One Summer in Santa Fe - By Molly Evans Page 0,44

do, for them to be a family again, but, damn, he was going to miss the kid, miss that feeling of family that he had wanted but never had when he’d been a kid. “It will be good to have my life back again. Back to my usual routines. The way it used to be.”

He looked at his watch, still ticking down the last few days. May as well shut it off now. No point in—

“Taylor?”

Distracted, without finishing the small task, he turned back to Piper. She stood by the door, looking like she was ready to bolt. Regret had replaced desire in her eyes, and he didn’t like it one bit. This thing between them was more heated than his past relationships, and something he didn’t want to let go of yet. Despite her reservations, he really liked her company and didn’t want to stop seeing her now. This relationship hadn’t imploded the way so many others had. The why of it he didn’t explore too deeply at the moment. “You’re going to go, aren’t you?”

“Yes. You’re obviously capable of handling Alex without my help, so I think it’s for the best. You don’t need me.” She curved her hair behind her ear and moistened her lips, avoided his gaze.

“Best for you or me?” Anger snapped inside of him. This wasn’t what he wanted, wasn’t how he wanted to end things between them. Hell, he didn’t see any reason to end anything between them at all. They were adults, and if it worked, then so be it.

“For both of us. Taylor, you know I’m not what you need, even though there’s a healthy dose of passion between us. We had a beautiful experience together, and I’ll cherish that. But I think all you want is a temporary lover, and I’ve been there, done that before. The same story only ends in heartbreak for me, so I’m not really interested in going there again.”

“Coward.”

Shocked, Piper stared at him. “What?”

“Yes. You’re a coward. You’re afraid to experience your life. You’ve been so busy trying to manage Elizabeth’s life, and worrying about what’s going to happen to your aunt, that you’ve forgotten to live your own. Don’t do that, Piper. Don’t let go of something before you even know what you have.” He stepped closer, the light in his eyes dark, intense, and a little frightening. Leaning over, he pinned her between his hands braced on the counter behind her. “Don’t be afraid of me.”

Tears pricked her eyes. Though her chin trembled, she didn’t break down. “I’m not afraid to experience life. I’m afraid to have my heart trampled all over again. My last serious boyfriend was someone just like you. I was never enough for him. In his head he had ended our relationship, but only when I walked in on him in bed with another woman was it over for me. By hanging on too long I was humiliated and it’s not something I’m likely to forget.” She dropped her head and wiped her eyes with her fingertips. “I know I’ll never be enough for you, either, so it’s best if I walk away now, before we both get hurt.”

“Piper, you’re convicting me based on another man’s idiotic behavior. I don’t accept that.” His eyes turned cold, his lips pressed tight together and a muscle in his jaw twitched.

“Life lessons, Taylor. Hard ones. I don’t need another round in the classroom to know this isn’t going to work. I’ve graduated and don’t need a refresher course.” Piper broke out of the small trap of his arms, unable to bear the close intensity of him. “I just need to go. There’s no point in any of this.”

“No point? Piper—”

“No! I’ll just go my way, you’ll go your way, and find someone else suitable to your lifestyle, and we’ll both be fine. I’ve put my life on hold long enough.”

“Piper—” Anger hissed through him. This was not what he wanted at all. Was there bitter truth in her words? Probably, but he didn’t want to hear it, didn’t want to think about it, didn’t want to accept it. Until he acted the fool, he didn’t want to be condemned as one.

“No. I can’t.” She held up her hand to prevent him from speaking. “Taylor. What in the world do you want me for? You’ve had seriously better offers, I’m sure. I’ve heard the gossip at the hospital, how you are a whirlwind of affairs, and I don’t want that. I can’t take