He Kills Me, He Kills Me Not

incredulous.
    She straightened her spine, her face flaming with embarrassment. It certainly wasn’t flattering for the man you loved to dump you with pen and paper. “Not in those exact words, but that’s the way I took it.”
    “Hmm.”
    “You don’t sound like you believe me.”
    He shrugged. “I’m surprised he left you a note without telling you face-to-face. Maybe he was afraid you wouldn’t believe him if you saw his expression when he told a lie that big.”
    She frowned at him.
    Pierce shook his head, as if truly bewildered. “You may be right. All I can tell you is what I’ve seen, and from where I sit, you’re both crazy in love with each other and too stubborn to do anything about it.”
    She bit back the angry words she was tempted to say. Pierce didn’t know the pain of sitting in a hospital room for weeks, waiting for the person you loved to show, hoping he would finally realize how important you were to him. Pierce didn’t know, like she did, that the breach between her and Logan could never be healed. It took an enormous amount of love to go through everything they’d gone through without being torn apart. There was plenty of love from her side but apparently not from Logan’s.
    “Forgive me for pushing.” Pierce stood and reached out a hand to help her to her feet. “I had to try.”
    She punched him lightly in the arm. “You’re forgiven. I’m glad you came by. It was good to see you again.” She walked with him into the foyer.
    At the front door he paused, a curious expression on his face. “When I went to Logan’s house, he was on his deck with his back to me. He was talking on the phone and didn’t notice me at first. I couldn’t help but overhear his conversation. What he was talking about isn’t what I’d expect to hear from a man who supposedly doesn’t care about you.”
    She rolled her eyes at his unsubtle hint. “Go ahead, tell me what you really came here to say.”
    He gave her a sheepish grin. “Logan was arguing with his investment manager about making sure the money he’d transferred to your account couldn’t be traced back to him. He said he wanted to make sure you didn’t have to worry about finances while you were recovering.” He shrugged. “I figured that meant Logan cared about you. But you’re probably right. There must be another reason.”
    He winked and stepped out the door.
    Amanda shut the door behind him with a loud click. She could feel her face flushing with heat. She wasn’t sure who she was more annoyed with: Pierce, for goading her to see Logan, or Logan, for giving her money.
    Was he trying to assuage his misplaced sense of guilt by paying her off? They’d made love, shared themselves the most intimate way two people could, and then he’d paid her? What did he think that made her?
    Tears of hurt and anger burned the backs of her eyes. She paused in the archway between the foyer and the kitchen, and glanced at the clock on the stove. The taxi would be here soon. She wanted, needed, to see Logan one last time. No way was he going to ignore her, then send her money. He was going to hear how she felt about that, whether he wanted to or not.
    If she cancelled the taxi and drove herself to the airport from Logan’s house, she could still make her flight. It was a hassle. She’d have to put her car in short-term parking, something she’d hoped to avoid since a dealer was due to pick it up at her house tomorrow to sell it for her. She’d call the dealer from the airport and tell him to pick it up there. If she hurried, she could take care of everything and still be on her way to Tennessee to start her new life in just a few hours.

 
     
    Chapter Twenty-Four
     
    A manda slowed her aging Honda and turned into Logan’s achingly familiar driveway. When his house came into view, she braked, unable to resist what might be her last look. Now that she knew that Logan had grown up here, it was so easy to picture an adorable, dark-haired little boy running around the expansive front porch, hurtling down the steps to the front yard, laughing and smiling as he chased his whirlwind of a sister in a game of tag.
    The sound of a hammer shattered the silence and destroyed the happy illusion. The sound was coming from the backyard. Amanda continued up the drive and parked on the side, in front of the detached garage. The hammering was louder now. Curious, she crossed to the small flight of stairs and slowly climbed the deck steps, careful not