That night in bed, I tried to get comfortable spooned against Alexis. Feeling his arms wrapped around me usually sent me straight off into a peaceful sleep, especially when he pressed his face against the back of my neck so that he could breathe in the scent of my hair and skin. Alexis often fell asleep that way, and tonight he was half-asleep before my backside had settled against him.

He and Ran were working hard to finish the small farm, and Ran wanted to do everything by ...