“And good beer,” Paul said in a welcome moment of levity that made them all laugh. “I’ll email both of them tonight and set up the interviews. I’ll let you know when they’re coming.”

“You and Daisy probably have better things to do than come check on us every night,” Alex said. “Not that we don’t appreciate it.”

“Daisy knows her special bond with your mom helps the situation, and she insists on visiting every night. But I’m happy to do it, too.”

The kindness of those around them only added to the emotional battlefield inside Alex. On any given day, he experienced the full gamut from rage to despair to relief to gratitude to overwhelming love for the mother who’d given him everything to anger at the God who’d taken so much from her at such a young age. “I’d better hit the shower before I stink the place up,” Alex said. “Thanks again for everything, David.”

“No problem. Call me if you need me. Any time.” David stood. “We’re going to head out in a bit, so we’ll see you tomorrow.”

Alex nodded in appreciation and headed for the room that had been his as a child. Here he was at thirty-four, back in his old room, surrounded by high school trophies and other reminders of an idyllic childhood on Gansett Island. While this house and island were about the last place he wanted to be, he couldn’t conceive of being anywhere else when his mom and brother needed him. It didn’t do any good, he’d discovered over the last year, to wallow in thoughts of what could’ve been.

He was too busy on a daily basis dealing with what was to think too much about the life he’d left behind in Washington—or the woman he’d thought he loved until she made it clear she wouldn’t be waiting around for him to deal with his family crisis. Apparently, he’d dodged a bullet there, but the loss of a relationship he’d enjoyed was just another thing to be bitter about.

He stepped under the icy-cold blast of the shower and let the water rain down upon him until he was completely numb and shivering, which was a welcome relief after sweating his balls off all day. He washed his hair, shaved the scruff off his face and finally allowed his thoughts to wander to the incredibly intense interlude he’d shared with the sexy lighthouse keeper.

Jenny…