his kiss had had on her. Blue eyes limpid with desire, lips red from his kiss, cheeks filled with color. Desire looked good on her. And it was dangerously compelling. Better to give that a wide berth right now.
“Okay. Let’s go.” He took her hand and turned, but stopped. Alex was gone.
CHAPTER SIX
“A LEX !” Taylor cried, and turned to Piper. “Where is he?”
“He was right there by the packs,” she said, and pointed a few feet from them.
“Then where is he? Maybe he was more seriously injured than I thought.” Taylor cupped his hands around his mouth. “Alex! Where are you?”
“Coming! I’m coming.”
Turning, Taylor huffed out a sigh of relief as Alex came running out from behind a clump of cedar trees and straightened his clothing.
“What were you doing?” Taylor asked.
“I had to…you know,” he said, and turned a vibrant shade of red. “I drank a lot of water.”
Relief shot through Taylor, and he placed a hand over his face, wiping away the lingering fear. Suddenly, the day had ceased to be enjoyable. “Why don’t we head home now? I don’t think I’m in the mood for a picnic,” he said. Without another word, he gathered the fallen equipment and began placing it into the packs.
Alex looked at Piper with tears in his eyes that he tried to control. “Am I in trouble?” he whispered.
“No, you’re not.” Piper reached out to hug the boyagainst her side. “I think your uncle was just really worried about you.”
“I just had to go to the bathroom,” he said, and wiped his face on his arm and pulled away.
“I know. Sometimes we adults don’t say the right things at the right times.” She patted his shoulder and cast a glance at Taylor, who continued his task. “He’ll be okay. Don’t worry.”
Nodding, Alex kept his gaze downward and pulled away from Piper, apparently not convinced by her words of reassurance.
Taylor picked up the stuffed packs and looked their way. “Ready?”
Without a word, the three returned to the vehicle. The drive back was solemn and tension vibrated in the air. Attempts to draw Taylor into conversation failed, and Piper settled down to watch the scenery.
When they returned to Taylor’s house, Alex climbed out of the vehicle and raced through the garage into the house. As Taylor and Piper entered a bit more slowly, the slam of a bedroom door echoed through the house.
“You really hurt his feelings,” Piper said, and carried the untouched picnic lunch into the kitchen.
“I hurt his feelings? He scared the devil out of me,” Taylor said, and tossed the packs onto the floor.
“And you yelled at him for it. Why don’t you go talk to him?” she said, and picked up the picnic basket and set it on the counter.
Taylor stared at Piper. “What the hell am I supposed to say?”
“‘I’m sorry’ for starters.”
“About what? Being cautious? Being safe? For being scared out of my mind?”
Starting to feel as upset as Alex, Piper frowned athim. “For being a stubborn, pigheaded uncle who doesn’t know how to say he’s sorry when he was scared and not angry. He thinks you’re mad at him, that he did something wrong.”
Taken aback at that, Taylor looked at Piper. She was completely serious. “When I was his age…” He stopped. When he had been Alex’s age, he’d been hospitalized twice by his father for supposed injuries sustained in falls from rocks.
“What is it?” Piper approached him and placed her arm on his, her anger forgotten and her gentleness moving out to him.
Taylor sat down abruptly on one of the kitchen chairs and shook. She knelt in front of him and placed her hand on his face, raising it until his eyes met hers. “What’s wrong? You can tell me, Taylor.”
“Caroline is going to have to come back. I can’t do this anymore, Piper. I just can’t do it.”
“You have to. Your sister is depending on you, and Alex…needs you. I think more than you know.”
“There’s so much you don’t know about
“Okay. Let’s go.” He took her hand and turned, but stopped. Alex was gone.
CHAPTER SIX
“A LEX !” Taylor cried, and turned to Piper. “Where is he?”
“He was right there by the packs,” she said, and pointed a few feet from them.
“Then where is he? Maybe he was more seriously injured than I thought.” Taylor cupped his hands around his mouth. “Alex! Where are you?”
“Coming! I’m coming.”
Turning, Taylor huffed out a sigh of relief as Alex came running out from behind a clump of cedar trees and straightened his clothing.
“What were you doing?” Taylor asked.
“I had to…you know,” he said, and turned a vibrant shade of red. “I drank a lot of water.”
Relief shot through Taylor, and he placed a hand over his face, wiping away the lingering fear. Suddenly, the day had ceased to be enjoyable. “Why don’t we head home now? I don’t think I’m in the mood for a picnic,” he said. Without another word, he gathered the fallen equipment and began placing it into the packs.
Alex looked at Piper with tears in his eyes that he tried to control. “Am I in trouble?” he whispered.
“No, you’re not.” Piper reached out to hug the boyagainst her side. “I think your uncle was just really worried about you.”
“I just had to go to the bathroom,” he said, and wiped his face on his arm and pulled away.
“I know. Sometimes we adults don’t say the right things at the right times.” She patted his shoulder and cast a glance at Taylor, who continued his task. “He’ll be okay. Don’t worry.”
Nodding, Alex kept his gaze downward and pulled away from Piper, apparently not convinced by her words of reassurance.
Taylor picked up the stuffed packs and looked their way. “Ready?”
Without a word, the three returned to the vehicle. The drive back was solemn and tension vibrated in the air. Attempts to draw Taylor into conversation failed, and Piper settled down to watch the scenery.
When they returned to Taylor’s house, Alex climbed out of the vehicle and raced through the garage into the house. As Taylor and Piper entered a bit more slowly, the slam of a bedroom door echoed through the house.
“You really hurt his feelings,” Piper said, and carried the untouched picnic lunch into the kitchen.
“I hurt his feelings? He scared the devil out of me,” Taylor said, and tossed the packs onto the floor.
“And you yelled at him for it. Why don’t you go talk to him?” she said, and picked up the picnic basket and set it on the counter.
Taylor stared at Piper. “What the hell am I supposed to say?”
“‘I’m sorry’ for starters.”
“About what? Being cautious? Being safe? For being scared out of my mind?”
Starting to feel as upset as Alex, Piper frowned athim. “For being a stubborn, pigheaded uncle who doesn’t know how to say he’s sorry when he was scared and not angry. He thinks you’re mad at him, that he did something wrong.”
Taken aback at that, Taylor looked at Piper. She was completely serious. “When I was his age…” He stopped. When he had been Alex’s age, he’d been hospitalized twice by his father for supposed injuries sustained in falls from rocks.
“What is it?” Piper approached him and placed her arm on his, her anger forgotten and her gentleness moving out to him.
Taylor sat down abruptly on one of the kitchen chairs and shook. She knelt in front of him and placed her hand on his face, raising it until his eyes met hers. “What’s wrong? You can tell me, Taylor.”
“Caroline is going to have to come back. I can’t do this anymore, Piper. I just can’t do it.”
“You have to. Your sister is depending on you, and Alex…needs you. I think more than you know.”
“There’s so much you don’t know about
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