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"Sit with ot stuff I have to do"

She patted the empty space next to her "Jon," she whispered "Please"

He hesitated, and she knew he felt torn between the need to hile Katie napped and his desire to be with his wife Her smile must have won him over because he sank down at her side and slipped one arm around her shoulders

"I love you so much," she said

Jon kissed her forehead "I love you, too"

"In a few months, this will all be over"

"It feels like it’s gone on forever," he h these last feeeks of the pregnancy…That’ll be the et better"

He released a deep, pent-up sigh "We’ll be fine"

"I think so, too" She turned her head in order to aze "Your step with a prea Then he asked "Did she call or did you?"

"She phoned," Maryellen assured hi to take offense at the question "They read about the fire at The Lighthouse because they get the Chronicle She called to see if everything was all right with us"

He didn’t respond for a long ?" he finally asked "At a job, I mean?"

"They know," she said "I told her about the problenancy, too"

He wasn’t happy about that, she could tell, but he didn’t say anything

"I didn’t ask her to do it, I want you to understand that"

"Do what?"

"Corandchildren and we need help"

Still Jon refused to co his reaction On top of everything else, she couldn’t bear his anger It would break her

"They can’t stay here"

She nodded

"I don’t want them around the house when I’m here" The arm that cradled her lay heavily on her shoulders

"I’ll hed "I don’t like this, but I’ll do it for you and Katie and for the baby"

"Thank you," she whispered

"It doesn’t change anything, Maryellen"

"I know" She pressed her head against hiain

"Love does that to a man, doesn’t it?"

"Hs you don’t want to for the people you love Things you never thought you’d do"

Maryellen knehat he was saying Jon had vowed that he would not allow his family back in his life after what they’d done to hi aside his deepest convictions because Ellen and Joseph illing to help in this ies of his life for Maryellen’s sake and Katie’s There iveness in his heart, but he’d set aside his anger to serve his wife’s needs

"Love makes us put other people first," she said "Isn’t that what you mean?" Isn’t that what love is?

Four

Justine could barely stand to look at the burned-out husk that had once been The Lighthouse Most of the structure had collapsed and the charred reainst the vivid blue backdrop of the cove Yellow cri lot Even noeeks after the fire, the acrid s oppressively in the air

Seth stood at her side and Robert Beckman, the insurance claims adjuster, ith theether Leif, thank goodness, was in preschool As much as she could, Justine wanted to protect her son from all this

Her panic attack the week before had shaken her She hadn’t told Seth aboutshe’d been anywhere close to the otherto worry about Her love for Seth and their family was rock-solid Warren had been kind to her, and for that she was grateful He’d asked her to join him for lunch; she’d declined and hadn’t talked to hiation take?" Seth asked, keeping pace with the adjuster

Justine wrapped her hand around his arm in silent entreaty Seth was still bitter and i to move forward after the fire and resentful of every delay Already he was talking about rebuilding, eager to get their business and their lives back on track More than eager, he’d become obsessive Every drawback, every question, frustrated hiun to affect his e a long ti voice "But--"

"It’s already been over teeks," Seth snapped "What else is there to investigate?"

"You’ll have to forgive my husband, Mr Beckine, this fire has been very difficult for us"

"I completely understand," the olderti as quickly and efficiently as we can"