by Arianna Hart
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Darn it, was she blushing?
“Don’t kid a kidder. I know you’ve been up to something. You look rested despite the long drive, and you have a glow about you. Out with it.”
How did she always know? It was like she had some sort of mom super power. Why didn’t Faith get that? “It’s nothing, really. I’ve been spending some time with Sam, my renter. He and I have dinner together and…stuff.”
“It’s the ‘stuff’ I’m interested in. Are you using protection?”
“Momma!” Now she knew she was blushing, her face was on fire.
“Piper told us he’s a musician, and he went to Dale for privacy. She also said he was going to teach her how to play guitar when she got back. How long is he staying?”
“Only a few more weeks, and he never said he’d teach her how to play guitar. That was wishful thinking on Piper’s part. He’ll be gone before she goes to school.”
“And you’ll be alone again.”
“Yes, but not lonely. Don’t worry about me, I’m doing okay.” Sam’s departure would take a chunk out of her heart, but she’d survive. Maybe she would start to date again if the right guy came along. Somehow, she didn’t think that would happen, but she hadn’t ever pictured making love to a rock star, either.
“Honey, what did I just tell you about worrying about your children? It never ends.”
“I’m fine, honest. And I know why the Prentices asked for that DNA test. Rebel met them at some fancy-schmancy dinner at the country club. She went on and on about how beautiful their grandchild was and whipped out her phone to show everyone a picture.”
“I would have loved to be a fly on the wall for that. I take it that darn fool woman finally saw what was plain for all the world to see.”
“Yup, hence me getting a lawyer.”
“What? You never said anything about that?”
“I didn’t want to talk about it when Piper was around. The DNA test came back, and the Prentices are suing for partial custody. My friend Nadya says it’s just a bargaining tool, but she gave me the names of some of her friends who specialize in family law.”
“Can’t any of Matthew’s friends help you out? Lawyers are so expensive.”
“I thought about hiring someone from his old firm, but in the end I decided it was a bad idea.” Understatement much? “It’s better I get someone who knows family law like the back of his hand.”
“If you need help, you give us a call. We have some money put by that we can use to help you.”
“Oh, Momma. Thank you, but I’ve got it covered.” She was thirty years old. She didn’t need to take money from her parents.
“Don’t be so proud you get yourself into trouble. If you need money, you come to us before you go getting a loan. Promise me, Faith Colleen.”
“Yes, ma’am. I promise I’ll come to you if I need to.”
Her mother gave her a skeptical look, but the oven timer ringing distracted her. “You’d better,” she said before donning oven mitts and checking the cookies.
As if on cue, Duke padded into the kitchen and looked longingly at Twyla.
“Don’t give me those eyes. You know cookies aren’t for dogs, and I don’t plan on dropping any, so you can go right back outside.”
“Sadie does the same thing. I wonder if all of the pups from this litter are such shameless beggars.”
“Probably.” She looked out the window over the sink. “Your father is putting the mower away. Why don’t you take him a glass of tea? That’ll keep him out from under my feet until I finish this last batch of cookies.”
“You just don’t want me seeing you slipping Duke a treat,” Faith teased.
“Go on with you. Scat. How did I ever raise such a disrespectful child?”
“Blood will tell.” Faith laughed as she danced out of her mother’s reach.
Her father was already at the porch scraping off his work boots when she went out the screen door.
“Hey, Daddy. Momma sent me out with some tea for you.” She held out the glass as he stood.
“Come here and give me a hug first,” he said.
She set the sweating glass on the railing and practically flew into her father’s arms. “I was so scared,” she said again.
“Me, too. When your momma called me and said Piper had fallen out of the hayloft I imagined her laying there on the ground with her head split open. I didn’t know she’d picked herself up and run to the house after she fell.”
“That’s my girl. I bet as soon as she’s up and around, she’ll be trying to get back into the hayloft to see those kittens again.”
“You can’t keep my Pip down. Takes after her mother.”
“Let’s hope we can keep her quiet for a little while at least. I don’t think my heart can handle another scare like that.”
“You and me both.” He picked up the glass of tea and took a long drink. “Ahh, that’s good. Hits the spot. What’s your momma up to?”
“Making cookies and sneaking some to the dog, I bet.”
“Then we better get inside before there’s none left for us.”
…
“Do we have to leave so soon?” Piper asked for the millionth time. “I want to go visit the horses again, and Grandpap said the kittens would be ready to leave their mom in another week. If we stay, we could take one home with us.” Piper’s big blue eyes stared up at her pleadingly.
“Yes, we have to get back. I already stayed an extra day, and I said I’d think about getting a kitten, I didn’t say yes. Besides, you would be going home in another couple of days anyway. Don’t you miss Emily?”
“I can’t wait to show her Ana,” Piper said, indicating her doll. “Can we have a tea party when we get home?”
“Absolutely. I’ll even make you tiny sandwiches cut in fancy shapes.”
“And mini-cupcakes?”
“You bet. Now go do one last check to make sure you haven’t forgotten anything and hit the bathroom one more time. It’s a long ride home.”
Faith bit her tongue to keep herself from cautioning Piper not to run up the stairs. She wanted to swaddle her baby in cotton wool but fought the urge.
Pick your battles.
“I hate that you’re leaving, too, but I understand,” her mother said, joining her in the front hall.
“I need to get back. It’s not right that I left Sam taking care of the house and Sadie. But thank you so much for taking care of Pip, of both of us. It was exactly what I needed.”
“You’re always welcome here, you know that. And we’d keep Piper for a month if you’d let us. Although, I have to tell you, I’m glad I had you when I was young. Keeping up with her at my age is exhausting. I’m going to sleep well tonight, I tell you.”
“Please. You could run circles around me.” Faith hugged her mom. “I’ll call you when we get home. I’m hoping to stop for a quick lunch and potty break then get right back on the road. I don’t want to go through Atlanta at rush hour.”
“You should be fine, but drive safely.”
“I will. Where’s Daddy?”
“He’s putting the booster seat in the back of that fancy truck of yours.”
“It’s not mine, but it sure is fancy. Good thing I’m bringing it back today before I get spoiled.”
“At least I don’t have to worry about you breaking down on the highway in your old rattle trap of a truck.”
“Look who’s talking. The station wagon is darn near as old as I am.”
“And runs like a champ. Why did you have to borrow that truck again?” Twyla raised an eyebrow.
“I hate it when you’re right.” Faith hugged her again as Piper came downstairs. “All set?”
“Yup, I went to the bathroom and washed my hands.”
“You checked under the bed and in all the drawers?”
“Yes, Mom. Can we really watch a movie in Sam’s car? Emily’s van has a DVD player, but we’re never in the car long enough to watch a movie.”
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“You’ll have plenty of time now. C’mon, squirt, give your grandma a hug and say your thank-yous.”
“Thanks, Gramma, for everything. I had so much fun, and I love my doll and my lunch box and backpack and pencils for school.” Piper wrapped her arms around Twyla’s waist, the pink cast standing out like a neon sign.
“You’re welcome, darlin’. We’ll be up to see you over Labor Day so you can tell us all about school.”
“And you won’t give away the black kitten with the white paw, right? Just in case,” she said, casting an eye in Faith’s direction.
“I won’t.”
“Why do I feel like you two are plotting against me?” Faith asked as they headed out of the house.
“Because they probably are,” her father answered. “I got the booster seat set up. Ooo whee, it’s a fancy car. There’s more knobs and buttons on the dash than on the space shuttle.”
“Tell me about it. It all but drives itself. To be honest, it intimidates the heck out of me. I’ll be glad to get back to my own truck.” She belted Piper in after her father got his hugs in. “You two behave yourselves now that you have the place to yourself again,” she teased as she climbed into the driver’s seat.
“We don’t have a choice, we’re too tired to act up,” her mother answered. “I’ll probably take a nap as soon as you leave.”
“Right. You’ll be doing laundry and cleaning the house top to bottom before I hit the highway.” Faith started the car. “I’ll call as soon as I’m home, I promise. Thanks again. I love you both so much.”
“Be careful, baby,” her father said before stepping out of the way.
Faith put the window up and waved before putting the car in gear.
“Can I watch Frozen?” Piper asked before they even got out of the drive.
“Of course,” Faith said with a laugh. It was good to have her girl back.
Chapter Sixteen
“Faith just called, she’s passing through Canton,” Sam said to Mary Ellen and Ellie, who were helping put together a surprise for Piper’s return.
“That gives us about an hour and a half to finish up and clear out,” Ellie said as she adjusted a doily on the pie-crust end table she’d brought. “Which box has the doll chair? It looks like American Girl exploded in here.”
“I may have gotten a little carried away,” he said. “But Mary Ellen didn’t exactly rein me in.”
“Are you kidding me? You come into my store and tell me you want to buy some stuff for Piper to make her feel better and I just happen to know she got an American Girl doll from her grandmother. Those clothes cost a ton, and Faith can’t afford them. You’re rich. Cough it up, rock star,” Mary Ellen said, laughing.
“I was thinking a coloring book and crayons. You’re the one who whipped out the iPad and started pulling up tea sets and doll furniture.”
“Don’t forget the matching clothes. I just love those little tea party dresses and pajamas you got for Piper. Emily got the pajamas for Christmas, so they can match when they have a sleepover. Little girls love that shit.”
Ellie’s laugh rang out as she attached the doll-sized chair to the table. “I would have sold a kidney for this room as a kid. That mural you did is amazing, Sam. You’re a man of many talents.”
“It’s mostly doodles, but it came out all right.”
The tree he’d started had morphed into a bit…more. Gnomes peeked out of the tree and Goldilocks and the Three Bears sat at a table under it. Goldilocks resembled Faith and one of the bears drew a striking similarity to Sadie. Little Red Riding Hood—complete with a bright pink cast on the arm carrying the basket of goodies—skipped along on the other side of the massive trunk, and the Big Bad Wolf followed at a distance carrying a guitar.
“I’m still surprised they managed to get everything here on time. At Christmas, I was sweating it down to the last minute with things on back order.”
“How would you know if anything is missing?” he asked.
“Trust me, I have a plan. We’ll have the tea set, the chair, and the matching pajamas and slippers out of the box. Everything else will be the boxes stacked artistically over there.” She pointed to the corner with a haphazard pile of boxes, packing peanuts, and tissue paper. “That way Piper gets the full impact of her fairy godfather.”
“Now there’s something I’ve never been accused of being.” He watched in fascination as Ellie set out the doll-sized teacup and saucer in front of the doll chair. She put the finishing touches on the table and stepped back. “There, that looks great. I’ll grab a garbage bag and start cleaning up.”
“Dump it all in the back of my van,” Mary Ellen directed. “It’s too bad you have to leave soon, I’d hire you to do a mural like this for Emily.”
“I’m not an artist. I only planned on doing the tree. The rest sort of happened. I messed up on a leaf and turned it into a gnome’s hat. Next thing I know, I’m painting fairytale characters and adding vines everywhere.”
“It’s fantastic. Piper’s gonna love it. And every time Faith comes in here, she’ll remember you. The Big Bad Wolf, really?”
“You caught on to that, did you?” He ducked his head.
“The guitar was a big clue, but the green eyes and hair hanging over his forehead were dead giveaways.”
“It’s just paint. If Faith doesn’t like it, she can paint over it.”
“And ruin the picture? I doubt it.”
“Damn. I didn’t think of that,” he said drily. “I guess if the bastard she marries has a problem with it, he’ll have to suck it up.”
Mary Ellen laughed out loud. “I am going to miss you. I love sarcasm almost as much as I love gossip. It’s too bad you can’t stay around, we could use a music teacher in the elementary school.”
“There’s just the little problem of me not having any teaching experience or certification and a general fear of large groups of small children.”
“Other than that, you’d be perfect.” Mary Ellen straightened and took stock of the room. “I guess we’re all done in here. If Piper doesn’t love you forever after all of this, I know Faith will. The room really is amazing.”
“Mary Ellen, I stirred the chicken and dumplings while I was in the kitchen. It smells amazing. I’ve got to get that recipe,” Ellie said.
“I’ll write it up for you as a housewarming present. It’s my momma’s recipe and she’s darn near famous for it,” she told Sam.
“I’m sure Faith will appreciate not having to cook dinner after driving for hours.”
“I always appreciate it when I don’t have to cook,” Mary Ellen laughed. “Okay, let’s get the garbage cleaned up and clear out of here. Sam, you might want to run the vacuum to get up all those little bits of Styrofoam.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“You’re well trained, I like that in a man.”
By the time he finished hauling empty boxes and garbage bags to the van and running the vacuum, he’d sweated through his shirt. Man, he really needed a shower. There was nothing about a sweaty man that said welcome home.
He checked the time on his phone and realized he had about another fifteen to twenty minutes if Ellie’s time estimation was right. It was doable if he got moving right now.
“Okay, Sadie, you wait here for Piper. I need to go to the cottage, double time.” When had he begun telling the dog every move he made? Whatever. She was a smart damn dog, she probably understood.
He jogged back to the cottage, figuring a little more sweat wouldn’t matter. Showering in record time, he even managed to run the razor over the worst of the stubble before the timer he set went off.
After careful consideration and a great deal of input from Mary Ellen and Ellie, he’d decided to meet Piper and Faith as they drove up. Mary Ellen had suggested waiting for Faith in her bedroom, seeing as Piper would be so preoccupied with all her new gifts they’d have time for a quickie, but Ellie had nixed that idea.
He really didn’t want to think about how h
is time with Faith was going to shrink. There was no way in hell she’d let him sleep over once Piper got back, and she couldn’t exactly spend the night at the cottage and leave her kid alone in the house.
Maybe it was better this way. It would give him a chance to ease away from her before he left for good.
Fuck that. He was going to steal any alone time he could get with her by fair means or foul. By the time he left, he wanted his very scent imprinted on her skin. Every time he sang the songs from this new album, he’d think of her. She could damn well be as haunted as he’d be.
As he walked back down the path, he considered whether he was being unreasonable or cruel wanting his time there to mean as much to Faith as it did to him. Probably, but he’d never claimed to be a nice guy.
His shower must not have taken as long as he’d thought, or Faith had run into traffic or something, because he had to wait at the edge of the path for a bit before he heard the SUV crunch its way up the drive. He was chomping at the bit, wanting to run to her and show her the room they’d worked so hard on, but that would ruin the casual stroll/accidental meeting vibe he was going for.
Timing it perfectly, he stepped out of the woods just as Faith climbed out of the driver’s seat.
“Hey, babe. How was the drive?” he asked.
“Oh, Sam, I’m so glad to be home.”
She wrapped her arms around his waist, and his whole body relaxed. Again, he felt that click, like something missing had been put back into place.
“It was that bad?”
“Not really, I’m just glad it’s over. I missed you,” she admitted almost shyly.
“Not nearly as much as I missed you. I think I lost ten pounds from having to eat my own cooking.”
Faith laughed and gave him one last squeeze before stepping back. “Piper fell asleep before we hit Canton. I hate to wake her up, but she’ll never sleep tonight if she naps much longer.”
“I’ll grab your stuff and you open the door before Sadie tears it down. We’ll let her wake Piper up.”
“And she will. Pip’s her favorite human.”
He went around the back and took the duffle bags out of the trunk. There were some shopping bags and a grocery bag or two, so he grabbed those as well. He opened the passenger door to get Faith’s purse as Sadie shot out of the house like she’d been fired from a cannon and jumped into the SUV, barking wildly the whole time.
