Chapter 30 Rhett
THIRTY
RHETT
As Georgia and Sebastian retold the story of how they’d reconnected, including all the twists and turns that led to their happily-ever-after, I couldn’t quite resist the urge to put my arm on the back of the sofa, stopping just shy of curling my hand around Piper’s shoulder.
Georgia still followed the movement of my limb with great interest, though.
I didn’t want her to have to wonder. I wanted to put my arm around Piper’s shoulders, hold her hand, kiss her—indulge in all the small, intimate touches that a couple enjoyed when they were officially together.
I wanted to be officially with Piper. I wanted to be able to call her mine, for everyone in town to know that we were together.
Judging by the way she’d been looking at me earlier, I thought she might agree.
A knock on the door interrupted my thoughts, and Piper got up to answer. “Boys! Dinner!” she called out after she’d closed the door, reappearing with three pizza boxes in her arms.
The boys came clattering down the stairs, and Nate yelled, “Pizza two days in a row! Yeah!” He turned to his brother, and the two of them high-fived before sprinting toward the kitchen.
We crowded around the table that was far too small for four adults and two kids but still somehow felt comfortable.
Piper got the boys drinks and napkins, making sure they were settled before serving herself a slice. I shuffled sideways to let her in beside me, and for the first time in my entire life, I sat down to a family dinner that didn’t feel stilted or forced or uncomfortable.
Longing opened a chasm inside me. I wanted this to be my life. I wanted every day and night with Piper and her family—wanted them to be my family.
Under the table, Piper’s hand slid over to my knee. She squeezed me gently, then met my gaze. “Thank you,” she whispered.
“For what?”
“All this. It’s the first time in a long, long time that I feel like I’m not one step away from ruin.”
“Mom!” Nate called out, making Piper turn her head before I gave in to the urge to steal a kiss in front of everyone. “Can we stay here forever?”
I saw the impact of her son’s words in the slight flinch that went through Piper, and the tension around the edge of her smile. “We’re staying here for now,” she said. “We’ll see about forever.”
The boys ducked their heads closer, whispering excitedly to each other.
I had the power to give them forever. All I had to do was give up my claim on the house.
As we finished our meal, I wondered how it would feel to give Piper and her boys a real home.
I did good things for people in town all the time.
I was seen as a generous man who donated his time and money to the community. I cared about this town.
But that was different. Every time I donated, it was good PR.
It was one more layer between me and my past, insulation against the reputation my family name could easily have given me.
Every time I paid for someone’s surgery or donated to the food bank or helped clean up one of the parks, I was erasing the fact that on the inside, I suspected I was exactly what my mother and my ex had said: worthless, selfish, and destined to ruin everything I touched.
Giving Piper my half of the house wouldn’t be PR. It would be true generosity, and generosity made me vulnerable. Generosity felt a lot like desperation. Love me back, the gesture begged. How badly would it hurt when Piper decided I wasn’t worth the effort?
As the evening wound down, I couldn’t make heads or tails of my emotions.
I wondered if I was falling back into the patterns that had led to my last heartbreak.
Still, when Piper walked me to my truck and pressed a quick kiss to my lips, I couldn’t help the fact that the tightness eased in my chest.
“Thank you, Rhett.”
“It’s nothing,” I said, shrugging off her appreciation.
“It’s not nothing. You’ve given me hope.” She wrapped her cardigan around her body to ward off the cold, and I found myself rubbing her arms to warm her.
“Get inside before you catch something,” I chided.
“Yes, sir.” She smiled softly. “What are you doing tomorrow?”
I nodded to her car. “Getting winter tires put on that thing before you kill yourself on these roads,” I answered, voice gruff.
Instead of being offended, Piper gave me a soft smile. “It’s been a long time since I had someone take care of me. If you keep doing it, I’m afraid I’ll lose my edge.”
“We’ll grab coffee. I’ll cut in line in front of you and you can make a stink about it. That’ll keep you sharp.”
She laughed, and I couldn’t resist the urge to kiss her again. We pulled away, and Piper glanced toward the house. “I should go in. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow,” I said, and got in the truck. She stood on the path watching me, and I pointed at the front door. Piper rolled her eyes, waved at me, and headed inside. Stubborn woman. I waited until the door closed behind her before putting the truck in gear.
When I got home, the cat came to greet me with a needy yowl. I knew his food would be dispensed soon, but I must have been a sucker, because I reached for the cat treats before even turning the lights on. My house felt big and empty after the laughter and light of the little cottage on Lovers Lane.
Maybe, despite the flaws I hid from the world, Piper would think I was worth loving. Maybe all I had to do was ask her to stay in the house and say she was mine.