“Yeah?”

“If you love this girl, don’t let her get away. She’s special.”

“I know.” While it pleased him that his brother could see that Jenny was special, it also infuriated him. However, he wisely kept that last part to himself. “Do you think it’s fair of me to be getting so involved with her?”

“What do you mean?”

“Mom and everything. It’s a lot to ask of anyone.”

“If she were the kind of person who couldn’t handle what you’ve got going on, you wouldn’t care about her as much as you do.”

“That’s true, but still…”

“I get where you’re coming from, but how long are we expected to put our lives on hold? For the rest of Mom’s life? There’s no right or wrong answer here. For what it’s worth, I say go for it. We’ll figure it out the way we have already.” Paul pushed open the door. “See you back at the ranch?”

“I’ll be right there.”

“Don’t forget to lock up.”

“Yes, Dad.”

Paul’s raised middle finger was the only indication that he’d heard Alex’s snide comment.

Alex swept up the glass, turned off the lights, shut down the computer and locked the main door. As he walked up the hill to the house, he thought about what Paul had said about timing and also tried to figure out why he’d gone so ballistic on his brother. He was about halfway home when it dawned on him. He was jealous—jealous of his own brother and the easy rapport he’d found with the woman Alex considered his.

“When was the last time you were jealous because of a woman?” If he were being truthful with himself, he’d never experienced that particular emotion before. He’d felt the same way the other night when he heard her invite her old friend Jared James to visit her at the lighthouse. Alex had felt then like someone was peeling back his skin to reveal a rather ugly interior.

Jealous.

As he showered off the grime of the day and shaved, he thought about the other thing his brother had said, the part about Alex being in love with Jenny. Was that even possible so soon after meeting her? Yes, it was more than possible, he decided. That realization had him questioning whether she felt the same way and what he’d do if she didn’t.

“Christ, you’ve got it so bad for her,” he whispered as the water cascaded down upon him. Was it too soon to tell her how he felt? Probably. The last thing he wanted was to scare her off by pushing her for more than she was ready to give. But maybe she was ready, too.