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And he missed his son

Yeah, he missed Ty, but he yearned for Piper

Yearned? God! Whatever label he gave the e it every o back to Park Slope, to that red Victorian, and beat on her door until she let him inside

Because he was aher straight to bed After he’d reacquainted hih ether, that she was his, that Ty was his and that they were in it for the long haul

Yeah, and he hadKashmir Blues

He loved her

He loved her because she was funny and ss thatmother, a wild lover and a loyal friend He loved her because he now understood her better, thanks to the pithy, and direct, lecture he’d endured from her acerbic elderly cousin

It turned out Mick Shuttle wasn’t only a cri to Maeve, Shuttle had been an utter bastard to Piper and herwith the deal he’d struck with Piper’s nant

After kicking her out of their aparte, Mick waited forGail down at Maeve’s house Mick, the bastard, made a deal with Gail: she could have full custody of the baby if she sold two of her sapphires and gave him the money to set up his business Mick would keep her on as hisas she lived, but he wanted nothing to do with Piper Ever

It was a stance he’d never deviated froer’s own oft-repeated stateer now better understood why Piper had kept Ty from him She’d wanted to protect Ty from a father who’d openly adht he was like Mick—the thought turned his stoer wasn’t anything like Mick, but hoas she to know that?

She’d been protecting his son; he couldn’t fault her for that

Piper, Maeve informed him, was a Mills, and Mills women loved hard and loved fast Their men never, not for a fraction of a second, questioned that love It was just there, a living, breathing, tangible entity

He wanted that love, Piper’s love But he’d been too da hi happy If he didn’t fix this, heloved by Piper would feel like