“You think it was her? Diane Pierce?”

“Yes, I do. I suspected then that this woman was married, but he wouldn’t answer any of my questions.”

The bitterness still brewed heavy in her gut. “He left me, Aunt Penny. He left me for this woman I didn’t even know. I came home from school and he was gone forever. I thought we had something special, but he proved I wasn’t even important enough to say good-bye to.”

Her aunt snapped her voice like a whip. “Now, you listen to me, young lady. I’ve told you this over and over. Your father called me to stay with you for a few days. He wouldn’t tell me why, but I know in my heart and soul that man would’ve never left you. You were his whole life. He was coming back for you, and it’s time you finally believe this, because it’s the only truth that makes sense.”

Her mind spun. She didn’t know what to believe any longer. Her aunt had never told her Diane Pierce might have been mentioned by her father. What was she going to do?

Aunt Penny’s words flared inside her like a small flame, gaining heat. Maybe she hadn’t been ready to hope he’d been coming back. Maybe it had been easier, in a way, to feel betrayed and blame Diane Pierce for everything falling apart. For his death. For his leaving her alone.

Her aunt softened her voice. “How do you feel about Dalton as a man? Not as a Pierce brother?”

She met her aunt’s steady gaze. “There’s this power between us. A connection I always feel when he’s in my space. Like I’m drawn to him, no matter how much I try to fight it or ignore it.”

Her face grew serious. “Destiny.”

“I don’t believe in destiny. Neither do you!”

Aunt Penny tapped her finger against her red lips. Her giant amethyst cocktail ring flashed in the light. “Of course I do. Your father did—he was a big believer in love and fate. It never happened to me, so it was something I couldn’t personally confirm.”

As if she heard Raven’s thoughts, Aunt Penny stared at her with a touch of fierceness. “You’re going to tell Dalton the truth. You’re going to talk it through. Then see what there is between the two of you. Love is rarer than you think, Raven, and I believe there are different levels. This connection you speak of is too important to just throw away. You need to figure out what it is, or you’ll regret letting it go.”

The realization hit her full force. She was falling for Dalton, even within this short period of time. Her aunt was right—she owed them both a fresh start and the truth. Would their pasts shatter any type of hope for a future? Or was a future even possible between two people who blamed each other for their pain?

Raven didn’t know anymore. But instead of playing endless games, it was time to find out.

“I’ll tell him.”

“Good. Now, I was hoping I could pull you away for a night. There’s a production in previews on Broadway starring a close friend. I’d love to take you into the city. Can you close the bar tonight?”

Normally, nothing was important enough to close for a night, but since it was midweek, and she was still a bit shaken, she agreed. Besides, she hadn’t seen her aunt in way too long. “Let me make some calls. I’ll post on Facebook and I may need to go into the police station today for follow-up. I could use a night off.”

Aunt Penny broke into a smile. “Excellent. You need to pack an overnight bag. We’ll eat at Carmine’s tonight. You need pasta. It’s comforting.”

Raven hugged her aunt, deciding to focus on the evening ahead.

chapter nineteen

Dalton headed into the Pierce Brothers headquarters and shoved his phone back in his pocket. He had no right to be disappointed. He was glad Raven was going to spend time with her aunt. Even happier she’d decided to close My Place and take off for a fun evening in Manhattan. She needed some time to process the break-in and ease back into her schedule. One night away was perfect.

What bothered him was he wasn’t the one with her.

He dragged his palms over his face, groaning. What was up with him? He was terrified she was going to announce that the experiment was over, thank him for the sex, and move on her way toward finding a husband. Yes, he wanted her back in his bed. But last night, just holding her with the stars overhead, he’d been at peace. Happier than he’d been for a long time.

He was falling for her. All of her.

The worst part?

He didn’t care anymore what was happening. Since he’d claimed her on the bar, every waking thought revolved around when he could see her again. Hold her. Kiss her. Talk. In record time, it had become more than just physical. He knew every step needed to be carefully trod or she’d break it off, thinking he was just playing around.

He was in so much shit.

“Dude, you look awful.” Tristan stopped on the way to his office. Shoes polished to a fine sheen, he cut an impressive figure in his charcoal suit and purple tie. He had on those gold-rimmed glasses he needed for reading, which gave him an even more authoritative look. No wonder clients trusted him with million-dollar renovations. “Everything okay?”

“Someone broke into My Place last night. Had a gun. Raven disarmed him.”

Tristan’s mouth fell open. “You’re kidding me! Is she okay?”

“Yeah, she’s fine. Just a bit shaken.”

“How the hell did she disarm him?”

Pride radiated in his tone. “Gave him a vicious kick in the face, then in the groin.”

“Holy shit.”

“What are you two gossiping about now?” Cal held a cup of coffee as he walked in from the kitchen. “We need to reschedule a date to go through Dad’s belongings; you both keep canceling on me.”

“Raven took down a gunman at My Place,” Tristan said.

“Are you fucking kidding? When? Is she okay?”

Dalton groaned. His brothers loved gossip, no matter how they denied it. He started the story again. “She’s okay. Some guy high on drugs broke into the bar after the ladies left poker night. Had a gun. Raven kicked him and took him down, grabbed the gun, and called 911. I got there when they were questioning her.”

“Morgan and Sydney were there last night.”

Morgan appeared, a stack of folders in her hands. “What about last night?”