“I will. Here’s Andi.”

“Hi, Clare.”

“Hi, Andi. Do you know what’s going on with Kate?”

Andi hesitated. “Jack is on his way home from the airport now. Why don’t I have him call you when he gets in?”

“Is she all right? Is she sick?”

“It’s nothing like that.”

“Andi, you’re making me very nervous. I’m in Newport. Can you ask him to come by the house before he goes home?”

“I’ll do that. I’m sorry, I don’t mean to be evasive, but you really should talk to him.”

“Okay. Thank you.”

Aidan sat up in bed. “What’s wrong?”

“I don’t know. Something’s happened in Nashville.” Clare pulled on her jeans. “Jack’s coming over here.”

Aidan got up to find his shirt. “I’m sure if it was something bad, they would’ve called you by now, right?”

“Yeah, but Jack’s wife sounded really odd and so did Maggie.”

They got dressed, and Clare cleaned up the remnants of their pizza picnic. She tried twice to reach Kate but got her voice mail both times.

Aidan followed her barefooted into the kitchen, where he stretched and ran both hands through his hair in an attempt to bring some order to it. “Do you think he’ll take one look at us and know what we’ve been up to?”

“If something’s going on with one of the girls, he won’t be thinking about anything else.”

“You never have a bad word to say about him,” Aidan said, studying her. “You compliment him without even meaning to. It’s admirable.”

“He’s a good father.” She rested her head on Aidan’s chest. “I’m sorry this is happening tonight of all nights.”

“I understand. You have kids, and they come first.”

The doorbell rang.

Clare’s stomach twisted with nerves.

“I can make myself scarce if you want me to.”

“No, come with me.” She reached out to him, and they walked hand in hand to the foyer. Clare released his hand and reached for the door only to be startled by the ravaged look on Jack’s face. “Jack! What’s wrong?”

He stepped inside and stopped short when he saw Aidan.

“Jack, this is Aidan O’Malley. Aidan, Jack Harrington.”

Sizing each other up, they shook hands.

“Pleased to meet you,” Aidan said.

“Likewise.”

Clare watched Jack’s eyes travel down to take in Aidan’s bare feet.

“What’s wrong with Kate?” she asked.

Jack released an exhausted sigh and went into the family room to sit down.

Aidan and Clare followed him.

“I made a terrible mistake letting her go there.” He dropped his head into his hands with despair.

Clare put a hand on his shoulder. “What is it, Jack? You’re frightening me.”

He looked up at her with broken eyes. “She’s having an affair with Reid Matthews.”

Clare gasped and recoiled. “What? What?”