11. Ren
Chapter 11
Ren
S he didn’t know I’d heard almost everything.
I’d been sitting at a table beneath an awning at Coffee Cabin, indulging in my iced mocha addiction, when I saw her talking to Richard and Dana—I didn’t hear that part. Still, I knew they’d upset her because of the way Paige rushed her to the back of the building with her sisters. But I was just close enough to hear what was said through the open back door. Somehow, I knew she wouldn’t want me to see her that way; we weren’t there yet. So, I’d stayed out of sight until they left and then went home.
Jake had insisted I take some time off before starting work at the office, so I was stuck here fighting the urge to text her or bring her some coffee or do something to cheer her up.
Instead of doing any of that, I changed into my running clothes and took off on a jog. The fresh air and the rhythm of my feet on the pavement cleared my head—until I reached the park and spotted Richard and what could only be Cody.
Fighting the temptation to knock his ass out and take Cody to Piper, I slowed my pace to watch them. The dog park was alive with activity as usual. Cody was the picture of canine exuberance, his fluffy golden coat gleaming in the sunlight. He was adorable, all tail wagging and infectious energy; he darted from one end of the park to the other, chasing after a ball and greeting every dog he encountered. He was clearly happy and well-loved, even with Richard, which was a relief to see.
“Hey! Ren!” I turned to see a pretty butterscotch blond walking a llama heading my way and had to do a double take. A llama?
“Hi.” I stopped and waited for her to catch up.
“I’m Lucy,” she greeted me. “This is Larry. I’m Piper’s sister.” Once we were up close, I recognized her from the Coffee Cabin earlier.
I held out a hand. “Nice to meet you, Lucy. Ren.”
She tipped her head, gesturing to Larry, and gave me a look.
“Nice to meet you, Larry,” I quickly added.
He tipped his head to match Lucy and whined. Okay then. My curiosity was more than piqued; I waited for her to speak.
“I know who you are. And I saw you the other day.”
“Oh yeah?” I hedged, not wanting to give myself away.
“Yeah, the day Piper lost her shit with Dana—that day. You were listening to us talk in the back of Coffee Cabin, weren’t you?”
Embarrassed, I let my eyes drift closed. “I was and I’m sorry. I’m not proud of it.”
“Why not? I watched you. I could see you care about her. That’s a good thing. Obviously, I know all about you from Paige, and I approve.”
Approve? Of what? I decided to let that slide and address her implied question.
“I do care. I like Piper a lot. But it was rude of me to listen in like I did.”
“Screw that. Piper needs people like us on her side. She’s too sweet for this world. I was surprised when I heard her screaming her head off at Dana. She finally stood up for herself a little bit, you know?”
I nodded, mulling over her words. “Yeah, I noticed that. Like she has a backbone but doesn’t always show it?”
“Exactly. She has a temper. But it takes her an eternity to lose it, like way too long.” Lucy confirmed. “She’s all about peace and harmony but screw that. Some people need a swift kick in the butt, or a drink tossed in their face.”
“You aren’t wrong…”
Just as I was about to ask Lucy for more insights about Piper, Richard sauntered up, a smirk playing on his lips as he approached us with Cody trotting happily alongside him. Cody was eager to reach Lucy; his tail wagged furiously, and his eyes sparked joy when he saw her.
“Watch out for this one,” Richard said to me instead of a polite greeting. “I assume you’re still dating Piper. Lucy is a protective little viper. They all are when it comes to her.”
“Nice to see you too, Richard.” She drawled and handed me Larry’s leash. She bent to pet Cody, who was immediately all over her, wiggling like mad as he licked her face and whined. “I know, boy. I love you, too.”
“Watch your mouth,” I snapped. “That’s my woman and her sisters you’re talking about.”
He laughed in response, and his amusement made my anger flare.
“What is your problem?” I glowered at him, trying to keep my temper in check.
His smirk widened, and he shrugged nonchalantly. “I’m not being serious. It’s all in good fun.”
“Yeah, well, try having fun without being an asshole.”
“This is great,” he snarked. “Piper sure can bring the protective side out of people.”
“Except for you, right?” Lucy stood, glowering at him. “You treated her like shit.”
“You don’t know her like I do.” He insisted. “She’s unforgiving. I deserve what I got, I accept it, but Dana does not.”
Lucy was incensed. “Who the hell do you think you are? Both of you betrayed her.”
I held up a hand to silence them both. “You don’t know Piper at all,” I ground out. “And you sure as fuck don’t know me or you’d be on the opposite side of the park keeping your fucking mouth closed.”
Lucy grinned, with a glint of mischief shining in her eyes. “Ooh, I like you.” She took Larry’s leash from my hand and smacked the side of my arm. “A lot.”
I grunted in response.
“Gotcha, come on, boy. Time to go home, mama is waiting for you.” Richard’s smirk returned as he patted the top of Cody’s head and walked away. Cody hesitated, torn between following him and staying close to Lucy, but eventually, he trotted after Richard, casting a forlorn glance back in our direction.
“That stupid asshole,” Lucy muttered. “He knows how much Piper loves that dog.”
“I do not like him,” I stated.
“You made that obvious.” She drew her head back as she studied my face. “And in case you were wondering, I don’t either.”
I glanced down at her, a smile tilting my mouth up at the corner. “Nope, it’s pretty clear where you stand, too.”
“Good. To hell with him and to hell with making peace. Screw that guy.”
We stood for a moment, watching as Richard and Cody faded into the distance.
I heaved out a sigh, wondering what I could do about the situation, other than chasing him down to beat the shit out of him and take Cody home with me.
“So, you and Piper, huh?” Lucy’s eyebrows raised as she aimed a satisfied smile my way.
Shit.
I might have gone a little too far. We were supposed to create simple fake dating rumors—not what I’d just done.
Damn my temper.
“You don’t have to answer that. I’m just nosy.” She laughed. “But you are invited to the weenie roast. Catch you later, Ren.”
“Yeah, later,” I answered distractedly, wondering how in the hell I would bring this up with Piper. “Wait, weenie roast?”
“Yeah, weenie roast. I’ll tell Piper I invited you.”
She was already walking away, so I decided to forget about the weenie roast—was that a metaphor, or a barbecue? Never mind. I had bigger problems to figure out now, like how to tell Piper what I’d just done.
“Come on, Larry, you have a planter box to snack on,” she muttered as she led him toward Something Sweet.
I turned to head home, then felt the first raindrop hit my forehead. Great. Just what I needed. I broke into a sprint, hoping to get home before the skies opened up completely. My luck, of course, was nonexistent. The rain started to pour, each drop feeling like a cold slap to my face. I hunched my shoulders, grumbling to myself about how this day couldn’t get any worse.
The streets were nearly empty, with only a few poor fools like me outside scrambling for shelter. The rain quickly soaked through my clothes, making me shiver in the growing chill of the evening. I sped up, my shoes splashing through puddles and sending water up my legs.
As I turned the corner, still fuming and cursing under my breath, I saw Piper sitting on her porch. Her presence would have made me smile if I wasn’t drenched to the bone and freezing my fucking ass off. I hesitated, my mind racing with a million thoughts about what I should say to her. I decided to cut across her lawn to reach her quicker. I had to tell her what I’d said to Richard before she heard it from anyone else.
Bad idea.
My foot hit a slick patch of grass and I went down hard, my feet flying out from under me. I landed with a thud, the wind momentarily knocked out of me, and the rain continued its relentless assault. I groaned, both from the pain and the sheer embarrassment. This day was shit. I should have never left my damn house.
Piper rushed over, her concern evident even through the curtain of rain. “Ren! Are you okay?” she called, her voice cutting through the storm.
I tried to muster some dignity as I pushed myself up, wincing at the mud caking my hands and clothes. “Yeah, just perfect,” I muttered, flinching in pain as I stood up. “Never fucking better.” The gravity of the situation and the pain were momentarily forgotten as my annoyance and grumpiness surged to the forefront. I had trouble deciding what was more irritating—the rain or the fact that Piper had to see me like this.
“Oh my god, you’re all muddy!”
“Yeah, thanks for pointing that out,” I drawled, trying to brush off some of the mud. “I slipped.”
Piper extended a hand to help me up, her grip strong and steady despite my awkwardness. “Come on, let’s get you cleaned up. You can’t stay out here in the rain forever.”
As much as my pride protested, I let her help me to my feet. Once I was up, she took my hand and walked me to my house and damn it, I let her.
Once inside, the warmth from the heater started to seep into my cold, wet bones, and I sighed with a mixture of relief and exhaustion.
“Where’s your bathroom?” She demanded.
I grunted and pointed toward the hallway. With an amused side eye, she tugged me toward it, shoving the door open and yanking me inside. “Sit,” she ordered, pointing at the edge of the tub.
I sat. This bossy side of her was intriguing and weirdly, also kind of hot.
She handed me a towel, and I began to dry myself off, shivering slightly. “Thanks,” I muttered, feeling a bit sheepish.
She nodded, her eyes filled with a mixture of concern and amusement. “You look like you’ve had a rough day.”
“You could say that,” I replied, running the towel over my hair.
“Take a shower. I’ll be in your living room, and then we’ll examine your hands and elbows. You’re bleeding.”
I glanced down at my hands and elbows, noticing the streaks of blood for the first time. “I'm bleeding?” I murmured, more to myself than to Piper. The realization hit me like a ton of bricks, and suddenly the dull throbbing in my hands intensified, transforming into a sharp, stinging pain. “Shit,” I exclaimed, instinctively clutching my hands together.
“I know. That has to hurt. Go wash up, get warm. I’ll wait.”
“Thanks. But I can take it from here. You don’t have to take care of me. I’ll be okay.”
“All right. If you’re sure?”
“Yeah, I’m sure. I got this. Thank you for helping me up. I’ll be okay.”
“Of course. I’ll see you later.”
She stepped out of the bathroom, closing the door behind her, and I turned the water on. I was freezing and fucking miserable. I stepped in with a huge sigh.
The hot water cascaded over me, washing away the grime and blood, and the warmth began to soothe my aching muscles. I stood there for a while, letting the steam envelop me, feeling the tension slowly ebb.
My mind wandered to the day's events, the chaos with Richard, the rain, the fall, and how Piper's presence in my home felt right. I liked her here. Her assertiveness was strangely comforting and only a little bit embarrassing.
When I’d used up all the hot water, I turned off the shower, dried myself off, and stepped back into the hallway, feeling slightly more human.
Piper was waiting in the living room with a small first aid kit on the coffee table.
“It’s later,” she said with a smirk. “Do not argue with me. I can see your elbow, and you can’t. Trust me, you need my help.”
My mouth fell open, and suddenly I was acutely aware that I was wearing only a towel.
“Piper, I—” I began to protest, but she silenced me with a look.
“Sit down,” she said firmly. “You need to be taken care of.”
I hesitated for a moment before dropping onto the couch beside her. Piper's presence had a way of making me feel both vulnerable and safe at the same time. It was a strange duality. What was also strange was that I did what she said. No one told me what to do.
She grabbed the first aid kit and began to clean my wounds with a gentle yet determined touch. The antiseptic stung, making me wince, but she was quick and efficient, moving with a grace that belied the sternness in her voice from before.
Her focus was unwavering, her hands steady as she worked. I couldn't help but feel a sense of gratitude for her assertiveness, for her willingness to step in and take control when I was too weary to do so myself. I was just going to go to bed and change the sheets if I got blood on them.
After wrapping the bandages around my hands and elbows, she leaned back and inspected her work. “There,” she said, a hint of satisfaction in her tone. “You’ll be right as rain. Pun intended.” Her laughing eyes met mine for a moment, and I smiled.
After she finished tidying up the first aid kit, I noticed her gaze lingering on me a bit longer than usual. Her eyes traveled from my elbow to my shoulders, and I could see a faint blush creeping across her cheeks. She quickly averted her gaze, but the moment didn’t escape me. It was a subtle sign that she found me attractive, and it made me feel—it exhilarated me, which also kind of freaked me out.
“Thanks,” I mumbled, pulling the towel tighter around myself. Piper’s eyes flicked back to me, and for a fraction of a second, I saw a mix of embarrassment and something else—something that made my pulse quicken.
Was this a sign that she maybe wanted more with me? More than just friendship and a few fake dates?
She cleared her throat, trying to regain her composure. “Ummm, so, yeah. Just keep the wounds clean, you know what to do.”
“I do. So, listen. I need to tell you something before you go. I ran into your ex today. Lucy was there too, and her llama, which is weird, but okay.”
“Yeah, I had a run-in with Dana recently, too. I suspect they might be planning to steal my bakery out from under me.” She shook her head; it seemed like she was resigned to the fact that they would keep messing with her, and— no , not under my watch.
I was immediately incensed, angrier than I was after my encounter with Richard before. “I do not like him,” I all but growled. “He’s too free about running his fucking mouth about you. We need to be seen together. Tonight.”
“What?” Her eyebrows shot to her hairline. Clearly, she was not used to someone who was ready to throw down for her.
“What’s his favorite place in town?” I demanded.
“The Pennywhistle,” she answered breathlessly, with her eyes big. “He’s addicted to their burgers.”
“Good. That’s our place now. Go home. Put on something pretty. I’m taking you to dinner. I’ll pick you up in ten minutes.”
“Um.” She shrugged lightly, “If you want pretty, I’ll need at least twenty.”
I allowed myself another good look at her, sitting prim and proper on my couch, wearing another sexy as fuck caftan—this one in a red silky material that I wanted to feel against my skin. My skin, which I was becoming increasingly aware of, was mostly exposed.
“We can leave right now for pretty, golden girl. But I doubt you want to go out wearing that caftan.”
“Oh.” She turned bright red. “Right.”
I watched her, taking in every detail—the curve of her neck, the way her hair fell softly around her shoulders. The light in her eyes that seemed to dance with every thought and emotion.
I wanted to be near her.
My pulse quickened, and my heart raced with feelings I hadn’t experienced in far too many years to count.
She had taken care of me—insisted on it.
Didn’t listen to my bullshit and bandaged me up. So, I was sure as fuck going to protect her from that motherfucker spreading bullshit about her around town.
“I’ll see you in twenty minutes. Okay?” I said softly.
“Okay,” she murmured.