26. Jedd #2
I step forward and kneel down in front of Piper before pulling her into my arms. She squeezes me so tight her arms shake with the effort.
I rub soothingly at her back as she cries.
“I’m sorry, Pip. I didn’t mean to make you cry.” My heart breaks for this little girl. “You have me. You have me and Andy, Pip. You will always have us. I might not be your dad, but I will go to every dance with you. I will be there for you—promise.”
Andy leans down and wraps her arms around us, and we sit on the floor of Piper’s room and comfort each other.
The sound of a fire siren comes from the front of the house, accompanied by the flashing red and blue lights of Harlan’s cruiser.
When I called my brothers in to assist, they went all out. Rhett borrowed the old fire truck that the station recently replaced, Harlan brought the sheriff’s SUV. All five of my brothers—and now me—are dressed in suits waiting for Andy to finish helping Piper get ready.
I might not be Piper’s father, but I can take my girl to a dance.
My brothers apparently had the same thought because we’re all taking Piper to the dance. Rhett and I will take Piper in the fire truck, while the rest of my brothers follow in the sheriff’s SUV.
The door to Andy’s room opens, and Piper steps through. Her hair is pulled into some sort of fancy updo, some of her curls spilling out around the glimmering headband Andy fastened there.
Rhett and Finch immediately fall to their knees and bow repeatedly. “We’re not worthy,” they chorus together.
Boone grins at Piper. “You look absolutely gorgeous, Pip.”
Duke kneels. He opens the corsage box that he got from Filly Lillies on his way here and wraps the band around her wrist. Then he presses a kiss to her cheek. “Hey there, pretty girl,” he whispers before standing up, and Piper blushes.
Harlan kisses her other cheek before hugging her. “You okay, squeaker?” he asks, and she nods.
My dad crouches down before pulling Piper into his arms. “Don’t you just look like a vision,” he says while hugging her. “I don’t think we’re dressed up enough for her. She’s out fancied us.”
Jem and Maisie laugh. Andy shakes her head.
“Are you all going with me?” Piper asks, wonder in her tone.
Dad nods. “You betcha. You don’t think we’d let you have all the fun without us, did you?”
Andy wipes her sleeve across the corner of her eye, and I have to bite my lip to stop my eyes from watering at the absolutely radiant smile that breaks out across her face.
My family is so fucking awesome.
“Uncle Rhett brought the firetruck for us to ride in. We couldn’t get a limo on short notice,” I say with a wink.
“Oh, holy …” Piper stops and then looks at Andy. “Aunt Andy, can I use an adult word?”
Andy laughs and nods.
Piper’s arms shoot in the air. “Holy shit! This is so cool. Thank you so much.”
Rhett elbows Harlan. “See, you should have been a fireman like me, girls like my big … truck.” He coughs the last word when Maisie elbows him in the side.
She steps forward and fingers one of the curls framing Piper’s face, tucking it behind her ears. “Your Uncle Harlan brought the sheriff’s car too. See, he’s got the lights going so he can escort you.”
Piper looks around uncertainly before turning to Andy.
“Can Uncle Jedd take me in Bocephus?”
Andy looks at me and I ask, confused. “You don’t want to ride in the truck?”
Piper shakes her head. “Ben and Sophie don’t have a daddy either. I don’t want them to feel bad that I have all of you, but …”
My heart breaks one more time. “Are Ben and Sophie your friends?”
“Cassie’s kids,” Finch says. When I look at him, the muscle in his jaw is clenched. “They’re in the same grade as Piper.”
“Cassie isn’t their mom. She’s their cousin,” Piper says.
“Cassie’s cousin passed away and she took custody of them,” Finch explains.
Andy looks at me.
But before I can say anything else Finch steps forward. “That’s very kind of you to think about your friends, Piper. How about this? We’ll swing by and pick up Ben and Sophie in the truck so they can ride with us, and we’ll dance with them tonight too.”
Andy touches my arm. “Can I talk to you in the kitchen really quick?”
I nod and follow her through the house as the guys start to plan how to pick up the kids before we head to the school.
We round the corner into the kitchen, and before I can say anything Andy pushes me against the wall, her mouth finding mine in a kiss fathoms deep.
I do my best to keep up, but the blood drains from my head so fast I get lightheaded and suddenly have an erection harder than steel punching my zipper.
The kiss is over before I can get my bearings and Andy’s eyes are tear-filled when she looks up at me.
“How did you know?” she asks.
I reach up and cradle her face in my palm. “School calendar. I checked it last month to make sure that I had the dates of winter break off so I can help you with Piper since you’re usually busy as fuck. Saw the event post on the school website.”
“And you did all of this? Why didn’t you say anything?”
I shrug. “Wanted to make sure that I could pull it off. I don’t ever want to let her down,” I say.
She sniffs and nods. “Thank you.”
She could be thanking me for taking Piper to the dance, but I think it’s more than that.
Still, I say, “You’re welcome, Mischief.”
She leans her head against me, and I wrap my arms around her, taking the floral scent of her hair into me as I hold her close.
“You’re also going up the mountain to the resort with the girls. Me and the guys booked you all massages and manicures.”
She leans back, an amused gleam entering her eyes.
“Jedidiah Calhoun, could you be any more perfect?”
I shake my head. “I don’t care about being perfect. I just want to be perfect for you.”