She seemed as lost or bewildered as she’d been last night. “Do you know my sister or my brother-in-law?”

“I’ve only been in town for five months, so I doubt it. What are their names?”

“Karoline and Terrance Mathewson. He’s a podiatrist. She’s a housewife who gets involved in about every good cause that comes along—even helped out with the tree lighting ceremony downtown a week ago. They have two twelve-year-old daughters, identical twins—Amanda and Miranda.”

“They sound like stellar citizens, so I’m sorry to say no, I’ve never heard of them.”

She narrowed her eyes. “You have no frame of reference where I’m concerned. I’m a total stranger to you.”

“Last night the waitress told me you were Axel Devlin’s wife. I guess that’s a frame of reference.”

Glancing away from him at the crowded coffee shop, she took a sip of her drink. “Is that why you bought me the rose? Because you thought I was married to someone famous and that makes me more desirable by extension?”

She wasn’t wearing makeup. She had on a pair of yoga pants and a parka with ear-warmers and looked as though she’d just rolled out of bed. But he couldn’t see how fancier clothes or makeup could make her any more appealing. He loved her golden, dewy-looking skin and the cornflower blue of her eyes. He could all too easily identify with the pain he saw inside them.

Actually, that was what drew him more than anything else.

“Your connection to Axel had no bearing on it whatsoever,” he said. “I just thought you were beautiful, and it seemed as though you could use the encouragement.”

Tucking the fine strands of blond hair falling from her ponytail behind her ears, she stepped back. “I’m sorry. I’m—I’m not open to a relationship.”

The compliment had spooked her, as he’d known it might. But he was only being honest. “That’s good.”

She seemed taken aback. “It is?”

“Yes—because I’m the last guy you should ever get with even if you were.”

Her mouth fell open. “Why’s that?”

“Never mind. Now that you have your drink, I’ll leave you alone.”

She caught him by the sleeve as he turned away. “You’re leaving?”

“Isn’t that what you want me to do?”

She bit her bottom lip. “I don’t know. You’re … confusing. I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone like you.”

He couldn’t imagine she’d associated with many ex-cons. No doubt she’d be horrified if he were to tell her he’d done time. Chances were good she wouldn’t even be willing to talk to him.

He’d met other women like that, who thought he must be the devil incarnate, especially here in Silver Springs where so many people knew Jada’s family. Some women were drawn to the “danger” of associating with a “bad boy” like him but, sadly, those who were drawn to him were often a mess themselves.

“That’s probably a safe assumption,” he said with a grin.

She seemed further confused by his response and the fact that he not only accepted her words, he agreed with them. “So let me get this straight—what, exactly, are you offering me?”