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  Spotting Piper standing in front of a large window, Audrey smiled and went over to her. When Audrey was beside her, Piper glanced over and smiled before wrapping her arms around her, hugging her tightly.

  As they parted Audrey asked, “What’s wrong?”

  Piper shrugged her shoulders, “I’m a mess.”

  “Why?”

  “I’ve been helping a lot with Allison, and running Time Standing Still, and I’m tired, Audrey, but I won’t say anything because Harper is having such a rough time and Jakob is always gone. Reese won’t help me because she has the studio. I haven’t been able to work on my drawings in weeks and I know I’m not hurting for money since I get paid from the studio, but I’m just worn out.”

  “Okay,” Audrey said, “I’ll help with Allison if you need me; just tell me how you want me to help?”

  “No, it’s not that. I love Allison and I love keeping her, it’s just…. okay… so,” Piper stuttered, and Audrey could tell she was holding something back.

  “What? Tell me.”

  Piper looked over at Audrey, her eyes pooling with tears before she said, “Erik said he didn’t want to be with me.”

  “What?” Audrey asked surprised, “But I thought everything was okay, y’all were happy and all that jazz.”

  “I thought so too, but when he was gone, he never called or texted me back, and when he came home, I went over to see him and he told me that he had made a mistake, that he should never have gone home with me, that he doesn’t like me like that. He apologized and said he didn’t mean to hurt me. But Audrey, I love him and I don’t understand what I did wrong.”

  Audrey wrapped her arms around Piper when she started to cry. She had never seen Piper cry and it broke her from the inside out to hear Piper so upset. “Oh, Pipe.”

  “I don’t understand, I was a giving lover, he was amazing, and so intense with me. He honestly would look me in the eyes and tell me how gorgeous I was while we were in bed. So why doesn’t he want me?”

  Audrey shook her head, “I don’t know, hun. I have no clue what to say, I’m so sorry.”

  “How does something that felt so right not be what he wanted?” Audrey continued to shake her head as Piper broke down beside her. “Do you think I did something wrong?” she asked.

  “Never Piper, you are amazing, it has to be him. Maybe he just doesn’t want a relationship right now?”

  “Then why did he lead me on? Why wasn’t I good enough?”

  “Oh, Piper, don’t do that to yourself. You will find that person. Erik just wasn’t him.”

  Piper nodded as she wiped her face. When Piper didn’t say anything, Audrey looked into the room where little girls wearing cute little pink tutus ran around the room. Spotting Allison Titov, Audrey smiled. The little girl was too cute for words with her thick brown hair in braided pigtails that had fuzzy hair bows at the ends. She wore the biggest and brightest pink tutu, and she was the only one paying attention.

  “Ally really likes this huh?”

  Piper nodded a small smile on her face, “Yeah, she wants to be just like her Reese Pieces.”

  “Aw, it makes Reese seem less like a bitch seeing her in there with the kids.”

  Piper giggled as she shook her head, “Yeah, I guess you’re right about that.” Turning to look at Audrey again, she said, “Thanks for rushing down here. I guess it was kind of pointless, huh?”

  “No, I would do it again if you needed me. Just keep your chin up; everything is going to work out.”

  Piper eyed her for a moment and then smiled, “You’ve been getting laid.”

  Audrey giggled as she rolled her eyes, “Jeez, really?!”

  “Oh yes you have! You are all sunshine and roses!”

  Audrey continued to laugh, “If you’d answer your phone you’d know.”

  “Oh please tell me something good, at least if I know you’re happy, maybe it will cheer me up.”

  Audrey smiled shyly while wanting to burst with the news. It had been so long since she had been extremely excited about a relationship. She hadn’t told anyone because she wasn’t sure if Tate wanted to tell people. If he didn’t, oh well, she needed to tell Piper. “But if it starts and ends with Levi, please walk away now,” Piper added, still eyeing Audrey.

  She shook her head, smiling as she said, “Has nothing to do with him and everything to do with Tate Ooooodder.”

  Piper did a little hop before bouncing up and down, “Yes! That is fantastic news, I am so happy for you.”

  “Oh, Pipe, it is. He is fantastic, amazing, so freaking hot, and Lord, I’ve never been this happy. It’s only been a week I know, but it feels like months. He makes me feel so good and I just like him, a lot.”

  Piper looked pained but she still smiled, and said, “Good, I’m glad he does. You deserve it.”

  “Thanks, but now I feel bad because I want you to be happy too,” Audrey said sadly.

  Piper shrugged her shoulders, “Like you said, he’ll come. I just gotta dust my shoulders off and try again. You did and look, you’re happy. Mine will come. I just can’t give up.”

  “That’s right. Don’t give up.”

  Audrey hadn’t and she might have found the real deal. It may have taken a hundred jerks, but she had finally found a good guy. One who rocked her world and was waiting for her at that very moment. But she couldn’t leave Piper yet. Even if she seemed a little better than she had been when Audrey arrived, she knew that Piper still needed her.

  “Wanna go for dinner?”

  “Didn’t Tate just get home? I know Jakob did. That’s why I have Allison, so Harper and Jakob can enjoy each other for a moment.”’

  “Yeah, but he’s taking a shower and stuff,” Audrey said with a wave of her hand. Tate would understand; she would text him and tell him she was going to be late.

  As Audrey knew she would, Piper nodded, “Thanks, Audrey, that would be great.”

  ~*~

  Spending time with Allison and Piper probably wasn’t Audrey’s best idea. It helped Piper a lot. Audrey could tell that it had, but as always, when she spent time with little kids, she yearned to have her own. It was something about their little faces, hands and toes that got Audrey every time. She wondered what it would be like to feel a baby move inside her, to see it come into the world and then help it grow. As she drove home, the tears sprang to her eyes. Audrey shook her head, hoping to shake the thought away. There was no reason thinking of things that she couldn’t change, not when there was a man at home who was waiting for her.

  When Audrey pulled into her driveway, it was already dark, but she could see Tate sitting on the porch with a mug in his hand. Audrey’s face felt like it was going to break she was smiling so widely as she rushed to get out of the car and into Tate’s arms. Moving around her car, he was already making his way to her, and then she was in his arms, his lips on hers. Lifting her from the ground, Tate deepened the kiss, his beard tickling her chin. She had missed him so much. When they parted, he smiled down at her, his grin so wide it made Audrey breathless.

  “I have missed you,” he declared, still holding her off the ground, his forehead pressed to hers.

  “And I’ve missed you,” she said back, stroking her fingers along his jaw, “so much.”

  “I have something special for you in the house,” he whispered against her nose. “I hope you don’t have plans tonight because I have a date set up for us.”

  Audrey smiled, “I love presents, and my whole night is yours.”

  “Good. I like these pants,” he said, running his hands down her butt and squeezing. She had loved the grey wool pants when she saw them too. Pairing them with a yellow sweater and Kate Spade heels, she hoped that he would like it. Giggling, she tightened her arms around his neck.

  “I got sexy, just for you.”

  “You are always sexy, love,” he whispered before kissing her nose. Audrey couldn’t wipe the stupid grin off her face if she tried. This man drove her wild, and she couldn’t believe how