First, I think you need to talk to him. Outside of the typical situations, just sit and tell him how you would really like to hear "I love you" from him without having to fish for it. Let him know and give him a chance to step up.

Why he can't is another issue. It's possible that it isn't his love language to say things like that. He might speak physical contact or something like that. So if you have a conversation with him about it, maybe he can start speaking your love language.

Also, keep in mind that men (especially older men) are conditioned by society to not be "soft". So things like "I love you" and feelings and things are supposed to be bottled up. It can be really hard to break through that conditioning. And like before, this comes down to a good talk with him.

I'm sure it's there, you just might need to work on him a little to dig it out.