Portia finally remembered her own and touched the flattened mess. “With hair like hers, I suppose she can be forgiven a little vanity.”

“She hates it,” he said triumphantly. “I told you she was a nutcase.”

“Yet this is the woman you chose to marry.”

His anger faded. He felt wrung out, and he wanted another drink. “The whole thing sort of sneaked up on me. She’s sweet, smart—really sharp, not just book smart. She’s funny. God, but she makes me laugh. Her friends love her, and that tells you something right there, because they’re incredible women. I don’t know…When I’m with her, I forget about work, and…” He stopped. He’d already said too much.

Portia wandered to the fireplace, her coat gaping to reveal red sweatpants and what looked like a pajama top. Normally, he couldn’t have taken a woman with a Smurf-blue face and an advanced case of bed head too seriously, but this was Portia Powers, and he kept his guard up, which was fortunate, because she hit him again. “But despite all that, you seem to love her.”

He could barely control his turmoil. “Come on, Portia. You and I are two of a kind. We’re both realists.”

“Just because I’m a realist doesn’t mean I don’t believe love exists. Maybe not for everyone, but…” She made a small, awkward gesture that seemed out of character. “Your proposal must have thrown her for a loop. She loves you, of course. I had an inkling of that during our ill-fated meeting. I’m surprised she wasn’t willing to overlook your emotional constipation and take you up on your offer.”

“The fact that I wouldn’t lie to her doesn’t mean it wasn’t a damn good offer. I’d have given her everything she needed.”

“Except love. That’s what she was waiting to hear, right?”

“It’s a word! Action is what counts.”

She nudged the scotch bottle he’d left on the floor with the toe of her shoe. “Has it occurred to you—and I’m merely asking because it’s my job—it is possible Annabelle’s the sane one, and you’re the nutcase?”

“I think you’d better go home.”

“And I think you’re protesting too much. You’ve been introduced to a dazzling array of women, but Annabelle is the only one you’ve wanted to marry. That in itself has to give you pause.”

“I looked at the situation logically, that’s all.”

“Oh, yes, you’re the master of logic, all right.” She stepped around the broken glass. “Come on, Heath. Cut the crap. I can’t help you if you won’t tell me the truth about that wall you’ve built around yourself.”

“What is this? Shrink time?”

“Why not? God knows, your secrets are safe with me. It’s not like I have an army of intimate friends waiting to tear them out of me.”

“Believe me, you don’t want to hear about my childhood traumas. Let’s just say that, right around the time I turned fifteen, I figured out my survival depended on making sure I didn’t keep throwing my heart at people. I backslid once, and I paid the price. Do you know what? It’s turned out to be a saner way to live. I recommend it.” He advanced on her. “I also resent like hell your implication that I’m some kind of cold-blooded monster, because I’m not.”