Page 17 of Tyler

“Twenty-four.” He shook his head. “That’s awful.”

“Yes, it is,” Gabe agreed. “But, Ty, get this—he was diagnosed while they were engaged. Did she hand the ring back like Erika? No, she married him soon after, and according to Rylee, they crammed as much as they could in the time they had together, which turned out to be nine months.”

His chest squeezed tighter. Poor Piper. God, he couldn’t imagine the loss.

Ty cleared his throat. “He was one lucky man.”

“Roger that.” Gabe nodded. “Piper is nothing like Erika, so if there’s a connection between you two, don’t let mistrust sever it.”

He inhaled and rose to his feet and left the sheriff’s station even more confused than when he’d arrived.

An hour later, Ty was home, showered, changed, and going through photos on his computer when a knock sounded on his door. He’d texted her ten minutes ago to let her know he was home and that she could come over whenever she was ready.

His heart beat unsteadily as he headed for the door. He was still processing all the information his brother had given him earlier when he answered her second knock.

“Hi. Come on in,” he greeted, stepping aside to let her in. “Let me take your coat.”

“Thanks,” she said, shrugging out of it, her gaze warm and smile bright.

She had on a pair of jeans and another sweater. This one was navy, and it lent a blue hue to her gorgeous eyes. His unsteady heartbeats increased.

Damn, she smelled of vanilla and some kind of flower, and he inhaled deeply without meaning to as they walked toward the table where he had his laptop open.

“What can I get you to drink?” he asked, heading to his fridge, needing space and a moment to get his shit in order.

After he told her the options and she chose an iced tea, he poured them both one, and by the time he carried their glasses to the table and set them down, his control had returned.

“Thanks,” she said, then tipped her chin. “You got new glasses.”

Ty nodded and sat down next to her. “Sort of. They’re the same pair. It was an easy fix. They just had to pop in another clear lens.” He’d had it done yesterday before he left for the job with Dean and RJ. “And before you ask, this didn’t cost me anything.”

Her gaze narrowed. “You sure?”

“Yep.” He pointed to the laptop and changed the subject. “I’m not exactly sure what you’re looking for, so maybe you just want to scroll through these yourself.”

“Okay,” she said, and he moved the laptop closer for her. “I’m not looking for particular scenery, I just want something that evokes emotion. I’ll know when I feel it.”

She smiled at him, and he felt it, big time. His pulse kicked up, warmth spread through his chest, and his palms were sweaty. Kind of like when he’d jumped into a cockpit for preflight.

But this time, it was all because Piper held his gaze and smiled at him.

Knowing what he knew about her was making it tough to fight the attraction.

She’s the real deal…

Gabe’s words echoed through Ty’s mind. Maybe itwassafe to drop his guard around her.

“I think I know what you mean,” he said, watching color flood her cheeks. “I’m definitely feeling something.”

Damn, she was beautiful.

“Me, too.” She blinked and cleared her throat. “But I should probably, uh, look at these.” She inhaled and transferred her gaze to the laptop, but not before he saw uncertainty mixed with the blatant interest in her eyes.

He understood. She needed some time to deal with the chemistry flowing between them and the emotions attached to it. Not a problem. Piper could take all the time she needed. He would never force the issue.

To prove it, he was careful not to brush against her as they sat close while she scrolled through his photographs. He kept an acceptable space between them, and after a few minutes, he felt her slowly relax.

For the next half hour, they discussed his photos and locations where they were taken, discovering they both loved the beach and mountains, lemons over limes, sour over sweet, and Italian food over Mexican, although they enjoyed both.

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