Page 34 of The Keeper

“Piper,” he said, opening my door with a heavy sigh. “Just get in.”

My knuckles were white against the steering wheel as I drove home, each familiar street leading me closer to a conversation I wasn’t sure I was ready to have.

Dane didn’t say a word, but I could feel the tension radiating off him in waves.

I pulled into the driveway before turning to him, noting the rigid set of his jaw in the glow of the lights over the garage. We’re here,” I announced unnecessarily.

He nodded, his eyes fixed on the large two-story house. “Nice place.”

“Oh…thanks. It was my grandparents’,” I said, glancing back at Avery, pacifier dangling from her bottom lip.

He got out and opened my door before I could reach for the handle.

“She doesn’t like men,” I blurted when he moved toward the backseat next, realizing how it sounded as soon as the words left my lips. “It’s just—she’s more comfortable with women…that’s all.”

“Got it,” he clipped, backing away from the SUV with his hands raised.

I carefully lifted Avery from her car seat, tucking her sweaty body against my chest before heading around to the gate on the side of the house. I shifted her weight to one side long enough to punch in the code, breathing a sigh of relief when she didn’t stir.

Dane held it open for me to enter, his eyebrows pulling together in confusion. “Any reason you don’t use the front door?”

“Because that’s my mom’s house,” I explained before nodding toward the small guesthouse across from the pool. “We live back here.”

I fumbled with my keys, hands shaking slightly as I unlocked the front door. Once inside, I disarmed the alarm and dropped my keys on the entry table before carrying Avery to her room. Dane followed close behind, his heavy footsteps echoing off the hardwood floor.

In a routine almost as familiar as breathing. I changed her diaper and put on her favorite unicorn pajamas while he stood in the doorway, taking in every detail.

“Do you mind watching her for a minute? I need to grab her sippy cup from the fridge.”

He slowly released a deep breath and nodded before taking my place at the changing table.

When I returned, he was tracing the back of her hand with his index finger. My breath caught at the unmistakable look of love in hiseyes, and I hesitated in the doorway, feeling like I was intruding on a deeply intimate moment.

Dane stepped back when I approached, letting me lift Avery and settle her in her crib. I tucked her favorite blanket around her and placed the sippy cup within reach before turning on the white noise machine.

“She’s so perfect,” he said, putting the stuffed bear in next to her.

I nodded, unable to speak past the lump in my throat. We stood there for a long moment, watching her chest rise and fall with each peaceful breath.

Finally, Dane turned to me. “We should talk.”

TWELVE

PIPER

Ivy & Piper’s Guide to Life Rule Number Thirty-Three:

Pick your battles wisely.

“If she hadn’t fallen, would you have told me?” Dane asked from the opposite end of the couch.

I fidgeted with the sleeves of my dress, guilt and fear churning in my stomach. “I—I don’t know,” I admitted, unable to meet his eyes. “I wanted to. God, Dane. I wanted to tell you so badly.”

He exhaled sharply and dragged a hand through his hair, frustration evident in every line of his body. “Why didn’t you?”

“Because I was terrified,” I said, wrapping my arms around myself. “That, and I didn’t even know your last name until today.”

“You could have gone to the club.”

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