She walked back to the table and I turned my entire chair. I sat at the head and she was on my right. I angled to be closer to her. She did the same with hers.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea to move back in yet.”

Hurt ripped through my chest and gutted me. I’d laid everything out with her. Tried to show her how much she meant. I’d told her I didn’t want to be dense, but damn. I hadn’t done enough and I was paying for it now.

She grabbed my hand. “It’s not you, Aiden,” she said softly. I met her warm hazel gaze and clung to the sincerity in her eyes. “This is for me. Because of me. The last four years, I’ve been in this stasis and I don’t like it. I was too timid to speak my mind with you, tell you how I was feeling. I stayed away from my family and friends to keep from speaking out loud the thoughts I’d tried to ignore. I did more of what I’d done in high school and tried to be what I thought I should be.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault.”

“But it is. You aren’t comfortable around me.”

Her lips curved. “Last night helped a lot.”

I dropped my voice. “I can do more of that.”

She squeezed my hand. “You’d better.” Her humor faded. “But until I can prove to myself that I won’t get intimidated by everything that comes with your name, or being your wife, I should stay with Mom and Randall. Just a little longer.”

“Is being my wife the issue?”

She eased closer until she was off her chair and crawling onto my lap. “No, it’s not. It’s absolutely not.” She brushed her hand through my hair. I groaned from the bliss. Why didn’t she do that more often?

“I was almost twenty-nine when we married,” she continued, running her hand through my hair again. My eyelids drooped shut. Her touch was heaven. “I should’ve been set in my identity, not some insecure little girl. But after we married I just…” She lifted a shoulder. “Wasn’t really Katie McDonough.”

“You weren’t happy.” Why hadn’t I recognized this?

“I wasn’t not happy. I’ve been in a stasis since our honeymoon, but I’m the one that put me there.” She pushed another hand through my hair. “I like being able to do this.”

“If that patch of hair didn’t stick straight up, I wouldn’t have to gel it.”

The corner of her mouth tipped up. “It’s cute.” I arched a brow and she chuckled, her butt wiggling on my lap. “It makes you seem human.”