Past Loves

Part 6

Chapter 6

Peirce pounded his fist into it once more.  This was the third one, the third pie he had made today.  That only meant one thing; he was hiding from something.  What he was running from?  He wasn’t sure.  Could it be the thought of having a life with another woman?  Or could it be the information he had discovered for Cassie?  He had left six months ago for himself, but there was another reason why he left the manor.  Cassie had asked him to do what he did best, find someone.  When she had first asked, he was reluctant, thinking that she would be seeking out her own father, but when she had told him, she wished to find Colin’s father; Peirce had been shocked. 

As a boy, he had met the man.  There was little that made Peirce want to learn more about him, but he was part of Colin, he was part of the man’s past.  Although his friend hid the fact, Peirce and Cassie knew that Colin wanted to resolve his past.  If Cassie could deal with the hardships that had been sent to her with her family, Colin could do.

Letting out a sigh, he kneaded the dough between his fingers.  It wasn’t helping, to be honest, he was not sure that it was a pie he was making this time.  The kitchen door swung open, causing his head to snap up, but when Colin walked into the room, Peirce let out a sigh of disappointment.

“Do not be so enthused to see me, old friend,” Colin said while a large smile.

Peirce shook his head at him.  “Something is wrong.”

Colin’s eyes scanned the nearby table.  “By the amount of food you have cooked, I would have to agree.  Care to tell?”

“It is,” Peirce paused.  “What if Cassie died?”

Harshness covered his friends face as he took a step closer to Peirce.  “Take it back.”

“Damn it all,” Peirce mumbled.  “I did not mean it in the way you think.  I know it is hard to think about, but I need your help.”

“Fine,” Colin replied before taking a deep breath and a step back.  “Tell me what it is you need.”

“If Cassie was no longer in your life, what would you do?”

Understanding crossed Colin’s face as he shook his head.  “You cannot compare what we have to what you and your wife had.  I am sorry, Peirce, but it is not the same.”

Peirce’s fist slammed into the table, narrowly missing the dough.  “Who are you to say that your love is stronger than the one my wife and I shared.”

“Peirce, you misunderstand,” Colin said in a calming voice.  “Cassie makes me more; she makes me be the better man.  Elizabeth, she brought the worse out in you.  You loved her; I know, but your love was not a healthy one.”

Peirce took a deep breath to dissolve his anger.  So, Colin’s love was different than the one he had for his wife, but that did not make it any less.  “My son?” 

Anguish coursed through his body as he thought of his son, gone at such a young age.  The boy was never allowed to see adulthood, and he never would.  Silence met his answer, and Peirce felt guilty for throwing the question onto Colin.  The man may have been his only friend growing up, but that did not make Colin and better with emotion. 

The doors swung open once more, and Peirce let out a sigh of relief as he realized it was not Roselyn that entered the kitchen.  He may have wished to see her earlier, but in this state, he wanted her to stay far away.  He didn’t want her to see him at his weakest.

Cassie scanned his features before turning towards Colin with a glare.  “What did you do to him?”

“Me?” Colin asked in disbelief.  “I did nothing.”

Confusion crossed her face before she turned towards Peirce with the same glare.  “Then what did you do to him?”

Peirce let out the laugh he had attempted to keep at bay. “Nothing.  We did absolutely nothing to one another.”

Her expression let him know that she didn’t believe him.  She knew that there was underlining tension in the kitchen; she just was not sure where it came from.  Suddenly, her eyes widened.  “You told him?”

Peirce shook his head vigorously, but it was too late, Colin had already noticed the exchange.  The man narrowed his eyes at his wife.  “What did you do Cassie?”

“Me?” she asked with wide eyes.  “I did nothing.”

Colin took a step towards her, but before he could get any closer, Cassie darted away.  A large smile crossed the man’s face as he glanced over his shoulder at Peirce.  “Sorry, but I have a wife to catch.”

Laughter escaped Peirce’s mouth as Colin darted out of the room, an evil smile on his face.  Now that his anger was gone, he had no reason to knead the almost useless dough.  Although silence was something he usually enjoyed, sitting here alone with his thought was the last thing he wanted.  Therefore, as the door swung open again, he was happy to see the little blond head stumble towards him.  Cooper sent him a large smile, his arms opened up.

Immediately, Peirce dropped what was in his hands and scooped the lad up.  Squeezing Cooper tightly, he whispered to the child, “I missed you.”

Cooper nodded against his neck, but did not utter a word. As Peirce pulled away from the boy, longing hit him.  This could have been his son.  His son would have been older than Cooper was, but the comparison was still there.  Cooper sent him a large smile, and all the comparisons vanished from his mind.  His son’s hair would have been darker, his eyes a brown that matched his mothers, not light as Cooper’s features were.

“Peirce,” the lad mumbled.

Closing his eyes, he pulled the lad closer to him.  “Who taught you that?”

“Me,” someone said from the doorway.

Glancing up, Peirce made eye contact with the prettiest green eyes he had ever seen.  The dress she had on only accented her eyes, making them seem brighter than before.  Peirce was doomed; there was no doubt in his mind that he had no choice in the manner.

Cooper pulled away from him and twisted until he could see Roselyn clearly.  “Pretty.”

“Very pretty,” Peirce mumbled.  “Perhaps a little too pretty.”

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