After Austin was finally able to talk, he couldn’t remember the accident. While the doctors said that was normal and would pass, to this day, he still had no memory of the details of his fall.

  “Even today, Austin can’t remember anything about the accident.” Tamara echoed Piper’s thoughts. “He may never remember. But we don’t want to repeat that with you.”

  Piper stood up, taking several steps away from Tamara. She turned and faced her. “Xavier called tonight.”

  “What?” Tamara came away from the railing. Her cup teetered, but she caught it before it fell. Coffee spilled onto her hand. She wiped it on her nightgown, saying nothing about it being hot.

  “He gave me all the rhetoric about killing myself, being a fool, bringing up old wounds that are better left in the past, everything I’ve already told myself.” She waved her arm as if encompassing Xavier’s entire litany of warnings.

  “That’s why you’re out here?”

  “He still gets to me. I knew I wasn’t going to get back to sleep after the call. I finally just hung up and turned the phone off. I knew he was bound to hear about this. With so many of the crew members who have worked with him before and are here volunteering, it was inevitable.”

  “He probably feels like you’re taking control and you know how he hates that,” Tamara said, her voice showing a little humor. “You’re bringing back memories he’d rather forget. That accident is a blemish on his record, his company, and caused him a huge financial hit. It’s still teetering.”

  “His blemish is nowhere near the size of mine,” Piper defended. “Still, I took some of what he said and what you’ve said about the danger as things I should be concerned about.”

  “You know there are plenty of stunt workers willing to do this.”

  “It’s hard to face, but if I’m ever going to get past this stigma, I have to know the truth. I can’t allow anyone else to do the stunt. I so appreciate the volunteers who said they would do it, but if I truly want to realize what occurred, I’m the only one who can do that. And I can’t put someone else’s life in danger. My experience level is the closest to that of Austin’s. If I don’t do it, I’ll never have an answer.”

  “And you’re willing to risk your life on that?”

  Piper smiled quickly. “We risk our lives every day to do what we do. We know we have to be extra cautious to make sure the outcome is positive.”

  “And we know that about this one, too,” Tamara reminded her.

  Piper walked to the banister. Planting her hands on the cold wood and staring at the scaffolding, she mentally challenged it to give her the answer. “We’ve done the work. We have the specs.” She looked at Tamara. “With the help of all the schools and one of the studios in Hollywood where I still have some clout, we have more cameras than we did on the original job. If anything goes wrong, we’ll know. But...” She stood up straight, putting her hand up, palm out, stopping Tamara from saying anything. “Nothing is going to go wrong.”

  “Well, just remember, none of us really has nine lives,” Tamara cautioned. “We get one and only one. Let’s make sure it lasts.”

  * * *

  AIMLESSNESS WAS SOMETHING Cal rarely experienced. Since his weekend with his brother, sister-in-law and Piper, however, he spent long periods of time doing nothing but staring at the distant rise near her house. Meanwhile, the work progressed to set up the stunt. Piper had pointed out that they were further along than either of them expected. With each new section completed, Cal became more and more nervous of the outcome. While he’d worked the engineering mathematics and knew everything should perform without a hitch, there was still both the unknown element and the human factor that could not be predicted.

  Piper was that factor.

  Cal was afraid for her. It wasn’t a lack of confidence. She was the most competent person he’d met in a long time. She knew her job. She was fit and strong. And he had no doubt that she could perform the stunt, but Austin had been hurt. He could have been killed. Closing his eyes at the thought, he quickly opened them, chasing away the image of her tumbling to the ground. Something unforeseen had gone wrong in Austin’s stunt and that was a factor that could cause her to be hurt. Cal couldn’t stomach that. Suppose something happened. Suppose he missed a calculation or made a wrong assumption.

  He knew there was no talking her out of it, even if he was inclined to try, which he wasn’t. She’d been dragging this angst around for almost two years. Instead of it getting lighter, it was weighing her down. He didn’t want to add any more doubts to the ones she must have. From his own experiences, he knew a positive attitude could be the difference between success and failure.

  “You’ve been wearing the floor out for a couple days now. What are you thinking?” Naomi asked as she packed supplies for the crew’s morning meal. “That wrinkled brow is a dead giveaway.”

  Cal looked away from the windows, unaware that he had an expression on his face.

  “Don’t try to hide it. I know you’re worried about her.”

  “You know, Naomi, I wonder if my mother would mind that you are usurping her role.”

  “She’s not here and I am,” Naomi said. “But I know she’d agree with me.”

  Cal grunted rather than laughed. His mother wouldn’t exactly approve, but she would approve Naomi’s intentions.

  “Seriously,” Naomi said, concern in her voice. “I know you think something can go wrong and Piper will be hurt. You’ve worked every angle and that woman Tamara isn’t letting anything get past her.”

  Cal nodded. Even though Naomi referred to Tamara as that woman, she really admired Tamara. “There’s still that human factor, right? It’s the one percent we can’t control.”

  “Piper can.” Naomi was positive in her statement. “Now, let’s get this over to the site.”

  They packed his truck and rode over together. Piper and Tamara were hard at it when they arrived. Cal dropped Naomi in the eating area and continued to the small trailer they used as a command center.

  “It looks like more progress has been made since yesterday,” he said, coming up behind Piper.

  “I think they’ll be finished tonight. Practically everything is ready. Even the weather forecast is on our side.”

  The expected response should be great, but Cal refused to say it. “Have you tested your equipment?” he asked instead, even though he knew the answer.

  She nodded. “Tamara insisted that I go through every buckle so she could see that nothing was out of place.”

  “She’s going to be fine when she opens her own business,” Cal said with admiration.

  “I agree. If this test goes well, my reputation in this world will be restored.”

  “Really? Are you sure?” Cal remembered how harshly she’d spoken of her time after the accident.

  “With all these people here, word was bound to get back to the studios that I’m re-creating this stunt. I’ve had several phone calls. A week from Friday, I expect a few stunt company executives will be here.”

  “Does this mean you’ll be moving back to California?”

  Piper looked over the site. She turned slowly, completing a full circle before her gaze settled on him. “I suppose it will. My work is there. And I told you Tamara asked me to go in with her on a new venture.”

  “I thought you’d decided against that.”

  “I had. But if things change, I adapt. I’m hoping for the best. If it goes awry, I’ll still have to adapt to something.”

  For some reason, Cal didn’t like that answer. They’d worked together for several weeks on her project. He’d become used to her company. She complemented him with her knowledge and strength. He enjoyed talking to her without having to explain everything. Cal knew her goal was to get back to the life she loved, the one she’d left behind, but he wasn’t ready for it to come so abruptly.

  He’d said he wanted to go back to his life, too, but... He couldn’t finish that sentence. Things had changed for him. She had caused that change. He didn’t have that longing to get on a plane and fly off to some remote area and build a bridge or oversee a tunnel. He liked horseback riding with her. He liked waking up each day knowing he’d see her and the two of them would spend time together.

  He had feelings for Piper like he’d never had for anyone else.

  And while they scared him, he didn’t want them to go away.

  Not just yet—or ever.

  * * *

  CAL HADN’T BEEN able to sleep. That the human factor was something he couldn’t control and could get Piper hurt, plagued his nights. Finally getting up, he paced the floor, walking in aimless circles. Stopping, he looked at his hands as if there was something that should be in them but wasn’t. Phone, he thought.

  Grabbing his cell, he quickly checked the time and hit one of the quick dial codes. Jake answered on the first ring.

  “Hi,” Jake said, a smile in his voice. “I’ve been expecting your call.”

  “I’m not catching you on your way to surgery, am I?”

  “Not today,” Jake said.

  Then what his brother said registered. “What do you mean, you’ve been expecting my call?”

  “It must be close to go time by now,” Jake said. “When does she perform the stunt?”

  Cal’s mouth twisted, but he couldn’t call it a smile. “This weekend. How did you know?”

  “You’re worried about her,” Jake stated. “I could see it the moment she rode up to us on that ridge. And I’m sure she’s concerned about you, too.”

  Cal blinked and sat down. He didn’t know what to say. He hadn’t seen any sign recently that Piper wanted anything more from him than friendship. There had been their kiss, but they’d reverted to just friends after that. Maybe his definition of friendship was different from Jake’s.

  “I’m afraid, Jake,” Cal admitted. “Suppose something goes wrong.”

  “It’s not going to. You’ve done the calculations, right?”

  “Six ways from Sunday,” Cal replied.

  “And you’re confident that they are right?”

  “Without a doubt.”

  “Then you have nothing to worry about,” Jake comforted him.

  “There’s the unknown factor,” Cal repeated. “Numbers don’t tell you everything.”

  He knew Jake was aware of what he meant. No matter how many numbers he crunched or how aware he was that everything was correct according to the math and physics, there was the unknown. It was what Piper would do when she started the run. Would she connect with the pipes at the right time? Would the pounding on the structure perform the same as it had the day before? Would her tie-rope get caught on something? The humidity, the wind, the sunlight were all variables he’d calculated, but he couldn’t tell how she would see the area in front of her, how she would react to any obstacle, real or imagined, as she rushed through the framework.

  “Cal, are you still there?”

  Jake’s voice pulled his attention back to the call. “I’m here.”

  “I understand what you’re thinking. Surgery is the same. No matter how many times I’ve done the same procedure, something can always go wrong.”

  “The difference is you’re there with a team of specialists to make corrections. Piper is going to be up there all alone. No matter how many technicians are on the ground, she’ll be on her own.”

  “No, she won’t,” Jake contradicted. “She’ll have years of experience behind her. She’ll have a body that is strong and capable. She’ll have the previous practices behind her. And she’ll have the support of all her friends, including you. Especially you.”

  Cal thought about that. While his brother’s words were true, they only reduced Cal’s anxiety by a fraction.

  “You have to let her go,” Jake said, his voice almost a whisper. “She is who she is. That’s why you fell in love with her, isn’t it?”

  Cal had never said he was in love with Piper. Not to her and not to his brother. But he and Jake were on the same page these days. Just as Cal had read Jake’s love for Lauren, he was sure his brother understood his feelings for Piper.

  “You are in love with her.” Jake didn’t ask. He stated it as fact.

  “Fully and completely,” Cal answered.

  * * *

  “WHAT’S THIS?” Piper asked, coming into the dining room at Cal’s place the following evening. She expected another working evening like all the others they’d had. Tonight was obviously different.

  She surveyed the room and looked questioningly at Cal. There were flowers and lit candles on the table, which was laid with only two place settings. And whatever she was smelling focused her attention on how little she had eaten in the last twenty-four hours.

  “You did this for me?”

  “I told you I often have to fend for myself,” Cal replied.

  Piper looked toward the kitchen. “Where’s Naomi?”

  “She’s not here tonight.”

  “You did this?” she said again. “This is a little more than fending. I feel like I should be dressed in a gown with my hair in curls.” Her hand went to her head and she brushed her untoward hair away from her face.

  Cal’s gaze followed the movement of her hands.

  “Your hair looks fine,” he said. She was lost in the tone of his voice. The moment was mesmerizing. She felt stuck, transfixed in one spot. She couldn’t move but knew she had to.

  “What are we eating?” she was finally able to ask.

  “Sit down. It’s my specialty,” Cal told her.

  “You have a specialty?” She took a seat, happy to be able to take her weight off knees she was unsure would continue to support her.

  “Doesn’t everyone?”

  Cal went to the kitchen. Piper looked over the dining room again. The space was romantically appointed, perfect lighting designed to convey a mood. It was a set, she told herself, put together by an experienced decorator. And it was serving its purpose. Piper felt relaxed and appreciated that someone was doing something for her without being asked or expecting anything in return.

  Sitting back, she watched as Cal put a plate in front of her.

  “It smells delicious,” she said, taking in the aroma of slow-cooked barbecue. “Is that homemade bread?”

  Cal handed her the basket of warm rolls.

  Piper inhaled, her eyes closing as if she’d never smelled anything as delicious as this. When Cal took a seat across from her, she took a bite of the falling-off-the-bone meat.

  “These are the best ribs I’ve ever tasted.”

  “Well, you are in Montana,” he said.

  * * *

  THEY WERE BACK to their old routine of working day and night. Cal had enjoyed being with Piper. Afterward, the two always seemed to exchange a look that said they had a secret. He knew it was friendship.

  The work never seemed to stop. They had a deadline and Cal tried to concentrate, but he was more and more distracted by Piper. He had to check his feelings, keep them inside, when he wanted to let her know that he was attracted to her.

  At the end of the week, Piper met him for breakfast at the diner.

  “Why don’t we take the day off tomorrow?” Cal said.

  “What?” Piper stared at him.

  Her eyes were tired, along with her posture. She could hardly keep her eyes open.

  “We’ve been hard at this for weeks. You’re tired. Our brains need a rest. We’ll get a good night’s sleep and spend the day doing something that has nothing to do with re-creating the stunt. Deal?”

  She hesitated a moment. Cal knew she was weighing their options. They had a finite deadline. A day and time when all the puzzle pieces would fit in place. At least, Piper hoped they would. She just had to be patient. And they were tired.

  “Being tired leads to mistakes and oversights. We can come back the day after with fresh minds.”

  “Do you think we can afford a day off?” she asked.

  “I don’t think we can continue without it.”

  She thought for a long moment.

  “Piper,” Cal prompted.

  “Agreed,” she said.

  Cal was relived. “What would you like to do?”

  “I have one lesson in the morning. My second student canceled. After that, I’m free.”

  “How about we explore the area?”

  “On horseback?” she asked.

  “Not on horseback,” Cal countered. He was thinking of driving someplace very different and spending the day. “Your go-to method is to stay away from people. I vote we do the opposite this time. And if we go into town, people will see us and we’ll be talking and not spending as much time together. Right? You’ve made a lot of friends since Meghan’s party and the project got underway.”

  “I have made quite a few friends.”

  “You have,” he said quietly. “Friends and family are the most important things you have in life. You should never push them away.”

  Piper’s chin came up as she stared directly at him.

  “I believe in being straightforward,” she said.

  “I hadn’t noticed,” he teased. Cal had learned that about her. “I’ll forgo my lesson tomorrow and we can leave right after your first student is done.”

  “All right,” she said. “Now, what do you recommend for breakfast here?”

  Piper was facing Cal in the booth and his hand naturally fell to the table beside hers. He slipped his hand in hers. It was for support, he told himself. They were both exhausted and it felt right that they should start the day this way. Piper didn’t shrug him off or move to avoid his touch.

  And he liked that.

  *

  SHE SHOULD HAVE asked what Cal had in mind, Piper thought the next morning as she tried to find something to wear. So often she was in riding clothes that she didn’t think much about regular day-to-day dressing. Her lesson had gone well and had finished a little early, since the rider was with one of her best students. She knew what to do and had practiced perfecting her technique.