She Loves Me

by Foster, Melissa

  A lump lodged in Piper’s throat.

  “Dee, you have clear margins,” Harley reminded her.

  “Tell cancer that,” Delaney said, tears spilling down her cheeks. “Hey, big C,” she said cavalierly. “You can’t come back. I had clear margins.” Her eyes narrowed, and she said, “Cancer doesn’t give a damn about margins. It’s a bully that I never saw coming. I swear I’ll never take another second of life for granted.”

  Anger and sadness reared up inside Piper. She wanted to take away Delaney’s fear, and she knew that was impossible, so she did the next best thing. “There’s only one way to handle a bully, and that’s to kick its flippin’ ass. If it comes back, you’ll fight with all you have to beat it, and we’ll be there every step of the way.”

  “Thank you,” Delaney choked out through her tears.

  Harley put his arms gently around his sister, careful to keep his burly body from pressing against her chest, holding her as she cried. Piper felt tears welling in her own eyes and put a hand on Delaney’s back. Harley put his hand over Piper’s, his compassionate eyes holding hers. He pressed a kiss to Delaney’s shoulder and said, “We’ve got the girls, Dee. Now, tell us what we can do for you.”

  “This . . .” she whispered.

  Harley’s words made Delaney cry harder. He was so selfless and took such good care of everyone, Piper had the overwhelming desire to take just as good care of him. She wanted to make him feel as safe and comfortable as he made everyone else feel, and she was going to make damn sure the girls were happy, so he would never regret asking her to help.

  CHAPTER NINE

  HARLEY CLIMBED INTO Piper’s truck after Piper and the girls, feeling like his chest had been ripped open. Piper had a determined, angry look in her eyes, but sadness wafted off her like the wind. He looked into the back seat at the girls, and it took his pain deeper. Jolie was staring out the window frowning, like she wanted to curl up and cry, while Sophie was watching her sister. Their fingertips touched across the bench seat. Harley wondered if it was worse for Sophie to see her big sister, the girl she’d always looked up to, falling apart, or for Jolie, not having an older sibling to lean on. Harley had always looked up to Delaney as much as he’d protected her. But there was no protecting her from cancer or her daughters from the fallout. Talk about feeling powerless . . .

  Sophie met Harley’s gaze, her lower lip trembling.

  He would not fail his sister or her daughters. One way or another, he was going to make sure they all made it through this without losing themselves.

  “Your mom’s going to be okay,” he assured them. They didn’t understand expressions like clear margins or how lucky their mother was that the doctors had eradicated all of the cancer. All they knew was that their mother wasn’t Mom right now, and he’d give anything to fix that for them. He reached over the seat, taking their touching fingers in his hand, and said, “I promise.”

  “Buckle up, girls,” Piper said, full of conviction as she started the truck. “We’re going on a little adventure.”

  Harley put on his seat belt and said, “Adventure?”

  “You’ll see,” she said as she pulled away from the curb.

  They drove through town and kept on going, until the lake disappeared from sight in the side-view mirror. They passed the old water tower on the outskirts of town, and Piper turned onto a winding tree-lined road heading toward the mountains. Harley had no idea where they were going, but Piper seemed intent, and he trusted her explicitly. The road narrowed and the trees gave way to thick brush, the branches scraping the sides of the truck. She turned onto a dirt road, and after a minute they came to a chain blocking their way.

  Piper put the truck in park and said, “Be right back.”

  She unhooked the chain and then returned to the driver’s seat. She was smiling as she drove up what Harley realized was an overgrown, nearly indiscernible driveway—a long mound of earth between two rutted grooves, camouflaged by long grasses and weeds, hidden beneath an umbrella of trees.

  “Where are we?” Jolie asked, sitting up taller, eyes wide as branches scraped the windows like nails on a chalkboard.

  It felt like the start of a horror movie. Harley lowered his voice and said, “Are you sure this is a good idea?”

  Piper smirked and glanced in the rearview mirror, eyeing the girls. “You can’t tell anyone about this place. It has to be our little secret.”

  “I don’t think I want to know this secret,” Jolie said, worried eyes darting to Harley.

  He winked and said, “It’s an adventure, Jo. Just go with it. Piper would never take you anywhere that wasn’t safe.”

  “What is this place?” Sophie said.

  “The Mad House,” Piper said as the woods fell away, revealing acres of overgrown pastures and fenced areas.

  A large stone house sat crooked on a small wooded knoll up ahead to their right, partially hidden behind enormous trees. Ivy snaked up the stone, much of which was green with moss. Just beyond was an enormous barn in near-perfect shape, and another smaller barn, which looked like an old, decrepit, and withered version of the first. Piper followed another set of rutted, overgrown tire tracks toward the house, and several more outbuildings came into view, all in various stages of disrepair. One building stood crooked, with spriggy, leafy limbs growing out of the chimney; another was missing a roof, and the left side of an old summer kitchen was completely destroyed. Piles of rubbish littered the overgrown yard near each of the buildings. Boarded-up and broken windows gave the structures lifelike features, as if they were winking, blind, or all-seeing.

  “Welcome to the Mad House, ladies,” Piper said as she parked by the stone house. “I know it looks creepy, but trust me, when you leave here you’re going to feel a whole lot happier than you do right now.”

  “I doubt that,” Jolie said under her breath.

  Sophie moved her face closer to the window and said, “I think I’ll stay in the truck.”

  Piper took off her seat belt and turned around, perching on her knees and holding the back of the seat with both hands. Her eyes filled with mischief, and still, her underlying determination shone through. “This property has been in my family for generations. At one time it was a dairy farm. When I was a little older than Jolie, I went through some tough stuff, and I was so angry and sad, I couldn’t stand to talk to anyone. My father took me here, and if you’ll let me, I’d like to show you why. I promise nothing bad will happen.” She nodded toward Harley and said, “Uncle Harley might be on crutches, but he’s pretty badass. Even hurt, he could protect all of us like a superhero.”

  Harley searched for a hint of bullshit, but she appeared to believe her own words. That did funky things to his stomach, and he freaking loved it. He nodded reassuringly to the girls. “Damn right I can.”

  “Like the Hulk,” Sophie said excitedly.

  “Pretty much,” Piper said. “You girls in?”

  Jolie and Sophie exchanged a wary look.

  “Come on, let’s check it out,” Harley said, and they all climbed from the truck.

  “We need to start at the big barn,” Piper said as they traipsed through the long grass.

  The barn was set up like a workshop, with antique tools, machines, workbenches, and even an old tractor. The girls were mesmerized by the tractor, and after Piper did a visual sweep of the machinery, which Harley was sure was to check for unwanted critters or reptiles, she told the girls to climb in if they wanted to. They scrambled into the tractor, and the tension in the air came down a notch.

  A flash of bright blue and white hanging on the wall caught Harley’s attention, out of place in the rustic barn. He stepped closer, recognizing the sharp blue paint with a fine white line through it. He’d mixed that specific shade of blue for the rowboat Piper and Marshall had built together. A pang of jealousy shot through him. Had she kept it as a memory of his brother?

  Piper grabbed goggles for each of them from where they hung above a workbench and called the girls o
ver. She handed them to the girls. “Put these on.”

  Harley shook off the ridiculous notion about Marshall and focused on his three girls.

  Piper handed them work gloves. “You’ll need these, too.”

  As the girls put the gloves on, Harley realized what Piper had in mind and thought she just might be the most brilliant woman on earth. She took two small sledgehammers from beneath a workbench, handing one to each of the girls.

  “Want one, Hulk?” Piper asked.

  “No thanks. I’ll stand watch.”

  “Suit yourself.” Piper picked up a larger sledgehammer and rested it on her shoulder. “Let’s go, ladies. Time to do some damage.”

  “Damage?” Sophie asked. “To what?”

  Piper grinned. “Anything you want, as long as it’s not structural.” She pointed at the older barn and said, “There’s furniture in there that you can destroy.” She pointed across the grass to a courtyard behind one of the outbuildings. “The kitchen of that house could use a good demolishing.” She pointed to two other outbuildings and said, “Those have a few walls that could come down.”

  “You want us to break things?” Jolie said in disbelief.

  “Absofrigginlutely. That’s what the Mad House is for, to get rid of all that pent-up anger, hurt, and frustration.”

  Jolie strode toward the barn with a devious grin. “This is so much better than the diary.”

  Sophie ran after her.

  “The Mad House, huh?” Harley asked as they followed the girls.

  “Some people aren’t as good at talking things out as others.”

  Several hours, three destroyed walls, and lots of broken furniture later, they all left with lighter hearts. At Jolie’s request, they stopped to say good night to their mother, and both girls came out looking like a great weight had been lifted from their shoulders. They went out for pizza and ice cream, and when they got home, everyone was emotionally exhausted. Harley went upstairs with Piper to tuck the girls in, and after sweet hugs from Sophie, Jolie gave Piper the longest, tightest hug Harley had ever witnessed.

  “Love you, kiddo,” Harley said as he pulled Jolie’s door closed behind them. His head and heart were so full, he couldn’t find the words to express all of the emotions he felt.

  Jiggs raced ahead of them as they made their way downstairs. As Piper helped him through the living room, he said, “Thank you for everything you did for them today.”

  “It was nothing.”

  “It wasn’t nothing, Piper.” He couldn’t keep from drawing her into his arms. “Don’t minimize what you did. It meant the world to me, and I know it will to Delaney, too. You knew exactly how to help the girls when I was lost.”

  “You’re never lost. And don’t think I don’t realize you’re using me instead of a crutch right now.”

  “You don’t have to do that with me,” he said softly.

  “What?”

  “Act like you don’t care, like you don’t want to be in my arms.”

  She rolled her eyes.

  “Admit it, Pipe. You like how we feel.”

  “I like big men. You’re big.” Her gaze slid to his mouth, and she licked her lips. “You know how to kiss pretty well, too.”

  The invitation in her eyes was inescapable, and his sister’s words sounded in his head—I’ll never take another second of life for granted.

  Unwilling to waste a second of their time together, he lowered his mouth to hers, taking the kiss he’d been thinking about since last night. Her arms circled his waist, and she went up on her toes, pressing her soft, luscious body against him. He took the kiss deeper, earning a sexy moan that sent heat coursing through him, spurring him on. He lowered one hand to her ass, pushed the other into her silky hair, holding her body flush with his so she could feel what she’d done to him. She felt so perfect in his arms, kissing him fervently, writhing against him, it sparked an internal battle. He wanted to lay her down on the couch, strip her bare, and love her like she deserved—and then he wanted to love her like he knew she craved just as badly as he did. But Piper had spent years seeing men and sex as a means of nothing more than relieving tension, and there was no way he’d let her see him in that same light.

  It killed him to break their connection, and he did it slowly, reluctantly, taking several tender kisses before finally pulling away. She gazed up at him with desire welling in her eyes, cheeks flushed.

  He brushed his lips over hers, needing the connection, and said, “One day you’re going to realize you’re safe with me, Pipe.” The way she was looking at him, he thought—hoped—she might admit it right now.

  She lowered her gaze and stepped out of his arms. “You’ve been on your feet too long. Your ankle has to hurt.”

  She nudged his chest as if she could push him down to the couch, but he didn’t budge. He couldn’t believe how easy it was for her to go from eagerly kissing him to safely protected behind an invisible barrier.

  She walked around him and said, “I’ll take Jiggs for his walk. You rest.”

  He watched them go out the back door, wondering how long it would take Piper to admit what he saw in her eyes and felt in her touch. If only a sledgehammer could tear down her walls.

  When she came back inside, he was sitting on the couch with his ankle propped on a pillow on the coffee table and Piper’s favorite movie queued up on the television screen, hoping she’d stick around. Jiggs trotted over and licked his face as Harley loved him up.

  Piper headed into the kitchen and said, “What can I get you?”

  “An ice pack and you is all I need.”

  She didn’t respond, but returned a minute later with the ice pack, a glass of water, and a bottle of Motrin. Her face was a blank slate, giving nothing away, and he wondered if she’d ever get tired of maintaining that tough facade. He put the ice pack on his ankle and took the pills. When she placed the glass on the coffee table, he reached for her hand, pulling her down beside him.

  “I’ve got Thor all ready to go.” He put his arm around her, pulling her tight against his side, and she made an exasperated sound. “Just go with it, Trig. It’s been a long, emotional day. Let yourself relax and enjoy the moment.”

  “What if I have plans?” she said with feigned annoyance.

  He touched the side of his head to hers. “Like the plans to hit the pub last night that never came to fruition?”

  “I’m going to kill Jasper.”

  He chuckled and started the movie, holding her tighter. Jiggs jumped onto the couch next to Piper and rested his head on her lap.

  “You’re both needy and assumptive,” she said more to Jiggs than to Harley as she stroked his pup’s head.

  Jiggs sighed and closed his eyes.

  “I’m only staying for the eye candy,” she said, eyes trained on the movie as she snuggled closer. “So don’t think you’re getting lucky tonight.”

  Maybe Harley wouldn’t need a sledgehammer after all, just a good deal of patience.

  “I wouldn’t dream of it.” He was already the luckiest guy in town.

  CHAPTER TEN

  BETWEEN JOLIE’S SOCCER game, dropping off the girls for their sleepovers, and spending an insane amount of time picking out an outfit for her date with Harley, Saturday had flown by—and Piper was a nervous wreck. She’d considered consulting her sisters about what to wear, but she didn’t feel like dealing with all their girlie gibberish about the importance of choosing the right outfit for their first date. Even the term first date sounded ominous, like it was just waiting to kick her in the ass. She didn’t have much luck with first dates, which was usually okay, because she wasn’t often looking for a second.

  But this date was with Harley, a man she’d envisioned by her side forever.

  As a friend.

  But now that he’d started climbing over her walls, like a boyfriend sneaking in for a clandestine tryst, she wanted more. She’d tried just about every nice outfit she owned, and everything felt wrong, like she was trying too hard o
r not trying hard enough. She had no idea how women did this shit. Harley saw her in work clothes every day and he’d still asked her out. Irritated with herself for overthinking, she’d finally thrown on her favorite ripped and distressed skinny jeans, a flowy, off-the-shoulder white gauzy top with scalloped edges, and low-heeled beige leather booties.

  They’d been together for forty-five minutes, and her nerves still hadn’t calmed down. “You’re not taking me to one of those froufrou restaurants, are you?”

  She’d been trying to guess where he was taking her. He’d told her to drive to the train station when she’d picked him up. All she knew for sure was that they were heading to the Big Apple. While she wouldn’t want to live in the city, she loved the hustle and bustle of it in small doses, and she was blown away that Harley had planned a first date that was already very different from any she’d ever had.

  “If I were taking you to a froufrou restaurant, do you think I’d be dressed like this?” Harley looked down at his black T-shirt and dark-wash jeans.

  “Oh, please. You look hot in everything you wear.” Shit. She hadn’t meant to let that slip. It was true, but she was still feeling uneasy about going out with him. He wasn’t worried about putting their friendship at risk, but despite their scorching chemistry, she still heard that ticking time bomb in her head.

  “I’m glad you noticed,” he said, grinning like a proud peacock. He put his hand over hers and moved it to his lap.

  Her pulse quickened. He was always touching her now, holding her hand, putting an arm around her, pulling her in close. She hadn’t ever been with a man as openly loving as Harley. He’d never made her nervous before, but all those touches had new meaning, and her stomach was fluttering so much she wanted to slap herself.

  But she also kind of liked it.