“This smells wonderful.”

“Chicken Alfredo, a specialty of the house.”

“It’s fabulous, and I’m impressed.” After she ate half of what he’d given her, she pushed her plate over to him and he finished it.

“You look better.”

“I have the energy of an infant, but otherwise I feel better.”

He carried the plates to the sink and loaded the dishwasher. When he came back, he handed her the phone. “Want to call the girls?”

She nodded, touched by his thoughtfulness. The girls were relieved to hear she was feeling better, and she promised to call them again in a day or two.

After she hung up with Kate, he led her into a room off the living room she hadn’t noticed before. She could tell right away that he spent most of his time here. There was a desk with a computer and piles of paper she assumed were part of his business. A woodstove occupied one corner of the room, and a flat-screen TV was mounted on the wall. Aidan settled her on the sofa and covered her with a blanket before he tossed another log on the fire.

“Warm enough?”

She nodded, and he sat next to her.

“I need to tell you something.”

His handsome face was serious, and a ripple of fear went through her. At some point during her fevered state, she’d fallen in love with him and didn’t want to hear anything that would spoil it. She reached for him.

He seemed relieved to move into her embrace and rested against her for several long minutes. When he finally looked up at her, his eyes were sad. “I lied to you about something, and I need to tell you the truth.”

His distress touched her heart. “You don’t have to,” she said, caressing his cheek.

He kissed the palm of her hand, sending a jolt of desire through her. His eyes found hers. “Yes, I do. I need to tell you because I love you, Clare. For the first time in a very long time, something matters to me. You matter to me, and I don’t want to mess this up.”

She leaned in to kiss him and was startled by the hunger she felt in his kiss.

“Wait,” he said against her lips. “We need to talk.”

She kissed his forehead and cheek. “I love you, too, Aidan, and there’s nothing you can tell me that will change that.”

“Thank you,” he said, his voice heavy with emotion. “Hold that thought for a moment.” He got up, walked over to his desk, and came back holding a picture frame against his chest. “This is Sarah. She was my wife.” He sat down and handed the photo to Clare.