Gripping the steering wheel, she drove to the gate and got out to unlock the lighthouse property for the day before continuing on toward Syd’s house. She obeyed the speed limit, even though she wanted to push the accelerator to the floor so she could get there faster. When she pulled into Syd’s driveway, she was relieved to see her friend’s Volvo parked in the driveway but Luke’s truck gone.

As much as she loved Sydney’s wonderful husband, she wanted some time alone with her friend. Jenny got out of the car, walked around the house to the door and knocked.

Buddy’s loud howl made Jenny smile. He sounded so fierce but was a total love.

“Hush, Buddy,” Sydney said as she pulled open the door. “Hey! Come in! Are you feeling better?”

Sydney’s cheerful welcome and her bright smile broke the fragile hold Jenny had on her composure. She didn’t cry, but it took everything she had to keep the tears at bay.

Syd grabbed her hand and tugged her to the sofa. “Oh my God, Jenny. What’s wrong?”

“I…I’ve met someone.”

“Wait, what? Who?”

“Alex Martinez.”

Sydney’s eyes widened with surprise and delight. “Do tell. And don’t leave out a single detail.”

“He came to cut the grass, and he woke me up with the mower, so I threw tomatoes at him.”

“You threw tomatoes at him. For real?”

“I was pretty mad. He interrupted the Toby dream with the mower.”

“Oh shit. Is that why you asked me the other day about whether I dream about Seth and the kids?”

Jenny nodded.

“So what happened when you threw the tomatoes at him?”

“I hit him in the back with one of them. Then we argued about the proper time to cut grass, and he promised he wouldn’t come that early again, so I let him finish. Did I mention I was wearing next to nothing when I stormed out of the lighthouse to throw tomatoes at him?”

Syd held two fingers to lips that curled into a smile.

“Anyway, I got dressed and was going out to open the gate for the day when I caught him taking a shower under the hose. He… Well, he’s quite hot.”

“I’ve noticed.”

“I’m only human, and it had been a while, so I couldn’t help but stare. The next thing I knew, he was standing right in front of me, dripping water all over me and staring at me with intense brown eyes.”

Sydney hung on her every word, hardly seeming to breathe while she waited for Jenny to continue.

“Then he kissed me.”

“He just swooped in?”

“He told me to say no if I didn’t want it. I couldn’t breathe, let alone speak, so I didn’t say no.”

“Damn straight you didn’t say no. What happened then?”