Positively Pippa

by Sarah Hegger

  “Like I said, nice pj’s.” Jo laughed.

  “Yes.” Phi hummed and tapped the table. “But a dash of makeup and a little spritz of perfume would not go awry. Men are visual creatures, not subtle.”

  Pippa could feel their eyes on her back.

  “You’re right,” Jo said. “I’ll call in a little bit.”

  “But do not leave it too late,” Phi said. “Because the lovelies are due here this morning and a man cannot woo with children underfoot.”

  “There will be no wooing here today.” Pippa really had to draw the line somewhere.

  Jo smirked at her.

  Phi pressed her hand to her bosom. “Of course there will, darling.”

  Why did she bother? Pippa gave her eggs a vicious jab.

  * * *

  Matt sipped his coffee and wished he could mainline it.

  “Sweet Jesus.” Eric dragged out a kitchen chair and straddled it. “She’s gotten worse.”

  “Yup.”

  Their mother was in full meltdown mode this morning. She’d barely given him a chance to get the coffee on before she started.

  “How do you stand it?” Eric’s hands tightened around his mug.

  Matt shrugged, because right now he wasn’t. The desire to yell at his mother rode him hard.

  “Hey.” Nate appeared in the kitchen door. “What’s going on?”

  “She called you, too?” Eric swung his gaze to their younger brother.

  “Yup.” Nate looked from him to Matt and back again. He growled and moved to the cupboard and snatched out a mug. “I’m too fucking busy for this shit.”

  Weren’t they all? Coffee burned Matt’s mouth as he took a huge slug.

  “Wanna give me the Cliffs Notes?” Nate added cream to his coffee and three heaped spoons of sugar. Shit, his brother must work out like a demon to keep that sugar off. At least Matt hoped so, because otherwise he was going to get seriously pissed. More pissed. Four times he’d pulled out his phone to call Pippa. He ached to hear her voice, watch the way her sparkling green eyes took the situation in, assessed and cut straight to the heart of the matter. But he’d done the mature thing with Pippa, the right thing. The only thing he could do really. He didn’t want to hold her here. He knew too much about how that felt.

  “Mom’s having a shit fit because Jo broke off her engagement,” Eric said.

  Nate gaped at him. “What the fuck?”

  “Exactly.” Eric shook his head.

  “She hated the idea of Jo getting married.” Nate stared at Eric and then Matt. “Didn’t we have one of these about six months ago when Jo first told her she was getting married?”

  “Yup.” For the first time probably since his dad had died, his mother’s issues were not the most pressing thing on his mind.

  His phone rang. Jo. He almost didn’t hit accept, thinking for a minute their mother had decided to gather the clan. In the end habit kicked in and he answered the call.

  He was heading for the door before Jo finished speaking.

  “Where the hell are you going?” Nate called after him.

  “Phi’s,” he yelled back. And Pippa. That got him moving faster.

  A chair scraped behind him. “You’ll need my help,” said Eric.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Matt let himself into the kitchen. Pippa wasn’t there, but the fresh floral scent of her lingered and her fancy purse sat on the kitchen table. He shouldn’t be this anxious to see her. Her new job meant she was going away and soon. It didn’t bode well that after only a night spent without her, he was as excited as a puppy with a tennis ball, but she sat like an effervescent bubble under his rib cage and he scanned the kitchen for any further sign of her.

  “Mathieu, darling.” Phi flung herself into the kitchen. She batted her lashes at Eric. “And your delicious brother.”

  “Phi, you’re such a flirt.” Eric kissed Phi on both cheeks. “We both know I’m not man enough for you.”

  “Sad, but true.” Phi twinkled up at him.

  Eric never struggled to find something to say. He opened his mouth and some player-smooth comment drifted out. Damn, what Matt wouldn’t give for that gift. “Jo said you had no water?”

  “Such a lovely girl, your sister.” Phi beamed at him. “She popped around this morning for a visit. It has simply been ages since I have seen her. And now I have two of her brothers in my kitchen.”

  “The water, Phi?” Phi was as demanding as his mother, tying him up in the same sort of knots. But with Phi, it felt different. Across the kitchen she was giving him a coy look out the corner of her heavily made-up eyes, and he grinned. Sly, conniving, and kind enough to give you her last dime. How she made him smile all the time beat him. Pippa had that gift too. She could walk into a room, any room, and light it right up. Which was why she needed to get the hell out of Ghost Falls and stay out. This town was too small, too cramped for the arc light that was Pippa.

  “Don’t you growl at me, Mathieu.” Phi batted her lashes. “I am tempted to pout at you.”

  Matt’s belly gave an uneasy clench. Phi had been talking to Pippa. He so didn’t want to get into this with Eric watching like his favorite team was in the Super Bowl. “Phi, I—”

  “I do not like it when my plans are overset,” Phi said to Eric. “All the careful planning and plotting required.”

  Eric grinned. “What did he do?”

  “I don’t think this is a big share session.” Matt tried to cut the whole thing off at the pass.

  “He and Pippa have been wrenched apart.” Phi gave it some hand action to illustrate.

  “Wrenched?” Eric raised an eyebrow over at him.

  You couldn’t wrench apart what didn’t exist, but the explanation would be lost on Phi. He kept it cool on the outside, but inside he was a squirming mess. “Let me look at that water.”

  “In Pippa’s bathroom.” Phi waved her hand in that general direction.

  Matt knew he’d been had. He should be mad as hell at her. Firstly, though, he could never get mad at Phi and stay mad. Secondly, his brain locked onto Pippa and he took the stairs two at a time. He bypassed the bathroom and hung around the door to Pippa’s room.

  She lay stretched out on the bed, tapping away at her iPad.

  Matt drank her in. The way the sun hit her hair and turned it to copper flame. The long, lush lines of her body that no man with a pulse could resist. He kept it quiet so as not to startle her. “Hey.”

  She jolted a little anyway and turned her head to him. “Oh, hey.” She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Are you here to fix the bathroom?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Okay.” She swung her legs over the side of the bed and sat up. “Jo must have called you.”

  “She did.”

  Damn, but he was like a dumbstruck teen with a huge crush.

  “The bathroom’s through there.” She fiddled with the edge of her iPad, not quite meeting his gaze.

  “I know.” He should go and fix whatever Phi had done to that pipe. Fortunately, the Diva didn’t know enough about plumbing to cause any major hassles.

  Eric’s full-throated laugh drifted up from the kitchen.

  “How are you?” he said. Jesus, his super-sharp repartee was getting marginally better.

  “Fine. You?” She put her tablet down on the bed next to her and stood.

  Her shorts left most of her glorious legs for him to drool over. Wrong thought, buddy. His body didn’t get the memo because even now he could feel the slide of her satin skin under his palm.

  “Matt?” Pippa cocked her hip and stared at him.

  “You’re beautiful.” The words jet-propelled out of his mouth before he knew he was even thinking them.

  She blinked and raised her chin. “What the hell, Matt?”

  “Yeah, I know. I shouldn’t have said that.” Damn, this was awkward. There was so much to say that needed to be said, but it jammed in his brain. He scrubbed his fingers over his scalp. “But for what it’s worth, i
t’s true. You are beautiful. Any man thinks that when they look at you.” And now he was babbling. “I still think that. Maybe always will.”

  “Don’t do this.” Pippa took a shaky breath. “What you said before, about not getting in too deep, you were right. It’s better this way.”

  “I know.” Then why didn’t it feel better? He took a couple of steps into the room. Honest to God, his feet moved without him directing them. This woman drew him, like she had a super power. “But I wish things were different.”

  Pippa took a few steps and met him halfway. Her green eyes soft and reflecting back at him all the confusion he had going on inside. The need to hold her was like a physical ache.

  She blew out a long breath. “So much for keeping it light.”

  “Yeah.” He needed to get it together here. “I’ll go and see what Phi did to the plumbing.”

  “She’s on a mission.” Pippa half followed him, and stopped in the doorway.

  “I got that. She’s pouting.” Matt forced an easy smile on his face. It felt a bit fake from his end, but Pippa responded with a small smile of her own.

  Pippa made a jerky motion toward the stairs. “I’ll be downstairs if you . . . need anything.”

  You, naked, sweaty, and panting under me. So not the right answer to the question. He shook his head and backed into the bathroom.

  * * *

  Pippa crossed her arms over the hollow ache in her chest. She’d expected to see Matt after the scene with Jo and Phi, been braced for it. Then, he appeared in her bedroom doorway and she couldn’t breathe anymore. Couldn’t think straight.

  He wasn’t making it easy, either.

  She knew that look in his eyes. It had been beamed at her pretty constantly since she came home. Matt was still hot for her, and keen to scratch that itch. If she was really having this lighthearted, friends-with-benefits thing with him—no problem, right? They hook up, have a great time, and end of story. Not quite the way it was working out.

  Friends with benefits didn’t cuddle and talk about their lives. Spend time with each other because it felt good, comfortable, safe. Those things got messy, fast. The sex was great, off the charts, but the connection . . . the connection was the biggest problem of all. He got her. A deep-down understanding of her that didn’t need words or gestures. And she got him.

  Pippa took the stairs at a near run. If she gave herself half a chance, she’d be back up there with Matt.

  Phi and Eric were making goo-goo eyes at each other over the kitchen table.

  Eric was far more her type. Groomed, urbane, sophisticated, yet with that aura of I’m-so-much-trouble on the end of him. Why couldn’t she be attracted to Eric? She threw herself down on the bench beside him. Who knows? Maybe some of that hotness would trigger a response.

  He smelled great. A touch of sandalwood overlying warm male. Pippa took an appreciative sniff.

  Eric turned to grin down at her. “Are you sniffing me?”

  “Yup.” She bumped his shoulder. “You smell great.”

  “Smell.” Phi threw her head back and growled. “Such a raw, sexual response to a man.”

  “I’m not having sex with Eric,” Pippa said. If Phi saw her plan with Matt heading south, she was very likely to switch targets. And that’s all they needed right now, Phi on a mission to fix her up with Eric.

  Eric huffed a soft laugh. “Are you sure?”

  “Quite.”

  “Well, damn,” Eric murmured. His naughty eye twinkle must drive the girls nuts. “There go my plans for later.”

  Wheels crunched over gravel outside and Phi raised her head. A smile bloomed over her face and she got to her feet and scurried for the door. “The lovelies.”

  Seventy-eight and she still moved like a teenager. Pippa must have lost her mind to think Phi was losing her memory. As for Laura and Mom, they so needed to get over themselves. She needed to concentrate on her own mess right now. Work. She’d throw all this energy into the new project with Chris. Later.

  “Darlings!” Phi sang out.

  Pippa answered Eric’s questioning look. “Laura and her kids.”

  “Laura?” Eric shifted on the seat and his gaze darted to the door and back to her.

  Had his voice gone a little higher? Pippa studied his face. “That’s right, you and Laura were engaged.”

  “Not officially,” he said, his eyes fixed on the door. “She broke it off.”

  Seeing someone else squirm for a while eased her snarled insides. “And why was that? Laura never said.”

  Eric raised his brow. His smooth, unreadable mask firmly back in place. “Then she must not want you to know.”

  “Ass,” Pippa said.

  “Maybe.”

  Sam clattered into the kitchen, his hair windblown and his cheeks blooming. “Pippa,” he yelled. “Phi said you were still here. Mom said you would be gone, but I didn’t believe it. Daisy agreed with Mom, but she always does.”

  He skidded to a stop right next to her chair and stood there, rocking from his heels to his toes.

  “Hey, Sam.” Pippa cupped his chin. Her nephew was a great kid. Full of life and energy. His mouth firing off faster than a machine gun. She really should spend more time with them. “What have you been up to?”

  Sam’s eyes went big, his mouth opened on a delighted inhale. “I have a new fort.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes.” He nodded and wriggled closer to her. His little body gave off a surprising amount of heat as he pressed against her leg and went into a description of the fort. It seems Blake had come up with the idea, and Aaron’s dad had built it. Something about Liam that she didn’t catch and Liam’s sister. Somewhere in the names flying at her, Pippa got lost.

  “I’ll be back to fetch them in a couple of hours.” Laura hit the kitchen spewing instructions. “Make sure they eat a healthy snack. I’m not sure those cookies you had last time—” She stopped just inside the door and stared over Pippa’s head.

  “Hello, Laura.” Eric stood. “Nice to see you again.”

  “Eric.” His name came out in a garbled squeak. “H . . . hi.”

  “Is this your son?” Eric motioned to Sam, who was staring at him and catching flies.

  Laura nodded.

  “Hey, Sam.” Eric held out his hand. “I’m Eric.”

  Sam’s shoulders went back and he shoved his small hand into Eric’s large, tanned one. “I’m Sam.”

  Laura dragged in a deep breath and dropped her head. When she raised it again, all the messy bits had been tucked away again. “And this is my daughter, Daisy.”

  “Hi, Daisy.” Eric gave the girl a sexy-as-hell chin lift.

  Daisy’s mouth dropped open and her eyes widened. Poor kid. Eric was a whole lot of man candy for a tween to take in. “Hi,” Daisy breathed.

  “You look well, Eric.” Laura snapped her sunglasses shut and slipped them into a case.

  A smile played around the corners of Eric’s mouth. “You look better than good.”

  Laura went red. “Yes, well, thank you. I have a wonderful life.”

  “I can see that.”

  Eric was so playing with her sister. Pippa felt a small twinge of guilt, like maybe she should rescue Laura or something. This was way too much fun, though. It had been so long since she’d seen her sister anything less than poised and in command.

  “I’ll go and fetch the toy box.” Laura jerked her head at the baize door.

  Phi watched her with a smirk. “You do that, dear.”

  “Right.” Laura squared her shoulders. “I’ll go and get it.”

  “Need a hand?” drawled Eric.

  “Not from you.” Laura went bright red. “I mean, no, thank you.”

  The baize door swung shut on her twitching ass.

  “Do you know my mom?” Daisy ventured closer to Eric. She flushed, as if she couldn’t believe her own daring.

  Eric smiled at her. “I used to know her very well. I grew up here, I’m Matt’s brother.”

&nb
sp; “Is Matt here?” Sam bounced on his toes.

  “He’s upstairs in my bathroom,” Pippa said.

  God, Sam must leave her sister wrung out by the end of the day. The kid gave off more energy than nuclear fusion.

  “Cool.” Sam ran through the door and his feet clattered up the stairs. “Maaatt!”

  Matt’s deep rumble sounded in response.

  “It’s me, it’s Sam Johnson and I’m coming to help you.” Sam’s excited chatter drifted down the stairs.

  Daisy rolled her eyes and slouched into the chair opposite. “My brother is so lame. He couldn’t help Matt if he tried.”

  “We men like to pretend we know everything.” Eric winked at her. “I’m going to see if my brother needs a hand.”

  Daisy kept her stare on him as he strolled out of the kitchen. “Did my mom, like, date him or something?”

  “Your mom was engaged to him, or something,” Phi said.

  “Nooo.” Daisy glanced at Pippa for corroboration. “What happened?”

  “She liked your dad better,” Pippa said. Laura hadn’t met Daisy’s dad until a few years later, but a little lie sometimes didn’t hurt. And Laura had liked Patrick better; she’d married him and dumped Eric’s fine ass.

  “Hmph.” Daisy shrugged, but a happy light danced in her eyes. “He’s pretty hot, for an old guy.”

  “He most certainly is.” Phi clapped and smiled at Daisy. “What would you like to do today?”

  “It’s Earth Day.” Daisy screwed up her nose. “Mom wants us to do an activity to show our appreciation for the earth.”

  “What a lovely idea.” Phi rocked on her toes. “We would pick some fresh herbs from the knot garden, and dry them. They would look enchanting hanging from the rafters of the kitchen.” Phi’s eyes glazed over, lost in the beauty of her new plan. “We could pick them, dry them, and tie them with beautifully colored ribbons. Then we could get Matt to suspend them from the rafters.”

  That would be quite some feat in a couple of hours. Pippa hid her grin.

  Daisy leaped to her feet, another captive to the magic of Phi. “That would look so cool, like an old-fashioned kitchen.”

  “Where is my gardening bonnet?” Phi glanced around the kitchen.