Page 29 of From This Moment

“No.”

“Why didn’t you come back until now?” Another personal question Piper had no right to ask but did anyway.

He looked down at her and the pain in his eyes almost made her wince.

“Because I hated this place.”

Chapter 8

Dylan swallowed the lump in his throat. He’d never talked about his reasons for not coming back to Ryker, and he’d definitely never had a lump in his throat. What the hell was the matter with him? For some reason this place was starting to get to him, and it was only two days in to his return.

“Sorry, I shouldn’t have said I hated Ryker. That wasn’t very nice, considering you live here.”

“We’re strangers. If you’re gonna spill your innards, I always find strangers are the best for that, because, a: you’re never likely to see them again, and b: they don’t know your friends, so word doesn’t spread... although there is social media.”

Dylan snorted. “I just said I hated the place, not a major confession.”

“So was it hard?”

“What?”

“Being Mary Howard’s son?”

“I’m sure that question is way too personal seeing as we’ve only known each other two days.”

“Probably.” Piper shrugged. “But then you’ve already told me plenty, so there’s really no going back now.”

“It had its moments, but I wouldn’t be doing my duty as her son if I said anything else.”

“She’s sure a peach.”

They were standing looking at Phil’s café, where his sister worked. For some reason he felt calmer with this woman at his side. Calm even though he was talking about something that usually he avoided even thinking about.

“My dad was pretty cool, though.”

“I like him, always have.”

“He’s a good man, just too soft.”

She laughed. It was a husky sound that rolled up and down his spine. Sweet, he thought, very, very sweet.

“There is nothing wrong with being soft.”

“Yes there is, because people tend to walk all over you in heavy boots,” Dylan added.

“Not always.”

“I spoke with her.”

“Who?”

“Mom.”

“About what?”

“Her persecution of the Trainer family for supposed wrongdoings... that were actually my wrongdoings.”

“I bet that went down well.”

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