Tai came into the room. “She’s asleep now.”
Relief swept through her.
He held out his hand. “Let’s go to bed.”
Making an effort to block her thoughts, Piper took the hand he offered and followed him through the house to the master bedroom with its adjoining bathroom. They showered together and then climbed into bed. Piper was too tired to pay any attention to what the room looked like.
Tai pulled her close to him. “Thank you for being there for Rayen.”
Piper didn’t want his thanks. She didn’t deserve it, but she drew comfort from his arms.
It was long after Tai’s steady breathing indicated he was asleep that sleep finally claimed Piper.
***
When the alarm screeched them awake, Piper felt as though she’d just shut her eyes. It took her a second to place where she was and to remember what had happened the night before. She squeezed her eyes shut, hoping it was all a dream.
Tai stirred next to her, ran a hand over her hip and pulled her close. “Morning,” he said, kissing her neck.
“Is it really?” Piper asked. “Can’t we wind back the clock a few hours and pretend it’s not?”
He chuckled. “I wish we could. It’ll take an hour or so to get to the rez. I’ll drive and you can sleep in the car.”
It was hardly fair. He’d worked all night and then come to the police station. He’d barely had any sleep himself. She forced herself out of bed and padded to the shower. What she needed was hot water and then a strong coffee and she’d be all right.
Hopefully.
When they went out to the kitchen they found freshly brewed coffee and Adahy and Rayen sitting out on the back porch, chatting.
“What are you two doing up?” Tai asked as he and Piper joined them. Piper clung to her mug, worried about their reaction. Would they blame her today for what had happened?
“We thought we’d come to the rez,” Adahy said.
Piper looked at Rayen. She appeared rested. She hoped she’d slept deeply. When the girl glanced at Piper, she surveyed the backyard, not ready to face her yet.
It was a large space with tall trees and shrubs that blocked the neighbors’ view. Birds flitted back and forth, calling out their morning song. Piper took a deep breath in and let it out. She understood why Tai lived here. It was just far enough away from the city that he’d be able to relax and not have to listen to the constant sound of traffic.
He’d brought some of the peace of the reservation with him.
“Great. Why don’t we take your car?” Tai suggested to Adahy. “It’s bigger than Piper’s.”
“Sure.” Adahy glanced at his brother. “Now, we’ve been sitting here waiting for our breakfast, and I don’t see you at the stove. Rayen wants pancakes.” He was teasing, as if it were a long-standing joke.
“With maple syrup and berries,” Rayen added.
Tai laughed as he got to his feet. “Who made you king?”
“I did,” Rayen joked.
Piper was glad Rayen was up to joking. She must be feeling a little better.
Not wanting to be alone with them, Piper followed Tai inside. “Can I help with anything?” she asked.
He already had all the ingredients out and was measuring the flour.
“I’ve seen your kitchen. It’s best if you just sit down and keep me company.”
Piper stuck her tongue out at him to keep the mood light. Perhaps it was the lack of sleep but she couldn’t find any positivity and enthusiasm. She wanted to go back to bed and curl up in a ball and pretend last night hadn’t happened. She’d been so stupid.
Tai added a pinch of something to the batter and stirred, before adding a pinch more. His focus was absolute. She doubted he’d hear her if she spoke. He nodded in satisfaction and stopped stirring. Turning, he lit the stove and placed a fry pan on top.
He was so confident with his movements, so sure of what he was doing – he didn’t hesitate. Everything flowed like clockwork.
The smell of cooked pancakes wafted in the air, bringing back memories of her childhood and sitting at the kitchen table watching her father make a batch. She smiled. Tai dished up two, drizzled them with maple syrup and topped them with berry compote. He poured more batter in the pan and presented the plate to Piper. “Bon appétit.”
“Thanks.” She wasn’t hungry, but the smell was enticing. She bit into the first pancake and flavor burst on her tongue. She closed her eyes and allowed herself to enjoy. It was impossible not to.
“I love watching you eat,” Tai said and she opened her eyes. He was staring at her, his eyes dark. “You get such enjoyment out of it.”
“It’s your cooking,” she said. “It has to be savored.”
He beamed at her and dished up the next serve. “Breakfast’s ready,” he called outside.
Rayen was first inside. She grabbed the plate and sat down next to Piper. “Yum.”
Piper gave her a small smile.
Adahy grumbled, but made a second cup of coffee while waiting for his.
When they were all seated around the table there was little conversation. Everyone was too busy eating to talk.
Piper was relieved. She didn’t know what to say about the night before, didn’t know the best way to apologize for not being there. They finished, and she helped Tai clean up while Rayen and Adahy got their things together.
During the drive to the reservation, Piper slept. She hadn’t meant to but somehow she closed her eyes for a second and then they were pulling into Eyota’s driveway. She was glad Adahy and Rayen were there to keep Tai company. She couldn’t figure out how none of them were as tired as she was.
Piper hung back while they greeted their grandmother, who was thrilled by Adahy and Rayen’s visit.
“Ka’ sa’, you remember Piper,” Tai said when they’d finished hugging.
“Of course.”
“Piper’s Tai’s girlfriend,” Rayen said in a singsong voice.
Piper’s face burned. “It’s lovely to see you again,” she said, not sure if she should shake her hand.
Eyota came over and hugged her. “Likewise.”
The children who had been there the last time came out and greeted everyone. Bradley was there, but he hung back from the others.
“Time for class,” Tai called and gestured to the pickup. The kids all clambered up. “You coming?” he asked Adahy and Rayen.
“I might steal Piper for an hour,” Rayen said. “Show her around a bit.”
Nerves fluttered in Piper’s stomach but she nodded her assent. Maybe Rayen wanted to talk about last night.
“There’s food on offer, so I’ll come,” Adahy said. “Ka’ sa’, are you coming?”
Eyota shook her head. “I’ll be down later. There are a couple of things I need to do here.”
Tai walked over to Piper. “Come by the school at midday. I’ll save you a plate.” He kissed her.
One of the children in the pickup said, “Tai kissed the white girl.” A lot of murmuring ensued.
It hadn’t occurred to her that her skin color might cause an issue for Tai.
Tai turned and called, “I kissed my girlfriend.” He grinned at her and left.
Piper clutched her hands together, not sure what to say to either woman.
“I’ll show you the lake,” Rayen said.
“Not before you have a cup of tea and tell me why you came today,” Eyota said, looping her arm around her granddaughter.
“We wanted to visit,” Rayen said.
“That’s one reason,” Eyota agreed. “But there’s another. The only time the three of you come together is if something’s gone wrong.”
Rayen glanced at Piper.
As far as Piper was concerned it was up to Rayen to tell her grandmother if she wanted to.
“Come inside,” Eyota said.
They sat at the kitchen table while Eyota made tea and then joined them. “What happened?”
Rayen sighed. “Piper and I went out
last night to watch Adahy play. While we were there, a man groped me, but Piper stopped him from going too far.”
Eyota’s eyes narrowed. “Define grope.”
Piper had to give Eyota credit for reading between the lines.
Rayen closed her eyes. “He dragged me into an alleyway, squeezed my breasts and put his hand up my shirt.”
Eyota’s mouth dropped open and then she placed her hand over Rayen’s. “My baby girl. Are you all right?”
Rayen nodded. “I am. I’m better than I expected, because it could have been a lot worse. Piper’s not coping as well.”
Piper’s breath hitched and she stared at Rayen. How could the girl be worried about her when she had been assaulted? It didn’t matter how Piper was feeling.
“She blames herself for not preventing it.”
Eyota turned to Piper. “Bradley feels the same way about Jerry.”
They were two entirely different situations. “There was nothing Bradley could do,” Piper said. “Jerry was depressed and he was determined.”
“It sounds as if this man was determined as well,” Eyota said.
Piper shook her head. How could she even compare them? “If I’d stayed with Rayen he wouldn’t have had the chance.”
“Maybe not this time, but perhaps the next time he saw her in a club with less thoughtful friends.”
Logically Piper understood what Eyota was saying, but emotionally it was much harder. She’d promised Tai she would take care of Rayen.
“I want to organize self-defense classes at the school,” Rayen said. “All the girls should be able to defend themselves like Piper did. If I’d known some moves, perhaps I could have escaped him on my own.”
Piper hadn’t thought about it, she’d just reacted, but she couldn’t deny the classes had helped.
“Good idea,” Eyota said. “Let me know when you find an instructor. The tribal council might be able to pay for it.” She gathered up the empty teacups. “Why don’t you go to the lake now?”
Rayen excused herself to go to the bathroom.
Eyota smiled at Piper. “My babies always stick close to each other after a bad experience,” she said. “It’s how I know something has happened. It makes me so happy they have each other.”
“You raised them all, didn’t you?” Piper said, remembering what Rayen had told her.
“Yes.”
“You should be proud. They’re all wonderful people.”
She patted Piper’s hand. “And you’re a lovely woman. Now go to the lake and find your peace.”
***
Together Rayen and Piper walked through the forest to the lake that lay in the center of the reservation.
“The camp grounds are over there.” Rayen pointed to the other side of the lake. “Others are allowed to camp with a permit and we get people through in summer. Not so many now school is going back.”
“Is that how the tribe gets an income?”
“One of the ways,” Rayen answered. “I come here a lot when I need to think,” she said. “It’s quiet and I wander along the shore or go for a swim. I need a swim today.” She stripped off to her swimsuit. “There’s a shady spot through there you might like. It’s peaceful.”
Rayen waded into the water and then dived in, using long strong strokes to swim out into the center of the lake.
Perhaps Rayen was right. Perhaps she needed to find some peace. She walked along the shore, keeping an eye on her friend until she stopped swimming and turned over to float on her back.
Finding the spot Rayen had pointed out, Piper sat down. She closed her eyes and focused on her breathing. She was still so tired from the night before that her brain didn’t want to think, so she fell into the breathing rhythm easily.
Piper wasn’t ready to go over the attack yet, so she let her thoughts drift.
She liked Rayen’s idea of getting a self-defense teacher, liked that Rayen was doing something to fight back against her assault, liked that she was trying to help others too. She was a strong woman.
When Piper considered her own life, she realized she didn’t spend any time actually helping people, even though that was what she’d got into journalism for. Instead she’d been caught up in the day-to-day grind of finding the next story.
And her dreams had gone on the back burner.
When she’d helped Libby plan her wedding and helped Imogen renovate her house, she’d felt so invigorated. It had been amazing to work with her friends to achieve what they wanted. And she’d felt awful when she hadn’t been there to clean up Elle’s café.
Maybe Tai was right. Maybe she should find a job where she could help people directly. It had to be more rewarding than her job with the Age had been.
She could still write articles, continue her blog, maybe even use it as a way of promoting social justice and charity. If she went to freelance journalism she could pick her jobs, make sure she had time to do the type of charity work she would enjoy. The colleagues she’d spoken to made a good income with their freelance work.
The idea stirred her blood. She could expand her blog community, encourage others to work for a better world, lead by example and write the type of stories she wanted. She wouldn’t have to worry about being edited or censored because some newspaper tycoon didn’t agree with her views: it was her chance to say what she wanted to.
Some twigs cracked nearby and she opened her eyes.
Bradley stood in front of her, staring, tears on his cheeks. He turned to go.
“Wait.” Piper didn’t want to get in his way. “I’m sorry. Is this your place?”
He hesitated, wiping the tears from his face, and then nodded.
“I can leave if you like.”
“What are you doing here?”
“Rayen and I came down to think. She went for a swim.” Piper scanned the lake and saw her still floating lazily in the water.
“What do you need to think about?”
“Lots,” Piper said. “I’ve lost my job, so I need to decide what I want to do next in my life.” She debated telling Bradley about the attack and then remembered what Eyota had said about Bradley blaming himself. “Then last night, Rayen and I went to watch Adahy perform and she was attacked by someone.”
Bradley’s eyes widened.
“It was scary and I blame myself because I said I’d look after her and she got hurt.” The admission still stung, but after her conversation with Rayen and Eyota, it was less painful.
“What happened?” he asked, coming over and sitting next to her.
Piper didn’t want to go into detail. Bradley was too young. “There was a man who kept bothering Rayen and when she went to the bathroom, he dragged her outside. I should have gone with her.”
Bradley frowned. “She should be safe going to the bathroom by herself. It was inside, right? And there were lots of people around?”
Piper nodded. “But I knew the man had been bothering her all night.”
“So Rayen got away though?”
“I saw the man follow her and I stopped him.”
“Wow. That’s neat.”
It wasn’t. “I should have been quicker, then she wouldn’t have been hurt at all.”
Bradley was silent for a long moment. “It’s the same with me and my grandpa,” he said.
How much should she admit to knowing? Finally she asked, “What happened?”
“My grandpa wasn’t well. He had depression.” Bradley looked at her to see if she understood what that was.
Piper nodded. “I’m sorry to hear that.”
“I thought if I was really good and told him I loved him every day, then he’d get better, he’d be happy.”
“Depression doesn’t work like that,” she said, gently. “It’s not that simple.”
He shrugged. “I had to try.” He was silent for a long moment. “He was really sad one day and I didn’t want to go to school, but he made me. I was so worried that I came home early to talk with his counselor and instead I found this note
.” He screwed up his face as if he didn’t want to say anything else. “I followed his directions and found him in a clearing, but I couldn’t wake him up and there was blood everywhere.” Tears streamed down his face. “I shouldn’t have gone to school. I shouldn’t have left him.”
Piper’s heart broke for the little boy. “I think if you’d stayed, he would have chosen a different day,” she said. “The illness took over and there was nothing you could do to stop it. Just like I … I couldn’t stop that man from attacking Rayen.”
“But if he really loved me, he wouldn’t have done it,” Bradley whispered.
“That’s not true,” Piper said, putting her arm around him and pulling him closer. He leaned in to her. “I’m sure he loved you very much, but the illness didn’t let him think straight, it kept his mind clouded and occupied with other thoughts.”
“Now I have no one,” he said, sobbing.
“You have Eyota and Tai.” She paused, not sure of his friends’ names. “And you’ve got me.”
He blinked at her. “You?”
“I’d like to be your friend, if you’ll have me,” she said.
He squinted at her, assessing, and must have seen she meant it: he threw his arms around her and hugged her.
She closed her eyes and her chest hitched. This poor little boy was so fragile and in so much pain. She wanted to take it all away from him.
Letting out a shaky breath and squeezing back the tears, she opened her eyes.
And saw Tai staring at her from across the clearing.
Chapter 13
Tai had finished the cooking class and neither Rayen nor Piper had arrived for lunch. When Eyota had told him they had gone to the lake, he’d walked down.
The last thing he’d expected to see was Piper holding a crying Bradley in her lap. The way she comforted the boy and held him tight hit him right in the heart.
What would it be like if the boy she was holding was their own?
The idea rattled him. He shook his head. It wasn’t a possibility. Not with the tribal laws. He pushed it away and focused on what was happening now.
The Texan Quartet (Books 1-4) Omnibus Page 96
