He understood. He hadn’t grown up here, but the sparkling water, the rolling hills, the trees, the scent of all of it gave him such a sense of peace.

Piper glanced up at the sound of the engine, and even from this distance he could read her. She was not pleased with his arrival.

He turned off the motor and drifted in close, beaching the bow, tying off, and then leaping to shore. “For a woman who’s deathly afraid of the water, you sure like to be near it.”

She didn’t budge. His favorite female badass just slanted him a long look. “Just because I don’t want to be in it doesn’t mean I can’t love it,” she said. “The scent and sounds of it make me happy.”

“You’re a conundrum.”

That got him a small smile. “So I’ve been told, and not as nicely.”

“I talked to your siblings.”

“Yeah? Did they raise your blood pressure with just their presence?”

He smiled, but it faded quickly.

She stared at him. “She told you?”

When he didn’t answer right away, she repeated the question, but without the question part. “She told you, just like that.” She shook her head. “Am I hard to talk to? Is that it?”

“No.”

She sighed. “You’re just saying that because I slept with you.”

“Technically, there wasn’t much sleeping involved.”

She tipped her head back to look up at the sky. “I’m not doing a good job at life-ing right now.”

“I disagree. You amaze me, Piper, every day.”

“So why do both my siblings go to you with their problems instead of me?” She looked confused and hurt.

“Sometimes it’s easier to talk to someone with a little distance, who can look at things more rationally, with a different perspective.”

“Why are you doing this, Cam?”

“Doing what?”

“Getting close to them.”

“I like them,” he said.

“And me. Why are you getting close to me?”

“You mean other than your sweet, sunny nature?”

She didn’t smile. In fact, she stared at him like she was seeing him for the very first time. “I keep people at arm’s length for a reason,” she said, getting to her feet. “Because I don’t need or want anyone in my business or my life.”

“Maybe I care about you.”

“You shouldn’t. I don’t want you to. And I don’t know why you would.” She chewed on her bottom lip for a beat and then shook her head. “I’m sorry. Clearly, I need a time-out.”

And with that, she turned and walked off. Not toward home, but the other way, farther north. He let her get a good head start before following on foot, just wanting to make sure she was okay. A minute later, she stopped and turned to face him, swiping at tears that broke his heart.