Past Loves

Part 7

Chapter 7

Roselyn stopped in the doorway and stared at the two of them.  Peirce held Cooper to his chest, a look of love etched onto his face.  Was he thinking about his past?  Cassie had told her that he lost a child.  Was he comparing Cooper to the child he no longer had?  Roselyn wanted to walk up to Peirce, to throw her arms around him and assure him that everything would be all right, but she couldn’t.  That would only scare the man off more.

“Peirce,” Cooper said with a large smile, and she knew he was proud of himself.

Peirce closed his eyes, pulled Cooper closer, and let a large smile cross his face.  “Who taught you that?”

“Me,” she said, wincing as the word left her mouth.  She had wanted to give them their moment, but she had opened her big mouth instead.

Both of them looked at her, their eyes bright.  Cooper’s smile reached his eyes while Peirce’s was strained at the corners.  The boy pressed his face into Peirce’s chest and mumbled something she could not hear.  Peirce nodded before whispering something back, but his eyes stayed on her the entire time.  Heat ran through her body, making her face turn pink.  The stare he was giving her was one she recognized, and to be frank, it made her uncomfortable.

“What did you make?” she blurted, wanting the attention off her. 

His eyes ran down her body, lingering in certain spots before connecting with hers.  “Pie.”

“Pie?” she questioned in confusion.  “We are having pie?”

He shrugged.  “It was something I could not make much of while I was away.  It only makes sense that I would wish to make it now.”

As the words flowed from his mouth, Rose could not help but wonder what else he had not done while he was away.  Her eyes were distracted by his lips, which were curling up in a charming manner she recognized.  The old Peirce was showing through, the one who laughed while in reality, the darkness inside pushed at him.

Rose narrowed her eyes at his lips before taking a step forward.  “You are not going to do that.”

His smile slipped.  “What?” His voice held shock and a little bit of defensiveness, letting her know she had to tread carefully.

“Hiding,” she told him, lifting her chin up.  “You need to stop hiding your true self from those who care.”

“You,” he mumbled before stopping and glancing at Cooper, whose eyes were darting between the two, “do not know what you are saying.”

“I do,” she said with the same tone she used when she argued with the children she used to take care of.  “You hide because you do not want to trouble us with your problems.  Whether you realize it or not, we care about you.  Everyone in this household cares about you.  Do you honestly think that we do not see it?”

“Rose,” he said in a tight voice, “later.  We will speak of the matter later.”

She opened her mouth to protest when she caught sight of Cooper.  He was right.  This was not the time for such conversations.  Looking at Cooper, she opened her arms out.  “Come; let us go find where my cousin has run off too.”

A smile spread across the boy’s face, and he began wiggling in Peirce’s arms.  Peirce lowered him to the ground with ease.  Brushing a piece of stray hair from the lad’s forehead, Peirce pressed a kiss to it.  “Go play, but I want your hands clean before you eat.”

Cooper nodded before running towards her.  As soon as he was in touching distance, she bent down to swoop him into her arms.  He let out a little giggle and snuggled into her.  Rose smiled at him.  He was an adorable child.  Cassie was lucky to have someone like him. 

Stepping out of the kitchen, Rose made her way through the hall and towards the noise, she heard in the foyer.  Rounding the corner, she halted as her eyes landed on the woman. Her brown hair was curled on her head in a beautiful design, and her matching eyes were wide as she stared at Cassie.  Rose had to admit, if she did not know Cassie, the sight of her cousin would cause her to halt too.

Leaves were tangled in her gold hair, her brown dress had a tear on the skirt, and light freckles ran across her cheeks from being out in the son.  “Who are you again?” Cassie asked while taking a large breath as if she had been running.

The woman’s eyes widened again.  “I am looking for Peirce.  Do not tell me he is staying with a household of women who are not chaperoned.”

A large, evil grin spread across Cassie’s face, and Rose knew she had to step in before her cousin did something to upset the poor woman.  “Her mother is here as my chaperone, and she has been wed.”

“Good,” the woman breathed out.

“How old are you?” Cassie asked, making Rose roll her eyes at Cassie’s bluntness.

“Only a few years older than you,” the woman answered uncomfortably.

Cassie’s eyes narrowed as she took a step forward.  “You look remarkably like someone who has only been described to me.”

The woman’s hand jerked to her hair self-consciously.  “Who gave you the description?”

“My husband,” Cassie answered, her expression still guarded as if she did not trust the woman in front of them.

Rose took a step forward, ready to defend the woman from her cousin’s wrath, but a whispered, “Emily,” caused her to halt.

Looking over her shoulder, she watched as Peirce stared at the woman in shock.  Emily, in return, had a large smile on her face as she ran forward.  Pushing Roselyn out of the way, she smiled up at Peirce with warmth.  “Peirce, it is so good to see you.  It has been too long.”

Peirce nodded before grabbing the woman’s arm.  “If you would excuse us for a moment,” he mumbled, pulling her into the hall and towards the kitchen.  Rose stood there, wondering what had just happened.

“He does not have any siblings,” Cassie mumbled, “and his wife is dead.” She shot her cousin a deadly look, but Cassie just shrugged.  “Give me Cooper.  You have more important things to worry upon.”

Rose let Cooper slip from her arms and into Cassie’s.  Watching her cousin leave the foyer, the past events played through her mind.  Cassie was right; she did have more important things to worry about.  Like whom that woman was, and what she mean to Peirce?