He covered her hand with his. “Because it’s all entwined. The past. The now. The future.”

“I just want the now,” she whispered.

He slowly shook his head. “That’s not the way this works, Red. At least not for me.”

Her heart sped up as she struggled to make sure he understood. “I’ve never really been a future sort of woman, you know that. And I sure as hell know you’re not a past kind of guy. There’s nothing there for you, you’ve said so yourself. When you look at it like that, all we have is now.”

“You are my past. My entire past.”

She set her forehead to his chest and took a moment to soak him in. Everything about him steadied her—his solid heartbeat, the scent of him, the way his hands felt on her, his voice, everything. “I’m so screwed up,” she murmured. “I thought being here would help, but now I’m just feeling more confused.”

He stroked a soothing hand up her spine, sinking his fingers into her hair. “That’s because when your father died, when Camille closed herself off, all you saw was the pain from the loss. You’re afraid you’ll end up the same way if you ever love someone too much, so you close yourself off too,” he said, brushing his lips against her temple. “Am I close?”

She was still staring at his chest, wondering how it was he saw so much, and understood her, maybe more than she did herself. “Let’s just say you’re warm.”

“I’m more than warm, Red. I’m dead-on. Now you live your life in the present without looking back. It’s easier to do that, easier to keep your heart intact and safe, but guess what? Shit happens and you had to come back here where the past and the present have collided like a plane crash, and there’s no safety net.”

“I know,” she whispered.

“Look, you’ve lived good and well, but not deep. Maybe it’s time to change things.”

A moment ago he’d been forceful and sexy as hell with it. Now he was being so sweet and tender, and somehow it was even sexier. But that he saw her so clearly, so absolutely, stunningly clearly, terrified her.

How could he know her so well?

“I loved the girl you were,” he said, and stroked a tear off her cheek that she hadn’t even been aware she’d shed. “And I’m growing to love the woman you’ve become. Past and present, hopelessly entwined. So the future should be given a shot too.”

“Joe.” She squeezed her eyes shut.