Kissing her had taken him back again. To the night by the pine tree. He wouldn’t give up so easily this time. “Why not? Give me one good reason, and I’ll walk away.” With the ball of his thumb, he rescued a lone tear sliding down her cheek. “But it has to be a very good reason.” The anguish playing upon her face ate at his heart, but he wasn’t going to stop. “Tell me why, Della. Why won’t you marry me?” “I got married once before because I thought I wanted a home, and that was wrong. I was wrong. A home wasn’t what I was looking for.” Half-afraid of her answer, but needing to know, he asked, “Then what is it? What are you looking for?” She took a deep breath and squared her shoulders, looking him straight in the eye. “Love.” The floor beneath his feet fell away. He loved her. Had for years, but saying it to himself was completely different than saying it to her. What if she didn’t love him back? He couldn’t head to Texas this time. “There’s something I need to tell you, Spencer.”
