She laughed. “Yes, that’s her. We both were furloughed from the aquarium, so we are pooling our resources. The guest room is taken.”

“Oh. I see. Fair enough.” He paused. “But, Linnea,” he said, his voice lowering, “I was rather hoping that we would share a room.”

“Oh, of course,” she said, feeling tongue-tied. Of course he’d want to stay with her. They were boyfriend and girlfriend. He was traveling across an ocean to be with her. “I want to be with you,” she hurried to say. “But what about the pandemic? When you arrive, you’ll have to be in quarantine. Like Cooper. You can’t do that here.” She put her hand to her heated cheek. “Gordon, we have to think this through.”

“I have. I could stay at a hotel for two weeks. Quarantine myself per requirements. And then I thought, I rather hoped, we could be together. Isn’t that what you’d like?”

“Actually, Gordon…” She took a breath. “I’d have to get permission from Cara. And what about Anna? I can’t kick her out. She has nowhere to go.”

He released a quick smile that quickly fell again. “Have you changed your mind? You don’t want me to come?”

He was hurt. She readily saw that. And she couldn’t blame him. She felt horrible for not simply exclaiming, Yes, do come live with me! We’ll make it work somehow. She wanted to take away the disappointment etched across his face. But she felt some inner muzzle keeping her impulsive, eager-to-please self from self-sabotaging.

Still… why was she being selfish? Gordon was her boyfriend. He was coming all the way to America to see her, at last. Naturally he wanted to stay with her. And wasn’t that the legacy of the beach house? To offer safe haven?

“Of course you can stay here. We’ll make it work somehow.”

His expression shifted and his smile brightened his eyes.

“I was beginning to think you didn’t want me to come.”

“I do. I’m just… well, scared.” She felt herself stumbling. “My visiting your place is one thing. You moving into mine… is a big step.”

“I understand. You should know, I’m ready for that step.”

Linnea sucked in her breath.

“If it doesn’t work, if you want your space, I’ll find something else. No pressure. I don’t want you to feel rushed.”

“Okay.” Her voice was a whisper.

“Are you okay? Really?”

She nodded. “Yes.”

“Then I’m coming to your place?” he confirmed.

“Yes.”

There was a pause, each giving the other a moment to say something.

Linnea broke the impasse. “I think we need to sleep. You must be exhausted. It’s past midnight there. I know I’m tired.” She sighed. “A bit dazed and confused, actually.”

Gordon’s brow furrowed. “I hope this fellow hasn’t got you confused.”

She hesitated too long. She saw his face change; a muscle twitched in his cheek.

“He is in your head, isn’t he? I can see it. Amazing thing about all this technology. I can see your face.”