“You didn’t know my background, but you sure as hell were getting to know me.”

Turbulent, conflicting emotions warred in her eyes. “Why’d you come back?”

“Because I never should have left. You deserve to hear the truth directly from me.”

“I know the truth.”

“You know what the media reported, but you don’t know the whole story. Can we please go someplace to talk? That’s all I’m asking for. I promise I won’t try anything.”

She looked over her shoulder at the restaurant.

“I’m not afraid of your brothers, Madigan. That’s not why I left. I left to keep from causing you more trouble. If you want to tell them I’m here, go right ahead. I don’t give a damn what anyone thinks about me, except you, and I’m not leaving until you’ve heard the whole truth.”

He thought he saw the longing he felt mirrored in her eyes, but it was shadowed by too many other emotions to be sure. “I don’t want to talk here.”

“Where, then? Your place? My apartment? Someplace public if you’re scared to be alone with me. I’ll go anywhere you want.”

“Your place. I’ll meet you there.”

Chapter Twelve

TOBIAS PACED HIS living room. He’d thought he was prepared to tell Madigan everything, but now that she was there, sitting on his futon with heartache written all over her, he hated himself even more for leaving. He’d hoped to make this as painless as possible for her, but he knew that wasn’t a possibility.

“I’m not sure where to start. Do you just want to know how I landed in prison, or—”

“I want to know you, Tobias, not just about what you did.”

Thank God. “Then I’ll start with the basics. I grew up in Bourne, and I had a great life before my mother died. My sister and I were close, and she could be a pain in the ass, but I’m sure I was to her, too. My father is a district manager with a computer company in Hyannis. He was a good father when I was a kid, and my mother worked at a restaurant part time while we were at school. She was laid-back and loved music and baking. She sang all the time, and there was always something delicious waiting for us after school. My grandmother died of ovarian cancer, and by the time my mother was diagnosed, her cancer had already metastasized.” He paused, trying to stall the emotions creeping up his chest. “She wasn’t afraid of anything other than not being there for us. You’d think she’d get regular checkups because of that. She told my father she did, but…” He shook his head trying to escape the pain that stirred. “I guess she thought if she didn’t know about it, it wouldn’t kill her.”