Page 76 of Too Fast To Fall
“I’ll be honest. It shocked me. But only because I felt like he was a little out of my league.”
“Out of your league? Are you serious right now? How is that possible?”
“Your dad was quite the catch when we met. He still is. He’s not only handsome, he’s also not afraid to talk about his feelings.He’s very affectionate. That hadn’t been my experience with men before I met him.”
“Well, Emilio didn’t tell me he loved me. So there’s that.” Piper returned her attention to the matter of her mascara.
“Maybe he didn’t know how to say it to you.”
Piper shook her head. “Maybe? He does sometimes have a hard time saying things.” There had been so many times when Emiliohadn’t wanted to express what he was feeling. Which only left her wondering once again what the text meant.
“Does he know about your history? The broken engagement?”
Piper nodded. “The basics.”
“Maybe he didn’t want to be the second guy to break your heart.”
Whoa. Now that made sense.
“I’m sure you’ll figure it out, honey.”
Piper wasn’t convinced, especially since she wasn’t as clearheaded as she’d been when she left London. “Speaking of figuringthings out, I wanted to talk to you about buying a condo. Or a house. I have some money in the bank now.” Actually, a lotmore than she’d expected to have. That “bonus” Emilio had given her? It was four times what he’d offered when he hired her.She needed to thank him for it, but she wished she would’ve done it before he’d sent her the text about Gus. Now it was justgoing to make it seem like an afterthought, and it was anything but. She had a bad case of text paralysis.
“I’d love to help you find something. And of course, I will forgo my commission. We just can’t do it until a week or so afteryour sister’s wedding. Once she’s on her honeymoon and these closings are done, I’m going to take a few days off.”
“Sounds like a wise idea.” Piper took her hair out of the ponytail and fluffed it up until it looked halfway presentable.She wasn’t trying to impress anyone at this rehearsal dinner. She was trying to survive it.
“What sort of place are you thinking about? How many bedrooms? Bathrooms? What kind of kitchen do you want?”
As much as this idea had been in Piper’s head for a while, she hadn’t taken the time to think it through. Probably becauseit required way too much analysis of what she wanted her life to be. Where she wanted to go. That had always been so hardfor her. But she wanted to be done with uncertainty. “Nothing too big. Two bedrooms would be great, just so I could have alittle home office. I’m not picky about bathrooms, but one and a half would be plenty. Otherwise, close to the beach? Andwith a yard, preferably fenced.”
“Thinking about getting a dog?”
“That’s a must.”
“You know, I just sold a house to the woman who runs the animal shelter. We’re friends on Facebook. She’s always posting photosof cute dogs that need a home. Maybe you should go see what they have.”
“I don’t want to adopt until I have my own place. But I’ll let you know.”
Her mom stood. “We’re so happy to have you home, honey. It’s not the same around here without you.”
Piper wrapped her up in a hug. “It’s good to be home. Now I just need to get through tonight and tomorrow.”
“I know it’s been hard, but I’m proud of you for being there for your sister.”
Sometimes, it was good to simply have someone acknowledge that you were tackling a difficult thing. “Thanks, Mom. I appreciatethat.”
“I’m going to go find your father and make sure he’s presentable.”
“I’ll get dressed.” Piper closed the door, then went to the closet and grabbed the dress she’d picked out. Black might nothave been the best choice for this happy event, but it reflected her thoughts on the whole thing. After working her way intoa pair of heels, she put on some silver hoop earrings and grabbed her bag. When she went to put her phone inside, she knewshe couldn’t keep second-guessing Emilio’s text. She needed to respond, get it over with and see what would happen next.
Hey you. I just wanted to thank you for the bonus. You really didn’t have to be so generous, but I do appreciate it. I thinkI can make it work for a down payment on a small house or condo, so that’s great for me. I’m sorry Gus is sad. I miss him,too. Please give him lots of kisses from me.
She hit Send and waited for a moment, hoping she might get a response. It was almost midnight in London. Emilio was probablyin bed. Living his life. The one she wondered about fitting into.
Nineteen
Piper stood on the beach in front of the Grand Salt Cay restaurant, clutching Gabby’s bouquet in her hands and feeling thewarm ocean breeze on her face and through her hair, listening to the vows, remembering exactly how much she loved her sister.When Piper was five and Gabby was four, the two of them ran away together. There had been some sort of controversy over thetyranny of broccoli at dinner, and the girls had decided to strike out on their own. Well, it was Gabby’s idea to run away.Piper thought they should stay and simply eat the broccoli. But that was the difference between them. Piper had always lovedthe comforts of home.
