Ward reached around to rub the base of his skull. The spot where a headache always developed when he thought too much about the past and the family members he hadn’t seen in so many years. “My mom loved it. She’d make apple strudel from scratch and watch it at Christmas and Easter, every year. It’s probably how I learned to sing. I knew all the lyrics before I learned all the positions on a football team.”
“That was a long time ago.”
“I still watch it. I don’t make a thing of it, like she did. But if it comes on the tube, I can’t tear myself away until it’s over.”
Piper rubbed a soft, reassuring hand up and down his forearm. “Because it reminds you of good times with your mom.”
He nodded. “I was mad—really mad—at her for a long time after she left. After she left me.”
“Ward, she left your father. She didn’t want to leave you. You were collateral damage.”
“I know that.” He dipped his head once. “Now, anyway. Took me a long time to come around to that way of thinking.”
“Did Skip have anything to do with that realization?”
A shoulder shrug of acknowledgement. Then Ward remembered that he was supposed to be making an effort with Piper. Supposed to be not just glossing over the hard stuff. “Some. He smacked me with the truth of the situation until I was ready to see it.”
“You almost never mention her.”
“Nothing much to say. We don’t talk often.” If you called fewer times than he had fingers not often. Ward was more inclined to call it never.
“Well, you should tell Mrs. Lacey about tonight. Remember how she made us sing that duet at the talent show? I’ll bet she’d get a kick out of it.”
“I’ll do one better.” He pulled his phone out of his back pocket and tapped the shoulder of the woman in front of him. She wore a white tee with Do printed on it in bright red. Ward did a quick scan. Sure enough, she was next to a man wearing a shirt with a deer on the front. They were next to a pair as Sol and a drawing of the sun. So damn cutesy he thought he might lose his lunch. “Would you take a picture of us?”
“You’re not in costume. What’s the point?”
Smart ass. “It’s for my old choir teacher.”
“She’s gonna ask why you didn’t bother to dress up, dude.”
Ward passed over the camera. Reminded himself not to grimace at the putz taking the picture. Focus on the feel of Piper tucked against his side, and a smile was bound to come. Especially if he ignored the shaking of her shoulders as she tried to hide her laughter.
As it clicked, Brian Dooley, one of Casey’s rangers, waved at them. Relieved to have an excuse to move on, Ward snatched his camera back with a muttered thanks.
“Hey, guys. What, are you on a date or something?” Brian laughed and slapped his thigh.
“That’s exactly what we’re doing,” Piper said with a warm smile. “And you?”
Brian did the bug-eye thing back and forth between them for a couple of seconds. You could almost see his brain kick back into gear. “Oh, um, yeah. I’m here with Kelsey. She’s holding our spot at the front of the line.” He jerked his thumb in the direction of the carved red stone façade. “But I had to come talk to you.”
“About what?”
“The wind farm rumors. Piper, you and your family are pretty connected. Have you heard anything?”
“About a wind farm? Not at all. But rumors and gossip spread in a small town like this without any truth to fan the flame. I wouldn’t get too worked up about it.”
Wind farm rumors? Ward hadn’t heard anything. On the other hand, he made it a point to keep his mouth shut and his nose out of other people’s business. So idle chatter mostly floated around him, like water parting for a rock in the middle of a stream. It lined up pretty well with what he suspected was the reason behind his mysterious visitor’s purchase offer, though.
“I heard there were people down at the county assessor’s office, registering permits and looking at maps and charts.”
Piper shook her head. “That’s what people do at the assessor’s office. Someone could be planning to build a house. A new gas station. Even a drive-in movie theater.”
“That’d be cool. If they started now, it’d be ready to open by spring. That’d be a great idea.”
Ward pointed in the direction Brian came from. “Great. Go spread that rumor. Or better yet, figure out a way to build the drive-in yourself, and start raking in the cash.”
“I don’t really know how to build anything bigger than a birdhouse.” Brian scrubbed a hand through his crew cut. “And Casey wouldn’t like it if I quit working at the Gorge with her. She says that nobody handles the front gate like I do.”
Wow, the kid sucked at taking a hint. “Have a good time with your girl, Brian.” With a dismissive nod, Ward pulled Piper closer and dropped a kiss on the top of her head.
The bad thing about standing in line? Besides the waiting? It held you captive for whoever approached. Because as Brian loped away, here came the nosiest busybody in town. Somebody who had led the unsuccessful charge to get his jersey taken out of the award case at the high school. Leona Miller was probably the main reason behind his being turned down for the chamber of commerce, too. The self-righteous spinster also tried to get Dawn removed as mayor after the town manager and treasurer split with every cent in the coffers.
She patted her white cloud of hair. Retrieved leopard-print half-glasses and shoved them onto her nose to peer down at him. “Ward Cantrell. What are you doing here?”
Unbelievable. “See that bank across the way? I’m working on whether it’d be easier to break in from the rooftop, or tunnel up from below. Kind of a toss-up between dynamite or maybe a glass-cutter for the top-floor windows. Piper here’ll tell you I’m not a huge fan of heights, though. Probably leaning towards dynamite.”
She raised her hand straight up. Almost as if she believed him and was about to call for a cop. For fuck’s sake. With a sigh, he said, “I’m not breaking into the bank, Leona. What do you think I’m doing, in line in front of the theater? We’re going to the show.”
“We who?”
Ward looked down. Yup, Piper was still splayed against his side, one hand on his stomach. His arm was draped over her shoulder in the same proprietary pose he’d used in high school. Old habits died hard and came back quick.
“You need new glasses, Leona? Cause Piper’s standing right next to me.”
“I assumed she was just saying hello.” With a sniff, Leona angled her head a fraction to the right to smile at Piper. It showed off the smear of red lipstick across her two front teeth. “Honey, if you needed a date for the movie, you should’ve told me. My nephew lives over in Skaneateles and would be perfect for you.”
“Thanks, Leona.” Piper gave the older lady a reassuring squeeze on the forearm. “I appreciate the offer. But I’m all set for tonight.” That was Piper. Always polite. Always a kind word for everyone, no matter how she felt on the inside. Because she was always aware of her family’s place in the community. Of the need—or what her parents insisted was the need—to maintain good relations with everyone, for the sake of the business.
Ward didn’t see it the same way. People bought his booze because it tasted good. Because it was a high-quality product. He didn’t need to bend and scrape to a cranky old woman with a stick up her ass. On the other hand, maybe if he’d tried harder to ignore her jabs, maybe tried to mend fences, he wouldn’t have been blackballed for his loan.
Nah. Life was too short to fake your way through it.
Leona extended a hand to Piper. “Do you want to come sit with me? I’ve got all the girls from the club along. We could use your voice to lead us through some of the trickier numbers.” She finished with another sniff and a less-than-subtle jut of her jaw away from Ward.
Shit.
Was it going to be like this every time they went out? Ward was more than used to getting random blowback from people, although less and less of it as the seasons ticked away. But he’d never thought any of it would land on Piper.
“Leona, I’m on a date with Ward,” Piper said firmly. “A real date. The kind with hand-holding and kisses once the lights go down. Unless you and your girls can pony up a better offer than that, I’m sticking with Ward.”
Leona’s eyes narrowed. “You should really think about what you’re doing. And who you’re doing it with. And if you wouldn’t be better off with someone else.”
“Duly noted.”
He’d had enough. Still, Ward stifled about ninety percent of his natural inclination to be an asshole to her, for Piper’s sake. “Shouldn’t you be getting back to your posse?”
Hands circling in the air as if juggling a thought balloon, Leona gasped. “Oh, I almost forgot. Tell your father to keep his ear to the ground when he goes to his Rotary meeting next week. There’s serious talk of a wind farm trying to get started here on the lake. I need him to help sniff out who they’re cozying up to, so we can stop this thing before it gets off the ground.”
“I don’t traffic in rumors, Leona. If you want to get my father riled up about nothing, you’ll have to call him yourself.”
Her knobby finger wagged back and forth. “It’s more than rumors. I heard earnest money’s been offered. They’re going to stick those unsightly monsters somewhere on our lakeshore if we don’t rally the town against it.”
“If you’re really worried about the impact on the whole lake, maybe you should speak to the mayor.” Ward stuck his tongue firmly in his cheek. “You know, the woman you couldn’t get the town to rally against?”
“You should mind your tongue and your tone, Ward.”
“You should try minding your own business, Leona.”
“This boy’s as bad for you as the wind farm would be for Seneca Lake. You think on that, Piper.” Leona hustled away.
Piper’s smile vanished. Her shoulders stiffened. “Why are people under the misimpression that I need to be told how and what to think?” Her words were soft but with a harsh urgency behind them. “I can run a business but can’t possibly make my own decisions about who to date?”
Maybe she’d taken some flak about their bowling double date. And of course Piper wouldn’t have told him. She’d have taken it quietly. Kept the snide remarks under wraps so as not to hurt his feelings. Her heart was softer and gooier than a marshmallow over a campfire. “Leona’s not the first one to give you shit about me, is she?”
“It doesn’t matter.” Piper tossed her head, sending all that sunset-colored softness whipping against his cheek. “Besides, it’s a well-known fact that every woman wants a bad boy.”
The teasing compliment didn’t fool him. Ward zeroed in on the meaning behind the words. “Does Leona have it right? You think I’m bad for you, Piper?”
The pause lasted just long enough to have him take a step back. To let go. To wonder if he should just walk away, right now. For her sake.
“No.” She hissed in a breath between her teeth. “I don’t know.”
“Which is it?”
Another freaking pause.
“Piper, I don’t want to mess up your life.”
“That’s not it,” she said swiftly. “We know we used to be good together. Great together, in fact. But now? Sure. There’s a chance that you’ll hurt me. That ultimately you’ll be bad for me.” She splayed her hands flat across his black T-shirt. “There’s also a chance that I’m the one who’s bad for you. So we’re both risking a lot and taking the long shot with this.”
Again, Piper was looking out for him. Trying to make him feel better. That was the only possible explanation, because there wasn’t any scenario where she could be bad for him. The least he could do was look out for her the same way. So Ward came at it one more time. “I don’t want my bad reputation rubbing off on you. Making trouble for you.”
“I’ve made my choice. I’m willing to take the risk. How many ways do I have to spell it out?” Piper grabbed his belt loops and jerked his hips in tight to hers. “I very much want parts of you rubbing me, Ward. And I don’t care who is watching or what they say.”
She wound one leg around his like a vine. Plastered one hand on his ass and used the other on his neck to drag his mouth down to hers. The kiss was hot. Urgent. Her lip gloss tasted faintly like fresh strawberries, but with the sizzle of jam straight out of the pot. Ward didn’t know which was sweeter—the actual kiss, or the fact that Piper had been the one to initiate it. That she was willing to take the risk for him...again.
What he wanted to do was forget the movie. Or at least be late to it. Carry her back to the car and make out in the back seat of his truck like in the old days. Convenient way to miss the stupid costume contest, too. He’d give Piper a good enough time she wouldn’t care. They both knew how the movie went.
A couple of wolf whistles sounded. Then a scattering of applause. Ward could care less about the suddenly enthusiastic line-dwellers around them. But he knew Piper cared. She always cared. Always had to make the right impression. Present herself the right way. He’d put every cent in his wallet down on her parents getting an earful before the hills came alive if they kept going, pressed up against the wall like this. And then her parents would fill both of Piper’s ears with a vat of grief and guilt for causing a spectacle. So Ward cradled her face in both hands, took one last taste of her luscious mouth and then pulled away.
Piper looked rumpled. Turned on. And, given the scrunching of her nose, annoyed. “Why’d you stop?”
No way would he tell her the truth. If things progressed the way Ward hoped, her parents would eventually notice their dating and raise hell. No point getting Piper worked up about it a moment sooner than necessary. “Because you made your point. Anything more would be overkill.”
“But—”
He covered her mouth with his palm. “What did we learn in drama class? Always leave them wanting more. And I want much, much more.”
With a mischievous grin, Piper said, “Do you want me enough to buy a bow tie and Tyrolean hat in the lobby and dress up as Uncle Max?”
The answer was yes. But he was damned if he’d admit it. “Only if you strip and let me dress you in those curtains.” Ward pointed to the thin white sheers billowing at the open doors to the Opera House. Giggles pealed out of her. He’d take anything the pissy people in line threw at him to get that lighthearted reaction out of Piper.
Ward just hoped that she kept believing that he was worth putting up with whatever they threw at her. Too bad he honestly wasn’t sure how far her patience would stretch. God knew he wouldn’t blame her for walking away from the complications and the judgment. Could her standing strong mean that she was actually falling for him all over again?
Suddenly, breaking out in song felt like a great idea.
Chapter Ten
Piper looked in the mirror over the tasting room’s bathroom sink. She’d already spent half an hour vacillating between outfits at home. Getting out the door—and away from the full-length mirror in her bedroom—had required a self-bargain of bringing six jewelry options to try with the navy and white silk windowpane blouse and wide-legged pants. Because the right jewelry could change the whole tone of the outfit. Make her look warm and welcoming, or businesslike and buttoned-up. Too bad she didn’t know which look would play better to the readers of WWLL.
So after the opening bustle of customers, she’d sprinted in here to try the heavy gold links and anchor pendant. Between verifying time cards for both the winery and vineyard staff—since her father certainly wouldn’t waste his time with anything paperwork-related—she’d slipped on a waist-length knotted silver chain. And now she’d stolen a moment to look at the choker sparkling with clear and bl
ue glass from the Corning Glass Museum right down the road.
Vacillating wasn’t Piper’s style. She strategized. Weighed the options and made the prudent decision and stuck by it. Maybe she’d caught some of Maria’s flibbertigibbet-ness from last night’s movie. More likely, though, that for once nerves were getting the best of her famous poise. This feature with WWLL could be the start of something huge both for her personally and for the family vineyard. It could even be the start of a new, less-grudging respect from her father. It was everything.
“Piper. You’ve got a visitor.”
Great. Running out of time had made the decision for her. On the plus side, Piper could spin this into a conversation about the appeal of the Finger Lakes region, and the local skill of handcrafters in the area. She filled her pockets with the other necklaces, slipped on the matching blue glass earrings and hurried out the door.
The sunny tasting room held a handful of tourists, clumped around Penny as she started her spiel about Morrissey Vineyards before taking them on a tour through the winery itself. Jeffrey walked by with a crate of clean glasses. Nobody seemed to be waiting for her.
“Hey.” A tap on her shoulder sent her jumping almost straight out of her patent navy platform pumps. Then her heart just about thudded out of her chest when she got a look at Ward.
He wore a faded blue-and-white University of Kentucky tee. Average enough, since fifty percent of his wardrobe consisted of plaid flannel and the other fifty percent was tees. But Ward had clearly bulked up since his campus days. The thin cotton stretched so taut across his pecs and ribs—and holy hotness, one heck of a six-pack—that he might as well be naked. Sweat plastered it to his belly, too. Piper wanted nothing more than to lift it up. To run her hands over the dark line of hair she knew ran down his belly, beneath the waistband of his jeans. To feel that sweat-slick skin against her own.
“You’re looking at me the same way you looked at that piece of chocolate pecan pie after the movie last night,” he murmured.
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