gentle,” Piper whispered. “You’re caring. You’re loving and compassionate and tender. You have a capacity for such kindness. You’d did all you could to spoil Rose. You made love with me. Cole, you know those aren’t the makings of a beast.”
They weren’t the qualities of a prince either.
I averted my gaze only to trap myself in another beautiful face. Rose had fallen back to sleep in her stroller, tucked in with those chubby brown cheeks and tiny little hands. She snuggled with Mr. Bumpybottom. Quiet.
I’d have committed Piper’s first cardinal sin and woken her up just to see her smile.
Piper watched me, her voice softening. “You think you’re wrong for me. And maybe I’m wrong for you. But I’ve never felt this way before. I’ve never had anyone make me feel so beautiful and wanted. Every day with you was a risk—not because you were dangerous, but because I didn’t know how to protect my heart.”
I didn’t either.
Piper knew how to twist the knife into my heart. She’d make it beat once more, for her and her alone.
“It’s not that you don’t have the capacity to love, Cole,” she said. “It’s that you love too much. You love the baby and me so much you’re afraid you’ll hurt us. You love football so much you’re afraid you’ll lose it. It’s not a weakness to be afraid of your own strength, and it’s not dangerous to let me help you.”
Her honest admission ripped through me like silken daggers.
“I love you, Cole.”
I couldn’t speak. Hell, I couldn’t match anything as sweet and beautiful as her words.
I’d show her instead.
I opened the door wide and welcomed her inside. My apartment wasn’t much. The team said it was just something to “get me by” until I found a home.
Except nothing felt like home anymore.
Not without Piper. Not without Rose.
I led her to the spare bedroom and turned on the light.
The nursery was all white, accented with pink pillows and blankets, frilly little curtains and a fairy tale decoration. It was nothing fancy, just a crib, changing table, dresser, and rocking chair, but everything was ready for a baby.
For Rose.
“They asked me what I would need to furnish the apartment.” I couldn’t look at Piper, but seeing the baby was just as hard. “I told them I wanted a nursery. I don’t know why I said it. I don’t know what I thought would happen—”
Piper didn’t let me finish. She stood on her tip-toes, tugging me closer, wanting me to touch her.
I couldn’t leave a lady waiting.
I kissed her, and that gentle warmth coursed through me. Not fierce. Not raging. Just perfection.
We pulled away as Rose started to fuss. The kid was groggy and only half-awake, but her eyes widened when she saw me. She squealed, reaching for me.
“Cole!”
My heart stopped.
Holy shit.
Piper smiled as she handed Rose to me. I hoped to Christ I had the strength to hold her.
“She said my name.”
“Just learned it.” Piper rubbed Rose’s back as she nestled against my chest. “She’s been saying it all week. I didn’t realize that she was asking to see you.” She cleared her throat. “Really, this visit was all her idea.”
“Was it?”
“Well…she instigated.”
“And pounding on my door until I relented?”
“It’d worked before.”
“I don’t think I could keep you out even if I wanted to.”
She bit her lip. “Do you want to keep me out?”
“Not anymore.”
Rose was asleep. I laid her in the new crib, and Piper handed me her bunny from the stroller. I tucked Rumpleass by her hand and pulled the pink blanket over her.
And I just stared, watching her sleep.
Piper took my hand. How was it possible two minutes with both of them healed every wound, every pain, and every ache from the past month?
“We have to talk,” I said. “Will she be okay?”
“She’ll be better than ever…now that she’s back with you.”
These were promises I’d fight to believe and die to keep.
I left the door open a crack in case the baby woke up. I wasn’t sure why that part of my life felt so natural now—bed times and cuddles and sneaking away with a proud momma who stared at me like I was every reason for her and Rose’s happiness.
That was a blessing a man could get used to.
I pulled her to my bedroom, the only place where I could prove to her the honesty in my words. She sat on the bed, and I knelt at her feet.
I looked up at this woman—this beautiful, gentle woman—and had no idea