If Kate’s letters were any indication, she’d done most of the child raising while Brianna was young. But Allison had to give Burke credit. After Kate’s death he’d cut back on traveling and restructured his life to be present for his daughter. It was a shame he couldn’t have done it while Kate was alive and still in good health. But it appeared they’d had some wonderful times when he was home, with the boat and their friends. And somehow, through good times and bad, they’d been able to keep their love alive.

Would she be as lucky? Allison wondered. Or was it already too late to save her marriage to this proud, stubborn, driven man?

Her thoughts shifted to Garrett’s offer that she come and work for the agency. In some ways it sounded like a good idea. It would keep her busy, and possibly sane, while Burke was recovering. She’d be earning a salary, she supposed—but since it would be Burke’s money, there wasn’t much financial incentive to take the job. Still, if she could be Burke’s eyes and ears, making sure that no employee or client took advantage of his absence to bend the rules, that could be important.

But wasn’t that Garrett’s job?

And what about being home to aid Burke with his recovery? How much was he going to need her? How much would he allow her to help him?

Her decision would have to wait. Right now there were too many uncertainties involved.

She’d walked more than a mile along the path, to a long, little-used wooden pier that jutted out into the lake. Making her way to the end of it, she stood for a moment, gazing out across the water toward the marina on the far shore, where Burke’s boat was stored on its trailer. When was the last time he’d taken it on the water? If he had no plans to use the expensive craft, why hadn’t he sold it? Only Burke could answer those questions, and this was no time to ask him.

Turning around, she started back. Where the shoreline curved, she could see the tree-sheltered houses along Peaceful Lane. All of them had been built back in the 1970s with high windows and broad balconies offering magnificent views of the lake. These days, most of the owners were either retirees or wealthy people who used the houses as vacation homes. None of them had much in common with a young bride who didn’t fish and had never even been on the water.