Page 11 of Bidding on a Second Chance
Thinking more clearly would be easier without Piper peering up at him with those wide, overwhelmed eyes.
He passed the dog to her. “I’ll see what I can find in the storeroom.”
ChapterSeven
Piper struggled to settle the squirming puppy on her lap. Perhaps the difficulty resulted from her own desire to squirm as Graham disappeared into the stockroom. She should’ve been upfront about her reasons for signing Bryce up for basketball—and about the little phone call she’d made to ensure he landed on Graham’s team. Letting her ex in on it from the start would’ve shown more respect.
And she did respect him. Really.
She respected him so much that even now, she believed he’d set aside his feelings about her—well-deserved feelings—and do his best for Bryce. He was nothing if not self-sacrificial. If only he didn’t resent her for the one time she’d refused to accept his sacrifice.
Of course, he didn’t know that was what she’d done. If he did ever find out, he’d argue the choice hadn’t been hers to make, but Graham spent so much time looking out for others, it’d been high time someone else looked out for him. And so, though it’d broken her heart as much as it’d angered his, Piper had done it.
She would smooth things over as best she could when he got back out here.
But he sure took a long time in the stockroom. Since the puppy wouldn’t settle down for a nap, Piper set him on the floor and resumed practicingsitanddown.
A customer came and went, but still no Graham. A pair of women entered and began a slow tour of the shop, focusing on the home goods. The decorative pillows a local gal made had been going fast, and one of the ladies tucked one under her arm. The other chose a few skeins of yarn Piper sourced through Bertie’s Alpaca Farm, the business sponsoring Bryce’s basketball team this year.
Still no sign of movement from the stockroom, although she could hear the occasional ripping noise. What was Graham doing?
The pair of shoppers had reached the back of the store when he emerged. He edged around them with large pieces of cardboard duct taped together. At the end of the checkout counter, he unfolded it, revealing a waist-high rectangle big enough for Teddy to move around in. He stepped close to pick up the dog.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you my plan from the start.”
Graham straightened, his hair rumpled from the work he’d done, Teddy against his chest. The pair of them made an irresistible combination of ruggedly handsome and downright adorable. “I want to help with the auction furniture.”
“You what?” She’d assumed she’d blown her chance at that.
He nodded once.
“Why?” she asked.
He watched her and ignored Teddy, even as the puppy started licking his hand with fervor. The corner of his mouth twitched. “Tell me why we broke up, and I’ll tell you why I’m helping.”
Her pulse kicked up. If he was offering help because of some twisted fantasy about getting back together, she needed to put an end to it. But the whole truth about their breakup? That was the one thing she couldn’t explain. “Your job is dangerous.”
The partial truth didn’t explain everything, but she prayed it would explain enough.
He shook his head once. “You knew from day one what my job was. Try again.”
She rubbed her tongue against the roof of her mouth, but she couldn’t spit out the rest of the story. What she knew best about family was how easy it was to lose. She’d never wanted to subject herself or anyone else to such deep pain, and she had no excuse for letting her guard down long enough to fall for Graham—and, worse, to allow him to fall for her. He wanted kids. She’d barely tolerated the risk of loving one person, let alone a whole family.
“The only change was that I arrested your brother,” he supplied.
“That was for the best. In prison, he got clean. He’s involved with a ministry, is a new person. But your job …” She swallowed, checking what she was about to say. It would be true, even if there was more to it. “I’m glad there are people out there brave enough to walk into danger instead of away from it, but I can’t tolerate that much risk.”
Granted,anyrisk was more than she could tolerate, but that was hard to explain to people. They called her a pessimist. They thought her too fearful. They argued she ought to have more faith.
And maybe she should. But she’d seen so many bad things happen that she’d learned to expect more around every turn. In fact, the only reason she and Graham had reconnected at all after two years of silence was yet another accident.
“Why did you answer my text?” she asked.
His throat pulsed with a swallow. “I was concerned.”
“Concerned enough to come check up on me, despite everything.”
His gaze traveled her face like he was scanning puzzle pieces, looking for the complete picture.
