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He tugged at the nearestblind so that it flew up in a cloud of dust “I haven’t had tiet anyone to clean it It only caht unseen”
“You bought it?” Hee jaw dropped open “Without even looking at it? Does thisyour property empire in Passion Creek after all? That you’re—”
“It’s yours, Piper, a big chunk of historic Passion Creek all to yourself A showroo, and a three-bedrooht it for you”
She was silent and as she stared at hi up beneath her eyelashes “I can’t accept this,” she said sadly
“You have to, it’s all in your na expected such a disappointing reaction “All legal and everything”
“You had no right to do so like that” She kicked at a piece of trash on the floor
“This is what I’ve been dealing with for the last few days e haven’t been together It wasn’t easy getting everything together in time”
“In tihed “What do you want hly “I just don’t know”
“I want you to be safe, have some financial security This place will let you expand your business, and no ed ex-boyfriends knocking at the door, either That’s what’s really going on, isn’t it? Control freak to the very end Planning it all out for poor little Piper so you have a say in the way things are even after you’ve washed your hands of et why you’re so upset, Piper This place wasn’t cheap”
He jumped with surprise as she stamped her foot and another cloud of dust flew into the air “Why can’t you just stick around? You leaving Passion Creek is what’s upsetting me, can’t you see that?”
He bit down hard on the side of his lip as his stomach flipped and he felt sick Words…he needed some words… “Shit, Piper, I—”
“It doesn’tthat stupid Stupid, stupid, stupid”
“Not stupid,” he said softly and drew her head into his chest, nestling it into his shirt as his thoughts ricocheted like marbles around his head He hadn’t wanted to hurt her, he wanted to make her happy, to leave her better off than when he’d found her But hisas they stood in the musty shell of the empty store He couldn’t make promises he couldn’t keep or raise her hopes that they had any kind of future It wouldn’t be fair, however teive in and do just that He wasn’t ready, he wasn’t capable He was his father’s son…
He felt her push against his chest and ease herself out of his e” She sniffed and wiped the back of her hand over her eyes “I don’t knohat got into me This was all a shock I’ stressed about tomorrow” He felt her tense “About the launch and all those caled completely free “It’s a lot to deal with”
“Listen” He pressed the door key into her hand “You don’t have to keep it, but it’s yours Sell it if you want, but it is yours”
“I really don’t knohat to say It’s too generous, too much”
“It’s not I want you to have it” He knew she’d never accept ainst her work ethic This was more like a venture capital exercise, an investible return Apart frole so hard and that dickwad Stanley couldn’t get to her He should have ot a chance to come back, but she wouldn’t thank hih to be sure she wouldn’t tolerate revenge “Coet some of that mountain air This place will keep until you decide what you want to do with it”
She see on the scenery,while texting on her phone It was all very light and civilized, but he knew her calm demeanor was only skin deep He could feel it She’d said she was upset about his leaving, but that was the way it had to be This thing with Piper had hi both the best and the very worst since Timmy Since he’d taken the , and then had to watch hies like that were etched on hishiain The sickness at the base of his gut he’d felt when his father stopped by, took a cold look at hi He’d left, just like that, in a blink of a child’s eye Feelings like that caain, in periods of stress, when he was overtired or unoccupied He had learned to etting wasted, but there were still times when it snuck up and crushed the life out of him
They had come full circle He wanted the fun, fiery, sexy, carefree Piper back again, but he knew deep in his heart that woone Not forever, but for him because he would not, could not take the next step And Piper was intuitive enough not to push the relationship thing She knew He knew And they both felt bad about it, but there was nothing arcoat the bitter pill toand drinking, had a snowball fight with the last of the hed over the cushion chucked out the back, which Princess Aspen had peed on the last ti froraphs; for Aspen, she said, to show her where she carilled cheese sandwich,” he said as they sat outside staring at a glowing iant shrimp, chicken, and steak today” She rubbed her stomach “No, I do not need another ain”