“You’re close to your family.”

“My parents are good people. Not perfect, but clear.” He glanced at her then. “Do you know what I mean by that?”

She realized she’d snuggled up next to him but didn’t care. Didn’t try to move away. “Like, honest?”

“Sort of. It’s like I know who they are because they’ve always been true, even when they messed up. Hansen lost it when Alexis died. His temper raged and he couldn’t work. The most natural thing was for Dad and me to step up and to get Hansen out of there so he could find peace. We didn’t debate it. We filled the void.”

They were good people. She knew that from what she knew about Hansen, from the articles she read, and from being with Connor nearly nonstop since he arrived on Whitaker.

He closed his eyes for a second before opening them again. “Years before we lost Alexis, my dad had a drinking problem, so none of us drink. My mom had a cancer scare when I was in college, so we all vowed to shave our heads, even Alexis. Never had to, but that’s how it worked. We were a team, still are, but we’re down a player.”

“Losing Alexis must have been devastating.”

“My mom changed. Retreated emotionally. She describes losing a child as this sucking pain that never goes away. She is pretty stoic and not outwardly emotional, but it’s as if a part of her heart was ripped out and she never refilled the hole. Never wanted to. She talks about not being able to breathe some days.”

Maddie leaned her head against his shoulder. “I can’t imagine.”

“You’ve known loss.”

She thought about the secrets she’d just shared. “My mom died while I was in witness protection. Ovarian cancer.”

He pulled back a few inches and looked down at her. “Were you able to see her?”

She choked back the unexpected rush of tears. “Too dangerous. But it had always been us. My parents divorced when I was young and my father immediately moved on to a new family.”

“What the fuck kind of father is that?”

Of course that would be appalling to him. He only knew family acceptance. She’d learned long ago that the concept of unconditional love had its limits. “Some guys leave.”

“Some guys suck.”

She wanted to reach out and take his hand. Forget that they were right there, in the middle of town, sitting on wet grass in the freezing cold, and her with a jacket on her lap but not on. Let them watch and wonder. “Does it matter?”

He looked confused. “What?”

“My past. The money. Being involved in that mess.”

“It wasn’t your mess, Maddie.” He sucked in his breath. “Should I still call you Maddie?”