Chapter 27
TWENTY-SEVEN
Piper
“Mom, I forgot my toothbrush!” Ollie said from the back seat.
“Nope. You didn’t. Because I grabbed it for you.” I turned the car onto Callum and Zandra’s street. “And your toothpaste.”
Glancing in the rearview mirror, I saw Ollie flop against his seat. “Thank goodness.”
My lips tugged into a fond smile. “If you forget anything, I’m sure Uncle Callum can get you a replacement this weekend in Denver.”
Ollie’s expression in the mirror said he was skeptical.
I pulled my Subaru up to the curb, right behind a fancy SUV. I knew that plate, and who else in Silver Ridge drove a shiny new Range Rover with a flower decal on the back window?
Grace was here.
Ollie hefted his travel pack on his shoulder. We walked into Callum and Zandra’s place through the unlocked door.
“Hey, we’re here!” A cacophony of voices greeted us, and then running footsteps.
“Ollie!” Maisie shouted, throwing her arms around him. “You have to come see Daisy the kitten. She’s getting so big.”
Ashford appeared in the entryway next, and I gave him a tentative nod. “How’s it going?” I asked. “Is Maisie going to Denver too?”
We both got out of the way so Ollie and Maisie could search out the kitten. Zandra’s older cat, Chloe, prowled by, probably looking for a quieter place to relax.
“Callum invited her, but Emma has a music teacher conference this weekend. Maisie and I are going to drive out and join her.”
“Sounds good.”
“But Maisie really wanted to see Ollie, and we were already here having breakfast with Callum and Z this morning, so…”
“Ah. Got it.”
This wasn’t awkward. Not at all.
I hadn’t seen Ashford in a few weeks, aside from the occasional interaction in passing, like when I picked up Ollie from the kids’ martial arts class Ashford taught.
He and I had been close for years, but lately, there was an unspoken hesitation between us. And we both knew the exact reason.
I was sure he knew I was renting a house to Grayden. Probably that Grayden and I were friendly too.
But Ashford was not the type to talk openly about things. This time, I wasn’t going to push. Not when I had so many complicated feelings of my own where Grayden was concerned.
Grace charged into the entryway next, drying her hands on a dishtowel. “Piper!”
I hugged her. “Hey, didn’t know you’d be here this morning. It’s a full house.”
“O’Neal family breakfast,” Ashford said.
At his words, Grace’s pretty smile morphed into a tense straight line. “Not the entire O’Neal family,” she muttered without even glancing at him.
Oof. If Ashford and I were awkward, Grace’s attitude toward him was downright hostile.
Grace draped the towel over her shoulder. “Sorry, would’ve invited you for pancakes too, Piper, but it came together at the last second. Mostly I showed up because I haven’t seen you in weeks, and I knew you’d be bringing Ollie. Dane and I just flew in last night from New York.”
“Yes, the life of the wealthy and glamorous.”
Grace gave me a wry look through her pink-framed glasses. “More like workaholics. Dane and I have both been so busy. I’ve been neglecting you and Ollie, and I’m sorry about that.”
“Nah, we’ve been fine. We wouldn’t have made it for pancakes, anyway. Ollie got started on packing last night, but of course forgot almost anything practical. I had to grab the rest this morning. He’d packed his clip-on tie, for lord knows what reason, but forgot underwear.”
With a laugh, Grace took my wrist and led me into Callum and Zandra’s cute living room. Gnome figurines decorated the mantle over the fire, and Chloe lounged on the windowsill, orange tail flicking as we took a seat on the couch.
“So,” Grace said, folding her legs under her. “Tell me everything. What’s new with you?”
Aside from getting frisky with your oldest brother last night?
I half coughed, half laughed. Totally subtle. “Not that much.”
I’d texted Grace about renting my house to Grayden, so that much wasn’t news to her. But there was so much else she didn’t know. Not least, the police incident yesterday.
“Danny’s back in town,” I added.
A concerned look crossed her features. “Is that a good thing?”
I opened my mouth, considering what to say. Because part of me really wanted to tell my best friend everything. Grace had been there for me over and over again in the past. I’d really been missing her lately.
But something held me back.
“He took Ollie to get dinner last night,” I said. “Ollie had a nice time, but aside from that, I don’t know how it’ll go. If Danny’s going to step up, or if he’ll disappear again.”
“Same old Danny, then. But at least he’s trying, even a little.”
“Maybe,” I hedged. “We’ll figure it out. Tell me about New York.”
She chattered happily about Dane’s mom and dad, who they’d been spending more time with. And the friends she’d made and the hidden gems she’d discovered.
After a few minutes, everyone started migrating toward the door.
Mainly pushed along by Zandra, who was doing her best to keep Callum on schedule.
He was usually pretty responsible. But with so many people here, he was in his element, making sure everyone was having fun instead of being a slave to the clock.
Then it was time for hugs goodbye, a few more kitten snuggles with Daisy, and Callum and Ollie got on the road.
Ashford and Maisie followed, heading out to meet Emma at her conference in the next county over.
When those exits were finished, Zandra collapsed on an armchair in the living room with a groan. “You both know I love Callum more than anything in the world, but I won’t say no to a weekend of quiet.”
On cue, Daisy streaked by.
“What were you saying about quiet?” Grace quipped.
“Hold on.” Zandra jumped up. “She’s got the zoomies. Don’t know how she’s still got any energy after this morning. But the last time Daisy was really worked up and I didn’t distract her, our down comforter got shredded.”
Zandra dashed from the room. Grace and I took up our spots on the couch again, laughing. Never a dull moment.
“What’re you doing with your weekend?” Grace asked. “Almost three days of freedom until Ollie’s back.”
I shrugged. “Catching up on some things at Silver Linings, probably.”
“Wait, do I need to force you to get out and have fun? What happened to my party-girl best friend?”
If only Grace knew. My wild side had been present and accounted for last night with Grayden.
But after I’d asked to spend more time with him this weekend, he’d basically blown me off.
I’m not sure about my plans.
And of course that was for the best, as I’d told myself a hundred times about getting involved with Grayden. Those words had worn a groove in my brain at this point.
But it hadn’t made me stop wanting him.
“I’m still a free spirit,” I defended. “I’m going to get crazy this weekend, don’t you worry.
I just got the weekly flier for Main Street Market, and Rosie put the Ben & Jerry’s on sale.
I’m going to stock my freezer with my favorite flavors only.
Netflix marathon of all the shows with complex plots, curse words, and explicit sex.
And then I’ll soak in the tub for like a solid hour with nobody bugging me. ”
Grace giggled. “You’ve got a full schedule.”
“You know it.”
She chewed her lower lip. After all these years, I could read Grace like a classic novel. Something was on her mind.
Then she said, “I really appreciate what you’ve been doing for Grayden.”
Did my smile look as strange as it felt? Could Grace read me as easily as I could read her? I hoped not.
“It’s no trouble at all.”
“But it means so much. Knowing he’s got support. There are so many people in Silver Ridge who don’t want him here, and that kills me.”
Chloe stretched, leaping into the space between us and snuggling in. Grace petted the cat’s soft fur and continued talking.
“If I had it my way, I’d be bugging Grayden every day,” she said, “dropping by to see how he’s doing and making sure he’s got everything he needs. Or just to see him, because he’s my big brother and I’m making up for lost time. But that would drive him up the walls.”
“Maybe it’s better that you’ve been busy in New York.”
She huffed. “Grayden probably agrees. He wants to do this on his own. I guess I’m the same way.”
“Wait, you O’Neals are stubborn? Alert the media.”
“Ha, ha,” she deadpanned, then stuck out her tongue. “I just want to snap my fingers and heal the rift in our family. But I can’t. Grayden should be here whenever he wants, not sidelined. But if I invite Grayden to something, Ashford refuses to come.”
“I picked up on some tension between you and Ashford.”
“We’re barely talking, P. If Grayden knew, he’d feel awful about it. The last thing he wants is to cause discord. Callum says Ashford needs more time, blah, blah, blah. But to me, it should be simple. Grayden is our brother, and he apologized. He deserves our forgiveness. Full stop.”
Grayden deserved that and so much more. He’d spent ten years behind bars for a crime he didn’t commit. It was incomprehensible to me.
And Grace didn’t even know.
“I’ve said something along those lines to Teller. How they were best friends once, and Teller should talk to Grayden and give him a chance.”
Grace blinked her chocolatey brown eyes. “That is so kind of you,” she gushed. “You’re the best, Piper.”
Ugh, I was hardly being selfless. I wanted Teller to accept Grayden for my sake. Because there was something between Grayden and me, no matter how much I tried to avoid it. Assuming he was even still interested.
Maybe Grayden deserved more than I could give him.
Chloe stretched out across both our laps, turning her belly up in an obvious demand for more pets. Oops. We’d been neglecting her. I took over the belly rubs.
“We should all be able to count on each other, like we used to,” Grace said. “You and Teller and me and my brothers. After this is fixed, I want smooth sailing for all of us. I don’t want anything else to come between any of us ever again.”
What would Grace think if she knew how close I was getting to Grayden? How I craved his kiss and his arms holding me and his hot body all over me.
Also, I was dying to see his piercing. Feel it on my tongue, inside me…Ungh. It shouldn’t be legal for a man to be that over-the-top sexy.
My own feelings were scary enough. The risk of getting my heart broken when I’d sworn never to allow that again. But it wasn’t just my heart or Grayden’s at risk. It was Ollie’s. Grace’s. Maybe the future peace of our whole family.
Getting involved with Grayden O’Neal would be risking everything.
So what was wrong with me that I couldn’t stop thinking about him?