He tugged at the nearest window blind so that it flew up in a cloud of dust. “I haven’t had time to get anyone to clean it. It only came on the market a few days ago and I bought it sight unseen.”
“You bought it?” Hee jaw dropped open. “Without even looking at it? Does this mean that you’re expanding your 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 showroom, with workrooms in the back, parking, and a three-bedroom apartment upstairs. It’s perfect. I bought it for you.”
She was silent and as she stared at him, he could see tears welling up beneath her eyelashes. “I can’t accept this,” she said sadly.
“You have to, it’s all in your name,” he said cautiously, not having expected such a disappointing reaction. “All legal and everything.”
“You had no right to do something 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 when we haven’t been together. It wasn’t easy getting everything together in time.”
“In time for what? Good-bye?”
That remark kind of sucked. He sighed. “What do you want me to say?”
“I don’t know,” she said roughly. “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 more chemicals on the kitchen table.”
“No more unhinged 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 me.”
“I don’t get 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’t matter,” she said quickly. “Forget I said anything that 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 his mouth was suddenly too dry to say anything as 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 tempted he was to give 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 embrace. “Look at me spoiling everything.” She sniffed and wiped the back of her hand over her eyes. “I don’t know what got into me. This was all a shock. I’m sure that’s it.”
“And you’re probably feeling stressed about tomorrow.” He felt her tense. “About the launch and all those cameras.”
“Yes…yes,” she agreed and wriggled 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 know what to say. It’s too generous, too much.”
“It’s not. I want you to have it.” He knew she’d never accept money; it was against her work ethic. This was more like a venture capital exercise, an investment in which he would get no tangible return. Apart from the knowledge that she didn’t have to struggle so hard and that dickwad Stanley couldn’t get to her. He should have made sure that scumbag never got a chance to come back, but she wouldn’t thank him for that—he knew her well enough to be sure she wouldn’t tolerate revenge. “Come on, let’s hit the road and get some of that mountain air. This place will keep until you decide what you want to do with it.”
She seemed quiet on the way up to the cabin, commenting on the scenery, making small talk about snowmobiling and dog sledding 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 him feeling both the best and the very worst since Timmy. Since he’d taken the mutt in, fell in love with the little fleabag, and then had to watch him die in front of him.
There was a reason why images like that were etched on his mind: visceral, agonizing. It was nature’s way of making him avoid damage and pain again. The sickness at the base of his gut he’d felt when his father stopped by, took a cold look at him, and went to find his gear before leaving. He’d left, just like that, in a blink of a child’s eye. Feelings like that came back now and again, in periods of stress, when he was overtired or unoccupied. He had learned to manage it by working hard, going on punishing runs, and getting 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 woman had now gone. 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 more he could do about that. He could, however, sugarcoat the bitter pill to make it easier to swallow.
They spent the day eating and drinking, had a snowball fight with the last of the melting snow, and laughed over the cushion chucked out the back, which Princess Aspen had peed on the last time they’d been there. Piper insisted on drinking from the waterfall and took photographs; for Aspen, she said, to show her where she came up with her name.
“I can fix you a grilled cheese sandwich,” he said as they sat outside staring at a glowing moon.
“We’ve had burgers for lunch, giant shrimp, chicken, and steak today.” She rubbed her stomach. “No, I do not need another mouthful of food. I may never eat again”