“Huh,” he said, picking up my fork and stabbing a meatball.

“But from what I’ve heard about Pam’s husband, Rob, I’m surprised he let Chuck live in a trailer on their land. Ashlynn said he beat his oldest son last year to get him to talk about Seth’s involvement with Bingham.”

“Seth Chalmers?” he asked in surprise.

“Yeah, Ashlynn told me Seth and her brother were best friends.”

“Really?” His gaze turned worried. “How did you handle that? Was it weird?”

“Yeah. I usually only hear about Seth from Hank and Wyatt’s perspective. I didn’t find out much, but I told Ricky to reach out if he ever feels like talking about Seth.”

“I hope he does.”

“Me too.” I took a deep breath. “I don’t have to go to work until Tutoring Club. So tomorrow I’ll spend some time doing research online. I’m already signed up for three hours at the library from several days back, before I even knew what I’d be searching for. I need to look into Rob Crimshaw. I don’t know anything about him.”

“I looked him up to see if he had any priors. He was arrested for some assault charges that were dropped, but those were a couple of decades ago. Bar fights.”

“He beats his kids and likely his wife instead. Selena said that a teacher reported them to the state for suspected abuse, but Rob convinced them he was only disciplining.”

“I hate assholes like that,” he said, looking away.

“Yeah, me too. But I wouldn’t be surprised if he went to Bart for something, then coerced Pam into fulfilling his task by threatening the kids.”

“I don’t want you talking to him directly. The man obviously has a temper.”

“I won’t,” I said. “I’ll see if I can find someone else to talk to about him.” Then I thought of something else. “Did you get an address for Karl Lister?”

“Yeah, the most current address I have for him is out by where Lula used to live. I also have a phone number, so maybe it would be better to call rather than show up at his doorstep.”

“Okay.” But my mind was racing about how to find out more about Rob Crimshaw.

“You’ve hardly eaten anything,” he said. “Did you eat dinner at work?”

“No. I’m just not very hungry anymore.”

“Come on,” he said, getting to his feet. “We’ve done enough for tonight, and I have a surprise for you.”

“A surprise?” I said, perking up.

“Yeah, it’s outside.” He walked to the door and grabbed a jacket from a peg by the door and handed it to me.

I slipped it on, engulfed by the warmth and the smell of Marco, and slid my feet into a pair of flipflops I kept at his house. He shot me a smile I couldn’t interpret, then led me outside and around the side of the house. A tripod was set up in the yard with a short tube attached on top.

“What’s this?” I asked in excitement.

“I know how much you like lookin’ at the stars on the porch, so I got a telescope.”

“Really?” I threw myself at him, wrapping my arms around his neck and hugging him fiercely.

“I don’t know how to use it very well, so don’t get too worked up. I meant to get to the tavern earlier, but it was delivered today, and I wanted to get it set up before you came home. I figured we wouldn’t want to fumble with it at midnight.”

“It’s okay.” I squeezed him once more before releasing him and rushing over to the telescope. “What do we do?”

He turned it on, and we tried to line it up with some stars, laughing when we realized the “star” we’d found was a porch light of a house on a nearby mountain ridge. Using the flashlight on his phone, he read the manual and realized he could use his phone to help align the stars even though we didn’t have internet or cell service. We spent the next hour scanning the sky, seeing the moon up close, finding Mars, and zooming in on stars, some of which proved to be multiple stars clustered together. I was giddy with each new discovery, squealing with excitement, all while Marco beamed. But it was seeing the Milky Way that had me hugging him again.

“I’ve always, always wanted to see the Milky Way.”

“I know,” he said, holding me close. I’d only told him that once, and it had been a couple of months ago.

I leaned back to look up into his shadowed face. “Why are you so nice to me? Why do you go out of your way to make me happy?”

“Because it makes me happy to see you so happy.” He lifted his hand to my cheek. “But it’s more than that. You’re a smart woman, Carly. Do you want me to say it?” His thumb brushed my cheek, sending a sharp zap of electricity through my body. “I have no problem sayin’ the words. I’m only holdin’ back for you.”

Tears filled my eyes. I wanted him to say the words, but I was scared to say them back.

He started to let me go, but I reached down and stopped his hand, holding it on my hip. “Hold me,” I whispered.

He pulled me close, wrapping his arm around my back while he cradled my head to his chest.

I breathed him in, the scent that was so unmistakably Marco. I molded myself to the body I knew so well yet had never made love to. I clung to this man who loved me like I’d never been loved before, scared to take the leap of faith to give myself to him.

Why? What more could he do to prove himself to me?

I couldn’t think of a single thing.

Pulling back slightly, I lifted my head to look up at him.

He searched my face as though looking for what I wanted, and I thought of all he’d given me. What had I given him? I wanted him to feel the joy I felt when he gave so selflessly to me, and then I remembered what Hank had said about love. When you truly loved someone, you willingly gave up part of yourself to make them happy, but it was okay, because they did the same for you.

I lifted my hand to his face and caressed his cheek. “I’ll say them first.” His eyes widened slightly, and I reached up to kiss him softly, a quick brushing of lips that sent more desire and emotion through me than any kiss I’d ever had. Then I smiled up at him and said, “I love you.”

“Don’t just say it because you think it’s what I want to hear, Carly,” he said, his voice rough.

“I’m not.” A tear fell down my cheek. “I’ve loved you for months, I’ve just been too scared to tell you.”

“I love you too,” he said, his voice breaking. “Don’t be scared. I’ll do everything in my power to make you feel loved and safe so you never, ever have to doubt me.” His face lowered and he kissed me, softly as though he was scared I’d change my mind, but I lifted both hands to his face and held him close.

The kiss deepened, and he lifted a hand to cradle the back of my head. His hands sank into my hair, grasping a handful of it, and I gasped into his mouth.

He pulled back, releasing my hair with a look of alarm.

Smiling, I shook my head. “I’m not fragile. I want you. All of you.”

He kissed me again, with more passion than before, then lifted me clear off my feet and carried me to the front porch, only to bang my legs into the porch post as he climbed the steps.