Her gaze took in the room full of happy people and found Ethan at a table with Seamus, Carolina, Kyle and Jackson. The three boys were giggling at something Seamus was saying to them, and her heart ached all over again at the thought of taking him away from his new friends. Ethan had thrived here, and having to tell him they were leaving had nearly killed her.

He’d been furious with her ever since, which had only made a difficult situation worse.

A tap on her shoulder had her spinning around to find Paul standing behind her, extending a hand to her. “Dance with me.”

She noted that the request wasn’t made in the form of a question but rather a plea. Powerless to resist him, she took his hand and let him lead her to the dance floor. Of course the song had to be Elvis Presley singing “Can’t Help Falling in Love.”

For the first time since the last time she’d been in his arms, the ache inside her subsided and the longing intensified.

“You look so incredibly sexy today,” he whispered in her ear, setting off a whole other reaction.

“That wasn’t the goal,” she said with a nervous laugh.

“You’re effortlessly sexy.”

In all the years she’d been married, her husband had never said anything like that to her. Everything about this man was different from the man she’d married, but even knowing that, she couldn’t seem to throw caution to the wind and forget the many lessons she’d learned the hard way.

She’d thought about his sweet offer many times during sleepless nights and had been tempted more than once to say to hell with lessons learned. What did they matter if it meant having to live without him? But then she’d remember what it had felt like to be desperate and alone and deeply in debt, and the fear would trump the desire every time.

“Ethan is spending the night with Seamus and Carolina,” Paul whispered in her ear. “After the wedding, I need a few minutes of your time.”

Surprised to hear of plans she’d known nothing about, she said, “Wait, since when is he staying with them?”

“Since I asked if he could. They were happy to have him. Seamus said he’s good for the boys because he makes them laugh, and they need that right now.”

“Why did you ask if he could stay there?”

“Because we need to talk, and I want you all to myself when we do.”

Though every part of her wanted to hear what he had to say, her better judgment ruled the day. “It’s not a good idea, Paul.”

“How do you know that?” he asked, his dark eyes dancing with amusement. “You haven’t heard what I have to say yet.”