“Wow. You were thinking all that standing over a sink of dirty dishes?”

“It started with me thinking I don’t know what to get you that you can’t get yourself.”

“Maybe you should remember it’s the thought that counts.”

“People say that, but they don’t really mean it.”

“I do.”

He brushed his fingers through the soft hair at the side of her head. “Yeah. I know that now, too.”

“I love flowers. Did you know that no one has ever sent me flowers? There must be nothing like having a man send you flowers. Or a love letter.” She touched her hand to her chest over her heart. “I’ve never been on a romantic vacation anywhere. The only trips I take are for business or camping with the boys. I’ve never received chocolates on Valentine’s Day or held hands with a man and walked along a beach.” She put her hand on his chest. “I’ve never made love under the stars.”

He leaned in close. “I want to do and experience all those things with you.”

“I could tell you a hundred more things I’ve never been given or done with someone I care about, but it doesn’t really matter. What you have given me is more than anyone else ever did.

“You’re the only man, aside from my father, who’s ever loved me. You’re the only man who ever gave me a gift that was so thoughtful and, well, just me. The music box is the most wonderful present I’ve ever received. You worry about me when I don’t sleep enough, you make sure I eat well, and you are the kindest man to my boys. When you make love to me, you make me feel like the most beautiful woman ever. When you look at me, I feel wanted and loved. And every time you try to convince me that you really mean it when you say you want to spend the rest of your life with me, it tells me just how much you need me. Every smile, every kiss, every touch, every kind word, is a precious gift. Those are the things I want from you but only if you want to give them to me.”

“I want to give you that and more.”

“The reason I’m happy is because of you. And I want to stay happy, because falling in love with you has been so unexpected and exciting and fulfilling. But it’s happened at a time when my life is crazy. The last six weeks, and especially today, have been completely overwhelming. Between dealing with Margaret, falling in love with you, finishing part of the Knox Project, and now Trish coming back into my life, I’m just stretched too thin.

“If you really want to give me something, give me time to work things out and make living here with you less complicated. I have a stack of résumés from people who would kill to work at Spencer Software. I will sort through them and hire more people and free up my time. But before I can do that, I still have the charity benefit in a few days. The press is going to be wild and the thought of facing all those people makes me want to hide out here on the ranch for the rest of my life, but I know I can’t do that because people are counting on me.”