7. Piper
Chapter 7
Piper
Y es. Yes. Yes. That's what I almost said.
“That’s probably a good idea.” Is how I actually answered him.
Cool. Casual. Calm.
So unlike me.
“Do you have a favorite restaurant in town?”
“We could eat at the Inn,” I stupidly suggested, forgetting that my family owned it—my incredibly nosy and unafraid-to-ask-embarrassing-questions family.
“The Honeybrook? I didn’t realize there was a restaurant there.”
“It’s the best one around. But maybe we shouldn’t go there. My family owns it. I wasn’t thinking.”
“Right.” He cleared his throat.
“I mean, on second thought, we could go there. You’d love it. Everyone does.” Second thought? I barely even had the first one.
I watched as he hesitated, his eyes searching mine. The moment stretched, hanging in the air between us.
Awkward. Confused. Weird.
Totally like me.
“We could try another place. That would probably be more comfortable, uh, you know, considering everything—” he offered, breaking the silence.
“No, really. It will be fine. The food is awesome. The ambiance is cozy and warm. I can reserve one of the corner tables. It will be quiet and private. My family will be cool—probably.” Lie, my family was never cool. Our baseline was overly friendly with a side of blatant meddling. Whatever, they would be nice to him, and that’s all that really mattered.
But now I was starting to freak out, thinking maybe he wanted to keep this a secret in town.
His smile returned, genuine this time, and he nodded. “Okay then, the Honeybrook it is. I’ll text you tonight.”
As he walked out, I felt a weird mix of relief and anticipation. This was probably my dumbest idea ever, but I was excited all the same. I thought about calling Paige, but rejected the idea. Asking her opinion would make this even weirder.
I sat still for a moment, taking a deep breath to let the decision sink in, and wondered if I should call it quits.
No, it would be fine.
I had to stop overthinking everything. Besides, it was just dinner. A chance to get to know each other better, which was vital if we wanted anyone to believe our scheme.
Restless, I stood.
I needed to do something. Anything was better than this anxious silence that descended after Ren left.
I decided to walk to the bakery to plan the opening festivities there. Maybe I’d get inspired if I was surrounded by what I was supposed to be happy about. I stuffed my notebook into my purse, hollered goodbye to the cats as I locked the door, and then headed around the corner and down the street toward Something Sweet, determined to reclaim my freakin’ joy.
Sycamore Street was the heart of Honeybrook Hollow. It was lined with small businesses, each with colorful flower boxes and cute window displays that changed with the seasons. The street used to be paved with cobblestones, but they’d since been replaced. Vintage street lamps were hung with planters stuffed with flowers spilling over their sides, and big pots packed full of small evergreen bushes and flowers were placed here and there.
The town square was the preferred gathering place for most of the town’s activities. A winding walking trail encircled the area, and people loved to walk or jog amongst the flowers liberally planted along the sides. The trail led to a gazebo, its white pillars and roof festooned with climbing roses and ivy. It was a favorite spot for small weddings, birthday parties, and other community events. Nearby, the playground was buzzing with the sound of children playing, and the dog park was also buzzing, but with barking and excited yips. Too bad joy was not actually infectious because I was not feeling any of it. I missed my dog, damn it. I needed a plan to get him back. I was even willing to get nefarious, as Paige suggested.
The smell of grilled onions and bacon wafted from Pennywhistle Pantry, the small diner directly across from the park. I was tempted to cross the street and stop in for a bite. But I had too much to do, so I kept walking, or really, I was mainly stomping and muttering to myself under my breath. I’d slipped into a bad mood after Ren left, and I knew it was written all over my face. Anyone who caught a glimpse of me could probably tell how I was feeling, which was probably why no one had stopped me to chat or say hi. Oh well. I had time to feel better later. Right now, I was grumpy, and that was okay.
Something Sweet was just up ahead. It was part of a small group of businesses that formed a little strip mall. We’d painted our storefront a pale pink and added a magenta and white striped awning over the door. The place was small, but we didn’t need much space for what we wanted to do here. The sight of it should have filled me with pride, but instead, it only heightened the turmoil currently roiling through my brain.
As I approached, I saw Dana sitting at a table inside, and my heart sank even further. I wasn’t ready for this confrontation. I tried to compose myself, but my bad mood was already gnawing at my patience.
How could she sit there all calm and collected as if she didn’t wreck all our plans with her selfish choices? Dana was beautiful, a petite brunette; she was pretty much my exact opposite. She was dressed in all white, with a pink and white striped apron, just like a baker straight out of a movie.
The sight of her made me so mad. I probably should have stopped to eat. I could feel myself turning into someone else, and seeing her forced all the anger I’d been stuffing down to the surface. I took a deep breath, trying to shake off the spikes of rage clawing at my chest, but it was no use. I felt like Madeline Kahn in Clue .
Flames…
This was happening. Now. Richard wanted the two of us to talk? We were about to freakin’ talk.
I hesitated for a moment, trying to summon the strength to engage in another difficult conversation. This place had been our shared dream. Dana would be here for the day-to-day operations, while I would be here to do what I loved: elaborate, showy, special orders. We’d nurtured it together with countless late-night and early-morning planning sessions. Now, it felt like something teetering on the edge of collapse. How could I keep the peace and work with her?
“What are you doing here?” My voice was sharper than intended as I threw open the door and stepped inside.
Taking a deep breath, I stepped forward, feeling the weight of everything that happened pressing down on me. The room shrank as the walls closed in. The tension was unbearable. I felt like I would snap.
She looked up, surprised. “I was making a list of things we may need for the opening. I wanted to help.” A small flicker of hope shone in her eyes.
Unbelievable. “I do not need your help.”
Her eyes widened in shock, and she quickly looked at the table. “I know I messed up, but can we at least talk about it?” Her murmured question only made me angrier.
I wanted to leave, but knew I had to stay and at least let her know where I stood. We hadn’t spoken since I found out. “I really don’t think we have anything to say. I mean, nothing is going to change what happened.”
“We still have to work together, Piper.” She leaned back in her chair with a heavy sigh.
“We don’t have to be here at the same time. Plus, email exists for a reason, okay?”
“We used to be friends.”
“Yeah, and then you screwed my boyfriend. What do you want me to say, Dana?”
“Wow.” She sat there blinking in shock. “That was harsh.”
“Harsh? Really? No. What was harsh was when Noah caught you banging Richard on my new chaise lounge on my back patio. Remember that?”
She looked away without answering.
“I thought you wanted to talk. Let’s talk about it. Yeah, I thought we were friends, but I was obviously wrong. Who started it? Did Richard come onto you first? Did you forget your old culinary school buddy when you were sleeping with him? How long did it go on?”
“I—okay, um, Richard, you know how he is. Richard was persistent.” Her voice shook as she stared at some point beyond my face. “I didn’t know how to handle it because I liked him too. We were just talking one night, and then things escalated.” Her eyes met mine, pleading with me to understand. “I never wanted to hurt you. I swear.”
“You didn’t know how to handle it? You could have said no. You could have walked away and talked to me about it. But instead, you betrayed our so-called friendship.”
“Piper, please.” Tears filled her eyes. “I wish I could take it all back. I hate that it happened this way. Please believe me. I didn’t mean to fall in love with him. It just happened.”
“Believing you doesn’t change anything. Did you think of me at all when you were pursuing a relationship with him while he was still with me? Did it feel good to know you were sneaking around with him behind my back while we were working together to open this place?” I spun in a circle, fully committed to the moment. Finally, exhaling as I let loose everything on my mind since I found out.
“No! I didn’t mean to. It just happened one night. It kind of exploded. We didn’t intend?—”
“You didn’t intend to fuck him? How does one accidentally have sex with someone, Dana?”
“Stop it. It wasn’t like that! We fell in love. You’re being crude. This isn’t like you. Please, Piper. Quiet down. People are going to hear you.”
“I don’t care who hears, and do not tell me to be quiet. I’m not the one in the wrong here.” I glanced behind myself at the window, seeing a few passersby pausing briefly before hurrying on. It didn’t matter. I had to get this off my chest. “Apparently, you don’t know me at all. Just like I never thought you were the type of person to sleep with another woman’s boyfriend. But here we are. And for the record, I’m mad at Richard, too. He is equally to blame for this situation. Unfortunately for you, he’s not here right now.”
“Why can’t you let this go? You weren’t right for each other?—”
“How would you know that?” I seethed. “You don’t know anything?—”
“He told me things,” she shrieked. “You weren’t getting along. You didn’t want to move in with him, not really?—”
“Oh. My. God. This is unbelievable. I’m done.”
“What do you mean, done? We’re partners. You can’t just quit.”
“I’m not quitting,” I bit out, shaking with fury. “I’m done talking to you. Like I said before. Email me if you have something to say.”
“Email you? Really? That’s how you want to handle this?” Her voice trembled as she tried to catch her breath. “I thought we were friends. I messed up. I’m sorry. How can you be so cold?”
“Seriously?” A bitter laugh escaped. “You think we can just go back to business as usual after this? You’ve shattered any trust I ever had in you.”
Tears streamed from her eyes. “I know I can fix this. Please, Piper. Don’t let one mistake ruin everything we’ve worked so hard on.”
“One mistake,” I laughed bitterly, turning on my heel toward the door. “This was a series of choices that made it clear that whatever friendship we had meant nothing to you. Don’t expect things to go back the way they were.”
“We have to work together. Please. Tell me what to do to make this right.” Her voice was barely a whisper. She acted like I was the one who had hurt her.
“There’s nothing you can do. I can’t pretend, and I don’t trust you. I’ll come in for the big projects like we planned, and we will communicate through email only. I’m not giving up on this place because of you. Don’t worry about that. If anyone is leaving, it will be you. I can buy you out. You’ll be free.”
This was far from over. I knew it. Work had always been my escape. What was I supposed to do now?
“Piper, please.” She had followed me outside, tugging on my arm until I turned around.
“Don’t push me, Dana. We need boundaries.”
“Fine,” she snapped back. “But you know this isn’t about boundaries. It’s about cowardice. You want to hide? Fine. Run away from the hard stuff. I’ll email you.”
“Good, we agree on emails. I can’t do this with you.”
She glared at me as if the situation was my fault. “Have the day you deserve, Piper.”
“ Me?” I sputtered. “You’re mad at me ? You are unbelievable. You have the day you deserve, you backstabbing, duplicitous twat. I hope the rest of your day is as shitty as you are.”
I watched her flounce back inside, slamming the shop’s door with a huge bang.
“Great,” I muttered. “That went so well.”
“Hey, Piper! Everything okay?” I spun to see Lucy approaching, walking Larry, one of the llamas our grandparents kept at the Inn, on a leash. He was also her inspiration. She wrote a popular series of children’s books based on him. She was in jeans and a pink sweater, her long butterscotch waves flowing over her shoulder in a ponytail.
Even the ridiculous sight of my sister walking a llama like a dog didn’t make me smile. My mind still reeled from the confrontation with Dana. I wiped my trembling hands down my jeans, then my chin started wobbling, and my nose stung. Shit, I was about to freaking cry even more now.
“Yeah,” I squeaked. “Everything is just peachy.”
She raised an eyebrow, knowing I was full of crap. “Want to talk about it?”
I eyed Larry, who was now eating the plants in our window box like they were part of his own personal salad bowl. He looked up at me and snorted, daring me to make him stop. I shrugged—Dana had planted it. She could suck it.
“Not really. I just had a huge fight with Dana. Richard is still an ass. I don’t have Cody back yet. And I can’t just forget them both and move on. I’m stuck. I have to work with her. How am I supposed to do that?”
She tugged gently on Larry’s leash. “Quit it, Larry. Let’s go to the park. He’s going to cause trouble if we stand still. Want me to kick her ass for you? I’ll do it.”
“You sound like Paige.” Our eyes met as we headed back into the park, and she laughed.
“Sometimes her methods are sound. Honestly, a lot of the world’s problems would be solved if some people got smacked around when they were acting up.” She held a hand up. “I mean grown people, not little kids, so we don’t need to argue about this. Also, I might rethink this later. I’m pissed on your behalf, it makes me ragey.”
“No, do not kick her ass. Well, maybe? No.” I nodded decisively. “Violence is not the answer. And why are we more willing to stand up for each other than ourselves? That’s something to think about.”
“Right? But, the offer stands if you change your mind…” She tilted her head with a grin.
“I won’t. If there’s going to be any ass-kicking going on, I’ll do it myself.”
She nudged my shoulder with hers. “So, what are you going to do then?”
I sighed, kicking a loose pebble on the path. “Figure out a way to work with her somehow? I don’t really have a choice. And Richard—I don’t know. I’ll just try to keep my distance, I guess.” I thought of Ren and felt relief that I wouldn’t have to go to the dumb grand opening alone.
“I’m just going to say this because I know it’s on your mind. You don’t have to worry about Cody. I see him with her at the dog park almost every day when I’m out with Larry. He likes her, and she’s nice to him.”
“I know. Richard used to give me updates before he started in on this whole forgiveness thing. I know he’s fine, but I’m still not letting him go.”
“Of course not. He needs you.”
We walked in silence for a bit, the sounds of the park filling the space between us. Larry trotted ahead on his leash, no longer attracting stares like he used to whenever Lucy took him out. People were used to him now.
Finally, I broke the silence. “Maybe I’ll try talking to her again.”
“Bitches like her don’t listen.”
I rolled my eyes but couldn’t help smiling. “Yeah, but I have to try something. I can’t just avoid her forever.”
She raised an eyebrow. “True. But don’t let her walk all over you. Stand your ground.”
We rounded a bend in the path, and the scent of blooming flowers filled my senses, relaxing me. I shrugged. “I have no idea what I’m supposed to do. I’ve never been in a situation like this. I’m usually a non-confrontational person.”
She gave me a sidelong glance, her eyes filled with understanding and a bit of mischief. “Non-confrontational? She needs to be confronted. It’s okay to be mad, and you’re not fooling anyone. Underneath that calm exterior, you’re a fighter.
I snorted, shaking my head. “Yeah, well, fighting isn’t exactly my strong suit.”
“I know. You want everyone to like you.” She slipped her arm through mine. “You’re a people pleaser, Piper. Even though you can be sarcastic sometimes, you’re sweet on the inside. They don’t deserve your grace. I mean it. Don’t let her get to you.”
“Okay. I’ll try to remember that when I feel guilty later for being mean to her before.”
“No guilt. She deserves it. There should be consequences for behavior like hers. Like, it’s your turn to be the problem. No more taking people’s shit then cleaning up after it. Okay?”
I considered her words as we continued walking. Larry bopped along, happily exploring every scent and leaf, just like a dog.
“I never thought of it that way. Why am I always the one to make things work? Being the peacemaker is a thankless job.”
“You don’t have to be. They messed up. Not you. Look.” She stopped to face me. “No matter what happens, you’re not alone. You have me and the sisters? and Larry. I’m sure I can get him to spit at her next time we see her at the dog park if I bribe him with a banana.”
I laughed, the sound echoing along the trail. “You think Larry is bribable with a banana? He has standards. Also, gross. I’ve seen him spit before, and no thanks.”
“Okay, let’s tell Grandma all about it and let her go scorched earth.”
“No, that’s too much. We don’t need that kind of trouble.”
“Fine, I’ll bring him by the shop when she replants and let him snack on the window box again.”
“Every time, Lucy. Bring him by every time she fills that damn box.”
She nudged my arm playfully. “You got it.”
We did a lap around the gazebo before saying our goodbyes; then I headed home to finish out the rest of this craptastic day alone.
Party, schmarty. I decided to pick up some balloons and grocery store flowers on the day of the event and call it a day.
No, screw that. For now, I was done, and that was okay. I was not about to let that witch steal my dreams away from me.