Dena surprised her by waving her hand, as if brushing away the information. “That’s not the reason. I’ll admit that he’s concerned about making another mistake. No one could go through what he did without having scars, but it’s not why he won’t allow himself to fall in love.”

Reggie smiled. “And you know the real reason?”

“Of course. Look at his past. His father was a mean drunk who enjoyed beating the crap out of him. Judy, his grandmother, wasn’t much help there. She protected Toby when he was little, but she never took her grandson and walked away. I don’t get that. Protect the kid. That’s what you’re supposed to do. Instead she coddled her son until the day he died.”

Dena shook her head. “Sorry. That’s a personal button for me. Anyway, he falls for you and then screws up and loses you, so he takes off. Over the next couple of years, he’s a drifter of sorts until some chickie he was dating shows up with Harrison.”

“Chickie?” Reggie asked with a laugh. “You used the word?”

“You know what I mean. Here’s my actual point. No one has ever loved him unconditionally. Not in a way that made him feel cared for and safe. Obviously Harrison loves him, but in that relationship, Toby’s the protector. He’s never been able to hand over his heart and know that it will be cared for and cherished. Every human longs for that, and when it doesn’t happen, people shut down. Harrison’s trauma is an excuse. Toby blames himself for what Lori did, and while that is a subject for discussion, it’s also a convenient reason. He’s hiding because he’s afraid to trust.”

Reggie wasn’t sure how she felt about her sister’s analysis, but she was impressed by the depth of the argument. “Wow. You’ve given this a lot of thought.”

Dena shifted uncomfortably. “Yes, well, that’s true.” Guilt laced her tone. “Okay, you can’t tell anyone I said this. Promise.”

“Sure. I won’t say anything.”

Her sister looked at her. “When Harrison and Toby moved back to Wishing Tree last year, Harrison was put in my class. I had a long meeting with Toby. He told me about Harrison and Lori, and I’ll admit, part of me wondered if it was true. I knew about his past with his father. Frequently when a kid is abused, he grows up to be an abuser.”

Reggie stared at her sister. “You weren’t sure there even had been a Lori. You were concerned he was the one who had locked Harrison in the closet.”