“Kate, you’re eighteen. He’s forty-six. What did you expect Dad to say? What do you expect me to say? It’s horrifying to us.”

Kate’s face crumpled. “Don’t say that. How is it any different than you and Aidan? You love him. I can tell by the way you look at him.”

“It’s very different. We’re both adults.”

“I’m an adult, too. Look at what I’m doing, what’s about to happen to me, not to mention all we went through after your accident. How can you say I’m not an adult?”

“Honey, listen to me. I don’t know this man you claim to love. I only know that Dad once thought of him as a friend, so he must have some admirable qualities. But being involved with an eighteen-year-old at his age is not admirable. It’s wrong.”

Tears flooded Kate’s eyes and slid down her cheeks. “It doesn’t feel wrong. Not to me.”

“I don’t want to ruin our visit with tears and arguments. I love you. I’ll support you no matter what you choose, but I don’t approve of this relationship, Kate. I want to be crystal clear on that.”

“What am I going to do about Dad? And Andi? She’s mad at me, too. I lied to her about Reid when I was home at Christmas. She’s really disappointed.”

“If you felt you had to lie, what does that tell you?”

“That’s what she said, too.”

“Come here,” Clare said, reaching out to her daughter.

Kate fell into her mother’s arms. “I don’t like disappointing you. Any of you.”

“You’ve got a lot to think about. We can talk about it some more tomorrow. How about a cup of hot chocolate before bed?”

“I’d love some.”

Clare got Kate settled and went upstairs to Aidan’s room to get her pajamas. When she was ready for bed, she went down to one of the other bedrooms. From there, she could hear power tools running in the garage.

As she got into bed in the unfamiliar room, she wondered why Aidan had built a house with so many bedrooms. Then she remembered he’d planned to sell it.

She thought about Kate and almost felt sorry for her daughter who was in love with a man no one approved of. Thank goodness for the tour. At least it’ll keep them apart for a while.

Clare must have dozed off, because she awoke with a start when Aidan kissed her. He smelled like shampoo and shaving cream, and when she reached for him, her hands landed on his bare chest.

“Aidan,” she whispered.

“Shhh,” he said, kissing the words off her lips. In the pitch darkness, he drove her wild with his hands and lips, making slow, quiet love to her.