Chapter 2 #2
She patted his hand. “I’m not you, mijo. I’m not on television and in magazines and simply waiting for the next beautiful eligible person to walk by.”
“I’m not waiting for anyone.”
“You don’t need to wait.” She wagged her finger. “I’m sure Victoria would take you back.”
“That’s not happening.” Emilio wanted nothing to do with his ex, even though the breakup still ate at him. Not because he
was heartbroken. It was because he wasn’t heartbroken. What did that say about him? They’d been together for two years. And he felt nothing. Was he broken? Too fixated
on his job? He didn’t have time to analyze his feelings.
“But she’s so perfect for you. Beautiful and smart. And she’s already part of your world. That’s no small thing.”
Isabel opened the door and poked her head inside. “I’m heading up to the PR office to do some work, but I wanted to let you
know that I haven’t heard back from the dog sitting service yet. If they get back to me, I’ll text you.”
“I hope we hear something soon.” Emilio slid his mother a look—she’d refused to watch Gus for even five minutes. She “wasn’t
an animal person,” whatever that was supposed to mean. “I hate having to worry about Gus. And I really need to focus on the
race.”
Piper Murphy and her dad, Josh, were glued to her phone, watching the end of Formula One qualifying while standing between
two racks of clearance wedding dresses at Moondance Bridal. Piper’s sister Gabby, the bride-to-be, was due to emerge from
the dressing room in her gown any second now. As much as Piper adored her sister, she had some real existential dread about
that moment. She was thankful to have the distraction of her favorite sport, especially when watching with her dad.
“I have a feeling Lockford’s going to set the fastest time again. Just like he did in Saudi Arabia,” Piper said. The final
minutes of the session were winding down.
“It’s not over ’til it’s over.” Josh was the king of dad-isms.
And just like that, Brett Lockford whizzed across the finish line, set the fastest time and secured pole position. Brett was
neither Piper’s favorite driver, nor her dad’s, so it was disappointing.
“Ugh. I’m sick of him this season.” Piper couldn’t stand to watch, so she turned off the livestream and tucked her phone into
her bag. “He’s winning everything. He’ll probably win again tomorrow. I wish he wasn’t running away with it. I’d like a little
intrigue.”
“It was like this last season with Emilio Baquero. He won nearly every race, didn’t he?” Josh stuffed his hands into the pockets
of his tan cargo shorts. “I don’t remember you ever getting sick of him winning.”
Piper felt the color rise in her cheeks. She liked a lot of the drivers, but Emilio was one of her favorites. So no, she never
got tired of seeing him win, but that was only because it was so exciting to watch him drive. It was also exciting to watch
him take off his helmet and run his hand through his epic head of hair. And walk around the paddock with his race suit hanging
from his waist, showing off his unbelievable chest and shoulders. “That’s different. Emilio’s an exciting driver. Brett Lockford
is boring. He’s like dry toast.”
“Tell me how you really feel, kiddo.”
“Are you two done over there? Gabby will be out of the dressing room any minute,” her mother, Willa, called. “Honestly. Watching
car racing in the middle of a bridal shop. It’s embarrassing.”
Her dad stepped up behind her mom, placed both hands on her shoulders and leaned down to kiss the top of her head. “This is
how Piper and I bond. You know that.”
“And our middle daughter is getting married,” her mom countered. “Perhaps we all need to set aside our personal wants and
focus on Gabby.”
Piper sucked in a cleansing breath. She’d had her fill of Gabby’s wedding preparations. It was all their entire family talked
about anymore. “Formula One helps me decompress. I had a very unruly client this morning.” Piper plopped down on the white
velvet settee next to her mom.
Her mom flicked at her phone screen. As one of the top-selling real estate agents in their quaint Florida beachside enclave
of Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, Willa was always working. Not that Piper could complain. Piper had her own devotion to her job.
Aside from her family, it was the glue keeping her life together.
“Client?” her mom asked. “Honey, I have clients. You work with dogs. Dogs are not clients.”
Funny, but Mikey the Australian shepherd sure felt like a client. He was that big of a pain in the ass. Piper wasn’t sure
he’d ever grow out of his puppy phase.
“I’ll never understand how you work with dogs all day,” her mom continued, directing her attention to Piper. Her blond hair,
a near match for Piper’s, was getting that telltale midafternoon Florida frizz. “You must get so bored. No one to talk to.
That’s why I love real estate. I talk to people morning, noon and night. It energizes me. Maybe you should try it.”
Piper recoiled. Interacting with other humans all day? That would drain Piper of her life force. She’d be nothing but a shell.
A husk. She could handle a few people, spread out over hours, but Piper would never be cut out for a job built on human interaction. She shook her head,
wishing her mom wasn’t so mystified by her career of dog care—walking, sitting and at-home grooming. Whatever Fido & Friends,
the agency she worked for, asked her to do. “Dogs are very good listeners, and they love unconditionally.” Which was more
than Piper could say about most people.
“Dog was your first word. It was so cute,” Josh said.
“I was never convinced. I thought for sure you were saying dad,” Willa countered.
“There was a distinct ‘g’ sound, Wills.”
Willa shrugged. “If you say so.”
True or not, it meant a lot that her dad’s version of Piper’s history told a story that said dogs were more important than
he was. He’d always been a very selfless person.
“Everywhere we went, you wanted to say hi to all the dogs,” he said. “They all loved you.”
“We had two different strays follow us home,” her mom added.
“You guys should get another dog,” Piper said.
Her mom and dad both looked at each other. Her dad swallowed so hard she could see his Adam’s apple bob up and down.
“We could never replace Ozzy. He was the best dog ever,” Josh said.
Piper’s eyes welled up. Ozzy had been her childhood dog, and she missed him like crazy. Her dad wasn’t wrong, but it had been
nearly four years.
Sharon, Moondance Bridal’s resident seamstress, poked her head out of the fitting room with narrow reading glasses at the
end of her nose. “Are we ready for the big reveal?”
Piper’s stomach lurched. She and Sharon had history. As in Sharon had helped Piper with her own wedding dress, the one she
bought but never wore. That was nearly two years ago, and Piper was a good eighteen months clear of her broken engagement
now, but it still stung. The sense of failure still loomed overhead. Her pride hadn’t fully healed. More than anything, she
was still nagged by the question, “Why wasn’t I enough?” Being dumped and having your entire life turned upside down did that
to a person.
“Yes.” Willa popped up from her seat. “I can’t wait.”
“Let me see my beautiful girl.” Her dad stepped out from behind the settee.
Piper also stood, wondering why she’d ever thought she could handle this. I’ll be fine, she’d stupidly said to Gabby when she’d asked. I care more about your big day than what happened to me. Now her stomach was rolling like a hurricane was on the way.
“Here she is, the bride—” Sharon started.
“Sharon. Please.” Gabby unceremoniously stepped out from behind the curtain and pushed past Sharon. She was not sentimental.
Not like Piper and her dad. “It’s just my parents and my sister.”
Piper, Josh and Willa all gasped when Gabby came into full view. She looked stunning. Still, for Piper, it was way too much
like looking into a mirror. The three kids—Piper, Gabby and Meghan—all looked alike. Gabby’s dress was different from Piper’s,
but otherwise . . . this was a redo of her final fitting. Piper wasn’t even occupying her own body, tangled in the memory
of smiling at her own reflection, filled with butterflies and hopes for what she thought would be her new life. Kyle broke
it off that night over dinner.
Piper fought the tears welling in her eyes. Stop thinking about it, she admonished herself, but just as quickly self-corrected. You’re standing in a bridal shop watching your sister model her wedding dress. Of course this is bringing up bad feelings.
There’s no way it wouldn’t. You’re okay. You’re safe. A lot of therapy had gone into being able to think that.
Willa rushed forward as Gabby lifted the hem of her dress and stepped up onto the pedestal. “It’s perfect, honey.”
“You’re pretty as a picture,” Josh said.
Gabby swished the skirt back and forth. “I love the way it turned out.” She made eye contact with Piper through the mirror.
“Thoughts?”
“You look like one of those old-school wedding cake toppers.”
Gabby’s lips formed a hard, thin line. “Plastic and fake?”
Dammit, Piper probably should’ve thought that one over before she’d said it. “I only mean that you look classic. Perfect.
I can’t imagine you looking any more perfect.”
Gabby’s shoulders dropped. “Really?”
Piper nodded eagerly, sniffling and wiping away a tear.
“Aww. Thanks. I’m sorry. I’m wound a little tight right now.”
A little tight? Her sister had the patience of a blood-thirsty mosquito. “It’s okay.”
“There’s just so much to do and the wedding is only five weeks away.”
“Don’t you worry about any of that.” Their mom fussed over the train on the dress. “Your sisters and I are on it.”
“Don’t forget me,” their dad added. “This wedding is a Murphy family affair.”
Such was the case with all goings-on in their family. They were a tight unit. Unfailingly there for each other. But Piper