He closed the distance between them, never breaking eye contact. “Why do I care?” he asked, echoing her words as he stroked her cheek with his thumb. “I care because I want you to have a happy, fulfilling life. I care because I know you’re hurting. I care because I’m emotionally attached to you. Hell, Piper, I just want to help you, but I can’t because you won’t let me in. Let me in.”

She closed her eyes, and he thought she was denying him, but then she whispered, “No one’s ever said anything like that to me before.”

His chest was tight when he put his hands on her hips and pulled her in. “Then I’ll keep saying it.”

She swallowed hard and went up on tiptoes to press her forehead to his. “It means more than you’ll ever know.” She paused. “I . . . overreacted. I’m sorry. I’m just having a hard time shutting down my emotions. They keep spilling out of me. It’s like an avalanche. A tsunami. I can’t seem to control them.”

“Then don’t shut them down. Let them come out. Then let them go.”

“I can’t. Not here. Winnie and Gavin will come looking for me eventually. I need to talk to them, but . . . Winnie’s having a baby. God.” She appeared to try to beat back the panic. “I need to process first, and I need to be alone for that.”

“I’ve got just the place.”

Chapter 20

“It turns out that I am going to hit on you again. You should brace yourself because I’m going to be very convincing.”

Piper walked with Cam back the way they’d come, not realizing that his destination was the boat. Stopping, she shook her head. “I might’ve given you the wrong idea. I’m not exactly in the mood—”

“I know. We’re not going there.”

Wait . . . they weren’t? If she had any brain power left, she’d allocate some to figuring out why he didn’t want to sleep with her again.

“You wanted to be alone,” he said. “I’m trying to give you that.”

“Great, but can’t that be anywhere other than the boat?”

“Name one place in this town we can go where your siblings aren’t going to be able to find you.”

Good point. Dammit. She eyed the boat, and then Cam again. The water was calmer than it’d been in days. But still . . .

His eyes softened. “I’ve got you, Piper.”

She sucked in a breath at the words that felt so . . . comforting. Why? What was it about him that gave her strength? She had no idea.