Her eyes flared in renewed anger. “I don’t care what my mother thinks about who I love. And my four-year-old is a far better judge of character than his grandmother is.”

She’d just said she loved him. He wanted to believe they could be happy.

“I don’t know.” He scrubbed his hands down his face. “It’s not that easy to shake off a lifetime of...being less in people’s eyes. Maybe I’m imagining some of it, but...” He looked at her, realizing she’d been exactly right about him being selfish. “Yes, I do it to protect myself.”

She pursed her lips, nodding slowly. “I know. But I don’t want to be constantly wondering when you’re going to do this—when you’re going to hear something and just...panic. If you’re going to love me—really love me—you’re going to have to leave the past in the past.” Her eyes glistened with fresh tears, each one a razor slice on his heart. “You once said that when you care, you care one hundred percent. That’s what I need from you. One hundred percent. Can you give me that?”

“I can. I just don’t know if I should. You deserve better.”

Silence hung in the shop like a heavy, smothering blanket.

“And there you go,” she finally said softly, “retreating again. Call me when you’re ready to give your all. Because that’s what I deserve.”

CHAPTER TEN

“YOU SLAPPED HIM?” Tani blew out a breath. “That’s one way to knock some sense into him.” She handed Andrea more tissues. “I take it that didn’t work, though?”

Andrea took the tissues, blowing her nose while shaking her head. They were sitting in a corner booth at the Shamrock, far from curious eyes. She’d come straight here from Zayne’s, after calling Tani and learning she was still at the pub. Tani had called in reinforcements, so Andrea was now crammed into a booth with Tani, Bridget and Whitney.

Andrea didn’t know Whitney all that well, but she understood why Tani had invited her. Whitney had married “a Rutledge” and knew what kind of baggage that could bring. But she’d been quiet so far, murmuring a few words of sympathy as Andrea wept, but that was it. Andrea looked across the table at her.

“It was a slap, not a slug, Tani.” She shifted in her seat. “Whitney, was Luke as screwed up as Zayne?”