15. Chapter 15
Chapter 15
Piper
I ’m smack in the middle of studying for exams when I hear a knock at the front door. Then Jade’s voice in sort of a singsong saying good morning.
“Hey, good morning. You ready to get started?”
“Yes, I am. I’ve got one more exam to write and I’m outta there for the summer.” She gushes.
“Tell me about it. I’ve got two next week and I’m done, too. For good.”
“God, I’m so jealous!”
“Hey, you’ve only got one more year to go, you’ll make it.”
She waves. “Oh, I know that. I just...I want to get on with my life, and being in school makes me feel like it’s on hold.”
I lift a brow. “What’s the rush?”
Jade shrugs. “No rush. Geez, Crystal said the same thing.”
“Well, it’s valid. Enjoy your youth while you can.”
She waves. “As if you and Crystal are so far ahead of me. It’s just a year, you know.”
“I know.” I push my book away for a moment, while I watch her start picking things up off the floor. “But still. Sometimes I wish my life would slow down. It feels like just yesterday I started college.”
“I can’t wait for it to be over.”
“Why? Have you got a job lined up?”
“No, but I have a million ideas for opening a business.”
“Yeah?” I smile, impressed. “What are they?”
“Well, ever since I started coming here to Copper Cove, I don’t know...I just can’t help but think that there are so many more opportunities for a small business here.”
“Like, what sort of small business?”
“You know how I’m all over the natural body sprays and stuff, right?”
I nod. “Yeah? Something like that?”
“Well, I’ve been making my own for a while, and I just need somewhere to start. I’ve been giving them away at school so people can test them, and so far, they’re loving it. I’ve even made some natural household cleansers to try here.”
“No kidding? How come you never told me?”
“I had a bit of imposter syndrome. I didn’t even tell Crystal. I just told some friends and that’s it.”
“Well, I’d be happy to help however I can, you just let me know.”
“You’ve already helped me here, Piper. I mean, you got me a job, for now, anyway. And it’s somewhere where I can test out my products, and mama and daddy won’t chide me.”
“They were chiding you?”
She shrugs. “Well, they won’t even let me get a part-time job like everyone else. The only reason why they let me work here is because of you. They shelter me so much. It’s crazy. I’m afraid of what’s going to happen when they find out what I’ve been up to.”
I lift a brow. “What have you been up to? Is this something to do with the fact that Blair’s hand was up your skirt last night?”
She blushes. “It was not.”
“You’re a worse liar than Crystal. I saw it. Billy saw it. And the look on both of your faces said that you weren’t making a huge effort to hide it, either.”
“Well, that’s because the only people I want to hide it from is my folks.” She says, matter-of-factly. “I mean, you’d give me your blessing, right?”
“Honey, no offence, but you’ve never asked for my blessing before, with all the dudes you made it with in school.”
“Yeah, but they weren’t like Blair. Blair’s a man .”
“No kidding. He’s got at least seven, eight years on you, doesn’t he?”
She frowns and shrugs. “Six. Besides, Billy’s five years older than you, so I don’t see the difference.”
I’m deadpan. “And you assume that we’re romantic?”
A wave and a scoff. “Please. You’d have to be blind not to see it, Piper. The looks, the closeness, it’s very evident. Plus, you’re living with him. I mean, come on.”
I go for offended. “I’m living with him because I haven’t got any place else to go!”
She gives me a look. Her tone is half amused, half argumentative. “ Now who’s the shitty liar?”
With a huff, I try to hide my smile, as I go back to the books. “Whatever. Just wait and see what happens. See if I promote your business out here with that attitude.”
“Oh, stop being a big baby. So I figured you out. It’s no different than anyone else. It’s no secret that you two are sweet on each other.”
“And what are you going to do about Blair, huh? Is this just a fling or are you in it for the long haul with him?”
“I really don’t know. It’s too early to tell. We only met last night, Piper.” She tells me, like I’m an idiot.
“Has it only been a day?”
“Yes. Just like it’s only been days since you lived here with Mister Perfect.”
Now it’s my turn to give her a look. “You should get to work. Or I’ll tell your new boss that you’re slacking off.”
She’s not impressed. “I thought you were my new boss.”
“Keep it up and I’ll tell your mama and daddy what you’re up to with Blair.”
She guffaws as she pulls her keys out of her pocket. “Like they’d believe you. They think that I’m the perfect virgin daughter, just like my sister.”
“Where are you going?” I ask as she walks away from me.
“To get my stuff out of the car. How do you think I’m going to clean this place? With my bare hands?”
“Fine.” I huff. I don’t even really know why I’m irritated. I think it’s my hormones. I can’t wait to shove everyone out the door so that I can have Billy all to myself. I feel like a lovesick teenager, and I might as well be. Jade sure is. She returns a minute later with a bucket full of homemade cleaning products, and a backpack on her shoulder. After she sets down the backpack, she rifles through it and tosses me a large Ziploc bag full of what looks like hand labelled plastic bottles.
“Here. Try these.”
“What’s this?” I ask, taking a closer look.
“It’s what we were just talking about. It’s some products I’ve made.”
“You made them at home?”
“No, at the Playboy Mansion. What do you think?”
“And your daddy let you do that?”
“Why not? I made a couple of things for men, too.”
“Really? Are some in here, too?” I’m impressed.
“Sure. If you trust me, you can give a few to your man, put in a good word.”
I open one of the bottles of what looks like moisturizer. It smells like vanilla. Good enough to eat. “Say, it’s a good thing you’re taking business in school. You’re going to need some know-how for this.”
“Exactly. That’s one of the reasons why I took it. I just didn’t say anything because I figured you’d all laugh at me.”
“Why would anyone laugh at you, Jade? Gosh, you’ve always had some kind of entrepreneurial flare. You’re the only one I know that makes your own makeup.”
“That’s because I couldn’t afford to buy it.”
“Doesn’t matter. You did it.”
“Yeah, and I’m using the same recipe for my products.”
“Exactly. Good for you. I’m proud of you.”
She smiles. “Thanks. My granddaddy used to make everything, and mama kept all the recipes, so I had a head start. We should get down to it, though. I’ve got a lot of work to do before I get out of here today.”
“And I’ve got a lot of studying to do. Let me know what else I can do to help you out, okay?”
She nods. “Sure.”
We’re silent for a while, as she cleans happily, with her own products, and I study and tie up a few loose ends on an assignment. Before I know it, I’m knee deep in studying, and she salutes me goodbye. “I’ll see you next week, if not sooner.”
“Sounds good. Smells great in here.” I say honestly. It’s a combination of lemon and some subtle spices.
“Thanks. Tell Billy I’ll give him some tips on how to spruce this place up once I give it a thorough deep cleaning.”
“Perfect. He’ll love it.” I smile and wink.
It’s another hour before I realize that I should go out to see my Aunt Kay. I promised her I’d come soon and soon is here. Billy comes in the door. Sweat pours down his brows and temples and it’s stained down his sides and chest, on his t-shirt. “Wow, this place looks great. I saw Jade leaving. Sorry I couldn’t get in to say hello.”
“Oh, that’s okay.” I wave, as he comes over and gives me a kiss on the mouth. “We’re both knee deep in studying.”
“Yeah, it looks like it. The stable is really coming along. You should come see it.”
“I will, but I have to go see my aunt right after.”
“Sounds good to me, darlin’. I’d offer to come with you, but I’ve got to get this stable up. Reggie’s coming tomorrow with the new horse.”
“No kidding? Oh, you must be so excited.”
He smiles. “I am. But if I don’t have him separated from Mazy and Sprout, there’s bound to be trouble.”
“Oh, are you afraid that they won’t get along?”
“Well, it’s just the opposite, love. It’s a male horse coming. A stud horse. And he’s going to be right raring to go after Mazy. So, we’ve got the stable separated into two pens for safety.”
“Are you going to breed them?”
“Sure am. If Sprout turns out to be half as much of a beaut as Mazy. But we won’t know for sure until I break him.”
I can’t help but chuckle. “But if you break him, won’t that defeat the whole process?”
He smiles and gives me a kiss. “You’re lucky you’re beautiful, sugar. I’ll see you later?” The promise in his eyes is palpable.
“You bet.”
“Piper? That you, darlin’?” Aunt Kay asks, but she always says that, even though she knows it’s me. The woman doesn’t need her sight since she’s got hearing akin to a hawk’s. She can tell who you are just by your gait, and by scent, too.
“It’s me.” I announce, walking into her open arms, giving her a hug.
“How’s school, baby?”
“Good. I’m almost done.”
I know that it’s time to tell her the truth. And not about Billy, either. Aunt Kay doesn’t know about the house, about me living in my car, however temporary, and of course, she doesn’t know that I’m now living with Billy, and madly in love with him. I hate dropping a bomb on her, but it’s much better this way, now that I’m settled and happy, for however short a time. If I was to tell her when I was living out of my car, it would have been much worse.
“Good. Good.” She looks great. Always does. Aunt Kay walks every day on her treadmill, listening to music, she attends so many groups and classes, keeps herself social. She’s the best. “So, tell me something new, something different.” This is her thing that helps her stay positive. We do this every time we see each other.
“Well, I got a job, and I got my friend Jade a job there, too.”
She’s impressed. Her pearly white teeth show as she smiles warmly. “That’s wonderful.”
“Yeah, and it’s good, because I’m not working for Hank anymore. Tina finally convinced him to give me the axe.”
She shakes her head. “Well, darlin’, it sounds like you’re better off without them. Tell me about this new job.”
“I’m working on a ranch. Well, it’s not quite a ranch yet, it’s a startup.”
She’s very impressed. “Oh, that’s right up your alley, Piper. Good for you.”
“It’s beautiful. You would love it. Billy’s building a larger ranch house for guests, and his horse just had a baby, and he’s got another horse being delivered tomorrow.” I know I’m rambling, but Aunt Kay is radiant with happiness, and I can’t help it.
“I’m so happy for you, sweetheart. If anyone on this earth deserves it, it’s you.”
“So, it’s your turn.” I prompt.
“Well, I met someone. A man.” She clarifies. “We’re just friends for now, but we’ll see what happens.”
My eyes widen. I’m giddy I’m so shocked. This, I did not expect. “Really? Well, I didn’t know that you were looking.”
“I wasn’t, love. We’ve known of each other for a while. I’ve heard about him here and there through my social club and some friends, too, but it was only just a week or two ago that he asked me to breakfast, and we went to lunch together yesterday. I’ve got a dinner date with him tonight.”
“A date?” I ask, impressed.
She smiles. “Yes, a date.”
“So, tell me about him.” I sit down, making myself comfortable. Aunt Kay rises and makes some tea. It’s crazy how she has her place set up so that she can find everything. If one didn’t know already, she could easily let her blindness slip by them. And she’s very gentle about asking for help, which is almost never.
“Well, we’re the same age, and he was born in El Paso, but he moved here to Dallas for work. He’s a teacher, and so sweet. He didn’t even know that I was blind until he asked me to tell him what number was on the ticket he picked up for the fifty-fifty draw they had at the social club.”
“And he didn’t get weird about it?”
“Well, he asked me out on a date, didn’t he?” She says, almost proud of herself.
“I guess you’re right.” I snuffle a laugh. Aunt Kay is such a happy person. I really hate to bring her down, but it’s time that I told her what really happened. She hands me my tea and sits across from me, on her small, two-seater kitchen table. The leaf on one side is let down, only to be brought up for special occasions. “Aunt Kay, I’ve got something to tell you.”
She takes a sip of her tea. I wait for her to swallow. “Piper, if this is about your folks’ house, I already know, darlin’.”
I stop breathing. “What?”
“Sweetheart, do you really think that I’ve gone all these years not talking to any of my sister’s neighbors?” She touches my hand. “Now, I know that y’all didn’t tell me because you don’t want me to worry, but darlin’, I really wish you would have. Now, are y’all staying with Jade and Crystal? Because I’ve got plenty of room. You could have stayed with me. ‘Lan sakes, you’re family. You’re not putting me out any.”
My eyes are downcast with shame. I leave out the part where I lived in my car for a month, but I figure that there’s no time like the present. “I’m living at the ranch, Aunt Kay. Where I’m working. Billy offered me a room for a hundred dollars a month and I couldn’t refuse.”
“Well, good on you, then. And this Billy is trustworthy?”
“It’s more him trusting me, Aunt Kay. It’s his ranch. His livelihood. Nothing I have is worth anything, other than what’s inside my head.” I pause. “I’m surprised mama’s neighbor didn’t have the goods on me already if she knew about the house.” I tut, irritated.
She dodges the comment. “Piper, nobody’s going to tell you how to live your life, honey, but just make sure that you know you’ve still got family. You don’t have to live anywhere y’all don’t feel comfortable living. It’s no mind to me if you need a place to stay.”
“So you knew.” I say flatly.
“Of course I knew, Piper. I just don’t understand why you didn’t tell me yourself. Come on, now, your mama and daddy had eyes on you all over. You know how they were, darlin’. Now, I feel bad for keeping this from you, but if you’d known that I knew already, then you wouldn’t have met this Billy person at all.”
And, once again, I’m reminded of how fast word travels in a small town. And they’re really good, too, since Aunt Kay doesn’t even live in Copper Cove. But, for some reason, I’m not bothered by this. The fact that Aunt Kay isn’t upset makes it all worthwhile to me. The last thing I’d ever want to do is hurt her. I decide to change the subject. “So, when do I get to meet this new man of yours?”
Her cheeks turn pink. “Oh, I don’t know, darlin’. I’ll have to ask him. Why don’t you come for lunch tomorrow, and I’ll see if he’s free. If not, then we can spend the time together, just you and me. Either way it’s a win.”
“Sounds good to me.” I say as she hands me her mail. That’s the only thing she really needs help with. After I separate my things from hers and help her pay her bills, I have lunch with her, and do some studying, while she knits, and then I head back to the ranch to do some work and to have dinner with Billy. They’re putting the shingles on the stable when I arrive. He sees me from up on the roof and smiles.
“You have a good time?” He asks, raising his voice over the hammering.
“I did. How’s it going?”
“You tell me, darlin’. We’ll be done by sundown.”
I notice that Cassidy has joined them, putting the finishing touches on the outside; like bolts and locks and things, while the Paxton boys are up with Billy on the roof. “You hungry?”
“Soon, love. Reggie’ll be here bright and early tomorrow.” He winks.
“Can I make you something?”
“Whatever you’re eating’s fine by me, doll. I’m not fussy. I’ll be in in another hour or so, I promise.”
Cassidy pipes up. “You can go in anytime, Billy. Blair’s coming over soon, too.”
“Naw, that’s okay, man. It wouldn’t be right.”
“It’s not right to leave a lady waiting, either.” Cassidy is matter-of-fact.
I interrupt, hand on my waist, tone direct. “Do I look that delicate to you?”
Cassidy tips his hat. “No, ma’am.”
“Good. I’ll make something for all of us. You boys eat when you’re ready.”
I overhear Cassidy mutter to Billy as I walk to the house. “Good woman you’ve got there.”
Billy concedes. “Don’t you forget it.”