by Cindy Kirk
“That’s very kind of you.” Piper took a bite of pizza and chewed to give herself time to settle. For the first time in her life, food held no appeal. “But I have to be realistic. The writing is on the wall. I gave it my best. In this case, my best wasn’t good enough.”
“Maybe if you hang in there a little while longer, things will get better?”
Piper stiffened. “I know you’re trying to be encouraging, but if I could see even the slightest glimmer at the end of the tunnel, I’d persevere. I honestly don’t. The store struggled, even on Main Street.”
“I’m sorry.” Reaching across the table, he gave her hand a squeeze. “I know how much Swoon means to you.”
She nodded, the pizza she’d consumed forming a hard knot in her belly. “I’m a failure.”
“You’re never a failure just because you failed.”
Her chuckle held no humor. “Isn’t failing the definition of failure?”
Anders gaze searched hers. What he saw there must have reassured him, because the tense set to his shoulders relaxed.
“I could give you all the platitudes. Likely, you already know them all. You’re not a failure until you quit trying. Failure is not the opposite of success, it’s part of success. Or, one of my favorites, failure is simply the opportunity to begin again.” His hand had remained on hers, and he took a second to link their fingers. “The truth is, sometimes things go well, other times they don’t. Don’t let failure be a part of your identity. Instead, ask yourself what you can learn from this setback going forward.”
Piper nodded. After a long moment, her lips quirked upward. “Want to hear my favorite failure quote?”
He smiled.
“I like failure because it’s so easy to achieve.” This time, her laugh was real and cleansing.
When Anders pulled her to him for a kiss, she was still laughing.
Spending the night in Anders’s arms allowed Piper to push aside, for a few hours, the pain of losing Sasha and Swoon. She realized the next morning that the pain was like a cracked tooth. You could go along with your life and forget it was there, until you bit down hard or breathed in a patch of cold air.
Saturday was spent taking care of business, trying to avoid cold air and trying not to bite down. She did inventory and considered what items to mark down first and how to handle the closeout. By the time three o’clock rolled around, the pain had become a steady ache, despite her efforts to be careful.
Still, she was dressed and ready for the Victorian Home Tour when Anders knocked at her door.
He didn’t ask how her day had gone, but she saw the concern in his eyes. She’d made it clear this morning that she wanted to table any further discussion of Swoon until she felt stronger.
Tonight, they could talk about anything except business.
“Piper, there’s one thing I just want to mention,” he began on the drive over.
“If it’s related to anything to do with business, can it please wait?” She reached over and gripped his hand. “I really want to simply relax and enjoy the evening with you.”
He opened his mouth as if he wanted to tell her anyway, but then he appeared to relent.
“Of course.” He brought her hand to his mouth for a kiss, making her glad her gloves were still in her pocket.
Though a number of people stood in a queue outside Beck’s house, waiting to get in, the line moved quickly.
Piper had been in Ami’s house numerous times and had taken the tour last year with Bea, but she was still unprepared for the feeling of warmth that enveloped her the instant she stepped inside.
In the background, a string quartet sweetened the air with music popular in the Victorian era. Bouquets of tightly massed flowers, boasting a heavy concentration of red roses accompanied by lots of foliage, added a sweet fragrance to the air.
Prim’s twin boys—who were probably in middle school—stood in the foyer, welcoming guests and handing out Christmas cookies wrapped in cellophane.
“They used to put arsenic in the green icing,” Connor informed Piper as he handed her a cookie with bright green icing. “Don’t worry. My aunt left out the arsenic this year.”
Callum grinned. “At least we think she did.”
“You’ve got to quit saying that.” Brynn shot her cousins a sharp look as she refilled their baskets with cookies. “Someone might think you’re serious.”
Anders leaned close to Piper’s ear and whispered, “You can have my red one if you’re scared to eat the green.”
“I like to live dangerously.” It wasn’t true, of course, but it made a good comeback line. As Piper stepped farther inside the home, her gaze took in the opulent decorations. “Did you do all this?”
“I helped.”
“It’s gorgeous.” Piper’s gaze settled on the staircase. “I love the greenery.”
“That’s my handiwork,” Anders admitted.
She shifted her gaze to the tree. “How about that beauty?”
“The tree is all Ami and Beck.” His gaze lifted to the star at the top.
“We haven’t gotten a tree,” Piper said, suddenly struck by the thought.
“There’s still time.” He took her arm. “We’ll make it happen.”
Ami approached them with outstretched hands. “I’m happy you could both make it.”
As was tradition with the Victorian Home Tour, the hostess was dressed for the period. Ami’s Worth gown, a blue satin woven with gold threads, suited her fair complexion. Elegant satin shoes with pointed toes, French heels and intricate beadwork added to the image.
“Your home is lovely.” Piper took Ami’s hands and gave them a squeeze. “You look absolutely amazing.”
“Thank you, Piper.”
“Stunning.” Anders leaned over and brushed his sister-in-law’s cheek with his lips.
“What are you doing kissing my wife, you rake?” Beck pretended to scowl, but his eyes flashed with good humor.
Piper noticed that Beck fit the image of a gentleman host to perfection in black trousers, red silk vest and white tuxedo shirt. His fitted tailcoat showed off his lean form to full advantage.
“You have such a lovely home.” Piper smiled at him. “It’s kind of you to share it with the community.”
“It’s our pleasure. I’m so glad you came.” Beck rested a hand on Ami’s shoulder and smiled apologetically at Anders and Piper. “If you’ll excuse us, there’s an issue with the string quartet that I need to discuss with my wife.”
Piper held hands with Anders as they made their way through the house. They were nearly at the exit when they ran into Hadley.
“We saw Brynn at the front door.” Each time Piper saw Hadley and her daughter, she was amazed at the resemblance. Just like Sasha was a mirror image of their mother, Brynn was Hadley’s Mini-Me. “She was doing a good job keeping the twins in line.”
“That’s my girl.” Hadley’s smile, open and friendly, shifted from Piper to Anders. “I hear congratulations are in order.”
Anders inclined his head. “Congratulations?”
“On getting the space you were hoping for on Wrigley. I don’t know the specifics, but I heard David talking to Ethan. Looks like you’ll be able to take possession at the beginning of the year, just as you hoped.”
It took only a second for the words to register, for Piper to make the connection. She forced herself to breathe in and out. Forced herself to smile and even managed a pleasant-sounding good-bye as she and Anders slipped out the back door.
Once outside, she jerked her hand from his.
“Piper. I can explain.”
For a few seconds inside, she’d harbored the tiniest flicker of hope that Hadley hadn’t been talking about her space. At his words—I can explain—that hope burst into flames and fell to the earth, charred and broken.
“You need to take me home.” She wouldn’t cry. Couldn’t cry. Tears couldn’t fall when your body was encased in ice.
“We’ll go home, sit down and talk this
out.” If he thought his warm, reassuring tone was a match for the ice, he’d soon learn differently. “Once we do, you’ll understand.”
Piper said nothing, just got in the truck, fastened her seat belt and stared straight ahead. She realized now that seeing Heath in bed with that woman had put only a tiny nick on her heart. What she’d felt for Heath had been nothing compared to the feelings she had for Anders. The thought of how he’d held her in his arms and comforted her while no doubt inwardly celebrating his good fortune was a knife to the heart.
She remembered what he’d told her about his job in New York. He knew how to get what he wanted.
Well, now he had his prime location on Wrigley Road. She hoped it kept him warm at night.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
On the drive home, Anders reassured himself that once he and Piper talked this out, she’d see she had no reason to be angry.
But he didn’t like that her silence felt as if he’d been judged and found guilty when all he’d done was take over a lease she’d asked to get out of.
Pulling into his parking spot, he forced a calm he didn’t feel. “Your place or mine?”
“Yours.”
Anders wasn’t sure if her choice was a good or bad thing. His turf, to be sure, but easier for her to simply walk out the door and be done with him.
He hoped she’d listen to him explain the sequence of events and accept that he hadn’t tried to influence her decisions in any way.
They climbed the steps in silence. Her back, ramrod straight, only added to Anders’s growing unease. Once inside, he took off his coat.
Piper kept hers on.
Anders moved to the table and pulled out a chair for her.
She remained standing, the look in her eyes dark and accusatory. “You pretended to be my friend all this time, but you were waiting for me to fail.”
“Wh-what?” Anders stammered. “No. I wanted you to—”
“You set me up.”
Anders held on to his temper with both hands. “How did I do that?”
“I had too much on my plate to get involved with anyone. I told you that.”
“And I heard you. I told you we could just be friends. But you wanted more. So did I.”
Anders moved toward her, but Piper stepped out of his reach.
She offered a shaky laugh. “Right. This is my fault. Everything is my fault. Heath cheating on me? My fault. My sister’s engagement collapsing? My fault. Me falling in love with you? Definitely my fault.”
“Is that what this is about? You’re scared of being in love with me?” This, he understood. The intensity of his feelings for her terrified him. He reached for her, wanting to comfort, to soothe. Once again, she stepped back.
“I’m not scared, Anders. I’m angry. I have a right to be. For weeks, you’ve asked me questions about my business under the guise of being interested in me. In reality, you were gathering intel and making plans to take over my space.”
He frowned. “That is not what happened. At all. If you would let me explain--”
“Did you or did you not tell David you were interested in Swoon’s space?”
Anders tried to remember what he’d said when David had mentioned Swoon.
“It’s a simple question,” she snapped. “Yes or no.”
“Technically, yes, but he—”
“When you had that conversation, were we already involved? Had you already gotten me to share with you just how much I was struggling with Swoon’s finances?”
“Again, technically, yes, but you’ve got it all wrong. I—”
Piper laughed, a hoarse, humorless laugh. “Right, right. Once again, I’m mistaken, and this is my fault.”
She took a deep breath, and the bleakness in her eyes had him wanting to pull her close and hold her. He didn’t dare.
“I’ve lost everything. My sister. My business. And you.”
“You haven’t lost me, Piper. I know it looks bad, but it’s not at all what you’re thinking. David--”
“I can’t do this right now.” She held up her hands. “I need to leave.”
“Piper, wait.”
But she bolted.
“We should do this more often.” Beck cast a sideways glance at Anders as they navigated a trail in Peninsula State Park. “Though ten degrees warmer would be nice.”
Anders, dressed for the hike, didn’t mind the cold. The wind slapping against his face kept him from thinking too much about Piper.
Which was ironic considering that’s why he’d asked his brother to go hiking this afternoon.
Beck’s head turned toward him. “You said you needed to talk.”
Anders blew out a breath. “I really screwed things up with Piper.”
The pronouncement hung in the air for several seconds as they climbed an incline, then stopped.
The tall pines that surrounded this portion of the trail provided a measure of relief from wind gusts. A slight break in the trees offered an amazing view of Green Bay. The water, dark and turbulent, reminded him of Piper’s eyes when she’d flung that last zinger.
Anders rocked back on the heels of his hiking boots. “Piper thinks I played her. The way she sees what happened…it’s like I would have played an opponent back when I worked at the ad agency in New York.”
Beck rubbed his chin. “Is this about you taking over her lease on Wrigley?”
“Yes. She found out from Hadley the night of the home tour. I didn’t have a chance to prepare her, so it gave her quite a jolt.”
“Your interest in the space was supposed to be confidential.” Beck frowned. “It wasn’t Hadley’s place to divulge that information.”
Anders lifted a hand. “Not her fault.”
“How isn’t it?” Though Beck’s tone remained reasonable, Anders heard the censure.
“Apparently, Hadley overheard David talking to Ethan about me leasing space on Wrigley.” Anders paced, unable to remain still. “She didn’t know it was Piper’s space he was referring to or that the deal was confidential. She probably didn’t even know at the time that Piper is closing Swoon. When Hadley congratulated me, Piper made the connection.”
Beck simply shook his head.
His brother motioned to the trail, and Anders fell into step beside him.
“Piper feels I manipulated her for personal gain.” She’d scored a direct blow to his heart with that comment. “I didn’t, of course, but I can see how she might have reached that conclusion. I hadn’t mentioned my conversation with David because I didn’t want her to think I was rooting for her to fail.”
Anders used extra force to shove aside a branch blocking the path. It struck him as odd that he’d encouraged Piper to have the hard conversation with her sister, yet when he’d tried to give her the heads-up on the way to the home tour and she shut him down, he hadn’t pressed.
Following Anders down a narrow part in the path, Beck spoke to his back. “I’ve learned that avoiding the difficult doesn’t prevent hurt. It only postpones the inevitable.”
“That’s part of it, but not all. I didn’t share my business idea with her before I pitched the plan to others. I usually don’t share the details on that kind of stuff with anyone until I’m ready to make a decision and forge ahead.” Anders paused when the path leveled to glance at his brother. “You’re like that, too.”
“You’ve been on your own for a long time.” Beck studied him. “For years, you’ve done whatever you wanted. You’ve had no partner to take into consideration. You were free to focus on your own needs and wants.”
“Sounds like you’re saying I’m selfish and think only of myself.” Anders thought of last Christmas and how he’d blown off his entire family because of the Jackson Hole ski trip. He shrugged. “You’re probably right. Lisette’s funeral and last Christmas being prime examples.”
Beck placed a hand on his shoulder, his gaze firm and direct. “I’m not saying anything of the sort. Some of the problem here is you seem to think you’re still the guy wh
o’d stop at nothing to land the big ad deal.”
“Yeah, it’s probably best that she kicked me to the curb.”
Beck raised a brow. “I’m not trying to tell you that you’re not that guy anymore, not in the least. That guy wouldn’t have fessed up like you did when you told me why you didn’t make it to Christmas last year or Lisette’s funeral. That guy wouldn’t be torturing himself over another person’s misfortune that actually landed him the perfect thing he needs to ensure his own success. You are not that guy anymore, Anders.”
Anders shot him a grim smiled. “Don’t you have to say that because you’re my brother?”
“Because I’m your brother, I will never lie to you. You are a good man. You can be headstrong, certainly, but you’re also caring and open to listening to opposing opinions. You’re great with my kids, and that right there is the biggest clue of all that you’re awesome.” Beck’s tone gentled. “You, me, Piper, everyone has shortcomings. Everyone messes up. You’re being too hard on yourself.”
Anders chuckled. “Tell me one time you’ve messed up.””
“When Ami and I were dating, I nearly threw away what we had.” Beck’s eyes grew dark with memories. “She needed me, and I wasn’t there for her. If that isn’t screwing up, I don’t know what is.”
Anders thought of Piper and how he’d totally mishandled the situation with the lease. He’d tried to protect her instead of just being honest.
“Ami’s dad told me that every person deserves a partner who’ll be there for her in good times and bad.” Beck shot him an assessing glance. “Piper is going through a difficult time right now.”
“She is.” Anders also knew the situation with her family was only compounding her stress.
“I owed Ami an apology and a promise to do better.” Beck shrugged. “Your relationship with Piper, well, only you know if you’re willing to make it right.”
During the rest of the hike, they spoke of inconsequential things. In the back of Anders’s mind, Beck’s final statement circled. Was he willing to try to make things right with Piper? Had he really changed enough to be the kind of man she deserved.
