by Wendy Vella
The little girl shrieked and lunged at him, arms out.
“Hey there, sweetheart,” Dylan said, taking her. “How you doing?”
Joe shot Piper a look she had no idea how to interpret and decided she never wanted to.
Dylan’s sisters were confused, standing there looking like he’d just broken out a few ballet moves.
“Since when do you like children?”
“I like children,” he said to Charlie. “Ava was one, remember, and we liked her most of the time. But this one is extra special because I spent some time with her, plus she knows a stud when she sees one.”
This made everyone but the Howard sisters hoot with laughter. Piper wasn’t sure they even knew how to relax and just have fun with other adults. Uptight was what they were, just like Dylan was.
“She’s cute,” Ava said, moving closer.
Charlie took the other side. They were closer, Piper realized, watching them. Sure, they weren’t exactly relaxed, but they’d begun to be a family. She wondered if they realized that yet.
“She must remember you,” Jack said, looking from Piper to the Howards. “Fancy that.”
Piper was pleased there wasn’t the usual animosity in his tone. Not that it mattered, because Dylan would be leaving Ryker soon; in fact she’d thought he would have by now. But it was important to her that her cousins liked him because while there may not be anything in her future that linked her to the man, he still needed friends. Piper knew her cousins made excellent friends.
“What can I say, I have a winning personality,” Dylan drawled, taking Grace with him to a seat at the counter.
“Must be that,” Charlie said, joining him.
“Mr. Goldhirsh get to you, bud?” Joe said.
The Roadies, as they were known around town, were all now seated outside, as they always did when it was fine. They’d order coffee and toast with a side of eggs, and not much else.
“So coffee and a side of eggs?” Piper said, leaving the coffee machine. “That’s what the Roadies all order routinely.”
Charlie and Ava nodded, and Dylan shuddered
“You ate toast and oatmeal,” he said to his sisters.
“And just ran for an hour, so we get to eat now too, and you have to pay,” Ava said, ticking Grace under the chin.
She looked almost happy, but those smudges under her eyes hadn’t gone away yet.
“That’s not fair.”
Piper took their order and went back to the coffee machine after taking it to the kitchen. She listened as the Trainers and Howards interacted, and couldn’t stop the smile as she thought how far they’d all come.
The Trainers had fought their battles and come out the other side, and it seemed maybe the Howards were doing that too.
“You say she just got sick without warning?”
“Yeah, just doubled over, and Dylan had to pick her up and carry her to bed. She’s home from hospital now but still pretty sick,” Charlie told Jack. “They think it may be food poisoning.”
“Who’s sick?” Piper handed Dylan his coffee, and the sisters herbal teas.
She dug her toes into the soles of her sneakers as he looked at her, those blue eyes running over her face and back to her eyes.
“Mom. She has some kind of illness. Doctors are running tests, but it was violent and points to poisoning of some kind.”
“That’s not good.”
Grace was playing with the face of his watch now, running a small pudgy finger around it.
“No, it’s not. And while she’s not everyone’s favorite citizen, it’s not easy to see her in pain.”
“Dylan—”
“I wasn’t taking a shot at you, Piper.” He smiled. “How’s it going with this little princess? You purchased that water blaster yet?”
“She’s good... great, actually. Everyone’s helping, but I get the night shift because that’s only fair. I’m only doing two shifts here at the moment, for sanity’s sake, and the rest of the time I’m with her.”
“I changed one of those nappies,” Luke said. “Seriously, man, how did that come out of such a sweet little girl?”
“It’s a mystery,” Dylan said.
The Howards and the Trainers talked for an hour, and Piper worked and watched. When it was time for them to go she was sad because she’d enjoyed listening to them. Dylan had sat with Grace on his lap the entire time and the little girl couldn’t have been happier. To be fair, Piper wouldn’t have minded trading places, but that was never going to happen again.
“I don’t....” The words fell away as Ava wobbled on her feet, then dropped to the floor.
“Ava!” Dylan handed Grace to Jack and knelt beside his sister. “Call for the ambulance!”
Luke was there in seconds. All the Trainers were fully trained in first aid, but Luke as a firefighter had taken that training to the next level.
He took Ava’s hand and checked her pulse, then raised her legs. Joe got a box for him to put them on. He checked the back of her head, but said there was no lump.
“She’s breathing, just fainted,” he said to the worried siblings beside him. “But she needs to be checked out.”
Luke unzipped her jacket and made her comfortable.
When they heard the siren, Ava was sitting up, but her skin color was tinged with yellow now, and her breathing rapid. She leaned against her brother while Charlie held her hand.
“I don’t want to go to the hospital,” Ava said.
“Too bad.” Dylan picked her up. “You are.”
He walked out the door with Charlie and Luke on his heels.
“Jesus!” Jack said. “What the hell was that?”
“Don’t know, but guess we’ll find out.” Joe sat again. “Scared the shit out of me, I don’t mind saying. One minute she was upright, then down.”
“Good to see them a unit though, don’t you think?” Jack picked up his coffee and took a large, fortifying mouthful. Grace was now playing at their feet with a box of toys Piper had brought in.
“Real good.”
“Thought you didn’t much like Dylan,” Joe said.
“A man can change his mind.” Jack shot Piper another one of those looks her cousins had been throwing her all morning.
“He’s a good man, Jack, and just the kind I’d like for our cousin.”
“What!” Piper shook her head at Joe’s words. “What the hell did you just say?”
She was subjected to a double stare down from her cousins.
“You heard,” Joe said. “He’s a good man, and he’d be good for you. So whatever the hell this shit is between you, if anything comes of it, I won’t have an issue. Now keep your voice down so Grace doesn’t hear you.”
He’d mouthed the word shit.
It was extremely rare Piper was ever at a loss for words, but now was one of those moments.
“Firstly, I don’t need your permission,” she managed to get out.
“Notice she didn’t say she wasn’t interested,” Jack said, smirking.
“Secondly,” Piper gritted out, “he is leaving here soon, and I absolutely do not have any ‘shit’ going on with him. Plus, I now have a child!”
Piper was not big on lying, the truth was usually the best route, but when it got her out of a tight situation she wasn’t averse.
“Right,” Jack needled her. “That’s no shit, is it, the smoldering looks that you’re both trying to hide and the sudden tension? I was worried about getting between you, the air was so thick.”
“Shut up,” Piper hissed.
“She’s getting pissy now, that’s a sign she’s guilty.”
“I’m not guilty, and grow up, you juvenile.”
“Doubly guilty, because the insults are now flying,” Joe said.
Jack opened his mouth to add something, but Joe sent him a look to say they’d had enough fun at her expense.
“Sorry, Pip. But there is something between you and Dylan Howard. We’re not idiots, contrary to what you believe. We l
ike him, and want you happy. All we’re saying is that if there could be a connection, maybe you owe it to both of you to explore it.”
Could she? No, Piper knew he was leaving; no good would come of her putting herself out there.
“I have a child now, in case you’d forgotten. Even if I was interested, which I’m not, things are different.”
“And clearly he hates that kid.” Joe looked at her with sympathy in his eyes.
Piper walked away from them before she said something nasty. Unsettled, she went out back to take a breather.
Oh hell no, she was not going to do anything about the chemistry between herself and Dylan.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Dylan left the hospital the following day reeling. Charlie had arrived an hour ago and he’d filled her in on what the doctors had told him. She was now sitting with Ava. After checking on his father, he’d decided on a walk to hopefully clear his head and make sense of what he’d learned.
Keeping the news from his mother hadn’t been easy, because Mary Howard was recovering and with that came her forceful personality, but he’d managed it. He and Charlie had told her that Ava had overdone it running, but he’d have to tell her the truth soon, and he wasn’t looking forward to it.
He walked up the road, and headed toward the mountains. Thoughts came and went as he tried to make some decisions. He couldn’t leave Ryker now; no way would he do that to his family. Ava needed him, just as his father, mother, and Charlie did.
How could so many things be happening to the Howards? Digging his hands into the pockets of his jeans, he tried to wrap his head around the situation.
He knew it was coincidence; there was no other explanation… but first his father, then Charlie. Now Mom and Ava.
Looking up the road, he saw Piper pushing Grace in her stroller. Had he been thinking with his usual clarity, there was no way Dylan would have increased his pace. No way would he have actively sought the company of a woman who unsettled him. A woman who was stirring up feelings inside him.
“Hey, you.”
She turned, and he enjoyed the smile she gave him because it reached her eyes. He could see she was tired, but then from what he’d seen that was a continual state for parents of young children.
“Hey, you.”
There was none of the usual fire in her eyes, or wariness for that matter. In fact, if he leaned in and kissed those soft lips, Dylan was fairly sure she’d allow it. The thought had him leaning back; he still had a small quota of self-preservation.
Jeans and a gray fitted sweater. Nothing alluring, or different from what any number of women wore, but on Piper they were pretty special. Her hair was bundled into a big clip with more haste than care, as half of it had come down at the rear.
“Hello, Gracie.” Dylan bent over the little girl and she gave him a garbled mouthful of something, which he interpreted to mean “hey you” right back. Dressed in a white and lemon puffy suit that looked seriously warm, she had a white hat tied under her chin, and a blanket tucked around her. Under her arm was Bicky.
“Nice day for a walk.”
“I’m checking out a property, actually.”
“What for?”
“To buy it. I’ve seen it tons of times, but that was before Grace became mine, so I want to look at it again. It’s run down and needs renovating, but I think it will make a great home one day for me and Grace.”
“You want to move out of the main house?” This surprised Dylan, because there she had support.
“Not now, but one day. Luke and Jack will find partners, and maybe Mom and Mr. Goldhirsh will want to move in with each other. Or by some miracle I may find someone, and we can’t all live together.”
The anger struck quick, almost taking his breath away. Piper with someone else... hell no.
“Can I come and look with you?”
“Why would you want to?”
Dylan shrugged, uncomfortable with sharing any more personal stuff about himself.
“Spill,” Piper said, looking at him. “I can see you’re hiding something.”
And wasn’t that a scary thought, that she could read what he was thinking.
“I do a bit of building... kind of. It’s my thing, or hobby is probably a more accurate word. So I could look it over for you if you like? I’ve read up about the rules and regulations for remodeling houses too. Each county is different of course, but I may be able to offer some advice.”
Piper stopped, her eyes now focused intently on him.
“Did you remodel a house for yourself?”
He looked uncomfortable suddenly. “No, that kind of thing just interests me.”
“You wanted to be a builder, didn’t you?”
“Sure, who didn’t?”
“Most people I know.”
“It’s always been an interest of mine. No big deal, Piper.”
“So why didn’t you become a builder?”
“I just found another path to travel.”
“That’s very new age of you, but also a large pile of BS. It wasn’t good enough for a Howard, was it? Just like Charlie wanting to paint, and Ava becoming a hairdresser.”
Uncomfortable with her words, he made a man noise.
“Gotcha, that’s a don’t-go-there subject, right?”
He wondered if his face looked as pained as it felt.
“As to your offer, I’d love for you to look it over,” Piper said, taking pity on him. “The boys have, but they’re not too impressed with me wanting to buy the property, so weren’t gushing with enthusiasm.”
“I bet. They like you all close together is my guess, but then this is hardly a great distance either,” Dylan said.
“Exactly.”
He walked beside her as she pushed the stroller, and they passed Maggie Winters’s house, and then three driveways along, she turned.
He’d never thought of Piper as a comfortable person, but as he walked with her, that’s what he felt. Comfortable to be in her company again.
“I’ll push it.” He took the stroller, as the drive was full of potholes and the going hard. Trees lined both sides and needed cutting back, but as they reached the end he saw the house set back against mountains.
“It needs work, and it’ll take me time to get that done... especially now with Grace. But I’m not in a hurry.”
The house was run-down, and the weatherboards in need of a stain. Pitched roof, not big, but that could change with an extension, Dylan thought. His initial impression would be to go up.
“The elderly man who lived here got sick and moved into a home.”
“Do you have a key?”
She nodded and headed up the four front steps to put it in the lock. Dylan got Grace out and followed her in through the front door.
The entrance was small and needed widening, but as he moved through the rooms he saw the old house had good bones. The living area had a huge open fireplace with a carved wooden surround that drew him.
“See that, Gracie?” Dylan touched the old wood. “Someone crafted that by hand.”
“I was thinking of taking that down actually,” Piper said.
“What?” His look of horror made her laugh. “No way, this is a piece of art. It just needs some love, like the house.”
“Okay.”
“Take Grace.” He passed the little girl over, and for the next hour he inspected every inch of the wonderful old house. Dylan wasn’t often excited, but the thought of a project like this made him feel that way.
“So what do you think?” Dylan said when he and Piper were outside again looking at the house.
“Done right, this place is going to really be something.”
“And cost me a lot of money to do is my guess?”
“Sure, but it will be worth it.”
He wanted to do it for her, he realized. Swallowing down the words, Dylan ran a hand through his hair. He’d felt something when he walked inside that house. A longing to own it, a longing to see it restored and have a
hand in the renovation.
“So should I buy it?”
“Absolutely.”
“Thanks.” She smiled at him. “I will then.”
“Just like that?”
“Just like that….” Her words fell away. “Crap, I’m a terrible person. I completely forgot to ask you how Ava is.”
“Not good.” He felt it again, the pain when the doctor had told him what he’d found in the blood results. Pain, rage, and yes, guilt.
“But she’ll be okay?”
He wanted to tell her, wanted to talk to someone about what he’d learned. Should he? Piper was good for it, he knew she wouldn’t tell anyone, but if he shared things with her wouldn’t that make them closer? He didn’t need to get closer, because most days he couldn’t get her out of his head.
“Eventually.”
“Let’s walk and you can tell me.”
They headed down the tree-lined drive with him pushing the stroller again.
“I haven’t even told Mom and Dad yet, only Charlie knows.”
“Okay.”
Still she didn’t probe.
“The doctor told me he found cocaine in her system, Piper. Ava’s been doing drugs, and no one knew.”
“Oh, Dylan, I’m so sorry.” She squeezed his fingers, and he battled the urge to open them and take her hand in his.
“I can’t help feeling like we’ve let her down. I mean, leaving her here with Mom and Dad, and the pressure Mom obviously put on her.”
“Sure, and I get that you would feel guilty, but did she ever try to get in contact with you?”
“No, but I think that was on Mom too. And I was her older brother. Nine years, Piper, I have nine years on her, and I just walked away. We were close, and used to spend a lot of time together. I was selfish, telling myself that she didn’t need me, either of my sisters, and they were doing just fine without me around.”
“So what, you’re going to spend the rest of your life taking the blame for being an asshole now?”
He snorted. “I don’t remember mentioning the word asshole.”
“The point here, Dylan, is that your regrets are all well and good, but they don’t do much to change anything and just make you feel bad. I know; remember the regrets I have over Joanie?”