Jenny sent Alex an empathetic smile, wishing she could go to him and hug him, but she quelled the urge until a more appropriate time.

"I'm going to hit the shower," he said as he cracked open a beer to take with him. Looking directly at her, he added, "I'll be right back."

The message couldn't have been clearer-don't leave. As if there was anywhere she'd rather be. Adam and Paul continued to converse about the system, and Jenny pretended like she was paying attention, but all she could think about was Alex and the despair she'd sensed in him at the thought of yet another challenge to contend with. She wanted to wrap her arms around him and provide all the comfort she was capable of. Hopefully, he'd let her.

Before Alex emerged from the shower, Marion returned home with her friend.

Paul left Adam to work on the computer alone and got busy putting dinner together for his mother.

Jenny eyed the pan of lasagna Paul had pulled from the fridge. "Could I help with that so you can keep working with Adam?"

"You don't have to do that."

"I know I don't. I'm offering anyway."

His smile was warm and full of gratitude, but it couldn't hide the exhaustion. "Thanks. That'd be great."

"No problem." Jenny cut a piece of lasagna, heated it in the microwave and served it to Marion, who was seated at the bar.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"I'm Jenny."

"I don't know you."

"We met earlier before you went for a ride with your friend."

"I went for a ride?"

"Yes, you went to look at the sunset."

"I do love a good sunset."

"You should come to the Southeast Light sometime. It's the best place for a sunset."

"What's your name again?"

"Jenny. I'm a friend of Alex's and Paul's."

Marion took a small bite of her lasagna. "My boys always had nice friends and lots of pretty girls around. The girls have always liked them."

Jenny bit her bottom lip to keep from laughing.

"Mom, what're you telling her?" Paul asked.

"None of your business," Marion said with a wink for Jenny that made her laugh. "It's girl talk." She stared at Jenny for a long moment. "Tell me your name again. I have trouble remembering."

"Jenny."

"And you're friends with my boys?"

"Yes, I am."

"Are you dating one of them?"

"I, um..." Where was Alex when she needed him?

"She's dating me, Mom," Alex said as he came into the kitchen, wearing a pair of plaid shorts with a navy polo shirt. His wet hair had been combed into submission, his face was freshly shaved, and he smelled amazing as he joined her at the counter.

When he declared their relationship in front of his mother, brother and Adam, Jenny's heart had tripped into double time. His hand on her lower back was reassuring and arousing at the same time. She had to remind herself to breathe.

"She's very pretty," Marion said.

"I think so, too," Alex said with a smile for Jenny that made her melt.

She couldn't believe the effect he had on her just by walking into the room fresh from the shower. She'd spent the entire afternoon with Paul and Adam, two exceptionally good-looking men in their own right, and hadn't experienced so much as a flutter of interest for either of them. But the second Alex walked in the door, her entire body had woken up to take notice. The powerful reactions he inspired in her were exciting and frightening at the same time.

Adam checked his watch. "I hate to say it, but I've got somewhere to be. Can we continue this tomorrow?"

"Sure," Paul said, defeat radiating from him. "I have a town council meeting tonight anyway, so I've got to get going."

Alex's hand curled around Jenny's hip as he uttered one word. "Damn."

It occurred to her that Alex hadn't known about Paul's meeting when he made plans for their date.

"You'll be home tonight, right?" Paul asked Alex after he saw Adam out.

"Yep. No problem."

"I'll be home by ten if you want to go out later," Paul said with a teasing wink for Jenny and Alex as he headed for the hallway.

"Bite me," Alex said, making Jenny laugh.

"Don't be mean to your brother, Alexander," Marion said.

"Why not? He's mean to me."

"Be nice," Marion said, pointing her fork at Alex. "Your friend didn't come over to listen to you bicker with your brother."

"That's right," Jenny said. "You tell him, Marion."

"I like this girl, Alex. What did you say your name was again?"

"Jenny."

"That's a nice name. I like it."

"Thank you. Marion is a nice name, too."

"It's an old-lady name."

"No, it isn't," Jenny said with a smile.

"Want some more lasagna, Mom?" Alex asked.

"No, I'm full. Thank you."

"Don't thank me. Thank Mrs. Upton. She made it."

"That's very nice of Verna."

"Yes, it is."

"Is Daisy coming tonight?"

"Probably. Do you want to sit in the rocking chair and watch for her?"

"That would be very nice," Marion said. "It's freezing in here."

Alex walked her to the door and got her settled in one of the rockers. He came back inside and opened the blinds so he could keep an eye on her. "I'm sorry our plans got screwed up," he said when they were alone.

"It's no problem."

"How do you feel about Verna Upton's lasagna and a movie on TV?"

"That sounds lovely. Verna's lasagna comes highly recommended."

Alex approached her with intent in his dark eyes, and Jenny took a couple of steps backward until she bumped up against the counter. He surrounded her, with a hand on either side of her. "You were really great with her. Thank you."

"She's very sweet."

"I'm glad you got to see the sweetness. Her moods run the gamut these days. At times, like just now, she's almost lucid, like her old self. But then she disappears into the confusion again, which is particularly crushing for us."

"I'm sure it is." Jenny reached up to corral a wayward strand of damp hair from his forehead. "You get a reminder of who she used to be, and then it's snatched away from you."

"Yes," he said. "That's it exactly."

Jenny placed her hands on his hips and drew him toward her.

Alex put his arms around her, and they stood that way for a long time while he kept a vigilant eye on his mother.

There was nothing sexual about their embrace. It was all about comfort, which he seemed to need badly.

"You're so good for me," he whispered gruffly against her ear, sending a cascade of shivers down her arm. "I was so damned happy to see you when I came in from work."

"I was happy to see you, too."

His arms tightened around her. "I thought about our apicnic' all afternoon."

"So did I."

The sound of car doors closing outside had them pulling away from each other. But Alex took hold of her hand as they went outside into the still-sweltering heat to greet the new arrivals. A row of dark clouds hung ominously over the island, giving Jenny hope that relief from the heat might be in sight.

Dr. David Lawrence's girlfriend, Daisy Babson, came up to the porch to hug and kiss Marion, who seemed delighted to see the pretty blonde woman. Another man was with them, and Jenny knew him from somewhere but couldn't immediately come up with his name. She felt like it was on the tip of her tongue.

David came up the stairs and shook hands with Alex.

"You know Jenny, right?" Alex said, his arm now around her shoulders. Apparently, they were going fully public with their relationship, which pleased her greatly.

"Sure, nice to see you again, Jenny."

"You, too."

David turned to the other man who'd come with them. "Get up here, will you?"

When he joined them on the porch, Jenny tried desperately to remember how she knew him.

"This is my landlord and friend, Jared James," David said.

Alex and Jared shook hands.

"Yes!" Jenny said. "That's how I know you. You're Jared James." He was tanned, with dark blond hair, piercing blue eyes and a few age lines around his eyes that hadn't been there the last time Jenny saw him.

"I'm afraid you have me at a disadvantage..."

"I'm Jenny Wilks. I was a year behind you at Wharton."

"Oh, of course. You were Toby's girlfriend."

"Yes."

"I was so very sorry to hear he'd died."

"Thank you."

"I knew him quite well. He was a great guy."

"Yes, he was. So, you've been all kinds of successful since we left school. What do they call you, the new king of Wall Street?"

He shrugged off the praise. "I had a few good years despite the crap economy. Anyone who did well during that time got a lot of attention."

"Well, from what I've read, it was well deserved."

While Alex talked to David, Jenny visited with Jared, comparing notes on people they'd known at school and who they kept in touch with.

"So what are you doing out here?" he asked.

"I'm the lighthouse keeper at the Southeast Light."