When she looked up at him with those bottomless brown eyes, Alex decided he couldn’t keep what he knew from her. It wouldn’t be right. “Paul showed me the letter you wrote to the council when you applied for the job.”

Her face lost all expression. “Oh.”

“I hope you’re not mad that I read it.”

“Why would I be mad? You already knew a lot of it.”

“Still… I want to say that if I didn’t already admire you as much as it was possible to admire anyone, I would after reading that. I know you don’t want to talk about it or dwell on it, and I promise not to treat you differently, but I need you to know I think you’re amazing and resilient and…” His throat closed around a tight knot of emotion. “And I’m very honored that you choose to spend time with me.”

“Alex…” She put her arms around his neck and rested her head on his chest. “That’s very sweet of you to say.”

“I mean it.”

“So I might be forgiven for the tomato incident?”

He smiled as her soft hair brushed against his lips. “I wouldn’t go that far.”

“Can you sleep over?”

“I was hoping you’d ask me to.”

“Good, because I’m a little creeped out by the dark.”

Relieved that they’d successfully navigated yet another emotional minefield, he said, “So that’s all I’m good for? Keeping the boogeyman at bay?”

She took his hand, picked up the flashlight and aimed it toward the set of stairs that led to her bedroom. “You might be good for a few other things, too.”

“That sounds very promising.”

Lightning zigzagged in the sky as Jenny propped the flashlight on her bedside table, which drew Alex’s attention to a framed picture.

He picked it up and took a closer look. “Is this Toby?”

“Yes.”

“He was a good-looking guy.”

“Yes, he was.”

“Where was this the other night when I was here?”

“In the drawer. I didn’t think you needed another guy watching us while we did…you know…that.”

Smiling, Alex returned the frame to the table and ran a finger over the blush that flamed her cheek. “I don’t want you to feel like you ever have to hide him or pictures of him or the life you shared with him from me. He’s part of you, and I’m falling very deeply into serious like with you.”

“Serious like,” she said with a grin. “That’s a good thing?”

“That’s a very good—and very unexpected—thing.”

“For me, too. It’s very good and very unexpected. And it means a lot to me that I don’t have to hide what I shared with Toby from you.”