Jacquie gasped in surprise.
Pierce nodded. “The old grove was sold to a developer and became a housing subdivision. The house my great-grandfather built was sold and converted to a boutique hotel. It’s been torn down since. The new grove, which wasn’t yet producing, was sold to the neighbor at a bargain price.”
Jacquie didn’t know what to say. He’d said that he didn’t have a home anymore, but his father’s choice must have been a shock.
Pierce apparently didn’t expect her to say anything because he continued in that same measured tone. “I went to school with their daughter and, every year, she sends me twenty pounds of oranges, no matter where I am.”
“For old times’ sake.”
“Midori’s a bit sentimental.”
Jacquie sensed that there was more to that detail than he was admitting. After all, Midori was a Japanese name and he said he’d always wanted to learn Japanese.
He tapped the orange with a fingertip. “You’ll notice that the skin is smoother and thinner than on the oranges in the stores here, and the taste is sweeter. This is the ideal size for a navel orange, just under three inches in diameter. It’s comparatively heavy for its size because it’s juicy.” He lifted a brow, looked her in the eye, then turned to leave.
“Thank you,” Jacquie said, astonished that she’d been trusted with such a personal story—and even more surprised that he was walking away after sharing it.
“No, thank you,” he said cheerfully, then continued on his way.
“Why are you thanking me?” she called after him.
Pierce turned but didn’t come back to the studio. “Because you helped me find the challenge I needed.” His smile was bittersweet. “I thought for a while it might be you, but oh well. I’ll take this one.”
Jacquie wanted to argue with him about that. “I thought maybe you’d stopped in to try to change my mind.”
He shook his head. “Not me. Everyone has a no-fly zone, and mine is no means no. I made my case. You said no. We’re done. It was great and I hope you have no regrets.” He nodded, maybe seeing the fullness of her reaction, then walked away before Jacquie could think of anything clever to say.
She turned back to the studio and acknowledged her disappointment. She could admit that to herself. Even if it was sensible not to become involved with a man like Pierce, he certainly made the adventure worthwhile.
Now she was the one who was still attracted, and he was apparently satisfied. Or was he just leaving her a choice?
She’d demanded emotional intimacy to go forward and he’d just told her a story of his past.
Jacquie looked at the orange in her hand. She’d told Brandon that people didn’t change. She’d accused Pierce of not sharing details of his life or his past. Then he’d gone and done it, just like that.
If she’d been looking for more from him, Jacquie could have been seduced. But she knew that she didn’t want to fall in love again. She didn’t want to lose her heart again. She knew that was the smart choice. If she wanted more sex, it made sense to want it with Pierce, since Friday night had been so amazing.
She wasn’t falling for Pierce.
She would not.
But the weight of that orange in her hand the whole way home made Jacquie wonder whether it was too late to stop.
Pierce’s plan was coming together beautifully. Jimmy was interested and so was Mack. Before anyone quit their day jobs, he needed to book them at least one contract. He knew the one he wanted.
Tuesday night, he called Farah and crossed his fingers as her phone rang.
“I thought we weren’t friends,” she said, answering her phone with a less-traditional greeting. Her tone was challenging, which meant he’d hurt her feelings.
Pierce figured he’d deserved a frosty greeting for that. “We aren’t.” He bowed his head at her quick intake of breath.
“Then why are you calling me?” she demanded, speaking before he could continue. “I’m busy, you know.” She charged on and Pierce learned that he still had no ability to interrupt royalty. He had to wait for her to fall silent, which could take a while. “I brought my friend Daphne to London with the rest of the bridal party. We’re having a girl thing, Pierce, and you’re interrupting.” She exhaled with disgust, but she stopped talking.
“I said we’re weren’t friends, Princess, because we’re more than that.”
“What does that mean?” Her suspicion was completely expected.
Pierce cleared his throat and made a confession he could never have said aloud just weeks before, before Jacquie. “Because friends doesn’t begin to describe our relationship. We’re a thousand times more than friends. You’re the daughter I never had, Farah, and I hope you know that whatever you’ve done, however we’ve parted, you can always call me for help.”
“Oh,” she said softly.
Pierce kept going. “You infuriate me and you make me laugh, and you have custody of a big chunk of my heart. I swore twenty years ago to protect you with my life and that still stands. I would do it, right here and right now, without hesitation.”
“I knew that when you worked for us,” Farah whispered, her voice husky.
“Still true.”
“You got shot for me.”
“I’d do it again.”
There was a smile in Farah’s voice when she replied. “I’m glad, Pierce. It’s really nice you said it out loud.”
“Not
