She shook off the thought. “What? I’m fine. Why?”

“You went white.” Aidan circled the island and stood in front of her chair. “What happened?”

“I thought of my mom as a monster. How could I? I loved her so much.”

He cupped her face in his heads. “This is so above my pay grade, but I’ll make a run at it. Yes, you loved her. But she didn’t protect you. I agree that a married couple has to stand together. One day the kids will be grown and they need to be there for each other. But sometimes one of them is just plain wrong. Whether or not you believe in spanking a child, there’s never an excuse to beat one. Your father was wrong to ever touch you, and your mom was wrong to let it happen. Leaving or not leaving was her decision to make for herself. I don’t pretend to understand the psychology of being an abused spouse. But what I do know is that she should have stood between you and your father’s fists. Whether or not she left, she should have protected you. She should have kept you safe. Whether she could have done it or not, I don’t know, but she should have tried.”

Shelby stared at him. “He’s not the reason I can’t trust,” she whispered in shock. “She is. I knew he was broken. I knew there was a darkness inside of him. But she was different. Normal. But she let him do those things. It’s not him, it’s her.”

Tears filled her eyes. She willed them away, but they fell. Aidan pulled her close and wrapped his strong arms around her.

He didn’t say a thing. There were no promises that everything would be okay. She liked that. She liked his strength and that he didn’t seem to mind her getting his shirt wet.

She tried to process what she’d finally figured out. She felt lighter and a little sick to her stomach. Men like her dad were easy to avoid, she thought. Brutes rarely wore a disguise. But her mother was different.

“I still love her,” she whispered. “How sick is that?”

He drew back and cupped her face again. “You’re not sick. You’re incredibly strong. Look at all you’ve been through, yet here you are. Happy, successful. Most people would never have figured out there was a problem, let alone done something about it. You came up with a plan to get better. You roped me into it. You’re one of the most impressive people I’ve ever known, Shelby. I’m honored to be in your life.”

His words settled over her like a blessing. She took them in and let them fill the broken bits of her. Healing would take time—it always did. But she’d made a start. A good one.

“Thank you,” she murmured.

He kissed her forehead. “You’re welcome. Better?”

She nodded.

“Good. Because in a couple of hours, we’ll have pie.”

She laughed.

He lowered his hands and took a step away. Without thinking, she grabbed the front of his shirt to hold him in place. His dark gaze settled on her face.

She read the questions there. He wanted to know if she was okay. If she needed more from him. Because he would give it.

He was a good man. Next to her brother, he was the best man she knew. She liked him. She liked being with him.

“Let’s make love.”

Aidan swore and retreated to the far side of the kitchen. “Dammit, Shelby.”

“I mean it. I’m not playing. It will be great.”

He sucked in a breath. “I can’t believe I’m going to say this, but no. We’re not screwing this up with sex. This is the best relationship I’ve ever had with a woman. I care about you. I’m not going to let some random hookup change that.”

Interesting how she felt disappointment but not rejection. Maybe because she knew he wanted her. And while his determination to do the right thing was annoying, it was also pretty darned wonderful.