Chapter 6
SIX
Grayden
I followed Piper’s car in my truck. It wasn’t a long drive. Meanwhile, the snow continued to fall.
After maybe three minutes, we pulled up to a little cottage about a block off Main. I grabbed my duffel from the backseat.
The rest of my stuff was in the truck bed, covered by a tarp, and it’d be fine. But these were the items I couldn’t afford to lose. My tablet computer, chargers, art portfolio, and my tattoo equipment. A couple changes of clothes and a toothbrush.
I followed Piper and Ollie to the front door. He kept glancing back at me suspiciously. Piper pulled out her keys, balancing a container of leftovers with her other arm.
“I can get that for you,” I offered, but Ollie grabbed it first, sending a glare my way. I held up my hands, backing off, and my duffel swung against my side on its long strap.
The moment we stepped inside Piper’s house, welcoming scents enveloped me. Savory home cooking, fresh flowers, and something sweet like cinnamon or nutmeg blended with the rich aroma of coffee.
The walls were painted in bright colors with white trim. Shoes and boots were lined up beside the door, with coat hooks above.
I took a few steps inside, lowering my duffel to the ground, and reached to untie my boots. Piper and Ollie took an immediate left through an archway into a small kitchen. I could see them from the entry. It wasn’t a big place.
After Ollie set the leftovers on the counter, he went to open a cookie jar. “Oh no, don’t even think about it,” Piper said. “It’s late. You need to go to bed.”
Ollie tipped his head back, lamenting. “I’m not tired.”
“Brush your teeth, mister. Go.” She nudged him out of the kitchen.
Ollie passed me on his way. He pointed to his own eyes with two fingers, then jabbed his pointer finger in my direction. The universal symbol for I’m watching you, so don’t get any ideas.
Fuck, I kinda loved this kid already.
I almost laughed, but I didn’t want to belittle his protectiveness. Far from it. I respected that Ollie wanted to take care of his mom. So instead, I put a hand over my heart and nodded solemnly.
He and Piper had nothing to fear from me.
“Have you had dinner?” Piper asked from behind me. I turned and saw her leaning against the kitchen counter.
I scratched my beard. “I had a hot dog, but I left it in the truck.”
“A hot dog for Thanksgiving dinner?” She turned around and grabbed the container of leftovers. “Come on. You must be hungry.”
“How do you know what I am?”
I was starving actually, but my orneriness was rising to the surface. I’d never been that great at dealing with authority. Funny when you considered the years I spent in the Army, but not so funny when you thought about how all that ended up.
“Because you were willing to eat a gas station hot dog at eleven at night. I’m sure they’re good some of the time, but this late on Thanksgiving, it was probably slim pickings.”
“Yeah, you’ve got me there. But I’ve got my bag of chips. Those won’t go bad until after the zombie apocalypse.”
Smirking, she opened the lid on the container, revealing a whole spread of seasonal favorites. “Quit arguing and eat. Grace won’t be happy if I keep her brother from having a decent holiday meal.”
“Well, if it’s what Grace wants, I guess I can get onboard.”
Piper offered to warm up the food, but that was more fuss than I wanted to put up with. So she handed me a fork. “At least sit at the table.”
“Eating at the counter isn’t civilized enough for you?”
“I’m a counter-eating girl. Believe me. But…” She tucked a few golden strands behind her ear. “You should sit at a proper table for a holiday meal. It’s important.”
I waited while she set out a green placemat and then added a paper napkin with fall leaves printed on it. “Thank you,” I murmured, and Piper nodded, taking the seat across from me.
This was nice. Also kind of embarrassing. I didn’t want anyone’s pity, and the thought of Piper seeing me that way made me bristle.
Some people might not think it, but I had plenty of pride left.
Then she asked, “Can I have a mushroom? I added them to the green beans this year. Put wine in the skillet and everything.”
“Go for it.” I held out the container. She plucked a mushroom with her fingers and popped it in her mouth.
There was something so familiar and casual about the move that it diffused any tension I’d been feeling. Made me feel less like some drifter she’d taken pity on.
Also, the way she moaned as she chewed had me sitting up straighter, all my attention on those pretty pink lips.
“Mmm,” she hummed. “Try it. Try everything. It’s all good.”
“Don’t have to tell me twice.”
“I definitely had to tell you more than twice.”
Smirking, I practically inhaled the first bites. There was turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing and the green bean-mushroom casserole.
“Like it?” Piper asked, watching me with her light-green eyes.
“Might be the best meal of my life. Except the hamburger and greasy fries I had that first day after leaving Leavenworth. That tasted pretty damn amazing. I put on quite a show at the fast food place with the way I licked the salt off my fingers. It was getting R-rated.” I forked up another bite of stuffing.
She sputtered a laugh that died too soon. “So we’re talking about that? The prison thing.”
I shoveled half the slice of pumpkin pie in my mouth. Possibly a delay tactic.
When I swallowed, I said, “Makes no difference if we talk about it or not. It is what it is. But I’m not gonna dance around it, and you don’t have to either. I’m a convicted felon.”
I watched her expression for any misgivings about inviting me into her home. I’d been some part of Piper’s life before. But that had been a lifetime ago. She didn’t owe me a damn thing.
Maybe she was doing this for Grace’s sake, but Piper had no reason to trust me. Ashford certainly didn’t. Hell, I didn’t always trust myself. I had a habit of leaping before I bothered to look.
“And now you’re an ex-con with a full stomach,” Piper said.
A surprised laugh burst out of me. “That I am. Thank you again. The food was delicious.”
“Better than a stale hot dog?”
“Much. But you don’t have any leftovers.”
“That’s okay. I ate so much at Grace’s I won’t be hungry for two days anyway.”
“What about your growing kid?”
“Ollie? He’d much rather eat Oreos and tortilla chips than turkey and green beans.”
After washing my plate over Piper’s protests that she’d do it in the morning, I stopped by the hall bathroom.
When I emerged, the living room was empty. But Piper had set up the couch with a sheet and a blanket. Looked a whole lot more comfortable than the backseat of my Dodge.
Fuck, I was tired enough to sleep for a week. Especially with a belly full of comfort food, the cozy warmth of Piper’s home, and soft snowflakes drifting down outside the window.
I stripped my long-sleeved tee over my head, folding it carefully before setting it on the coffee table. I could just wear my jeans to sleep, since changing into pajama pants felt a little too casual.
There was a small sound behind me, an intake of breath, and I glanced back over my shoulder.
Piper stood a few feet away holding a pillow. Her lips were parted, and her eyes were on my back, her gaze moving like a slow caress I could almost feel.
No, I could feel it. Pleasant tingles of awareness spread across my skin, down through my belly and then lower.
She seemed to be admiring my tattoos. I knew they looked good. And I didn’t mind being admired.
Her gaze continued down my spine to the low waistband of my jeans. I wasn’t wearing underwear. That hadn’t seemed like a relevant issue to anyone except myself when I got dressed yesterday. But it was probably obvious.
My cock stirred, thickening a bit.
Suddenly Piper jolted, like she’d just realized I was watching her from over my shoulder. Clearing her throat, she stepped forward and held out the pillow.
“The piece on your back is impressive.”
“You like it?” Those words had come out low and husky, not entirely on purpose.
She nodded, swallowing.
“My design. A buddy did the ink.” Now that I’d turned around, the angle of her eyes had shifted to my chest. My nipples tightened, and two blooms of pink appeared in Piper’s cheeks.
If she kept looking at me like that, it would soon be extremely obvious I was going commando.
I found myself wondering about the life Piper had led here in Silver Ridge. Was Ollie’s father still in the picture? She’d mentioned her last name wasn’t Landry anymore. Was she married? Was she seeing anyone?
All things I had no right to be thinking about. She was pretty much my little sister’s age. I was forty-one and more banged up than the old Dodge I’d left parked at the curb.
My ink was eye-catching, that was all.
I lifted the pillow she’d given me. “Thanks for everything.”
Her eyes found their way back to mine. “Don’t mention it.” Her voice was rougher than it had been before. “Happy Thanksgiving.” She turned to go.
“Hey, Piper,” I called out.
When she turned back around, she looked uncertain for the first time tonight. “Um, yes?”
Did she think I was going to proposition her? Not that I wasn’t tempted.
“Look, I’d prefer if you don’t mention tonight to Grace or Callum,” I said. “Unless they ask, and I don’t think they would. The last thing I came here for is anyone’s charity, especially theirs.”
If Grace or Callum heard I’d been ready to sleep in my truck, they’d try to fix it. I didn’t want that. Certainly didn’t want Grace thinking I’d shown up here to mooch off her rich boyfriend.
I was back in Silver Ridge for good, but I intended to do this my own way.
Piper considered me for a moment, carefully keeping her eyes on my face. Then she nodded.
“I just don’t need anyone to feel sorry for me. I had a solid gig in Seattle, and I ran into some issues, but—”
She crossed her arms. “Issues? Like what?”
I hadn’t wanted to get into that, but I’d also made a deal with myself. If anyone asked me a question head-on, I’d answer it. Full honesty.
Piper had just asked.
I tossed the pillow onto the couch. “I was renting space to see clients in a shop along with a buddy. Another artist. Thought I could trust him, and it turned out he was selling shit to customers on the side.”
“Drugs?”
I nodded once. “The owner of the shop found out and my supposed friend blamed me. Owner kicked us both to the curb, regardless of the rent and deposits I’d paid.
Thank God he didn’t call the police. I can’t afford to be near anything illegal.
I’m the one with a record, so who would the cops believe? ”
Her lips twisted with empathy rather than judgment.
“But that gave me the push I needed to come back to Silver Ridge,” I went on. “I’m going to make things right with my family.”
“Good.”
“So I don’t need anyone worrying about my welfare.”
“Anyone, such as me?”
Heat flared low in my stomach again. Something about the teasing sarcasm in her tone. Because I liked it.
I shrugged, figuring her question had been rhetorical.
“Just…take care of yourself,” she said.
“You do the same.”
“I plan to.”