Page 50 of Too Fast To Fall
“That’s a big fire for lunch.”
“She’ll let the coals smolder, then we’ll probably come out here tonight and rebuild it. Drink wine. It’s her favorite thingto do.”
“It sounds like the perfect end to the day.” Piper pointed to the cutting board, where slices of crusty bread for pan contomate sat. “I’ve never grilled bread before.”
“Then you haven’t lived.”
“You’re probably not wrong.” Piper took a few steps to the edge of the patio and looked out over the grounds. “You don’t getthis view in Florida. It’s amazing.” She turned back to him and the breeze blew her hair across her face. An effortless grinbloomed on her face. She was breathtaking. And he was so glad he’d brought her here. His grandmother’s house was a specialplace, and how he loved experiencing it through Piper’s eyes.
He glanced over his shoulder to see if his grandmother was looking, then wrapped his arms around Piper’s waist. “I’m gladyou were open to coming here. I realize it’s outside the scope of your duties.” He pulled her closer and kissed her softly.
When he pulled back, her eyes remained closed for a moment, a sweet smile on her face. “I feel lucky to be here. Thank youfor bringing me.”
His days with Piper were numbered. He felt the need to squeeze in as much as he could. “You’re more than welcome.”
After performing their cooking duties, Emilio and Piper helped set one end of the long dining table outside. It sat beneaththe generous shade of a cork oak tree that was likely over one hundred years old. “My great-grandfather built this table froma tree on this property.” He ran his hands over the well-worn wood. It was somehow soft and solid at the same time. “I thinkabout that every time I eat out here. The history.”
“That is so cool.”
“When my grandfather was still alive and I was young, I came to stay with them for two weeks every summer. I have so manymemories of being at this table and stuffing my face with my abuela’s cooking. Or I’d sit here with my grandfather and playcheckers.”
“An adorable image.” An extra-wide smile crossed her lips. “There’s just something about summer, isn’t there? I have a zillionmemories of spending those weeks with my sisters, goofing around, playing games and eating cheap grocery store popsicles.Getting in trouble.” She looked down at the ground for a moment, then back up at Emilio. “You know, I complain about my sisterbecause of the wedding, but I don’t want you to get the wrong idea. Gabby’s probably my best friend.”
That made Emilio’s stomach twist. If true, Piper’s best friend was causing her pain.
“Aside from a few hundred dogs,” Piper added.
Emilio laughed. “Of course.”
“But seriously, she’s a good egg. My other sister Meghan is, too. But Gabby and I are only a year apart in age and she hasalways been there for me. Those first few months after my engagement was broken, I was an absolute mess. She’d come over tomy place or invite me to hers and she’d listen to me for hours, sobbing and rehashing every little thing. There’s no way itwas easy for her. She was dating my ex’s best friend. But she listened and she held me while I cried. She got me through itin a way no one else could.”
The thought of Piper being in misery was unthinkable. He’d only ever seen her happy. “You must have really loved him.”
“I definitely thought I did. But now that I look back at it, I’m not sure. I think I loved the way I was when I was with him.He needed me in a way no one ever had before. That felt good.” She sighed. “In the end, it didn’t matter. He loved someoneelse.”
The story broke Emilio’s heart in a way he couldn’t explain. She was such an incredible person, he wanted to absorb some ofher pain, even though he knew that wasn’t possible. “I’m so sorry.”
“I’m sure your breakup with Victoria was similar. You were together for a couple of years, weren’t you?”
“We were.” He shoved his hands into his pockets. His shoulders drew tight. “But don’t judge the strength of a relationshipby how long it lasted. We should have broken up before that. I should have broken up with her. But I didn’t.”
Piper’s eyebrows drew together in confusion. “Did something happen?”
He shook his head. “Aside from the fact that I didn’t open my eyes, no. The truth is, she set her sights on me from the momentwe met, and I just went with it. It was easy. She’s practically royalty in F1 because of her dad, so of course I was interested.It was exciting to get pulled into her orbit.”
“And she’s stunningly beautiful with an unbelievable bod. And she fundraises for a bunch of charities. I get the appeal.”
“She is all those things. But I didn’t love her. And I knew it, but I couldn’t be honest with myself. She eventually figuredit out and had the courage to make the break. In some ways, I owe her a debt of gratitude, even if it made me second-guessa lot about myself.”
“Like what?”
“She told me she wasn’t sure I was capable of love. All I truly cared about was racing and Gus.”
“Butthat’slove. I’ve seen that in you. You are more than capable of love.” She turned and pointed at the house. “And don’t forget yourgrandmother. The instant we got here, I could see how much you love her. I could feel it.” She placed her hand on his chest,right where his heart was.
“That’s not romantic love. Of course. It’s different.”
She smirked. “I don’t really believe in that.”
