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Predictably, Casey spoke the unvarnished truth.

BECKETT: I’m waiting to have dinner with this wonderful intelligent beautiful woman and I know I should leave and never see her again.

I waited. She responded.

CASEY: Then leave. Discretion is the better part of valor. Don’t break her heart. You can get laid any time you want. Don’t hurt her if she really is as wonderful as you claim.

I was frustrated. I wanted Miranda. I wanted more to develop between us. She was more than just a fun bout of sex. An orgasm or ten. She was more and I knew it, but I couldn’t give her what she deserved.

My cell dinged.

CASEY: Who is the lovely woman, may I ask? You haven’t mentioned anyone spe

cial…

I hesitated. How much truth should I tell her?

BECKETT: She’s the wife of the man who died saving my life. She has no idea who I am…

There was no response for a few moments and I wondered if I hadn’t finally driven Casey away.

CASEY: You mean the widow? You fucking dick…

There was silence for a few moments and I thought that was it. She’d hung up on me.

CASEY: Do the right thing, Beckett. With someone like her, it’s either all in or all out. Nothing else will do. You know this. Do the right thing.

I sighed. Of course, I already knew this. Casey was right – with someone like Miranda, I had to either commit fully or leave and never see her again. I could drop off the letters and never let her know anything more about me.

I checked my watch. I could leave then and there, stand her up, and go back to my hotel. She’d be hurt, but so far, nothing but a few kisses and some serious flirting had happened between us. If I left now, I could get away before she arrived and she’d never know what a total selfish jerk I was…

Then she walked onto the deck in her sexy little sundress with thin straps that hugged her delicious curves, her long red hair shining in the light from the lanterns, and I was a goner.

I was toast.

Every ounce of resistance drained out of me when she caught my eyes and smiled.

Her dimples did it. I was a sucker for dimples. And the fine spray of freckles on her nose…

I stood when she walked up and I pulled out her chair.

“Whew,” I said and wiped my brow. “Glad you decided to join me after all. You look beautiful.”

“Thank you,” she said softly. “You don’t look too bad yourself.”

I sat beside her as close as possible. If I was going all in, I was going all in.

“You look like you just came out of a meeting,” she said, eyeing me up and down.

“I didn’t want to look too disreputable.”

She laughed and I motioned to the waitress, who came over and took her drink order.

“You hungry?” I asked when the waitress left.

“Starving.”

“Good,” I said and laid my arm on the back of her chair.