Winnie shook her head and held up a hand. “I know that I barely remember Mom and Dad, that we had a whole life on the other side of the planet that I also can’t remember. But I know how much I owe you, Piper. How much trouble and angst I’ve caused over the years. So, yeah, I should’ve told you. You certainly deserved to know. But I guess I just wasn’t ready to hear the spiel. That I’m smart, but don’t apply myself enough. That I’ve got a whole bunch of potential, but never live up to it. That I need to focus on what’s important. But see, Piper, I do. I am. I’m very focused on what’s important to me. You just don’t always agree with me.”

That this might be true shamed Piper. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I never meant to make you feel bad about your choices. I just didn’t want anything to hold you back, ever.”

Winnie gave a crooked smile. “Have you met me?”

Piper gave a soft laugh and so did Winnie.

“So . . .” Piper paused. “What are your plans?”

Winnie took a shaky breath. “I’m still absorbing all of this myself, and I know we need to talk about it, but I hope you can try to understand that I’m not quite ready to.” Never comfortable with deeply emotional moments, Winnie proved it by pointing at her big brother. “So CJ took you back, huh?”

“Nice diversion,” Gavin said, but smiled. “And yeah. He took me back. For now anyway.”

“I didn’t realize you two had even remained in touch,” Piper said carefully. Gavin had been the one to leave CJ, but that didn’t mean he’d gotten off pain-free. Because he hadn’t. And in fact, he still grieved over losing CJ, and she wasn’t sure he was strong enough to survive it again. “I’m not sure this is a good idea—”

“Stop,” Gavin said gently. “You’ve spent enough of your life worrying about me. You don’t need to do that anymore. CJ and I both know what this is, and what it isn’t.”

She hoped that was true, because she didn’t want to see either of them hurt. But then again, she and Cam also knew what they had and what they didn’t, and that wasn’t going to stop her from being hurt when it was over.

“Seriously,” he said quietly, giving her a one-armed hug. “You’ve got other things to worry about.” He jerked his chin in Winnie’s direction.

“Hey,” Winnie said. “I’m fine.”

“Right. We’re all just fine.” Piper sighed. “Who’s the baby daddy?”

Winnie’s smile faded. “That’s one of the things I don’t want to talk about right now.” Or ever, her expression said.

Piper paused, surprised. “Why not?”

“Because it doesn’t matter.”