For a moment he thought he’d pushed too far. He and Summer had only known each other a week. They’d had one date that never even really started, but he felt comfortable with her. He couldn’t explain it, it felt like they had known each other for years, not days.
Slowly, Summer’s frown faded and relaxed into a smile. “We sound like an old couple who’s been together for decades.”
He chuckled. “We do. I'm sorry. I don’t mean to be bossy and order you around. I'm just concerned about you.”
“I know. It’s just odd. I'm not used to feeling this comfortable with someone, especially so quickly after meeting them. I never expected to feel that way when we first met. At first, I felt like you just had a checklist, and you were interested in me only because I met your criteria.”
“Maybe it was a bit like that at first,” he admitted. “I always approach new women that I meet with the qualities I want in a wife in mind, and if I think they fulfill that, I ask them out. With you that changed after the shooting. When I thought you might be dead, and we’d never get a chance to see what could develop between us I knew that it was different. Thatyouwere different.”
“There was something different about you too.” Summer looked thoughtful. “Usually, I wouldn’t think twice about a guy I met, but I couldn’t get you out of my head. I'm so grateful that you were there, that you scared the man off, and stayed here with me last night.”
“I'm glad me being here helped you.”
She gave him a big smile, then yawned. “You can grab the sweater.”
As she settled back down, he headed upstairs. He knew his way around Summer’s house since he had spent last night here. He had been touched that his presence had calmed her enough that she had asked him to stay with her. He liked that knowing he was asleep in the spare bedroom made her feel safe enough to sleep in her home after what had happened there.
The more time he spent around Summer, the more he liked her.
Luke knew she was still keeping secrets though.
Something about her past had scared her off men and relationships, yet he sensed that she wanted to let it go. He had been upfront about what he wanted, and she hadn’t gone running. When he had given her an out, she hadn’t taken it. He had to believe that meant she was as serious as he was about finding out whether they could have a future.
In Summer’s room, he went to her dresser, where he’d gotten her pajamas from the night before, so he assumed there would be some sort of warm fuzzy top there he could take her.
He opened the first draw and rifled through it. His hand brushed against something hard. Intrigued, he pulled it out without thinking.
Then immediately wished he hadn’t.
It was a wedding photo.
Summer’swedding photo.
A much younger Summer smiled up at him, her arms entwined around a man that had to be the very definition of tall, dark, and handsome.
Summer was married.
Or at least she had been.
He knew this was why she no longer wanted to date. The man in the photo had done something to hurt her. Cheated on her maybe. Or perhaps he had died.
Clutching the photo in his hands, he sank down onto the edge of Summer’s bed.
Married.
He tried to wrap his mind around it.
Did it change things?
Maybe it wouldn’t if Summer had told him.
Luke reminded himself that they hadn’t known each other for more than a week. He hadn’t told her everything about his past either. That she had been married before didn’t have to mean anything.
Only Summer kept a photo of her wedding hidden in a draw. That felt like it had to mean something. He just didn’t know what.
“Where did you get that?”
He jumped and guiltily turned the photo over. “I thought you were resting,” he said lamely, embarrassed to have invaded Summer’s privacy.