Ava stared at her, visibly taken aback, and Piper nodded at her sister. “And just so you know, if Brian will have me back, I’m going to spend the rest of my life with him. I don’t care if you think he’s with me for some ulterior motive or if you don’t approve. It’s my life and I live it on my own terms.”
As soon as she heard those words, Piper realized that her past fears had been dictating her behavior since the night of the gala. She’d fallen back into those old patterns as if Brian was her ex-fiancé. As if Brian wasn’t the only man she’d fallen in love with after a lifetime of being good on her own. She didn’t need a man in her life, but she wanted Brian. And Ava better get on board with that.
“Oh, and one more piece of advice? Call your kids.”
“And what should I say?” Ava asked wearily.
“Tell them you love them and that you screwed up. It won’t be an easy conversation, but taking responsibility will go a long way in mending fences. Now I’m going up to my room to sketch,” Piper said, turning to leave the living room, but Ava stopped her, touching her arm as she walked by.
Her sister stood up and hugged her tightly. “I’m sorry, Pip. I didn’t mean any of that. I just am so scared. I hate to think that everything Trent and I built over a lifetime has been destroyed by a man who we thought of as a friend. And you’re right—I am to blame but admitting I screwed up this big...it scares me.”
“It scares everyone,” Piper said, hugging her sister and then stepping back. “But if everyone knows it was you and you don’t acknowledge it, then it will fester and grow. And losing the business is one thing. It can be rebuilt. Losing the family...even the almighty Ava Wingate couldn’t handle that.”
Her sister wiped away her tears and nodded. “I couldn’t. I’d be nothing without my family. I wish I’d been better about protecting them.”
Protecting them. Piper had been trying to protect Brian from her own fears and she’d hurt him to do it. But she knew that she couldn’t and wouldn’t do that anymore. “Everyone is an adult, Ava, they don’t need you to protect them that way. They need you to treat them as equals and respect them.”
Ava nodded. “How did you get to be so smart?”
“My big sister is a good example,” Piper said.
“I love you, Pip,” Ava murmured.
“I love you too.”
Thirteen
Brian left his uncle’s house just after midnight. He was pretty sure they had enough on the tape to indict Keith but he wanted to make sure. He would go back again if he needed to. His uncle had been crazed with anger and bitterness but also that sad love tonight and since Brian hadn’t been drunk there had been no denying that Keith was behind all of the criminal activity.
He had to pull over once he was out of his uncle’s neighborhood. God, he couldn’t believe the lengths Keith had been willing to go to in order to keep Ava in his life. To make her love him.
That kind of manipulation made him sick. Brian hated everything he’d heard tonight. And all the things he’d had to say. He knew that he’d needed to, in order to get the conversation going, but he’d never expected his uncle to confess to everything.
Brian wondered if there was some kind of mental illness in the man. Though he knew from personal experience that losing a woman he loved could cut deep.
He drove to the police station while calling Miles Wingate.
“This is Miles.”
His voice was rusty with sleep and Brian realized he might have waited until the morning, but since Miles had been on this from the beginning, he knew the other man would want to know what had happened that evening. He took a deep breath.
“Miles, it’s Brian. Sorry to call so late but I’ve just left my uncle’s house and he admitted to everything. He wanted to ruin your mother and your family. He blames y’all for her not loving him, but he really hates her for pushing him aside. I am headed to the police department so the lead investigator can take the wire off, but I wanted to give you a heads-up.”
“Thanks, man. I can’t believe he admitted it,” Miles said. “Do you think it’s enough to arrest him?”
“I do,” Brian said. “But I’m not a criminal lawyer so it’s just what I know from school not from practice. But I’m pretty sure the DA will be able to get a warrant for his arrest soon. With what you’ve uncovered and his confession they should be able to put together the pieces.”
“Damn. I knew it was him in my gut, but I never thought we’d get him like this. Thanks again, Brian. Good night.”
“Good night,” Brian said.
He hung up, wanting to call Piper but at the same time wanting to finish his part in the investigation. Also, once she heard what he’d said on the tape would she believe anything else he said? And the issue between them was still Piper’s belief that he wanted children more than he wanted her. He rubbed the back of his neck as he went into the police station and saw the lead investigator waiting for him.
“I’ve been listening in. Dude, you were good. I filled in the assistant district attorney, as well, and he’s taking the transcript to a judge to get a warrant for Keith’s arrest. He should be back soon. Normally we wouldn’t do this in the middle of the night, but as slippery as Keith has been everyone wants him in custody. He might realize what he told you and try to leave Royal or even the country.”
“He was almost passed-out drunk when I left, but I’d try to get there first thing in the morning before he can remember what he said. I...are you going to share the recording with the Wingate family?” Brian asked.
“Yes. I think they’ll want to hear it,” the lead investigator said.
“Would you...ask them to think kindly of me? I had to say some of those things to get him talking...”
“I’m sure they will understand,” the detective said.
But Brian wasn’t so sure. And he knew that Piper would be hurt by the things he’d said. He should text her, but he was done with middle-of-the night-calls. So he went to his home in Royal after he left the police station and found himself online looking at the digital image of the portrait that Piper had made of him. How could a woman who saw straight to his soul not have known he loved her?
He knew he’d never said the words, that admitting to loving someone like Piper frightened him. She was so self-contained. So sure and confident, he knew she didn’t need a man even though he wanted nothing more than to claim her. To find a way to make sure she was his...
Regardless of how the two of them worked out he was happy for his part in helping to catch Keith. He almost texted his dad because he knew his father would want to know what his brother had been up to, but he knew better than to do anything until Keith had been arrested.