Chapter 47 Piper
FORTY-SEVEN
Piper
I managed to get a few bites of food down. Callum and Ashford tried to keep me distracted. But my anxiety was through the roof.
I was probably driving Teller insane with my constant messages.
Me
Any news yet? What’s happening?
Teller
New evidence in the investigation. Good chance Grayden will be able to leave soon.
OMG THANK YOU WHEN???
You’re hurting my eyes with the all caps
I’m conveying a sense of urgency
Oh is this important to you? Hadn’t noticed
Relax and take care of yourself. You’ll see Grayden soon.
I forced myself to set down my phone. It was still hard to breathe. I wouldn’t be able to relax until I saw Grayden with my own eyes. Could touch him with my own hands.
Finally, Grace got back to the hospital. She’d made sure Ollie was settled at Emma and Ashford’s.
“Dane brought over the cookie dough from our place, so you can imagine how popular he’ll be with Ollie and Maisie,” Grace said, settling into the chair beside me. “He’s going to help them bake. I told Emma and Zandra to have a fire extinguisher ready.”
“Will he wear an apron? We’ll need some photo evidence.”
Grace took out her phone. A text had just come in from Zandra: Dane in a frilly apron, with Maisie and Ollie aiming spatulas at him like they were ready for battle.
The picture made me smile, and yet the ache in my heart only worsened.
The new additions to our family over the years had brought us closer and made us stronger. Now, I couldn’t imagine Dane, Emma, Zandra and Ayla not being in our lives.
Ayla wasn’t here, obviously, but she’d sent me a few personal texts expressing her love and support.
I checked my phone again. Teller had written about ten minutes ago. I hadn’t heard the notification.
Leaving with Grayden any minute now. As soon as he’s out of his last interview. We’ll head to the hospital
Thank you I love you you’re the best big brother ever
Remember that the next time you get grumpy at me
“Teller and Grayden are on their way,” I said to Grace.
“Oh, thank goodness.” She hugged me, wiping her eyes.
A little while later, Callum and Ashford strolled into the waiting room. They’d been on some kind of snack mission. “The vending machine near the maternity ward has the best stuff,” Callum announced. “Check out this haul.”
He dumped an armful of cookies, cakes, and chocolate bars on an empty seat.
Grace greeted her brothers. That tension between her and Ashford was still there. A strain in her expression when she hugged him, pulling back lightning fast.
“Piper, have you heard any news about Grayden?” Callum asked.
“Teller said Grayden’s been released.”
“Thank fuck,” Callum breathed, sinking down in his seat. He grabbed a packet of cookies.
But Ashford hadn’t said a word.
With everything else that had happened today, all the terrible ups and downs, I’d officially had enough.
“Teller’s bringing Grayden here,” I said, glaring at Ashford. “Are you going to leave?”
“Do you want me to?”
“Of course we don’t,” Grace cut in. “But you’re the one who’s refused to see him.”
Ashford glanced to the side, his knee bouncing, hands flexing. Like he might take off any second.
“I’m here for Piper,” he said. “That’s it.”
Callum stood up abruptly. “Grace, want to help me look for decent coffee? I have a theory it’s got to be in this hospital somewhere.”
She rolled her eyes. “We’re having a grown-up conversation right now, Cal.”
“Yeah, which might be easier one-on-one.” He gave her a complicated look. Grace scrunched up her face. Callum wiggled his shoulders.
Their silent sibling communication was really weird sometimes.
But whatever Callum had been conveying to her, she finally got it. Grace jumped up. “Coffee. You’re right, Piper loves good coffee. Let’s try to find some.”
As they left, Ashford was shaking his head. “So you’re my one-woman intervention, is that right? Everyone thinks I suck, and it’s your job to tell me so.”
I moved to the seat beside him, handing him a chocolate bar. “I’d rather call it an open dialogue between friends.”
He ripped the candy wrapper and took a bite. When he finished chewing, he said, “I just don’t get it. How easily you all trust him again.”
“It wasn’t easy.”
Ashford’s mouth tightened into a flat line. He set the rest of the candy bar aside.
“You know what wasn’t easy? Going through all the shit I did without my older brother. Maisie being born. My wife dying. Everything that happened when Emma came into our lives. For the last fifteen years, I haven’t had an older brother at all.”
“If you let him explain—”
“Fuck that, Piper,” he hissed. “Grayden abandoned us just like our father did. He abandoned me, and I became the oldest brother whose job was to take care of everyone else. And you know what? I did it. I stepped up.”
Ashford was keeping his voice down, but every word was raw and bleeding with emotion. Like a knife blade to his soul.
“You did,” I said.
“So don’t sit there and tell me I should forget all that pain.”
“Grayden was in pain too. So much. There are important things you don’t know. He tried to come back here after he got out of prison, and Callum sent him away.”
“I already know. It was too late then. Too late now.”
“But you’re still hurting, aren’t you? What if the rest of us are right? Grayden wants to be your brother again and make up for what went wrong in the past. What’s the harm in just hearing what he has to say?”
“What’s the harm? If I trust him, accept his empty apologies, he could let us down all over again. I’d be the biggest idiot in the world.”
“You don’t want to get hurt again.”
“Of course I fucking don’t.” He glared at the wall. “I can’t let Emma or Maisie get hurt because of him either.”
What he was saying sounded so familiar.
“I’ve been hurt deeply, and I was scared to ever risk that happening again,” I said.
I didn’t just mean Danny. It was my mom. My dad, or at least the man who’d raised me and given me the name Landry, even if he didn’t accept me as his.
They’d all broken my heart in different ways. I bore those scars.
“But over the last couple months, I’ve seen things differently.
Because of Grayden. When we reach out for something, when we make that leap and open our hearts, we might not get there.
The person we’re reaching for might not reach back.
We might fall. But the part where we take the risk?
That’s when we’re most alive. That’s the moment we can fly. ”
I had no idea where all that had come from. Maybe I’d been taking the advice I once gave Grace. Trust your instincts. I’d spoken from the heart, and the heart didn’t lie.
A hundred different emotions flashed in Ashford’s eyes, like they were battling to come to the surface.
“Piper?” a deep voice said. A voice that resonated everywhere inside me, filling my loneliest spaces.
Grayden stood in the doorway to the waiting room.
I leaped up, a tear streaking down my cheek. He caught me in his arms and pushed his forehead against mine, holding me tight.
“You’re here,” I said.
“Finally, right?” he murmured, and I smiled sadly.
Then Grayden pulled back, looking past my shoulder. “Ashford.”
I turned and tucked myself against Grayden’s side. Ashford nodded at his brother with a neutral expression. Nowhere near friendly. But not angry either.
The last time they’d met, on Thanksgiving, Ashford had almost hit him. This was definitely a step in the right direction.
“Can we talk in a bit?” Grayden asked him. “I have some things to tell you all. You, Callum, Grace. Teller as well.”
Ashford grunted, standing up. “Maybe. In a few minutes. I’m going to call Emma.”
“You’re not leaving though?” I asked.
“Nah. I’ll be right back.”
We moved aside so Ashford could step out of the waiting room. Then another family came in, so I took Grayden’s hand and tugged him down the hall.
I pulled him into the first quiet alcove we found. Grayden and I spoke over each other. I was trying to tell him how worried I’d been, and he was trying to say something about evidence.
But words were inadequate anyway. There was no way to describe the storm happening inside me.
So I just decided to kiss him.
He pressed me into the wall as our mouths moved together. I grabbed onto his jacket, and his fingers dug into my hair. His kisses stole my breath and gave me life at the same time.
Eventually we had to stop, gasping. Grayden put his forehead against mine. I wanted to cry and laugh and just…hold on.
I had to hold on.
“You’re okay?” I asked.
“Yeah. I was more worried about you. I should’ve been here with you.”
“Hardly your fault.”
He sighed against my hairline. “Nah, I suppose not. How’s Danny doing?”
I put my head on Grayden’s shoulder. “Alive. We saw him earlier. He’s still sedated. Stable but not out of danger. There’s nothing I can do for him, obviously, but I’m staying here because Ollie can’t. I need Ollie to know I did all I can. Danny doesn’t have anyone else.”
“How’s Ollie handling it?”
“He’s scared. But he’s brave.”
“He is. You’re an incredible mom. And far more than Danny deserves, but anyway.
You know that.” Grayden smoothed back my hair.
“Piper, there’s something I haven’t shared with you.
Last Thursday, after Danny showed up at Ollie’s school and took him to dinner, I followed Danny to a bar. I confronted him. It got heated.”
My mouth dropped open. “You didn’t tell me? Why?”
“Danny said some pretty despicable things. I didn’t want to repeat them. But today, the incident came up with Chief Nichols. She was pretty convinced I’d attacked Danny to protect you and Ollie from him. Not such a far-fetched idea. Either that, or you’d asked me to do it.”
“And I’d told her everything about Danny threatening me.” I cringed. “I was terrified you’d do something stupid to protect me. Like confessing and telling Chief Nichols I had nothing to do with it.”
He kissed my temple. “I thought about it. For all of two seconds. I wouldn’t leave you like that, Piper. It’s you and me.”
“Bonnie and Clyde,” I murmured.
“Shouldn’t joke about that anymore. Not within hearing of anyone from Silver Ridge PD. Aside from Teller, but I doubt he’d be laughing.”
Yeah, I didn’t think my brother would enjoy that particular reference.
Grayden breathed deeply, and his brown-and-gold gaze met mine. “My biggest fear was that you’d believe I hurt Danny. You’ve seen me angry before. You’ve had your doubts about me before as well.”
“Not anymore,” I said. “Not for one second today. You told me you’d found him like that, bleeding, so I knew it was true.”
The only way Grayden would strike out against my ex was in self-defense or defense of others. I knew that in my bones. Grayden wasn’t a violent man.
He cupped my face. “I’m so damn lucky to have you.”
“Maybe it’s luck. Or maybe you’re finally getting what you deserve. People who care about you and have your back.”
“God, I want to deserve you. Thank you for sending Teller to the station. It helped. Sounds like you went to bat for me, and I love you for it.”
The word gave me an electric jolt. Love.
My first reaction, even after what I’d said to Ashford about opening my heart, was to pull away. To hide, as if that would keep me safe.
But I wanted more. I wanted to leap. And it wasn’t even that scary. Because I already knew Grayden would catch me.
“I’ll go to bat for you every time,” I said. “You might be stuck with me.”
“Best news I’ve heard all day.” Grayden’s lips curved. “There’s new evidence about Danny’s attack. So much I need to explain. But I think there’s something else I have to do first. Something that’s long overdue.”
“Talking to Ashford and the others? Like you mentioned to him?”
“Do you think Ashford will listen?” he asked.
This morning, I would not have been optimistic. But now?
“He went to call Emma, and I’m sure she’s encouraging him to sit down with you,” I said. “Also, he didn’t curse you out when he saw you a few minutes ago. Progress.”
“Hey, I’ll take it. I’ll round everyone up, and hopefully, Ashford will be willing.”
“Do you want me to be there?” I asked.
“I need you there.” He took my hand and laced our fingers. “Not sure how I survived so long without you, but I need you, Piper. Whatever this is, I don’t think there’s a cure.”
“Sounds serious.”
“Nah, I think it sounds wonderful.”