by Eden Butler
“None of this shit matters now. I didn’t come out here to rehash the stupid shit I did. I know what I did.” Again, I rested my elbows on my knees and stared over her features, trying to see what was left in that face of the kid I’d left behind. “I know I caused all that damage to your granny’s office. I know I scared you and left you out on that street all alone to walk home by yourself because I was having a fit. I didn’t…protect you. I know I used you, and I’m sorry. I really am sorry.”
“And robbing Mr. Tillson…”
The guilt for that one was tied up in anger and rage I didn’t think I’d ever get rid of and was something Piper might not understand, but I didn’t want her knowing about that. Not just yet. “That’s another story for a different day and it has nothing to do with you.”
“Fine, Ed,” she said, standing off the fence, slipping her arms through the sleeves of my jacket. She didn’t look offended, but she still kept several feet between us.
I hated the distance. “Once, we were…we were friends. You listened to me when everything got too loud.”
Piper shot her gaze back up at that sky, but her attention seemed to be on me with how she tilted her head and bent her chin in my direction. “It was a long time ago.”
“Maybe, we can…” She jerked a look at me, sharp and suspicious and I lifted my hand, unable to keep the laugh out of my voice with how quickly her expression changed. “When you don’t hate me so much.”
Piper shook her head and the tension in her mouth eased. “Eddie Mescal, I feel a lot of things about your stubborn, irritating ass, but hate ain’t one of them.”
“Good.” The smile moved quick over my mouth, but Piper caught it. She rolled her eyes, head shaking again as we moved away from the fence and closer to the drum music still pumping from the house. “Will you let me buy you a beer?”
“Who you gonna pay?”
“My sister,” I said, my smile stretching. “Trust me, she’ll make me pay one way or another.”
The laugh Piper released was nice, did a lot to relax the worry I’d felt clawing at my chest the second I’d noticed her watching my cousins sing, but as we came closer to the party and I spotted her friend Sam Travis approaching, that ease got chipped away bit by bit, replaced with dread and irritation as the man looked from me to Piper, his top lip curling before he thinned his mouth to chase away any expression that might tell her what he thought of seeing us together.
“Be nice,” Piper said, ignoring the low grunt I released.
“Tell him to—” I shut up when Travis stopped us from reaching the party.
“Oh. Mescal. You finally decided to show.” He didn’t smile, didn’t offer me a greeting, but then he wouldn’t. Travis never had liked when any guys were anywhere near Piper Warren even though he swore they were only best friends. To hear Alex tell it, the guy was harmless. But I had a little sister. I knew when some asshole was sniffing and Sam Travis had been sniffing around Alex’s little sister for years.
“Travis,” I said.
Sam glanced at me, but otherwise pretended like I wasn’t there. Not like I cared. He was a weird guy, always had been, full of himself because his uncle was Sheriff Dexter and ran Midland like his own private syndicate There was no love lost between us.
He turned to Piper, hands in his pockets, body leaned toward her like he was comfortable, too comfortable standing near her. It was a subtle display, one that might advertise to any guy at this party Piper was spoken for if someone else did it. But Sam couldn’t pull off the alpha male shit. He didn’t have it in him.
“Listen,” he told Piper, “I’m beat, and I gotta be up early tomorrow to run the budget. You ready to go?”
“Oh…I think I’m gonna stay for a little bit.” Piper’s tone was light, friendly, but I spotted the disappointment in Sam’s face, how his expression instantly tensed. Piper seemed to as well and hurried to smooth over whatever had her friend frowning. “This will be the last time I get to see Alex and Evie before the wedding and I wanna go over a few things with them before the big day, but you don’t worry. It’s family stuff. Go on home and I’ll get a ride back with them.”
Whatever Travis said to her, I didn’t hear. I couldn’t keep my attention on anything but the changes in her. Piper Warren had been a scrawny, knock-kneed kid when I left two years ago. Part of my brain reminded me she’d probably be pissed for a while that I’d taken advantage of that crush she had on me. And I had. Had to admit that. Had no reservations about that back then. Hell, I’d even figured she’d been young enough she’d just hate me when it was over and the crush would have worn itself out. Wasn’t wrong about that one, was I? But now, hell. Now I saw she’d grown up. She was beautiful and smart and too damn good for any damn fool in this town. Too damn good for me. But Piper Warren was a light, bright and beautiful and I was getting drawn closer and closer to its warmth. Even if I didn’t want to be.
But as she spoke to Sam, the other part of my brain reminded me that two years was a long time. She wasn’t eighteen anymore. She was sweet and funny and full of energy. She was smart and beautiful and sharp as a tack. And for some reason, I couldn’t keep myself from wanting to keep talking to her, from making amends for the shit I’d pulled two years ago, from wanting to keep as much of her attention as she’d give me.
Sam walked away and Piper started to follow him but paused, shooting me a look over her shoulder, and I took the hint
“So…”
“Gotta ask for that ride,” she said, shrugging, as though I should follow, but she’d never tell me as much. It was a red flag daring a bull to charge forward without more than a glance. I took the bait and suddenly understood why Sam had followed Piper around like a puppy since they were kids.
Sophie and Chrissy had luckily abandoned Alex and Evie by the time we returned to the table and Piper seemed to have no problem interrupting the pending newlyweds as they made out in the middle of the party.
“Can you not?” she said, knocking their chair as she slid into the spot across from them.
“They do this a lot?” I asked her, taking the seat at her side as my sister sat up and pushed Alex’s hand off her ass.
“It’s a little obnoxious, actually,” Piper said, rolling her eyes.
“Everything…okay?” Alex didn’t bother to be subtle as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
“You apologize?” Evie frowned when I shrugged.
“I’m behaving.”
“That’s debatable,” Piper said, but with a grin behind the beer she took from her brother.
Looking around the table, Evie asked, “Where are Sophie and Chrissy?” When I shrugged, my kid sister sighed, like I’d committed some kind of cardinal sin. “Really, Ed? I was trying to set you up.”
“With who?”
She shrugged, turning as she adjusted on Alex’s lap. “Either one. They’re not picky. They like you and you’ve been gone a long time. I figured you’d want to…”
“You can stop right there.”
“But I thought…”
“No,” I told her, settling back against the chair, giving a half second consideration to my two beer maximum before I squashed the idea, “you didn’t. I’m not interested in your friends.” At my side Piper grinned, slipping her hair behind her ear and I leaned forward. “They’re…not my type.”
Piper slid her gaze to me, but looked away before anyone took notice, and I was grateful. She wasn’t smiling, didn’t seem eager to strike up much of a conversation, but her frozen demeanor had thawed somewhat. Staring at her, the need to make her smile became a niggling voice, something that stuck in my head and wouldn’t get quiet.
“You want something stronger?” I might not drink much, but I knew where the good stuff was. I took her non-committal shrug as confirmation enough before I slipped into the kitchen to grab a bottle of Tasso’s bourbon from the cabinet above the fridge. I barely had the second glass poured before my sister was behind me, jabbing her finger into my side.
“Ow…”
“The hell are you up to?”
“Nothing…shit…”
“You leave her alone,” she told me, taking the bottle from the counter for a quick swig. “That woman has had enough shit without you coming back to mess with her head.”
“I’m not messing with anything.” I jerked the bottle away from her before she could get another shot and finished filling the glass. “I’m just fixing her a drink. Shit, Choady, you wanted me to make things right. I apologized. This,” I said, holding up the glass, “is just part of that apology. Calm down.”
My kid sister eyed me, her expression tight as I moved to her side. “You better not mess up my wedding or my new sister’s life.”
“Would I do that?”
“Hell yes!”
She followed me back outside and I slid the glass in front of Piper, nodding when she thanked me as Evie sat on Alex’s lap, the bourbon still in her hand.
“Nice,” Alex said, eyeing the bottle.
I cocked an eyebrow at my sister after Piper took my toast and shot the bourbon. Evie knew that look. I’d given it to her a hundred times when she was a kid. The warning was my way of telling my sister to keep her thoughts to herself, but that didn’t mean I’d get my way.
“So, Ed,” Alex started, and I was grateful that the man broke up the tension, “what are you gonna do now that you’re back?”
Looking away from my sister, I watched her man, and relaxed against my chair. “Not sure yet. Guess I’ll work with Tasso…and you.”
“Not me.” He smiled, holding Evie around the waist and she fell back against his chest. “Not for at least a couple of weeks.” My sister’s smile was wide and they both hummed, like the idea of whatever was happening in that two weeks was a dream come true. “We’re off on a cruise to the Bahamas. Been saving for six months.”
“Nice. Okay, well when you get back…”
“Two weeks?” Piper interrupted, sitting up, her hand against the table, her voice loud and panicked. “Like…immediately after the wedding?” When Evie nodded, the color in Piper’s face went paper pale. “Oh God…”
“Shit,” Alex said, pushing Evie to one leg as he sat up. “I thought you realized…”
“I mean I knew it was coming, but…I just assumed it wouldn’t be immediately after the wedding.” She rubbed her face, looking sick. “You have it all paid for already?”
Alex released a long exhale as Evie patted his hand. “We haven’t spent much on anything but the wedding and our honeymoon, sis. You know that. Hell…it…it can’t wait?”
Piper dropped her shoulders and scrubbed her fingers into her hair. “The investors want to get things started before the end of the month. I thought you knew that.”
“What’s going on?” I asked, hating the way Piper screwed her face up so tight and how Alex’s features had gone from utter bliss to sheer panic in a matter of seconds.
“Piper and Sam are opening a B&B,” Evie said, patting Alex’s hand.
“The old Dickens place on Fifth and Everest? The Victorian,” Alex said.
“You bought that?” I asked Piper, impressed.
“I had a nest egg from…Granny’s will, and always loved that place.” Her features tightening at the mention of her grandmother’s name as she refocused her attention on her brother. “You think Mr. Mescal could…”
“He’s getting up there, sis. I’ve been handling most of the jobs.” Then Alex slipped his gaze to me. “Unless you…”
“What’s the job?”
“No,” Piper said, head shaking when her brother leaned forward.
“Don’t be pigheaded.”
“Listen, if you’re in a bind…” I tried, shutting my mouth at her frown.
“I’m not.” The words came out in a rush, all bravado and confidence, and I got that this might be a new trait Piper had picked up since I’d been gone. But I wouldn’t call her on it and I damn sure wouldn’t push.
Instead, I leaned back, shooting a look to my kid sister, then to Alex, wondering if he ever got as annoyed with Piper as I did with Evie.
The hell was I talking about? It was in the damn sibling rule book. ‘Course he did.
“Tasso is too old,” Alex said, stretching out a leg, his expression easy, but serious. “And I love you, sis, but there’s no way in hell I’m gonna cancel a trip Evie and I’ve been planning for months. Especially not my honeymoon.”
When Piper leaned back, shooting a look up at the sky, Alex caught my gaze, his head shaking, and I knew what the look he gave me meant.
My sister was a stubborn ass. It was the same kind of expression I knew I made anytime Evie did something that got under my skin. But this time, she was coming to the rescue.
“It would be a shame,” Evie said, looking at Alex as she spoke.
“What would be, baby?”
“All that time Piper spent convincing the bank and your father that she could run the B&B and let’s not forget all those jackasses with the city that tried to convince her not take on such a big project herself.”
Alex whistled, shutting his eyes as a thought seemed to come over him. “I can still hear my ears rattling from the cursing she did at Mr. Wilson when he asked her if she was sure she knew wanted to buy the place when he did the inspection.”
Evie winced and both she and her man avoided the glare Piper shot their way.
“If you two are finished…”
“I’m just saying,” Evie continued, “it would be such a shame proving all those jackasses right before you even got things going just because of your…” She motioned toward me, “thing with my brother.”
“There is no thing with your brother.” The vein along Piper’s neck pulsed, and I tried to pretend not to notice how she shook her foot as she crossed her arms, chewing on her thumbnail. “The timing is just…”
“What’s that, sis?” Alex said, tilting his head toward Piper, but she rolled her eyes, muttering under her breath before she turned toward me.
“It’s a lot of damn work,” she said, the attitude still thick in her tone. “Complete gut. We’d need to do everything top to bottom. It’s been demoed. Now we’re starting to renovate.” When her brother did a piss poor job of covering his laugh under a half-hearted cough, Piper jerked a look his way, then shook her head, facing me again. “And it’ll just be until Alex gets back. Not a second longer than that. If…you, are up to it.”
She didn’t smile. Piper didn’t beg, but even that lowering pout was still beautiful. Damn, she could be dangerous, and I bet she had no idea. Piper let her eyes go wide as she watched me and there was so much reserved anticipation caught up in the look she gave me. One word from me could crush her and I got the feeling she expected that. I’d been a disappointment to her in the past, and I owed her. How could I say no? The thought would never flit through my head.
Her fingers curled into fists, and I hated the tightness in her knuckles. I didn’t think, didn’t hesitate at all when I reached her hand, flattening that fist against the table. Something electric, something warm zipped through my skin at the touch. She shifted her gaze, not recoiling from my fingers on her knuckles, not scared or angry. Hell, I knew right then there wasn’t much I’d refuse her, and I’d probably do anything to bring that pretty smile back to her face.
“No problem, yázhí,” I said, not knowing where the pet name came from. It wasn’t really something you said to a girl you were sweet on, but it seemed to fit Piper. When I glanced at my sister, she moved her eyebrows up, and that same knowing look, the one that told me she was catching up to things I didn’t want her to know about moved over her face. “I got you,” I told Piper, ignoring my sister’s expression and her man’s grateful nod.
“Uh…well…thanks,” she said, exhaling like she’d been holding a breath. She twisted her hand to pat once against my knuckles. That zip was like a bolt of electricity now as I leaned forward to grip her fingers with my free hand and got a clearer hint of that sweet rosemary and mint
scent.
“Think nothing of it.” But I did. I thought of a million things right then. Impossible things. Things I thought I’d never want for myself. Mainly I thought how much effort if was going to take not to kiss Piper Warren.
Eddie
One Week Later
Traditions were sacred. Even when the world asked for you to move faster, loosen your grip on those old and antiquated things that made you different, those traditions kept you grounded. My sister’s wedding was heavy with tradition. Her man was not Navajo, but we were, and those sacred traditions might one day be the thing that reminded Evie and Alex that their marriage wouldn’t end with this life. It went on. Being married in ceremony committed them to each other in every life they would have; this one and the next.
The day began in that Hogan made by Tasso and Alex, built nail and log, sweat and labor when the days were hot and ran into longer nights. At the east end of the Hogan, Alex and Evie knelt before an assortment of items—a pot of water, a gourd dipper, a finely woven basket filled with blue corn mush made by our Shímasani—waiting for the families to enter and Queenie’s husband, Charlie, to bless them and their union.
Evie began, washing Alex’s hands, dipping the gourd into the water, and Alex did the same for my sister. The elders spoke—our grandparents among them—about families and tradition, about love and the strength of keeping your word.
“If a man has only his word and nothing else, his name is sacred. Then, Warren,” Tasso told Alex, “I ask you to keep yours honorable, for yours may one day be all that will sustain my granddaughter.”
Evie cried when Tasso kissed her then pretended she wasn’t when Alex pulled her close. They were a good match. They’d put up with a lot from the Warrens, from this town and all the folk in their ears, telling them it would never work. The same folk my sister made sure to invite into town, to the hall Alex’s parents insisted they rent to host some fancy reception that required all of us take off our traditional clothes—jeans and ribbon shirts for me and Alex, wool paneled biil dresses for Evie and Velma and Queenie. After the ceremony we pulled on our church clothes and got a little fancy for the Midland crowd.
