Summer Love_ A Steamy Small Town Romance Anthology - Piper Rayne Page 0,169

make up for the lousy mom I was back then, but we can start over.” She narrowed her eyes. “It was his idea to leave, wasn’t it?”

Sierra squirmed in her chair. “Well, kind of. He had to go back to recording.”

Valerie sat on the edge of the desk. “That’s not what I asked.”

Sierra gave her a wry smile. “If you had been this tough when I was in high school, I might not have gotten into so much trouble.”

Her mother scoffed. “You never got into trouble. Not really. So, he didn’t leave you, just Granite Junction.”

“He wanted to continue the relationship, even asked me to go with him. But I can’t do that. I have a business here.”

Valerie nodded. “You always hated when we moved around. You like your stability. I dragged you around. I liked the road, liked new places, and yes, sometimes it was because I needed to skip out.” She caught Sierra’s sharp look. “I’m admitting it. I wasn’t the best mom and didn’t always do the right thing. It’s part of this therapy they had me do in prison. Honey, you can always have your main home but that doesn’t mean you can’t have wings, too. Do you love him?”

Sierra stared out the small window from her office. Granted it wasn’t a great view up close, just the parking lot out back of the building. In the distance the mountains that surrounded Granite Junction stretched to the sky. “How would this even work? I’m planning an expansion to Redemption Ranch. I can’t be on the road during that.”

“You need to talk to Colt. Sounds like you never even gave him a chance to figure it out.”

Damn it. Even her mother was smarter than she was. But she owed it to herself and to Colt to at least talk to him, if he was still interested. The fact that he hadn’t even called or texted since she walked out on him was ominous. Could she take the chance?

Her mother stood. “Your next appointment is here. Shall I show her in?”

Without even waiting, her mother opened the office door. Sierra stood and went to follow her out, but Piper Raines Evans met her in the doorway, a cold expression on her face. “I’m not here for a massage. I’m here to talk to you about my brother.”

Sierra held up her hand. “Let’s shortcut this. I know I screwed up. As soon as I can arrange coverage for the business, I’ll go talk to him.”

Relief spread across Piper’s face. “Well, that’s one down. Now we just need to figure out where he is.”

Colt sat on the back deck of his parents’ cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains. The early morning fog shrouded the valley below Black Mountain, lending a blue haze that gave him the feeling he was the only person around. He needed that right now. He’d been in a foul mood since Sierra booted him out of her life without any second thoughts. He’d headed back to Nashville the next morning, spent one night at home, and he knew he needed to get away. Which was ironic since he’d spent the last six weeks getting away.

His parents were surprised when he called and asked to use the cabin, yet they handed him the keys without question. Well, he was sure they’d had plenty of questions but they must have sensed he was on edge and not ready to talk. His guitar was still in its case, propped against the wall in the living area, unopened. He hadn’t heard the music in his head since he left Granite Junction and he didn’t want to look at the songs he’d written. For all he cared, someone else could record them. He was done. He needed more time.

His phone beeped. Another voice mail from his manager, reminding him that time was money and the studio had him reserved for recording along with his band. Or maybe it was his sister, who had called him several times a day since he left Granite Junction. He’d call her back when he didn’t feel like there was a raw, gaping wound where his heart used to be.

He closed his eyes and rested his head against the cushion on the top of the rocking chair and listened to the birds singing in the trees.

“So this is where you’ve been hiding. It’s very pretty up here, but kind of a hike to find. I thought I was in better shape than this. Had to leave