Now, Frodo was very nervous. Removing his shirt was not, he felt, an option. The memory of a little girl with a particularly high shriek raced across the sands of his mind. The excuses began to pour out of him, "I don't think I should. it's been a while. I could hurt myself. I could hurt you."
He felt very bad about it, though. Saying no to an invitation, especially from one so superfluously friendly. And pretty.
"Well, honestly, I... I'm not sure how to say this, but you see, I have this..." He gestured to his torso, chest, and shoulder. By now, he assumed she had also noticed the missing finger. "I was injured very badly. Years ago. I don't want to frighten you."