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She paused, then sighed. "Declan, my number one priority is standing on my own. I've made too many bad choices in life because I didn't feel like I could handle my life by myself. You're a man who wants to protect his woman, which is a very attractive trait in a man. But I need to stand on my own." She pointed back and forth between them. "This won't work with us. It can't."
He ground his jaw. She wasn't wrong about him. He was a protector, which was why he'd become a cop. Then his old instincts had died, leaving him a walking shell. Piper had woken that back up in him. She made him feel alive, like he had a purpose.
And she wanted nothing to do with that.
She smiled. "I appreciate you, Declan, but I need to get back to work. See you at Maddie's store at eleven." She paused. "You all right?"
He almost laughed at her question. She didn't want himprotecting her, but she was checking in on him? She wanted her space, but at the same time, her warmth and kindness were building a bridge between them.
Damn. She was complicated.
And he loved it.
"Yeah," he said. "I'll be there at eleven to win over the bride's mother."
Piper grinned, a heartfelt, relieved smile that made him feel like a hero. "I was afraid you were going to back out."
"Never. You can count on me."
Something flickered in her eyes. "Thanks. Declan. I appreciate it." She paused as if she were going to say something else, then she closed the window and pulled down the shade.
Declan shoved his hands in his pockets and stood there for a second. "Angel," he said softly. "I think I'm in over my head. What do you think?"
His dog whined and wagged her tail.
He looked down at her. "I didn't want to feel like this again."
Angel wagged her tail.
"If I stay in this, she's either going to ruin me, or save me."
Angel barked and continued to wag her tail.
"You think I should bail? Or man up and see where it goes?" He wasn't a man who'd ever let fear stop him, but Piper scared him shitless, as the broken doorframe proved. Did he want to open this door again? Did he want to feel? To care? To risk?
Twenty-four hours ago, he would have said "hell, no."
But now?
Ninety-nine percent "hell, no." One percent "hell, yeah."
But it was a hell of a one percent.
Angel barked again, then trotted off down the path, clearly tired of waiting for him to decide.
He took one last look at Piper's cottage, then turned to follow his dog. "Yeah, Angel. I agree."
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Monday morning at eight, Piper was ready.
She sat at her desk in her temporary office and waited.
She heard her boss walk in, and she winced as she waited for Irina Williams to check her messages.
Surprisingly, it took less than three minutes for Irina to burst out in curses, yank her door open, and stride into Piper's office. She walked in, tan and fit, blue eyes blazing. "What the hell, Piper?"
Irina was almost six feet tall, broad shoulders, perfect posture, blond hair bleached almost white. She walked like a model, carried herself like a CEO. She could nurture a crying bride like the kindest mom on the planet, and then turn around and rip through a staff of sub-performing caterers like the worst demon-possessed villain. And she was a beast with design and organization. The best in the area, and Piper's last chance to get back in the business. "Wedding Killer? My firm has awedding killeron staff?"
