by Cindy Kirk
“You like her.”
Something in his brother’s voice had Anders looking up.
“What are you asking?”
“It’s just that it’s been a long time since I can recall you being in a relationship.”
“I don’t know if you’d consider Piper and I in a relationship, but I do like her.”
“Are you going to tell her you’re interested in her space?”
Anders shook his head. “That’d be a little like me saying that I’m waiting in the wings for her to fail.”
“Good point.”
“I don’t want to undercut her, at all. I hope the business at Swoon this winter exceeds her expectations.” Anders returned to the kitchen with Beck. “Piper has not only put most, if not all, of her money into her business, but her heart and soul as well. It would break her heart to lose it.”
“What will happen will happen.” Beck pulled the carafe from the coffeemaker. “We didn’t drink it all. Would you like another cup?”
“Sure.” Anders paced the pretty kitchen, liking the way it looked old but had been fully modernized. “I hope David won’t do anything to try to push Piper out.”
Beck handed Anders a mug and curled his fingers around the one he held in his hands. “You don’t know David well, but I do. I can assure you he’s an honorable guy. He would never push Piper out. He must suspect she’s having difficulties and knows if it comes to her not being able to honor her lease, it would be to her benefit to have someone ready to step in.”
Anders brought the cup to his lips, but didn’t take a drink. An honorable man. Long ago, he’d thought of himself that way, too.
But he reminded himself that how he’d responded in the past didn’t matter. What mattered was the choices he made today.
As Piper had continued the Black Friday pricing through Saturday, the store was hopping. In some ways, her mom and sister leaving early was for the best. She couldn’t imagine having had the time to start cutting the muslin. Even if she had Sasha’s measurements, which she didn’t.
She’d searched all around the cash register before concluding that Sasha hadn’t left them. Her sister had likely said she did only to get their mother off her back.
Piper had to admit the ruse worked. Now, she would have to pressure Sasha to send her the measurements. This process shouldn’t be so difficult. And it wouldn’t be if only Sasha would stop tossing up roadblocks.
Once she closed the store at six, Piper vowed that she would not give a second thought to her mother or sister. She would go upstairs and relax. Perhaps take a long bath. Maybe read a book and have a glass of wine.
She hadn’t seen or heard from Anders today. Then again, her family had left. No need for him to play the attentive boyfriend.
After making a quick dinner, Piper considered her options as she watched people scurry into the Ding-A-Ling from her window.
Bea and Charlotte would be busy. Actually, the holiday season was a hectic time for most people. She let the curtains fall shut, wishing she had Sasha’s measurements so she could start on the gown now.
Not only because she would need the time, but because she needed the money. The fact that the store had posted record sales yesterday and today didn’t quell her growing unease. Her bank account had taken a hit when she’d been closed for several weeks during the move.
Then learning that she wouldn’t have the money coming in from Lindsay and Izzie had been another hit. You can only do your best, she told herself.
Still, having that dress money was really going to help. If she were a millionaire, she’d have gladly made the dress for her sister for free, but she wasn’t. If they were going to pay someone to make the dress for Sasha, they might as well pay her.
Bath or book? She was still weighing the pros and cons of each when her phone buzzed.
Scooping it up, she glanced at the caller ID. Piper smiled when she saw her sister’s name.
“Hi, Sasha. You and Mom made it home okay?”
“We did.” Sasha cleared her throat. “I’m sorry we left in such a hurry. And I’m sorry for being such a brat. You were very kind to us.”
There was something here, Piper thought, but decided not to push. Sasha was calling her for a reason, and she got the feeling it wasn’t simply to let her know they’d arrived in Atlanta safely.
“You both seemed a bit tense.” Piper kept her tone light. “I realize you had some busy days here. Not to mention, being out of your element can be difficult.”
“Heath called early and wanted me back.” A hint of strain crept into Sasha’s voice. “He should be here in a few minutes. There’s some work party he decided we absolutely have to attend.”
“I hope you have fun.”
“Thanks.” Sasha expelled a breath. “Do you have a pencil? I have the measurements you need. Mom will be sending you the money right away for the dress.”
“I can’t wait to get started.” Piper forced enthusiasm into her voice. “You’ll be a beautiful bride.”
“Yes, well…” Sasha paused, then called out, “I’m coming.”
“I take it Heath is at the door?”
“He is, and he doesn’t like waiting.” Sasha hesitated. “Again, I’m sorry, Piper. Really sorry for how I acted.”
“It’s okay.” Piper wanted to say more, sensed her sister needed to talk, but she knew Heath would be in a foul mood if Sasha kept him waiting any longer. “Enjoy your party, and let’s chat soon.”
Less than five minutes after Piper ended the call with her sister, her phone rang again. She smiled at the name on the screen.
“Charlotte. It’s good to hear from you.”
“I’m so glad I reached you.”
“Is something wrong?”
“No. No. Everything is good.” Charlotte gave a hearty laugh. “I was just hoping you weren’t busy and could come over tonight.”
“I don’t have anything on the books for this evening.”
“First, I need to tell you what’s on the agenda.” Charlotte laughed again. “If you’d have told me a year ago that I’d be so excited over decorating a Christmas tree, I’d have said you were crazy. But Adam and I would love to have you join us so we can make it a party. Bea and Clay are coming. You can bring Anders if you’d like. We’d all love the chance to get to know him better.”
Charlotte talked fast, the way she did when she was excited.
Piper pulled her brows together. “You want all of us to decorate your Christmas tree?”
“Yes,” Charlotte confirmed. “To be clear, I’m not talking about putting on the lights. Stan suggested doing an old-fashioned tree. Adam and I jumped all over the idea.”
“Old-fashioned tree.” Piper tried to reconcile the image of an old-fashioned anything with her stylish and cosmopolitan friend.
“You know, strings of popcorn and cranberries. We’ll also make cookies to hang on the tree.”
“Won’t Molly get into them?” Piper asked, thinking of Adam and Charlotte’s yellow Lab.
“Hmm, good point.” Charlotte paused. “We’ll just have to put them up high. What do you say? Should be loads of fun.”
“It sounds like a blast.” Actually, Piper thought, it sounded just like what she needed to boost her spirits. “What time do you want me over?”
“Does seven thirty work?”
“Absolutely. Can I bring anything?”
“Just yourself.” Charlotte paused. “And Anders. If that works for you.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
“It’ll be the next left.” Piper pointed, though she was pretty sure Anders knew his left from his right. “The street is still a couple miles away.”
“I haven’t been out this way before.” Anders turned and shot her a smile. “This will be a new experience. Thanks for inviting me.”
“Sorry it was so last-minute. Charlotte called me right before I called you.” Piper realized she was chattering, but couldn’t seem to stop herself. “Apparently, this little get-together
was totally spur-of-the-moment.”
“I wasn’t busy.” Ander shrugged. Then, as if he realized how that might have sounded, he added, “Trimming a Christmas tree sounds like fun. I haven’t had a tree since, well, I can’t remember how long it’s been.”
“Me either.” Piper tapped her fingers with her lips. “Now that I think about it, I don’t know why I haven’t put one up. I guess I was always too busy with work around the holidays.”
“You should get one this year.” Anders slanted a glance in her direction. “If you want, I could go with you. You know, find the one you like, put it in the back of the truck and take it home.”
“I’ll think about it.”
“Have you heard from your sister? Did she and your mother make it home safely?”
“They did. Sasha called me.” Piper hesitated. “I can’t help but feel she’s having second thoughts about the wedding.”
Quiet filled the truck cab for several seconds.
“Have you thought any more about telling her about what happened when her fiancé was your boyfriend?”
Piper blew out a breath. “I nearly did. But then the moment passed, and well…I’m just not certain it’s the right move.”
She planned to leave it at that, but then felt compelled to add, “I feel guilty about not telling her. It’s just that it was so nice having her here, and I felt like we were getting back on track. I worry if I tell her and she doesn’t believe me, I’ll lose my sister.”
“You’re the only one who can make that decision.” Anders’s gaze remained on the road. “I had a heart-to-heart with my brother over something I did years ago.”
“How did it go?” she prompted when he didn’t continue. Piper figured if he didn’t want to discuss it, he wouldn’t have brought it up.
His lips curved. “Better than I believed possible.”
Reaching over, Piper put her hand on his coat sleeve. “I’m glad.”
He covered her fingers with his and gave them a squeeze before returning his hand to the steering wheel. “The upside is there’s no more secrets between Beck and me. I can’t believe how much better I feel. It’s like I had this anvil on my chest that I didn’t even know was there. That’s gone now, and I can fully breathe again.”
Piper nodded, though his gaze remained focused on the snow-covered highway. She understood what he was saying. When she’d heard the sadness in Sasha’s voice today, she’d been so tempted to tell her about Heath.
“I don’t like keeping this secret. I fear he’ll hurt Sasha in the same way, and it’d be so much worse for her since they’re engaged, and what if he does it after they’re married? The thought just kills me..” Piper stared out into the darkness. “Still, if I tell her, I could easily end up being cast as the villain, even though I didn’t do anything wrong.”
“What I don’t understand, and you can tell me to mind my own business if you don’t want to say, is why you didn’t tell your parents and sister about it when it happened.”
Piper heaved a breath. She glanced at her hands clenched in her lap. “My parents went through some rough times when we lived in Good Hope. My mom was convinced my dad was cheating. They never spoke with me about it, but I had ears. He denied it but it put a crack in their marriage. They’ve had their ups and downs since. I worried that telling them Heath cheated would bring up all that old stuff. For what purpose? It’s not like they could do anything about it, and at the time, I was convinced I’d never see him again.”
Anders nodded, and she could almost see him processing her words. “I can see not telling your parents, but why not Sasha?”
“She was away at college. Sasha was the smart one, the pretty one, and I felt embarrassed, like I hadn’t been…enough, so it was my fault he strayed.”
“You realize now that wasn’t true, right? You know the lack was in him, not in you.”
“Most of me believes that.” Piper sighed. “A teeny part of me still wonders.”
“You—”
“Here’s the turn,” she said as the street came into view. “We’re nearly there.”
“I’ve never strung popcorn before.” Piper carefully used a large needle to pull the golden thread through the kernel. “I would never have thought to coat the thread with beeswax.”
“An old trick I learned from my mother.” Stan stood by the antique china cabinet, sipping eggnog.
There was room for Stan to sit at the dining room table where they were all gathered, but Adam’s father insisted he preferred to stand.
Piper knew Stan suffered from post-polio syndrome, but he was moving well this evening. She liked Stan’s optimistic nature and easy smile. Liked the way he called her Pips sometimes. That was Sasha’s childhood nickname for her and always stirred fond memories.
She could see why Charlotte adored him.
Charlotte glanced around the table. “Anyone up for more eggnog?”
“I’ve still got some in my cup.” Bea looked up from her string of cranberries. “I wouldn’t say no to another cookie.”
“For you or for the beggar next to you?” Stan shot Molly a pointed glance.
The dog thumped her tail against the hardwood as everyone glanced in her direction.
“This one would be for me.” Bea’s eyes twinkled. “I want it all for myself.”
“We have a doctor’s appointment on Tuesday.” Charlotte sighed and patted her belly. “I’ll have to weigh in, so I’m stopping at one.”
Adam handed Bea a cookie wrapped in a napkin, then slanted a glance at his pregnant wife. “You’ve been eating super healthy, Charlotte. If you want another one, I say eat it.”
Clay, who’d just crunched into one, gave a thumbs-up.
Anders looked up from his popcorn chain. “Life’s too short to stop at one.”
“Since you all insist.” Charlotte took the cookie from her husband’s hand. “But this is positively the last one.”
How different this would have been, Piper thought, if Heath had been here. Neither of them could have been encouraging any cookie eating, that’s for sure. Well, Heath might if he was trying to ingratiate himself by going along with the group.
Piper sighed. Was that what her sister had to look forward to once she married Heath? Was Sasha really okay with living by his standards? Especially after a lifetime of being subjected to their mother’s constant criticism?
Returning her attention to the popcorn, Piper listened to the easy conversation swirling around her as Christmas music played softly in the background.
Until this evening, she hadn’t realized how exhausting it had been to have her mother and sister around for even a few days. With her mother, she never knew what might provoke a caustic comment.
With Sasha, she’d constantly wondered if she was doing the right thing by not telling her about—
“Piper?”
Bea’s hand on her arm pulled Piper from her reverie.
Piper smiled. “I’m sorry. I guess I was lost in la-la land.”
“I like to go there myself from time to time.” Bea chuckled. “I was just wondering if your sister ever found a dress she liked.”
Charlotte looked up from the cranberries she was stringing. The men were listening to Stan tell a story about Christmas when he was a kid.
“She found a style she liked.” Piper resisted the urge to sigh. How much easier life would be for them all if Sasha had simply chosen any one of the gorgeous dresses she’d seen. “She wants me to custom-make it for her.”
“With you doing the sewing, the dress will be amazing.” Bea clasped her hands together. “You do such lovely work.”
“Work?” Anders pulled his attention away from Stan to gaze at the three women.
“Piper is making her sister’s wedding dress.” Charlotte thrust out her hands and made a bowing motion. “I’m in awe of your talent. I can barely sew on a button.”
“You’re talented in so many other ways,” Piper insisted.
Anders studied Piper. “How did
I not know you also make wedding dresses?”
“Only a couple a year.” Piper slid the needle through another kernel of popcorn. “Wedding gowns take a considerable amount of time.”
“Sasha is lucky to have a sister like you.” Picking up another cranberry, Charlotte inclined her head. “What style did she pick?”
“It’s a lace-appliqued tulle creation with a scalloped bodice and full skirt. A gorgeous dress, but one not particularly suited to her since she’s so slender.” Piper expelled a breath. “An elegant sheath or a classic column style would play more to her strengths. The style she chose will require considerable customization.”
“Do you have the time?” Anders asked, his eyes filled with concern.
“I’ll make the time.”
Anders offered a reassuring smile. “You’re a good sister.”
Was she? Piper wondered. Wouldn’t a good sister tell Sasha the truth about her fiancé?
Piper shoved the question aside. Tonight, she would relax and enjoy the company of good friends and not give one more thought to her mother or her sister or Heath.
Once the decorations were on the large fir, they moved close to the crackling fire in the living room to play a holiday version of charades. Piper sat on the sofa next to Anders. With his arm around her shoulders and the warmth of his body against hers, she relaxed completely.
Piper watched Charlotte make a sour face and stomp around. The category was Christmas-themed names. What character could Charlotte possibly be?
“Grinch?” Anders murmured under his breath beside her.
“Grinch!” Piper called out.
“That’s right.” Charlotte did a little happy dance. “Piper got it. Score one for our team.”
“Actually, it was Anders.” Piper elbowed him. “Smarty-pants.”
That provoked some good-natured ribbing that Anders took in stride.
By the time they called it a night, Piper noticed that her worries seemed a thousand miles away.
She strolled to the truck beside Anders. When he took her hand, it seemed so natural that the thought of pulling away never occurred to her.
