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table.
    He put the bottled water down next to Katy’s hat and took the seat beside her.
    The sun had dropped halfway behind the sea. Pinks and oranges streaked across the deep blue sky.
    Katy gave him a soft smile. “Gorgeous view.”
    Dayne studied her, the way the fading sun reflected in her eyes. “Yes.” He blinked and turned toward thfe beach. “I … I never get tired of it.”
    The wind had died down, but still there was the occasional sound of a seagull.
    Dayne leaned back into the sofa cushion and stretched out his legs. Katy smelled wonderful, something subtle and innocent, like her. He wasn’t in a hurry. If the scene they
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    were playing out was on a television screen, he’d hit the Pause button and never touch it again.
    She pulled up her legs and turned her body toward him. “Well, I’m here.”
    “Yeah.” He shifted so he could see her better. “Thanks.” He nodded toward the beach. “The press hounds aren’t around yet. No one saw you come up.”
    “Then why … ?”
    “I couldn’t take a chance.” He sat a little straighter. “It’s private here.”
    “Oh.” She nodded, nervous. “Okay.” Her expression told him she wanted to say more, wanted to know why he’d asked to meet with her. But she stopped short of saying anything more.
    Dayne leaned across her and took his bottle of water. As he did, his arm brushed hers, and the touch made him crazy for wanting her. How could he ask Kelly to move in with him when his feelings for Katy were all-consuming? when he had known from the first day that no one could make him feel the way this woman beside him made him feel?
    He opened the water bottle, dropped the plastic cap on the table, and took a sip. He was careful to keep his distance. The ocean air smelled damp and salty, tinged with the faintest hint of seaweed. “You know what I love about the ocean?”
    Katy looked out at the water. “What?”
    “The sameness of it.” He laid his head back against the cushion. This was good, delaying the real conversation. It gave him somewhere to look other than at her.
    He focused on a wave a few dozen yards out and watched the peaking water make its way steadily to the shore, rising and building, cresting and collapsing in a mound of white foam. “No matter what else happens in a given day, the ocean comes at you the same way. Every hour. Every minute.”
    “Mmm.” She kept her gaze on the ocean for a moment. Then 30
    she turned back to him. “That’s not why you asked me here.” Her voice was soft, and it mixed with the gentle breeze.
    “No.” He turned toward her and searched for a way out. There was none. “No, it’s not.”
    She waited, her face filled with questions.
    How could he tell her? How could he tell her the truth when doing so would change everything not just now but forever? He ached to be closer to her, to take her in his arms and hug her the way he’d done earlier. But he couldn’t even do that. Not with what lay ahead.
    Even so, nothing could stop him from reaching out, spanning the distance between them, and taking her hand.
    “Dayne…” She worked her fingers between his, but the anxiety around the corners of her eyes grew stronger. “Don’t do this to me.” She began to shiver.
    “Whatever it is, just tell me.”
    He drew a long breath. “Kelly Parker called me today when we were leaving the courthouse.”
    “When we were in the room?”
    “Yes.” He soothed his thumb along the side of her finger.
    Katy seemed to process that for a moment. “You acted different all through lunch.”
    “Right.” He felt sick to his stomach. “Because of what she told me.”
    He felt her tense up, but she didn’t pull away.
    Darkness was settling in around them, and Dayne didn’t wait another moment. The truth needed to be said, regardless of the outcome. “Katy… she’s pregnant.
    Four months.” He slid a little closer, holding his breath, waiting for lier reaction. “She says … the baby’s mine.”^
    It