2. Piper
Chapter 2
Piper
R en was my best friend’s brother-in-law, but I had only met him a few times over the years. He lived in Portland and was always busy with work. Even Violet, my lifelong bestie, hardly knew him until recently. He was the toughest divorce attorney in Oregon. He’d managed to get Violet’s douchebag ex out of her life and had done the same for Paige.
I’d always found him fascinating, in an abstract way, with his extreme good looks, successful career, and seemingly relentless drive. He’d always struck me as standoffish and broody. He was intimidating but never in an asshole way.
He seemed different tonight—gone was the usual suit and tie perfection. His collar was undone, his shirt slightly wrinkled, and he seemed approachable.
Paige seemed to adore him. I knew he had gotten her everything she wanted and then some from her divorce, but obviously, she’d worked her magic and turned him into a friend, too.
This version of Ren was hot .
He looked down at me, and I shivered. Yeah, he was hot for sure. He’d always been the epitome of tall, dark, and handsome, and that hadn’t changed. But tonight he was magnetic with his towering height and broad shoulders. His hair had always been perfectly styled, with a sophisticated look. Now, he was a bit windblown and tousled, and it was sexy as hell.
Those eyes, though—his eyes were the bluest I had ever seen, piercing and intense, as if they could see right through anyone.
As we walked towards the booth, I couldn’t help but shiver when he looked down at me. He was hot, and not just in the physical sense. There was a depth to him, a complexity that made him all the more intriguing.
“Is your name Lorenzo?” I asked to get the conversation rolling as we approached one of the circular booths.
“Uh, no. Just Ren.”
“Come on. Ask him what his middle name is,” Paige shouted.
I stopped at the booth and sat down, looking up at him with my eyebrows raised in expectation and a grin lifting the corner of my mouth.
“Thanks a lot, Paige. It’s McCormack,” he informed me with a shake of his head as he sat across from me. “I managed to keep my middle name a secret for nearly my entire life. But that sister of yours is nosy as hell and very persuasive; she got it out of me during our second meeting.”
“Oh yeah, there’s no keeping anything from her. So you’re Ren McCormack Moretti. And I know from Violet that your brother is Jake Ryan Moretti. Could the two of you be more adorable? Your mom was clearly an eighties movie fan.”
“She was.”
“Mom, were you a fan of the Ark, or animals traveling in pairs?” My nephew, Noah, shouted over his shoulder as he approached our table with a plate piled high with cheese fries for Ren and me to share, along with my favorite peach iced tea.
“Thanks.” I took the tea and sucked back a huge sip.
“Oh, you’re so funny. You can thank your dad for that,” Paige shouted back. “Maybe I should start calling you J.C., or what about Justin? I could never choose between the two of them.”
“No thanks.” He huffed a laugh. “Noah is fine.”
“How are you doing tonight, Noah?” I stood up to hug him. Paige’s kids were having a tough time after the divorce, and I had vowed to support them in any way I could.
Noah was a handsome boy, er, man. He had just turned eighteen and worked as a cook here. He had always dreamed of becoming a chef; he would start culinary school the following year, and I couldn’t be prouder.
“My therapist says I’m grieving the man I thought Dad was versus the man he actually turned out to be.” He pulled away and shrugged. “I mean, I guess I’ll be okay.”
“You will be. And he can still be that dad to you again someday.”
“You mean, how Grandpa is that dad to you?”
“Fair, but ouch.”
“I’m sorry. I’m supposed to dial back the sarcasm. And also stop deflecting.” He rolled his eyes. “It doesn’t replace my feelings.”
“Okay, Chandler Bing.”
“Funny, but also accurate.”
“Sarcasm is how we Darlingtons survive the horrors,” I explained to Ren. “Sometimes it can get a bit dark.”
“Right? What would we do without it?” Noah grinned. “So, I’ll be back with your extra ranch.”
“My relationship with ranch is arguably my longest-lasting relationship outside of the family. I love how you always remember.”
“Unfortunately, it’s my superpower. I never forget anything.”
“Oh, honey?—”
“I’m alright.” He waved off my sympathy and returned to the kitchen.
“Poor kid.” Ren turned his eyes back to mine. “I’ll hold off on expressing my opinion of his dad.”
“He’s a prick.” I waited until Noah was out of earshot. I was never one to hold back, except in front of the kids. “I hate him. If I could kick him in the junk every morning to start my day, I’d do it. Who needs coffee? Am I right?”
Noah had been the one to catch his dad in the act with their next-door neighbor. He’d also been the one to catch my ex when he’d come over to my place to drop off some sourdough bread he had baked. Paige had taken him directly to their therapist for an emergency appointment, worried about the double whammy trauma of busting both of our exes in flagrante delicto .
He burst out laughing. “No one better dare cheat on you.”
I looked away without answering. But I’m sure my expression said it all. It still stung that I’d missed all the signs.
Maybe my mother was right, and I was too trusting. One thing about Paige and me is that our taste in men was terrible. I, along with my mother, blamed our father for this. Dad had daughters all over Honeybrook Hollow—Paige and I had three half-sisters from the women he was with after our mother. And yes, he’d cheated on all of them.
“I’m sorry, did I strike a nerve? I didn’t mean?—”
“Let’s just say I’m disgruntled, disillusioned, and disgusted with the entirety of mankind and leave it at that.”
“I didn’t mean to bring up something painful.”
“Not your fault. You’re not the one who cheated on me—with my business partner, I might add. You’re not the one I wasted almost two years of my life on. And he wants to share the dog we got together, which I have to decide what to do about. All of this keeps him in my life when I would much rather forget he exists. Damn it.” I picked up a fry and stuffed it into my mouth to stop the rant. “It’s best not to get me started,” I mumbled with my hand in front of my face to hide my chewing.
“Hey, no worries.” His eyes were understanding. “If there’s anything I can do, let me know.”
“There’s nothing to do. We weren’t married. I’m never getting married. I knew better than that, at least. I let him sort of move in with me, but he’s gone now, thank god.”
“You don’t have to need a divorce to ask for my help.” His eyes went dark. “I know what it’s like to feel powerless or trapped in a situation you can’t control—” He cleared his throat. “Now I’m the one who shouldn’t get started.”
“Looks like we have something in common.” I held my glass up for a toast.
He clinked his beer to my iced tea with a sardonic grin. “Like recognizes like. Apparently, the saying is true.”
“It absolutely is.” The bar’s entrance door opened, the motion catching my eye. I spat out the small sip of iced tea I had just taken, the sticky liquid soaking the table in front of me as I sputtered out a cough, and my stomach bottomed out. Grabbing the napkins with shaking hands to wipe up my spill, I slunk down in my chair, praying that I had somehow turned invisible in the last five seconds. “Fucking hell.”
He turned to look. “What’s happening?”
“Speak of the devil, and he shall appear.” I stared into my glass, watching the ice cubes bob on the surface and wishing I had another shot of tequila to drink instead.
“Your ex?”
I nodded, slipping into a mental abyss while the sounds of the bar drowned out my thoughts. I was too pissed to speak as the lying, cheating, dog-stealing scumbag noticed me and smiled as he waved a hand over his head to get my attention.
He cheated on me. We broke up, and he moved on. He wants to make peace with me, so I’ll start talking to my partner again. Apparently, she’s taking her betrayal hard—she’s all broken up about the fact that I won’t forgive her. He keeps insisting that we can all be friends again. Um, no thank you.
“You’re not welcome here, Dick!” Paige shouted. “I have the right to refuse service to lying, cheating, weasel-faced buttholes. Get the hell out!”
“Nice to see you as always, Paige.” Was it bad that I was glad when he turned to go to the bar instead? “And it’s Richard. Did you forget about me already? You seem to have an issue with names lately, so I’ll forgive you. Twilight Tavern? Cute.”
He took a seat on a stool right in front of Paige. She glared at him without answering.
Did he want to die tonight?
“I’ll have a beer, please,” he said with a smirk. “This is your bar now, isn’t it?” Oh yeah, he was a friend of Paige’s ex-husband, they’d all gone to high school together, I was a couple of years behind. Paige was the one who set us up. Isn’t that ironic?
How I’d ever fallen for his act, I would never know. But to be fair to myself, he was very attractive and had started off being charming and sweet. I would have never gone out with him if he’d shown this side of his personality on day one. I had to quit beating myself up over this.
“Just get out of my bar, please.”
“I need to talk to Piper first.”
“Want me to get rid of him for you?” Ren asked, concern etched all over his face.
Paige started shouting before I could answer him.
“She doesn’t want to talk to you, Dick . She dumped your ass. Did that not paint a clear enough picture for you?”
I let my eyes drift shut. This would be bad. Paige had been on edge ever since the divorce, and my breakup with Richard only made it worse. She felt guilty; I’d finally gotten her to stop apologizing to me a few days ago. But, as usual, it looked like I would have to maintain the peace.
Turning on his barstool, he faced me. “Piper, can you tell your sister to stop acting crazy? I just want to talk to you. No big deal.”
I inhaled a huge sigh and pinched the bridge of my nose. “She’s not acting. You should know that by now. But yeah, Paige, you can let it go. I’m fine,” I opened my eyes to say. “It’s fine. Everything is fine.”
“We need to talk about Cody—among other things.” Cody is the gorgeous and sweet golden retriever we adopted from the animal shelter outside of town. “I figured you’d be here.”
He cheated on me, practically stole my damn dog, and now he was here to taunt me?
So right, that’s typical Richard—he had made a scene to provoke my sister and force me to talk to him to diffuse the situation. If we didn’t have Cody to talk about, he’d be dead to me, and I was pretty sure he knew it. Never let a man move in with you and get a dog together. Bad ideas all around. It was too bad for me; he was a lousy cheater, but at least I fell in love with Cody more than him.
The energy in the room changed as everyone’s gaze moved from Paige to me. I felt the heaviness of anticipation as a rush of adrenaline coursed through my body.
Without thinking, I slid around the booth, plastering myself against Ren’s side until our thighs pressed together.
Sliding my hand up his neck to his cheek, I whispered. “Just go along with it. Please .”
I kissed him. A quick peck on the lips. I pulled back to find him blinking in confusion before he seemed to catch on to what I was asking of him.
“I got this,” he whispered, grabbing my hand to kiss the back.
A huge smile spread across my face, along with a well-timed blush.
This was perfect. “Thank you,” I mouthed.
He nodded, rolling his shirtsleeves up his perfectly tanned, muscular forearms like he was getting ready for—something. I watched his bright blue eyes light up, and a swift jolt of relief shot through my body.
Focus, Piper.
But good lord, how was I supposed to focus when he was making arm porn right in front of me?
“Would you like another drink, sweetheart?” he asked with a subtle wink, ensuring Richard could hear him.
“Uh,” I snapped back to reality with a jolt. “Yes, please.”
“Oh crap.” The slap of the swinging kitchen door against Noah’s butt startled me. He stood there frozen, holding a bowl of ranch dressing. His eyes widened as he watched the unfolding scene.
“Shit. Mom,” he called out to Paige. “No fighting. Remember what Chief Barrett said last time? Call him. Please.”
“I’m not going to fight anyone,” she grumbled, placing the beer bottle she had been brandishing behind Richard’s back on the bar before raising her hands. “See? Don’t worry, honey. I’m good. I promise.”
“You, too, Aunt Piper. Watch her, Ren. These two—I don’t even know what to say. I mean, it was justified, but still.”
I rolled my lips guiltily, eyes darting away from Ren. “Don’t worry. I’m good too, Noah.”
Ren’s eyes zeroed in on Richard. “If Dick keeps it civil, can’t see why there would be any fighting necessary tonight.” His dark scowl swung to me, the dip of his eyebrows and furrow in his brow more prominent. “I’ll take care of you,” he promised under his breath.
I nodded, fighting the temptation to take his hand and bring him home so he could take care of me there instead. We were not thinking along the same lines, but I didn’t care. He was hot. I was pissed. It was all too much, so I allowed myself the temporary thrill to distract me from the temptation to let loose and punch Richard’s lights out. I had a long fuse, but he was rapidly pushing me to the end of it.
“Piper, it’s about Cody and his appointment with the vet on Monday.”
Of course, it was…
“Okay. What’s the problem?” I asked without looking at him.
“Well, you weren’t answering your phone, and his health is important, don’t you think?” Richard spoke my name as if he owned me. As if he were about to scold me. I was incensed.
“She’s busy tonight,” Ren answered for me as he draped an arm around my shoulders. Damn, he smelled good.
Should I lean in?
Screw it. I leaned, resting my head against his clavicle. His skin was so warm, his shirt soft. I inhaled deeply, turning my nose into his throat. God, I wanted to lick him. Yum.
“Are you dating this guy?”
“We’re seeing where things go,” Ren answered before letting his arm fall to my shoulders to pull me closer. “Aren’t we, baby?” His breath tickled my ear as he whispered right into it, then kissed me lightly on my temple.
Oh god.
I shivered. “Yeah,” my voice sounded slightly like a moan, and I wasn’t even embarrassed.
“Maybe this is a bad time.” Richard’s smile didn’t reach his eyes. “I’ll call you tomorrow. You want to be involved in Cody’s life, right? At least that’s what you said. If that hasn’t changed, answer the phone so we can make plans. Yeah?”
“Okay. Bye.” I didn’t even look as he got up to leave. I was too caught up in my rapidly developing attraction to Ren. He was sexy, and even though he looked like he could take on Richard and every other guy in this bar at once, he still seemed non-threatening. The dichotomy intrigued me.
I sat here confused. Here I was, all sworn off of men, and now in the middle of a hormone rush over the hot hunk of beefcake sitting next to me.
“Here’s your ranch.” Noah plopped the dish on the table and high-tailed it back to the kitchen.
“Thanks.” Ren’s voice jolted me out of my stupor.
“Just so you know, we don’t get into fights willy-nilly. I mean Paige and me.” I blurted. “Some guy was getting handsy with one of the waitresses a few weeks back and wouldn’t stop. He grabbed her ass and pulled her onto his lap. It was basically a full-on assault. So we got her away from him and slapped him around a little bit while the police were called. It was mostly self-defense. Oh, that, and Noah’s dad told him a few things about Paige and me from back in high school, but that was so long ago it doesn’t count anymore, right?”
His lips twitched. “Totally doesn’t count. And it sounds to me that the guy with the waitress needed to be taught a lesson.”
“Right?” I grabbed my glass and took a sip, suddenly parched. “It freaked Noah out, though. Then the guy had to go and try to press charges on us. It was a whole thing. Anyway, it’s all good now. There was an entire bar full of witnesses who saw what he did. He backed off, and now he is banned.”
“Good. Was he arrested? Charges pressed?”
“Yes to all of it. It’s all pending. And thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” He slid back to his side of the table and picked up his beer. “Unfortunately, some men don’t respect boundaries unless they come from another man. Dick seemed like the type. I wasn’t questioning your ability to take care of yourself.”
My jaw dropped because, wow. He was respectful and protective without being chauvinistic. I melted a little bit inside as I started to like him even more.
I jumped in my seat when Paige showed up at the edge of our table, bursting with energy.
“I have the best idea,” she declared as she set a glass of water in front of Ren. “Lots of lemon, just how you like it.”
“Thank you.” His eyes shifted to mine, with his eyebrows raised in amusement.
“Great,” I muttered. Paige’s ideas were not always the best.
“You know your thing, Ren?” She slid into the booth beside me, nudging me over with her hip. “The matchmaking? Neither one of you is interested in dating right now. You should start taking Piper as your date when you have to go out hobnobbing for charity. It’d be perfect. And look at what happened with Dick tonight. He’s gone; got one look at the two of you together, and bye-bye, bitch-boy. You can fake date each other. Piper can keep the eligible bachelorettes away from you, and you can protect her from Dick and whatever plans he’s cooking up in that stupid head of his. You can go with her to her bakery grand opening hoopla—” She shot me a look. “—what? You know you don’t want to go by yourself. Then you can both stay lonely and sad just the way you want, and no one will bother you. Moving on? Finding happiness with someone? Who? Not the two of you.”
Ren burst out laughing, and I perked up. This idea was neither harebrained nor dangerous. I was impressed. I was also a little bit offended, but I shrugged it off.
“This is really not a bad idea.” I smiled at her. “Who’s trying to set you up, Ren? Is it Violet? She’s determined to matchmake everyone from Sweetbriar to Honeybrook Hollow and all the way up to Mt. Hood. That woman doesn’t know when to give up.”
“No, she hasn’t tried anything yet. Probably too busy with the baby.” He grabbed a fry and popped it into his mouth.
“It doesn’t matter. If you’re into this, then I am, too. I like how Richard turned tail and ran off. I’m tired of dealing with him. But I can’t keep Cody away from him. He loves us both too much, damn it.”
“Isn’t doggy custody drop-off coming up? Do you want me to be there when he shows up?” Paige had three kids: Noah, her oldest, and two daughters: Lark, who was sixteen, and Briar, who was thirteen.
I hesitated because I wanted her to drop by, but didn’t want to put her out. I hated asking for help. “No, I’ll be okay.” He had finally agreed to let me see Cody, and I couldn’t wait. I didn’t want to do anything to ruin it.
“I’m coming.” She side-eyed me and grabbed a fry. “I shouldn’t have asked.”
“Best sister ever.” I dipped one in ranch and held it up for a cheers. “But also, be cool. Please?”
“ Pfft , I know, and I’ll be cold as ice, I promise. Now, make plans with Ren. I have to get back to work.” She touched her fry to mine and then stuffed it into her mouth.
Ren and I stared at each other. His mouth opened to speak, but he didn’t say anything.
With inward cringe, I imagined what he thought of me.
Between Richard showing up, Paige blabbing that I wasn’t interested in dating anymore, and me forcing him to play along with my attempt to save face, he must think I was a desperate weirdo.
And freaking Paige. Was she trying to set me up with him? Hopefully, she knew better than that. Too exhausted to protest and kind of not really wanting to fight it, I kept quiet.
Ugh , I was not a mess. Emotionally exhausted, is what I was. Not to mention perpetually pissed off, and sick of dealing with Richard’s shit. Could a girl get a freaking moment to breathe? To get her shit together in peace? Apparently not. Damn.
“He has another dinner for Lyla’s Place coming up soon,” Paige interrupted my thoughts with an amused eye roll. “And I know you don’t have any plans. He schmoozes with the bored and wealthy to raise funds. Free food, free drinks, and an evening in a swanky hotel—your job would be to keep the ladies off him so he can do his job. Right, Ren?”
“Yeah, something like that.” He cleared his throat. “I’d love it if you came with me. I think it’s a great idea. It could even be fun.”
“Sounds intriguing.” I held my hand out to shake. “I’d love it too. You have yourself a date.” He took my hand, and I tried not to stare as his broad palm enveloped mine. His thumb brushed over the pulse point on my wrist, but his gaze was unreadable.
Paige clapped her hands together and then stood. “Yay! Look at me being helpful, and no one had to get arrested!”
Ren’s expression softened, and he leaned forward slightly. “I guess we’re all set then,” he murmured, his eyes holding mine for a moment longer.
Paige shot me a wink and a mischievous grin before returning to the bar.
“I’ll take this as my cue to go home.” Struck with a sudden wave of nervous energy, I slid out of the booth to leave. “I’m pooped, and my bed is calling me. Goodnight, Ren.”
“I’ll get your number from Paige and text you sometime next week. But I’m walking you to your car.”
“Oh, thank you.”
Ren walked closely beside me, hands tucked casually in his pockets, as we made our way to my car. The warmth of his presence was both comforting and nerve-wracking, and I did my best to appear nonchalant. We stopped by my car, and he waited patiently as I unlocked the door and got in.
“Make sure to lock the doors,” he said, his voice gentle but firm.
“Will do. Thank you, Ren,” I replied, glancing up at him. My eyes were drawn to the slightly open collar of his shirt again, and I felt a flutter of attraction mixed with a twinge of nervousness.
“Goodnight,” he added, stepping back and giving me a small wave.
“Goodnight,” I echoed, locking the doors as he had instructed.
He stood there watching as I backed out of the parking space, then drove away.
As I drove home, I couldn’t stop replaying the evening over in my head. The unexpected fake date and the way he’d looked at me—it all felt like the premise of a romantic comedy. But my life had never been like the movies, and I knew better than to get my hopes up again.