“That’s not likely to happen. He’s in a minimum-security facility with a lot of white-collar criminals.”

“How in the hell did that happen?”

“He used most of our savings to get himself a really, really good lawyer.”

“Is it okay to say I hate him?”

She laughed. “It’s absolutely fine.”

“How much does Ethan know?”

“Very high-level stuff. Daddy got in trouble and had to go to jail. He asks sometimes if he’ll get to see him after, but I dodge those questions. I have sole custody, and if I have my way, he’ll never see Carl again.”

“What if he wants to see him?”

“I’m hoping by the time it actually happens, Ethan will have moved on and won’t ask. I don’t know. I guess I’ll deal with that when it happens, but I hope it’s a long way off.”

“I hope so, too.” He squeezed her shoulder in a show of support that she greatly appreciated. “I have to tell you what Ethan and I talked about on the way to the bus the last couple of days.”

“What did you talk about?”

“Yesterday he asked if I like his mom, and I said yes, I like her very much. Today he was concerned about something happening to you, the way it did to Jackson and Kyle’s mom. I assured him that you’re perfectly healthy and he didn’t need to worry. He asked me to promise him that I’d take good care of you while we are away.”

“Oh God, the poor kid. I hate to think of him worrying about stuff like that.”

“It’s natural that what happened to Jackson and Kyle’s mom would worry him. I remember meeting Joe Cantrell when he first moved to the island after his dad died and asking my mom if that was going to happen to my dad, too.”

“Thank you for reassuring him.”

“I care for him just as much as I care for you, which is a whole lot.”

She leaned her head against his shoulder. “I keep thinking I’m going to wake up and none of this will have happened. It’ll turn out to be nothing more than a lovely dream.”

“I feel the same way. I’m almost ashamed to admit that I’ve been envious of Alex because he found someone who made him so happy, not that he doesn’t deserve it. But I kept wondering if I was ever going to get my turn. And then you kissed me.”

“Ugh,” she said, sputtering with laughter. “Don’t remind me of that. I’m still mortified.”

Once again, he stopped walking, but this time, he drew her in close to him, gazing down at her with a tender, amused expression on his face. “Why are you mortified?”

“Because I kissed my boss! My nursing school professors would freak out if they knew that.”