“We’re out. I didn’t have any to make the morning I left for New York. Tom pisses me off. He drinks coffee all the time but never replaces it.”

“I’ll drink whatever you have.”

Alex opened the refrigerator again. “We have lots of beer. I know it doesn’t go with an omelet, but it’s all I have.”

“Whose beers are they? I won’t touch Tom’s!”

Alex grinned. “Here. Have a beer. It’s on the house—and don’t worry about Tom.” He flipped the metal caps off with a bottle opener and handed her one. “Sit back and relax. I make the best omelet ever.”

Jorden took him for his word. The beer tasted good. She relaxed and watched Alex whip the last six eggs. He diced up the ham and grated the cheddar cheese. Then he poured the egg mixture into a well-oiled heated pan. Meticulously, he moved the skillet back and forth on the stove’s burner to set the mixture. Rich aromas filled the tiny kitchen as he added salt and pepper, ham, and cheese before he flipped it over at the perfect moment.

“Smells delicious. Yum. I could eat it all.”

“No way! We’ll split it right down the middle.” Alex proceeded and divided the omelet with the spatula and served it up on paper plates.

“Yum! It’s perfect.” Devouring the omelet in no time, Jorden licked the remains off her fork. “Delicious—the best. Thank you.”

“Told you I was good. Here, have another beer.” He popped off two more caps and handed another one to Jorden before she could protest. “Let’s sit on the couch in the living room. I’m tired of these hard stools.” The furniture was sparse with a couch, one side chair, and a television perched on an end table.

“Aren’t you tired? My legs feel like lead weights,” Alex stated with a sigh.

“No wonder, you drove straight through. You’ve earned the right to feel beat.”

Alex pulled Jorden closer as they slid down on the couch. “Now that feels better, doesn’t it?” He kissed the back of her neck and held her gently. Shivers ran up her back as she felt the soft pressure of his lips on her neck. He buried his face closer to hers while three simple words rolled off his tongue: “I love you.”

Light headed, Jorden pressed in closer. His arms encircled her. Jorden responded, reaching for his hand and weaving her fingers between his. Before she knew it, she murmured the same words back to him. They were still for a long time, captured by the moment.

Around two in the morning, Jorden sat up with a start. A car had driven up in front of the apartment. The motor sputtered and clanged, sounding like firecrackers.

“What’s going on?”

“I can’t believe it! It can only be Tom’s car.” Alex jumped up.