24. Phailed Plans
Afew days later, Piper moved through her stretches on a yoga mat in Troy’s living room. Oreo snoozed on his dog bed nearby.
The bruise on her face had faded to a revolting shade of yellow-green. The one on her ribs remained purple, but the stretching and warm baths helped. As did Troy. He treated her like a precious treasure, and she’d never felt so loved.
Her phone buzzed with a text, and she found another update from Marcus. She wondered if the deputy ever slept.
FYI. They’re in separate vehicles, being transported to a state prison.
Relief swept through her. Ethan was out of Phail. She wouldn’t have to see him until the trial. Unless he pled guilty before it began, which Marcus thought was a possibility.
Chad Westerlake was spilling his story, hoping to make a deal for lesser charges. If Ethan wanted to avoid maximum sentencing, pleading guilty would help him.
According to Chad, Ethan had hired him to aid in the break-ins. Under Ethan’s direction, Chad had mugged her and crashed into her car. Ethan had bought a tracker online, and ordered Chad to place it on her car. Chad had followed her to Phail, and stayed in a nearby town. Then he’d smashed her car’s window, and accosted her at the BB.
When Chad hadn’t found the USB, Ethan had taken a week’s vacation and come to Phail. Ethan had planned the kidnapping and ordered Chad to drive away and return when called.
Piper blew out a breath, and moved into another stretch. She felt like she’d starred in a movie of the week, and she wanted nothing more than to go back to her quiet life.
Well, that wasn’t true. She didn’t want to go back. She wanted to go forward, to start a quiet life here in Phail with Troy.
Oreo roused from his nap and moved into his own stretching routine, making Piper grin. “Are you my new exercise partner, Oreo?”
The little dog barked and trotted to the door. Piper rose to get the leash. “You’re better than a clock. I’m glad you can tell me when you need to go outside.”
She hooked up the dog and put on her outdoor gear. While being alone outside made her nervous, she refused to give in to the fear. Ethan and Chad were no longer in Phail.
Her phone beeped while she slid on her boots. The text was from Addison Syrette. She’d gotten to know the woman and her daughter over the past few days. They were both amazing, and Nina had fallen in love with Oreo.
Addison’s text made Piper smile. Any chance you’re home with Oreo? Nina was hoping we could stop by. No worries if you’re busy or not there.
Addison was much less outgoing than her daughter, and she guessed the text had been difficult to send. Piper was glad she was able to answer in the affirmative. Just heading out to go for a walk. Want to join me?
Piper wondered if the town had put together a schedule to keep an eye on her when Troy was working. Someone was always texting her or dropping by to visit. She’d never had a big group of friends around her before, and while it was a bit overwhelming, it was also incredibly sweet.
Outside, she found Addison and Nina approaching on the sidewalk. Nina bounced ahead and squatted down to pet Oreo, who took his head out of the snowbank and wiggled with delight.
Addison smiled as she neared. “If you want some time alone, we don’t have to bother you.”
Nina looked up with an eye roll. “Mom, we’re not bothering her or asking for anything. We’re just keeping her and Oreo company. Can I take the leash, Piper?”
Piper handed it over. “You sure can, and you’re right. You’re not bothering me at all.”
Nina and Oreo strolled ahead, and she followed with Addison at her side. The other woman smiled. “Thank you. Nina wants a dog desperately, but I just can’t swing it right now. Maybe in a year or so.”
Piper grinned. “No worries. You’re both welcome to visit with me and Oreo any time.”
They walked up and down Phail Way, chatting with all the townspeople they passed. “I love this town. The people are so great.”
Addison nodded. “Me too. I’m so glad this is where Nina and I ended up. Even if they won’t change the name of the place.”
As they passed Phail General on the way home, Troy exited the building and locked up. “Good evening, ladies. Just in time to escort me home.”
When they reached Addison’s car, she and her daughter thanked Piper, and drove off.
Piper looped her arm through Troy’s and bumped his hip with hers. “You can probably call off the support crew any time now.”
“What?”
She raised an eyebrow. “Don’t act all innocent. You’ve got people checking in with me multiple times a day, often when it’s time to leave your house to walk Oreo.”
His skin flushed and he grinned. “Guilty. But I only did the coordination. Everyone came to me to make sure you were feeling comfortable in town. They were worried Ethan might have scared you away.”
That made her heart warm. “Seriously? That’s very sweet.”
“I have an idea that might be even sweeter.”
“Do tell.”
Troy patted her hand. “I need you to pack an overnight bag and grab your pillow.”
That made her laugh. “That’s an odd request. Most overnight destinations provide pillows.”
“Not this one.”
Well. That was intriguing.
* * *
Troy loved that Piper hadn’t even questioned his plan. She laughed, packed up her things, and grabbed her pillow. He’d already packed his own bag and spent part of the morning getting other things prepared.
They bundled up Oreo and the things they’d need for him, and headed to his car.
“Are you going to tell me where we’re going?”
“It’s only a few minutes away.”
She laughed. “In other words, no, you’re not.”
He merely grinned and headed north. Because it was late December, the sun had already set, and the stars were on full display. The town wasn’t large, but its lights still blocked a lot of the night sky.
Piper leaned her head forward to peek up through the windshield. “It’s gorgeous. I’ve only seen stars like this on TV.”
“Maybe we can use our views on the website, too.”
She nodded. “Absolutely. This is incredible.”
Troy didn’t think she even noticed when he pulled into the drive for the farmhouse. When he parked and turned off the engine, she turned to look around. “Where are we?”
He grinned, got out of the car, and moved around to open her door. She held Oreo in her arms. “Is this one of the farmhouses on the way to Stan’s?”
He nodded. “Got it in one. I told you I had a few ideas brewing. I want to run them by you before I move forward with them.”
Once the car headlights dimmed, the stars became even more pronounced. He moved to hug Piper from the back to keep her warm, and then slowly moved them in a circle so she could see them all.
He felt her body lean more and more into his as the view helped her relax. Her body had been tense for days, and he hoped this plan would help.
When Oreo started to squirm, he kissed Piper’s hair and kept his arm around her as they moved up the stairs to the wide porch. He unlocked the door, and then led her inside. He’d had the electricity turned back on after he’d bought the place earlier. “I want to tell you more about my friends and my plans.”
She looked around with interest as she set Oreo on the floor. “And this place is about both of those, right?”
He grinned. “Sure is. Let’s have a walk-through while I tell you more about them. There were six of us, with Marcus as the leader. We always called him Arrow in the field. No one can find a target like Marcus. Sean Falcone, otherwise known as Falcon, is from Miami. He grew up in a tough neighborhood, and got into construction early on. He’s great with any kind of tool, and can repair anything.”
Piper nodded as they wandered through the living spaces, and into the huge farmhouse kitchen. “He would be an awfully handy guy to have around this building. Did you buy it?”
He laughed again. “This morning. I want a place for my guys to stay without losing our privacy at the house. You gave me the idea when you talked about potentially needing more BBs in town as we grow. If the guys don’t want to live here permanently, we can sell it for that after it’s fixed up.”
She laughed and tugged him into a hug. “Which should take a while and give them enough time to fall in love with the town. Tell me about the other three men.”
He swayed them into a slow dance. “I bought the saloon too.”
She leaned back to stare at him. “You bought both buildings?”
He nodded. “Me and the bank. I’ve been putting money aside for years, trying to figure out a plan to pull my team together and help the town at the same time. You helped me find the plan.”
Her eyebrows zoomed up. “Good for me. Strange that I helped you with it, yet I have no idea what it is.”
He danced them over to the back door and then led her to the back porch. The stars and the crescent moon were enough to see the barn and the fields beyond. “You opened up my mind to some possibilities. Levi, who we call Oz, is a farmer at heart. He grew up in Kansas growing corn and baling hay.”
“You want him to start a farm here?”
“If he wants to. I was thinking more about hops than corn, though.”
“Hops?”
He grinned at her. “Hops. That barn back there should have room to contain a brewery. And the saloon can be refurbished to its former glory. It won’t need a name changed, although Phailed Saloon has a nice ring to it.” He waited to see what she would think. Hoped she would agree. Her instant smile had his nerves settling.
“It’s perfect. It’s exactly the kind of gathering place this town needs. You’ve got the No Fail Diner for the mornings, and the gossip runs. But you’ve had nothing for the evenings. It’s going to take a lot of work if you’re going to refurbish the saloon, the barn, and this house, as well as demolish those buildings on Phail Way.”
Troy shrugged. “It will take some time, but there’s no rush. Your ideas have already excited everyone in town. They’re all going to pitch in and help where they can. Everyone helped when Lia wanted to open Doc’s. They’ll do it again. We can hire Aisling from Midnight Lake when we need an expert, but between Sean and the other guys, we’ll have a lot of the grunt work covered.”
“You still haven’t told me how the other two fit into your grand plan.”
“Heath’s call sign is Slick and the name’s appropriate. He can be the frontman for the business. He’s never met a person he can’t charm, but he’s genuine, not slimy. He’s got a degree in business, runs some kind of financial empire, and he’d be a great asset.”
“Sounds perfect.”
“And Garrett. Scooby’s a quiet guy who loves animals. He never says much about himself. His K-9 partner died on our last mission overseas. Garrett’s never got over the guilt at that, even though it wasn’t his fault. Shaggy died helping Scooby and Arrow clear a girls’ school. I think he’d enjoy doing the refurbishing and building. I’m hoping I can talk him and Slick into being brewmasters, but getting Scooby here will be the trickiest.”
“You’ll figure it out.”
Her complete confidence gave him a boost. “I hope so. I’m worried about him. About them all. I want to give them a place, a home.”
“You will. I think you’ve got the perfect plan.”
He sure hoped so.