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Chapter Nineteen

Piper wiped the last little silver naift box Five little boxes lined up in a row for each of Aspen’s teek-old kittens, who had ironically decided to co dumped on the sidewalk on the fifteenth Good old Aspen had provided a perfect distraction all that day There was an excuse to turn all noisy media off and be an es for each kitten, hoping it would help find the lady had asked to see the kittens after she’d put an ad in the local website The wo all five kittens if they were available, which seemed like a lot of cats for one person, but she could ask more about her circumstances when they met Piper was smitten with all five of the cute little balls of fur, but kneasn’t sensible to even consider keeping them in her tiny apartment

Her sister was ten days overdue and was currently in the hospital about to be induced Piper was excited and a little scared for her—she had no experience to pass on in this instance as the sensible big sister, but that here Mom would excel, she just knew it The errant father had insisted that he be there and supportive at the birth of his child Moh Piper would be the doting aunt if and when she was invited

And Matt had left Passion Creek He really had, just like he’d said he would, and nobody had heard anything froone berserk after seeing the h and low for hiive him a piece of her mind At least that was her one armed with apple pie and homemade jelly on each mission Sophie was a fount of top-secret infor

Piper still ached for Matt, but everything had been so frantic in the last teeks that she’d been fully occupied, and the tears she needed to shed caht when nobody could see or hear Today was the first day she’d turned on the radio—she should be safe fro about Matt DeLeo now that he’d abandoned Passion Creek and ry, mom?” Aspen curled her silky body around her ankles and made a sound that sounded like “mom” back “You don’t fooland she tensed, which was silly of her Mom and Dad still stopped by alh, according to Melanie And Mel had good sources of information He’d asked for the transfer and even took a pay cut tothat police report had put a rocket up his cowardly ass She shook off her nervousness and opened the door a chink, with the security chain firh the crack and made her flinch

“Piper, it’s me”

Matt…

“Yep, sounds like you Go away”

“I saw the kitten ad You’re getting rid of theive theer up and down the doorframe nervously “I will not let you in and you’re not a fit person to look after yourself, let alone a kitten And you don’t do pets, so beat it”

“I kno to get in here anyway, remember?”

“The chain is on, s hard outside and no place for so in the wind on a rickety metal staircase That was the only reason… “Okay Five minutes max No kittens”

She released the chain, pulled the door open, and hid behind it as he stepped over the threshold into her cell, her sanctuary He seelistened as he sta raindrops over the rough welcome mat Then their eyesshe had never expected to happen again Soft brown eyes, hard black brows, broad tanned forehead and…a gray hair

“You don’t look like you went to New York”