“I’ve missed you too.” She slid a leg between his and rose on her elbow. Brushing a curl from his eyes, she lowered her mouth to his. She savored his familiar taste, yet was slightly discombobulated by the city scent of cologne instead of his usual tang of the sea with a frisson of engine oil. “Do you really need a nap?”

“What did you have in mind?”

“Something that always helps you sleep.”

“Sex in a single bed?”

“Well, we’ve pushed the reset button on our marriage so it seems appropriate to have sex in a single bed like we did in the early days.”

Nick laughed. “At least this one’s a bit wider than the bunk on Andiamo.”

She traced his jawline with her finger. “And then we can fast forward to a new future by getting housekeeping to convert the beds into a king while we’re at dinner.”

“As much as having sex again will be amazing, I think I’m more turned on by the idea of having you sleeping in my arms all night.”

Her heart rolled in a combination of joy and aversion. She instantly sobered. “Nick, when we get home, I don’t think I can move back into the master bedroom.”

A shadow crossed his face. “Fair enough. But can I move into the guest room with you?”

“Yes, please.”

Chapter Seventeen

September

Hey, Alice my wonderland. Not getting much work done today and who slowed the clocks? Can’t stop thinking about us. Can’t wait to hold you IRL. xx

“Squee!” Alice spun around in delight on the Bairnsdale street.

A little girl asked, “Why are you dancing?”

“Because I’m happy. Do you dance when you’re happy?”

“I dance to the Wiggles.”

“Maeve! Come here.” A woman gave Alice a wary look. The little girl trotted back to her mother and Alice heard her say, “You shouldn’t be talking to strangers, especially ones that squeal on the street.”

But not even the woman’s inference that Alice was crazy could dent her euphoria. In less than two hours, she and Tim were meeting in real life. They’d video chatted every night for close to two weeks. During their first conversation, Tim had apologized for vanishing without a trace. “I wasn’t ghosting you, Alice, I swear. At least not intentionally. It’s just life went unexpectedly off the rails.”

Alice was no stranger to that concept. Tim had explained that his father had been hospitalized with emphysema and his deteriorating health meant he needed more of Tim’s time. On top of that, his brother-in-law had walked out and he’d found himself supporting his sister, Sasha, and being a surrogate dad to his confused and angry nephews.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Alice squinted at the computer screen, watching Tim’s face carefully, looking for clues that might support or disprove his words. “I would have understood.”