Page 10 of Bidding on a Second Chance
“Best way to wear out a puppy.”
“I posted a picture of him on the store’s social media accounts. He’s been drawing in customers who need that extra excuse to shop.”
She’d turned one of her obstacles into a benefit, proving she could look out for herself, as he’d been telling himself all week. The doctor seemed to be looking out for her too. Instead of her crutches, a kneeling-style scooter stood nearby.
“You saw the specialist?”
“Yeah. Three breaks after all. I’ll be in a boot until Christmas.”
So maybe she couldn’t overcome every obstacle. From his pocket, he pulled the spare flyer he’d collected from the station’s front desk and straightened the paper for Piper to see. “Tell me this furniture is ready and waiting.”
She fixed her focus on the counter, the pink of her cheeks deepening. “I have some of the pieces.”
“How many?”
“Half.” She held up one hand, the white crescents of her nails peaking over her fingertips.
Five washalf? Each one represented hours of work. Piper only had two part-time employees to help run the store, one a high school student and the other a semi-retired grandmother. No way the three of them could manage the shop and the donation.
“And those first five are ready to go?”
She bit her lips together in a silent no. “But look. It’s not your problem, and honestly, Bryce … I don’t know. Maybe I was wrong to sign him up for your team.”
The confession within the statement hit so hard, his head tipped forward. “You signed him up for my team on purpose?”
Her face blanched.
“Why?”
“Well, until I saw you two interact on Friday, I was hoping …” She fiddled with the sleeve of her sweater. “He’s angry and acting out. The Cakery debacle was one episode in a much longer pattern, and I don’t know what else to try. The stuff with his dad is the root of his behavior, and since he blames you for the arrest, I thought seeing you in a different light might help him resolve some things.”
He stared. “One of the reasons you ended our relationship was because he hates me. I offered then and there to earn his trust, and you shut me down cold. Now you orchestrate this?”
“I didn’t know what else to try.”
“How about picking up a phone and saying, ‘Hey, Graham, I was wrong about you and Bryce. Think you can mentor him?’”
“And would you have?”
“Yes.”
She frowned skeptically, about to question his character, no doubt.
“No. Don’t. This whole—” He cut himself off and clenched a fist in front of his mouth.
Signing Bryce up for his team on purpose while making the arrangement sound accidental went to prove Piper wasn’t always forthcoming. The deceit added to his theory that she hadn’t been honest about their split either. But suspecting her side-stepping the truth and voicing the accusation were two different things.
A little bark sounded—and not from behind the counter.
“Oh no.” She leaned over the boxes and crates meant to contain the puppy, scanning all directions. In frustration, she thumped her hands against the barrier. “I guess all these are good for is keeping me in.”
So much the better. The anger zapping through his veins would only result in regrets if he didn’t take a step back. He set off between clothes racks, around a display table, and to a fitting room. There, he found Teddy pouncing on a slip of receipt paper.
He carried the rascal back to Piper. “Where do you want him?”
“I should’ve borrowed a baby play pen for this.” The strain in her voice played on his sympathy. She was overwhelmed, and considering the furniture donation on top of everything else, he couldn’t blame her. Even without an injury, she’d overcommitted.
Their breakup still ached like a broken bone. Truth might set them both on the path to healing. Or it might make him even angrier.
