrugs. “I still have my moments, but I’m in a pretty healthy place.”

“I’m glad to hear it. Maybe we could run together someday. I enjoy it too.”

“I’m not like my brothers. I like to enjoy my workouts—not kill myself to compete.”

I’ve worked out with her brothers a few times now. They like to do CrossFit-style workouts and bust their asses to beat each other. As a lifelong competitor, I love that, but that’s not always what I’m looking for when I go to the gym. “I promise I won’t race you.” I glance around the kitchen as I finish my second slice of pizza. The space is small but tidy. There’s a stack of books beside her laptop on the table. “Were you working?”

She nods. “I just finished up the last of my revisions and sent my final dissertation off to my committee.”

“That’s incredible. Why aren’t you out celebrating?”

She snorts. “A night at home with no work is my idea of a celebration. And anyway, nothing’s official until after my defense.”

“But your committee’s read it at this point, right?”

“Yeah, they’ve read pieces of it along the way and given me feedback. George has read everything except my most recent revisions.”

“Then you should be fine. Right?”

She wraps her arms around herself and seems to shrink. “Assuming George doesn’t hold it against me when I tell his wife he slept with me.”

Well, shit. “You think he will? Do you think you should wait?”

“If I wait, I’m only doing it to protect myself, and that feels wrong. I should never have slept with him to begin with. I might not have known he was married, but I went to bed with him when he was the chair of my committee. This is part of that fallout, like it or not, and I can’t wait to tell a woman her husband is unfaithful just because it’s inconvenient to me.” She straightens a stack of papers on the counter. “Knowing and not telling her makes me complicit.”

“What happens if George holds it against you? What if he doesn’t . . . pass your dissertation or whatever?”

“Then I don’t get my PhD, and I’m suddenly under-qualified for all the jobs I’ve been interviewing for.”

Jobs that will take her away from Jackson Harbor. I close up the pizza box while I consider this. Fuck. I’m so selfish. I don’t want her to leave, but if that’s what she wants . . . “Did you ever email that agent?”