Sure he was. For how long? She knew better than to believe that would last. “I’m already seeing someone else. You know that.”

“You and Tobias have barely met. Of course everything seems like it would be ideal with him. You haven’t known him long enough for him to screw up.”

“You’re that sure he will?”

“No one’s perfect. He might seem like Superman right now, but he’ll be human enough in a few months.”

“I don’t want to get back together, Axel. It was too rough there at the end. I—I’ve lost faith in our ability to make things work.”

“I understand. I’m rattled, too. But I’m going to rebuild your trust, prove that things will be better. I’m the one you should be with, Harper.”

She doubted he’d be saying any of this if she hadn’t finally moved on and met someone else, though. And that wasn’t the reason she wanted him to have for coming back. Not wanting her to be with someone else wasn’t enough.

“Harper?” he said when she didn’t respond.

She slipped the rose charm Tobias had given her around the circle of the bracelet. “I think it’s too late.”

She’d spoken so low that she wasn’t sure he’d heard her, until he said, “That’s bullshit, Harper. Don’t do this.”

“I have to have the chance to see… To see if Tobias and I are better for each other. I know he isn’t perfect. But he might be perfect for me.”

“He rents a house on someone else’s orchard, for crying out loud!”

How did he know that? “So?”

“So what has he established?”

“What should he have established?” she countered. “He has a decent job.”

“Doing what?”

“Maintenance at a private school.”

“Maintenance,” he said as if that was too lowly to be respectable.

“There’s nothing wrong with maintenance. He’s a gifted mechanic. Wants to open his own repair shop one day.”

“Yeah, with my money. No doubt that’s part of what he sees in you.”

“It’s my money, too. I helped you establish your career. But I can’t believe you’d even say that. He hasn’t asked me for a dime. You don’t know that he ever will.”

He sighed as though he was tempted to argue but knew it was an argument he couldn’t win. “What else do you know about him?” he asked instead. “You’re giving me up for a complete unknown.”

“Not a ‘complete’ unknown. I’ve met his brother. I really like him. I’ve also met his landlord.”

“What about his alcoholic mother? Have you met her?”

A chill ran down her spine. The sarcasm and bitterness in his voice was one thing. So was the comment about where Tobias lived. But now Axel had something to say about his mother?