Chapter 16 Grayden
SIXTEEN
Grayden
Danny slammed the door on his way out.
I turned around and stopped short. Piper stood just inside the living room, staring at me in shock.
“So you heard all that?” I asked.
“Hard not to.”
“Are you alright? How badly did he hurt you?” I crossed the room to her, but when I got close, Piper flinched.
“I’m fine.” Her voice was shaking.
Sticking my hands in my back pockets, I left a couple feet of space between us, realizing how badly I might’ve just fucked up.
She’d seen me almost take her ex-husband’s head off. Heard me yelling. She’d seen my temper, the pure, unrelenting rage living inside me that I tried not to let anyone see, but especially not someone like Piper.
My eyes closed for a brief moment as shame spread through my insides.
“If you’d prefer that I go—”
“What? No.” Piper reached for my arm. “Grayden, I’m sorry.”
Wait. She was sorry?
“Hey.” Carefully, I rested my hands on her shoulders over her coat. When she didn’t flinch away again, I put a little more weight behind my touch, hoping it would ground her. “None of what just happened was your fault. Why would you be sorry?”
“This house is your home now. And my ex shows up and causes trouble for you.”
“I’ve had much worse trouble, believe me.”
Piper’s shaking got worse, tears filling her eyes. “Can I sit down for a minute? I’m…I’m dizzy.”
Fuck, I really was doing this all wrong. “Of course. C’mon.”
Keeping her upright, I led Piper to the sunporch. I was distantly aware of my belongings strewn all over the floor. Damn, Danny had been in here too. Doing who knew what. But I’d deal with cleanup later.
Right now, Piper was the only thing in the world I cared about.
“Have a seat.” I gestured at the futon, unzipping my own jacket and tossing it on the edge of the thin mattress.
Piper reached for the buttons of her coat, but her hands were shaking.
“I’ve got it.” I unbuttoned her coat and eased the wool fabric from her shoulders. Once it was off, revealing a sweater and jeans, I grabbed my blanket and draped it around her. Her fingers clutched the fabric.
“That okay?” I asked.
“Yeah.”
I sat beside her, the thin mattress dipping. Piper’s weight fell against me, and she let me hold her up. We sat like that for a long moment. Neither of us spoke.
I could feel the tension slowly leaving her body as she breathed.
“Your espresso’s going to be ice cold,” she said finally, her voice muffled against my shirt.
“My what?”
“I brought you a double espresso and some pastries. On the side table.”
My expression was probably half smile, half confusion. “Okay. Thank you.”
“And—” Piper gasped, sitting up. “I need my phone. Where’s my coat?”
“Right here, sw—” I cleared my throat. I’d almost just called her sweetheart. The hell was I doing?
I fished Piper’s phone from one of the pockets. As soon as she had it, her fingers started flying over the screen.
“What is it?” I asked.
“I’m texting the principal at Ollie’s school. Making sure if Danny shows up there, they notify me immediately.” Her jaw was tight as she typed.
“You think he’ll go after Ollie?” I was ready to put Piper in my truck and drive to the school right now.
“No, I…” She shook her head. “I don’t know. I have custody, so they won’t let Ollie leave with him without my prior authorization, but I’ll feel better if I say something.” She finished the text and set her phone down, pulling the blanket tighter.
“Can you tell me what happened before I got here?” My voice was gruffer than I’d intended, but thinking of Danny had me fighting back anger again.
What I wouldn’t give to break a few of the teeth in his pretty-boy mouth. But that thought really wasn’t helping right now.
Piper took another shaky breath. “I came by thinking you and I could talk, catch up. But you weren’t here, and then I heard a noise at the back of the house. When I looked through a side window, I saw him inside. Danny.” Her voice cracked on his name.
I put a hand on her knee over the blanket and massaged it gently. “Take your time.”
“He was looking for something,” she continued. “A box of my mom’s old stuff. Jewelry, mementos. Things like that.”
I cursed. “Are you kidding? Your mom’s jewelry?”
“I know, it’s absurd. All that stuff couldn’t have been worth more than two hundred dollars, and he owes me a whole lot more than that in back child support.”
This was the reason he’d lashed out at her? Two hundred dollars worth of jewelry? If that was true, Danny Carmichael was far more unhinged than Piper had told me. Unless something had drastically changed with the man.
Hard to believe that guy had been married to her. But I knew what it was like to put faith in someone and have that trust get stomped on.
“Danny claims there was something else that’s valuable in that box,” she went on. “He asked me about it on the phone last month, and I told him I wanted nothing to do with it. I didn’t think he’d break in here trying to find it.”
“He didn’t tell you anything more about this mystery item?”
She shook her head, frustration creasing her brow. “I didn’t even know he was back in Hart County. If there was something valuable, and Danny knew about it, why wouldn’t he have taken it before? Then he blamed me for hiding whatever it is, as if I was plotting against him. As if you and I…”
She didn’t finish that sentence. Didn’t have to.
You’re sleeping with her, I’m guessing?
Joke was on Danny, because I wasn’t sleeping with Piper. But I sure as hell wanted to. If I could be so lucky.
“I haven’t seen any boxes of jewelry,” I said, wracking my brain. “Or your mom’s mementos. I would’ve given it to you if I had.”
“No, I know. None of this makes any sense.”
There’d been plenty of boxes in the basement, but I’d sorted through them. I was planning to donate most of the contents. None of it was very personal, certainly not valuable. Same with all the sewing supplies from the previous renter.
“Do you think he’ll go to your house next? Will he look for the jewelry box there?”
“No, Danny knows I wouldn’t want anything of my mom’s at my house.
I left it all here to deal with later. For my ex to throw all over the place, apparently.
Along with your things. Ugh, what a mess.
” Piper’s shoulders slumped, blond hair hanging in her face.
“I’ll help you clean everything up. And I’ll replace anything that’s broken. ”
I reached up to tuck her hair behind her ear. “Fuck the mess,” I grumbled. “I’d much rather try those pastries you brought me. I’ll brew a fresh pot of coffee for us.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“Hell yeah, I do. It’s kind of our thing now. Sitting. Drinking coffee. That’s what we did a few weeks ago on your porch.”
“But we had chamomile tea last time I was here.”
My shoulder bumped against hers. “Here’s my deep, dark secret. I actually hate herbal tea.” That stuff was disgusting.
She snorted. “Oh my gosh, so do I.”
“I would throw it all in a bonfire and burn it. Every last little dried flower.”
It was good to see her smiling again.
“Come on,” I said. “Carbs and caffeine will make us both feel better.”
“Those are words I live by.”
I stood and held out a hand to help her up. “That’s exactly why I like you.”