Fearing just such defensiveness, she’d hesitated to discuss his past. He was a proud man. Arguably, bringing up an ex-girlfriend right as she broke up with him was insensitive. She did it not to hurt him but to commiserate—to let him know she understood why he might have jumped into a commitment too soon. But he couldn’t hear that right now. She shook her head gently. “You could have told me.”

He balled his fists against his thighs. “The past doesn’t mean anything. Our future is all I care about.”

“But I can’t commit to that future—not yet. I need time to figure out who I am and what I want…and maybe you do, too.”

Eyes flashing, he leapt to his feet. “You don’t know what I need.”

He was in pain—the kind even the finest doctor couldn’t cure. She cursed herself for causing that pain. Wanting to touch him but not daring, she held out a hand. “I don’t. Any more than you know what’s right for me.”

“Give me some credit here.” He stabbed a finger at the box. “I didn’t give you a ring—though God knows I’ve never wanted anything more in my life. I gave you a key. I know we need time. I gave us time. Now, you need to give us a chance.”

“I think maybe what I need is out in the world—” she flung a hand toward the window “—beyond Green Ridge.”

Rocking back, he pressed the heels of his hands to his forehead. “But you just said—”

“I know!” Not wanting to argue, she forced a calming breath. “I know what I said about being a country girl, and maybe I am. My feelings are all over the map here. I’m just figuring this out as I go…” Her voice broke, and she dropped her chin.

He clasped her shoulders. “Oh, sweetheart, I know I moved fast. This night was crazy and impulsive and honestly completely out of character.” He stepped closer and smoothed his hands up and down her arms. “Look, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about—about everything. But from the moment I met you, nothing from my past—not Jane or my father—none of it mattered. When I know what I want, I go for it. And I want you.”

She met his gaze. His jaw was set. His eyes sparked with the single-minded determination that served him so well his whole life.

“I want you,” he repeated.

Closing her eyes, she inhaled to the soles of her feet. She counted her heartbeats. One…two…three… Her breath released with a sound like a ghost sighing. She lifted her lids, and the room stopped spinning. “I can’t.” With two backward steps, she slipped from his grasp.

His hands dropped to his sides, and his face drained of color.