First Star I See Tonight (Chicago Stars #8) - Susan Elizabeth Phillips Page 0,116

was too nice. That’s exactly why he could never fall in love with her, and Piper should know him well enough to understand that. “I’ve heard from Noah’s attorney,” she said. “He’s going to plea-bargain.”

Coop got rid of the Coke. “That’ll make it simpler.”

“I went to see Noah to make sure he understands that once the justice system is done with him, he’ll have to find somewhere else to live. Far away from the city. Back to Mommy, is my guess.” She slipped her bag from her shoulder and set it on the couch. “I feel like an idiot. I knew he was possessive, but he made my life so much easier after Sam died that I ignored it. I came here to apologize for not being smarter about him and making you go through all this.”

“We all have our obtuse times.” Especially him. He needed to talk to Piper. He had to explain how he’d felt when he’d seen that gun jammed to her head, but she was making it impossible.

Deidre gave him a bright smile. “You’ll be getting a formal offer from us tomorrow. I have complete faith in your vision, and I’m looking forward to financing you. I should have trusted my gut and made this deal weeks ago, but I let Noah get in my head.”

The time had come to say it out loud. He tucked his thumb in the pocket of his jeans, then pulled it back out again. “I’m getting out of the business, Deidre. Selling the club.” It felt good to finally put his cards on the table.

Her businesswoman’s poker face failed her. “But you’ve been so passionate. Are you sure about this? What’s changed?”

“It’s been creeping up on me slowly.” As slowly as anything could creep up with Piper Dove pushing her misgivings at him like a bulldozer. But Piper was right. All the satisfaction he used to experience when he walked into the club was gone. Spiral was a great place, and he’d enjoyed creating it, but he hadn’t enjoyed the day-to-day, and the idea of spending years going from one club to another had lost its allure. “I liked the challenge, liked the idea of building something from scratch, but as it turned out, that was all I liked. I thought nightclubs would be a good business for me—high risk, high reward—but I was wrong.”

“Because . . . ?”

He gave her the simplest answer. “I miss the mornings.”

She didn’t get it, but Piper would understand how tired he was of crowds, of yelling over music, of the smells and flashing strobes. He was sick of living so much of his life at night. He wanted clean air. He wanted more than three hours of sleep before he went out for a morning run. He wanted to do exactly as Piper had said. To “grow crap.” He didn’t know how he’d work that out, but then he didn’t know how he was going to work out a lot of things right now. He only knew he had to make some big changes.

He gazed at his jersey hanging on the wall behind her. “A friend of mine tried to tell me this was the wrong business for me, but it took a while before I figured that out for myself.”

“Piper?”

He didn’t deny or admit it.

“I called her the other day,” Deidre said. “We talked.”

It seemed as though everybody was talking to Piper except him.

“Do you know she thinks the two of us should be a couple?” Deidre twisted a silver ring on her finger. “But that’s not going to happen, is it?”

He hated hurting women, but he owed her honesty. “I’m afraid not. And I’m sorry about that.”

“Not all that sorry.” She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and gave him a rueful smile. “Once I got some perspective, I understood why I’m not the right woman for you. You need someone more . . . unconventional.”

Interesting how all these women believed they knew what he needed.

“I’m sorry we won’t be doing business together,” she said. “If you change your mind, let me know.”

“I’ll do that,” he said, even though he knew he wouldn’t.

As soon as Deidre left, he picked up his phone, stared down at it, then sent Piper another text.

I love you. Not a little. With all my heart.

The text went undelivered. She’d finally blocked him.

22

“I don’t want to meet him,” Berni protested as Piper led her into the coffee shop where they were supposed to meet Willie