I couldn’t disguise the flinch at her words. Because they rang true, and if I were really honest with myself, I wanted more. From the man who had been clear that he couldn’t give it.

Caelyn’s chopping stilled. “You’re falling for him.”

My head jerked up. “Am not.”

Caelyn’s grin spread. “You so are. Come on, would that really be so bad? You haven’t let your walls down for any man since Grant.” Her voice gentled. “Don’t you think it’s time?”

“It can’t be him.”

“Why not?”

I slid onto the stool, then picked up a napkin and began to tear it apart. “He’s made it clear that he’s not built to go the distance. With anyone.” His ex had hurt him. Deeper than maybe he even wanted to admit. I knew what it was to have the past mark you, to have it change what was possible for your future. But I also knew that no matter how much pain I endured, I still wanted to reach for forever with someone. To create a family.

I’d just been careful about who I considered to assume that role one day. All of my romantic partners since Grant had been like Henry: stable, predictable…boring. Crosby had shown me what it was like to be with someone who made me feel alive. But I couldn’t have him. Not in the way I truly wanted.

Caelyn opened a carton of eggs and began cracking a few into a bowl. “He just needs the right woman to show him what a true partnership could be.”

It was such a Caelyn thing to say, but her belief that you could change someone had gotten her into trouble on more than one occasion. The broken seemed to be drawn to her empathy and caring nature, but so often, she gave and gave, getting little in return.

I gathered the napkin bits into a pile. “I can’t force him to take a step he doesn’t want to take.”

“But you want to take it.”

I bit down on my bottom lip. I couldn’t seem to say the words out loud. If I gave voice to them, it somehow made the desire real. “He’s more than I thought he was.”

Caelyn whisked the egg mixture together with the veggies, some cream, and cheese. “How so?”

“Did you know he volunteers for the Alliance?”

Caelyn paused her work, looking up. “No, Callie never mentioned it. But then again, she doesn’t know we’re friends.”

The Alliance had helped Caelyn when she was trying to get custody of her siblings and still provided them with support now and again. And Caelyn and Callie had become good friends. “He’s one of the advocates. God, Cae. You should see him with those kids. There’s this little girl that he’s working with. Zoe. He’d do anything for her.”