The sun had just set the following evening when Joe stepped outside.
He’d spent the last few days cooped up on the phone with insurance adjusters and contractors. It would take a lot of work and quite a bit of time, but it was possible to rebuild Fill-It-Up Joe. In the process, he’d finally worked up the courage to face Piper and apologize for his horrible behavior.
Mrs. Sanchez had lent him a small efficiency apartment over her house in town. He’d been hesitant at first because he’d heard that Piper had been staying with her, but when Mrs. Sanchez clarified that Piper was now able to return to her apartment over the bakery, he’d accepted the generous offer.
He didn’t know how everything had gone off the tracks. Maybe it was a sign that he didn’t belong with Piper. Perhaps he didn’t belong with anyone.
He neared the Poppin’ Fresh bakery. It’d been closed since the fire. And he knew he wasn’t the only person in town who missed the bakery. The sweet scents. The delicious pastries. And the tempting coffee.
It was then that he noticed something new in the window of the bakery. He came to a stop and stared.
A For Sale sign was taped to the middle of the window.
What in the world?
That sign hadn’t been there earlier. He would have noticed it for sure. This must mean that Piper was home. And it was time they talked.
He glanced up at the second floor to see a soft glow coming from her apartment. He wondered if she was finishing the bunting for the game booths by herself. The thought saddened him. But he realized it was for the best. They were just too different.
Piper needed someone who could put her needs first, someone who wasn’t so damaged, like he was. As he walked to the back of the building, the memories of the night of the fire came back to him. How could he have said those things to her when it was his fault the fire had started? The thought of what might have happened if he hadn’t returned home that night shook him to the core.
He let himself in through the back door and then took the wooden steps two at a time to the second floor. If he didn’t get this out right away, he was afraid he’d lose his nerve.
At last, he stood in front of her apartment door. He heard loud music through the door—country music. And then he heard Piper singing along. He imagined her dancing around and singing as she did her work. As he listened more closely, he realized it wasn’t a bouncy tune. It was a song about a lost love. A frown pulled at his lips.
Before he could examine what that might mean, he rapped his knuckles on the door. The music stopped, followed by rushed footsteps.
The door swung open. Piper’s eyes opened wide when she saw him standing there. “Joe, um...hi. Um...do you want to come in?”
“Thanks. I would. It won’t take long.”
Her hair was swept back in a messy ponytail, and her face looked washed free of all makeup. He never had thought she needed anything on her face. Piper had a natural glow that needed no enhancement. She was dressed in a pink tank top that dipped low in the front and hugged the swell of her breasts. He swallowed hard.
His gaze kept moving downward. He soon found a pair of pink boxers with navy blue crisscross stripes. The word HOT in big bold letters trailed down the side. Oh yes, it was definitely getting hot in here. Very warm indeed.
She stepped back and opened the door wide open. He passed by her, catching the slightest hint of her floral perfume, or was it her body lotion? She’d told him once, but he couldn’t remember. Not that it would matter much after this. He doubted they’d see much of each other except to pass along the sidewalk.
As he moved farther into the room, he noticed that she did indeed have the sewing machine hooked up and the material for the bunting scattered about. Guilt assailed him. If he hadn’t let everything get out of control, he would be here helping her instead of her having to do all of this work on her own.
He cleared his throat and turned to her. “Piper, I came here to apologize—”
“For what?” She closed the door. “I’m the one that’s sorry. I was meddling and...and I really messed up.” Her voice cracked with emotion. “I’m so sorry.”
His chest tightened. He knew the level of guilt she’d been carrying around. “You were meddling, but that’s not what started the fire. Not really.”
Her chin lifted, and their gazes met. “I don’t understand.”
His chest tightened. He knew she would be so hurt, so angry all over again, when she realized that he’d falsely accused her of torching his place. “I tried to call you, but I kept getting your voice mail.”
“I was out of town for a bit, visiting with friends. They don’t have good reception at the ranch. What did you want?”
He knew she hadn’t gone visiting for fun. She’d left town because of him, and that made him feel awful. He’d only wanted to make her happy, and instead, he’d made her miserable. And now he was going to compound things between them even more—not that there was any coming back from what had already happened between them.
He shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “I wanted to tell you that there has been an investigation, and they found that faulty wiring, not an overloaded outlet, was the cause of the fire.”
She looked at him like she didn’t understand the significance of this finding. How was he supposed to say the rest without her hating him even more?
“I was so focused on the bottom line that I...I took the lowest bid on the project. The electrician I hired, well, he took shortcuts. Dangerous shortcuts.”
Piper stepped back as though the impact of his words had slammed into her. “Are you saying the fire...wasn’t my fault?”
“Yes. The breaker should have been tripped and shut everything down. When I think of what could have happened, how you were in such danger...”
Her eyes darkened. “But you blamed me. In front of my friends, in front of the whole town.”
“And I am so sorry. I know it’s no excuse, but I wasn’t thinking clearly.” He raked his fingers through his hair. “I was—heck, I don’t know what was going through my mind.”
“Everyone thinks I caused the fire that destroyed your business. It’s why I’ve...” As though she realized she’d said too much, she pressed her lips together.
“You what? Put the bakery up for sale?”
She nodded. “I...I was going to give you the money so that you could rebuild the coffee shop. I know how important it is to you.”
“Well, you can take down the sign. I wouldn’t have taken the money anyway. I know that the Poppin’ Fresh means as much to you as the coffee shop does to me.”
“I suppose so. At least we have that in common.”
“We have a lot in common.” Didn’t they? Their love of running. Their draw to Whistle Stop. Coffee. Pastries. Pizza. Dogs. The list went on.
Piper crossed her arms as though warding him off. “It’s good that things ended between us. We...we didn’t belong together. You want to do things your way, and you don’t want any input—from anyone.”
He wanted to argue with her. He wanted to tell her that he could let down his guard with her, but he was having serious doubts that, after what happened, he could do that with anyone.
She moved to the door and pulled it open. “It’s time for you to go.”
Piper was right. He moved slowly toward the door. He hated that things between them had crashed and burned so badly. He wanted to make it up to her, but he knew she wouldn’t let him do it.
As he passed by her, he paused. His gaze caught hers. “You’re an amazing woman. Thanks for letting me share a little of your life.”
♥♥♥
The For Sale sign was removed.
The next day, Piper reopened for business. She honestly didn’t want to do it, but she’d run out of chocolate mint ice cream. So it was either go back to work or head over to Sam’s Hitchin’ Post for another half-gallon of decadence.
Suddenly, she realized that she didn’t want more—well, she did, but not because she was truly hungry for it. She didn’t want to compromise all of the weight-loss progress she’d made in the past couple of months. Not because of her mother. And not because of Joe. This time, she wanted to maintain her fitness for herself, because it boosted not only her self-confidence, but it also gave her more energy. And she liked that. A lot.
Plus, the day after tomorrow was the Autumn Fest, and she had a lot of orders to fill. Lots of secret cakes to bake for the auction. Her mother had already called twice that day to make sure her order would be done in time. Piper had promised it would be.
She had so much to do that she’d skipped another day of running. She told herself it was only because she had so much work to do, but secretly she was worried about running into Joe. She didn’t know what to say to him. In fact, every time she thought of him, tears welled up in her eyes. Just like now. She blinked away the moisture.
She’d put Hannah and Alison on counter duty so that she could hide back in the kitchen, away from the many, many questions she was certain were on customers’ minds. She slid another specialty cake into the oven and set the timer. It was so good to be back to work, but there were reminders of Joe at every turn, from his usual table out front to the bear claws she used to make for him. She missed him so much. But she just couldn’t live life on his terms, at arm’s length. When she was in a relationship, she needed to feel as though they were equals—partners.
She glanced up at the large pink cupcake-shaped clock on the wall. Almost lunchtime. With a break due and the walls starting to close in, she decided some fresh air was in order.
Out front, the whole street was abuzz with men, women, and children setting up for the festival. She could already imagine the bunting that Joe had helped her make fluttering in the wind. She just couldn’t face any of it. Not yet.
She slipped out the back door and headed in the opposite direction, hoping for a peaceful walk. The sun was shining brightly overhead. That was one of the things she loved about Whistle Stop—the countless sunny days. It was invigorating. Exactly what she needed to lift her up, even if her heart felt as though it’d been smashed into a million pieces. When would she ever get over Joe? Sometimes she thought she never would.
A rapid series of loud barks had her glancing around. Immediately, she spotted Java. But instead of Mr. Wilks holding the leash, a young man Piper didn’t recognize had it.
“Hey, boy.” She smiled upon seeing the dog all excited.
The dog jerked on the leash, and the man who was holding it didn’t have a good grip, because the next thing Piper knew, the dog was headed straight for her.
Java stopped next to her, and she immediately grabbed for the leash. When the stranger caught up to them, Piper said, “Hi. I’m Piper, a friend of Mr. Wilks. Are you walking Java for him?”
The young man, in faded jeans and a white T-shirt with the name of an animal shelter printed on the front in blue letters, shook his head. “I’m taking the dog to the shelter.”
“But why? Mr. Wilks loves him.”
“I don’t know all of the details, but apparently the owner died, and there’s no one to take the dog. So they called me in to take him away.”
“Mr. Wilks died? But...but when?”
“I don’t know, lady. I’m not from around here.”
Piper immediately knelt down and hugged Java. A tear slipped down her cheek. Java licked her cheek as his tail swished back and forth.
She’d known Mr. Wilks her whole life. How had she missed this news? Had she been so totally engrossed in her own problems that she’d missed hearing about him being sick? Guilt assailed her. She had to do better. And the first thing she was going to do was find Java a home.
“Can I have him?” She glanced up at the young man.
“I don’t know. I’m only doing what I’m told.”
“Please. I’ll make sure I find him a good home.”
“But there’s paperwork—”
“Do you have the paperwork with you?”
He nodded. “I don’t know about this. I don’t want to get into any trouble. Maybe I should call my boss.”
“Go ahead. I’ll wait. Huh, boy?” Java gave her another kiss, as though he knew she was going to take care of him.
A few minutes later, the call was completed, the paperwork was done, and she was walking Java back toward the Poppin’ Fresh. As much as she loved the dog, she knew someone who loved Java even more. Joe.
“You have to help me out here,” she said to Java as they walked down the sidewalk. “I need you to be on your very best behavior in front of Joe. We need to convince him to take you, at least for a day or two. If we can get him to do that, I think you’ll have him wrapped around your paw and he’ll keep you. What do you think?”
As though in total understanding, Java barked.
“Good boy.”
In no time, they were standing outside the back of the coffee shop. The door was propped open, and there was the noise of hammers inside. That was good. The sooner the repairs were started, the sooner Joe would be in business.
She hesitated at the doorway. She didn’t want to walk Java in there. Even though it appeared that a lot of the debris had been swept away, if the men were working, there was a chance of nails and broken glass and such that could hurt Java.
While she tried to decide what to do, a workman came out the door carrying a couple of buckets of debris. He glanced her way. “Do you need something?”
“Actually, I do. Is Joe Montoya inside?”
The man nodded. “Hang on, I’ll be right back.” The man headed over to a big dumpster and emptied the buckets. “Now what did you need?”
“Joe. Could you tell him that I need to speak with him?”
The scruffy guy moved to the doorway and bellowed, “Hey, Joe! Some lady out here wants to talk to you!”
Well, she could have done that much. Sheesh! Java sat patiently by her side. She stepped in front of him to keep him a surprise for just a moment.
Footsteps sounded, and then Joe appeared in the doorway. His hair was a bit mussed. He was wearing a blue T-shirt with muck on it, his jeans had paint stains, and he had on a pair of fawn-colored work boots. And he had never looked so cute. Under any other circumstances, she’d have snapped a picture to keep on her phone. Sadly, this was not the right circumstance.
“You needed to see me?” His gaze was cool and gave nothing away.
“Hi. I hope you don’t mind that I stopped by.”
His facial expression was a mask of indifference. “I’m rather busy. What did you need?”
She wished he would let down his guard just for a moment. “I hope things are going well.”
“As well as can be expected. Structurally, the building is sound. We’re working on the second floor. It needs the least amount of repair.”
“That’s good.” He didn’t smile, so she didn’t know if she’d said the right thing or not. This conversation felt like an obstacle course, and she was doing her best not to fall face first into a puddle of mud.
Joe pressed his hands to his trim waist and at last met her gaze head on. “Piper, if you have something to say, I’d appreciate it if you’d just get it out there.”
This just had to work. Joe needed someone in his life, someone he could trust and love. She crossed her fingers for luck. “I brought someone to see you.”
She stepped aside. Neither Joe nor Java moved at first. They both stared at each other as though surprised to see one another.
Joe knelt down on one knee. “Hey, boy.”
Java ran over to him, tail a-wagging. A few doggy kisses later, Joe was smiling. Piper’s stomach tumbled at how handsome he was when he wasn’t frowning. Boy, did she miss him.
Joe turned a questioning gaze her way. “How did you end up with him? Did he get loose again?”
Apparently, she wasn’t the only one to be caught up in her own world. “It seems that Mr. Wilks passed away. I don’t have any of the details. But since he doesn’t have any family, well, they were getting ready to ship Java off to the shelter. I just couldn’t let them do that.”
Joe turned back to Java. “Hey, boy, I’m so sorry. You must feel all alone now. But don’t worry, Piper will take good care of you.”
Wait. What? This wasn’t how it was supposed to go. Joe was supposed to be eager to take Java. They were a perfect fit. Maybe Joe just needed his eyes opened a bit.
She toyed with the end of the leash. “I was wondering if you could take care of him. I know I shouldn’t ask, but Java is so comfortable with you.” When Joe’s brows rose, she hurried to add, “Just for a few days or so. I can’t exactly take him into the bakery with me. And I have to work late to fill the orders for the festival. I’d really appreciate it. And I know Java would be happy.”
Joe looked as though he was about to decline her request when Java let off with a string of excited barks.
“I think he likes the idea.” Piper prayed Joe did, too, because she didn’t have any idea how to take care of a dog, and she really did have a ton of work to do. Speaking of which, she needed to get back to the Poppin’ Fresh.
A long pause ensued. “I suppose I could do it.”
“Great.” When she handed over the leash, their fingertips brushed, and a tingly sensation rushed up her arm. Oh, how she truly missed him. If only...