But she couldn’t stop them from going straight to her heart.
Still, he needed to be aware of what he was getting into with her.
“Maybe the fact that I resemble a space alien?” She lifted her hair to expose the transmitting coil held in place on the side of her head by a magnet, along with the sound processor and microphone hooked behind her ear. “I also don’t speak with a normal cadence. Sometimes I can’t communicate well. All of that can be off-putting, and it makes socializing hard. Most guys don’t want to deal with the extra effort dating me requires.”
“Their loss.”
His comeback was quick, decisive—and heartening.
“I appreciate that more than I can say. But dealing with my issues can be wearing in the long run. The couple of men I dated for more than a handful of times eventually gave up.”
“I repeat. Their loss. For the record, I’m not the kind of guy who gives up on something—or someone—worth having.”
She didn’t doubt that. Not from what she’d seen of him so far.
But there was more to her story.
The question was, how much of it did she want to share?
FOURTEEN
HE’D OVERSTEPPED.
Brad could see it in Cara’s sudden, subtle withdrawal. In the creases on her brow. In the lower lip caught between her teeth as she traced an irregular grain in the wooden tabletop with a finger that wasn’t quite steady.
He was rushing her, and this wasn’t a woman who’d tolerate being rushed. Every instinct in his body told him that.
The strangest part of all this?
He’d never had any intention of rushing her. Or himself. His plan had been to let her know he was interested but keep it low key. For his sake as well as hers while he tried to come to grips with the notion of a new romantic relationship.
“Hey.” He touched the back of her hand, waiting until he had her attention to continue. “I’m sorry if I came on too strong.”
She studied him for a moment. “Sorry for yourself, or for me?”
A direct question, in keeping with her admission that she tended to be blunt. And it deserved an honest answer.
“Let me clarify. I’m sorry if I spooked you by being too candid about my feelings. In terms of myself, I’m more surprised thansorry. I never planned to get involved with another woman, and I’m still feeling my way. I intended to be more discreet while I sorted through this unexpected change in plans, but when I’m with you, my mouth has a mind of its own. It says stuff I normally would keep closer to the vest.”
“Is that bad?”
“You tell me.”
Several beats passed as she considered him.
“I guess not. It’s just that...” She knitted her fingers together on the table. “Much as I appreciate your implication that I might be someone you wouldn’t give up on, my physical idiosyncrasies probably aren’t the only reason the men I’ve dated bailed.”
Was she opening a door to sharing more confidences?
Only one way to find out.
“Does this relate to the not-pretty story you referenced the day I told you about Elizabeth and Jonathan?”
After a moment, she gave a slow nod. “It’s from my early childhood.”
“How early?”
“As far back as I can remember.” She swallowed. “I don’t talk much about those years. No one but my adoptive parents ever knew all the details. I’ve tried hard not to let what happened to me as a child affect my adult life, but the truth is, I have lingering trust issues. It could bemyfault the guys I’ve dated lost interest. It’s possible I was sending subliminal back-off messages.”
