An answering smile drifted across his tanned face. "What is mine, I intend to
keep.

But he knew instinctively what he suggested was impossible. She'd been through so much, and held her tears back for so long, that Royce doubted that anything could force her to shed them.

Jennifer Merrick had stored all her tears inside her, and her pride and courage would never permit her to break down and shed them.

If you have tears, prepare to shed them now.

At times I thank my own inability to shed tears.

If tears were painful, no one would cry.