“Thank you. Again,” Christie called from behind him.
“You’re welcome,” he said over his shoulder. “Okay, you two, let’s go outside,” he told the children.
They were finally—finally—done with the wedding rehearsal, and Piper breathed a sigh of relief. Her mom and Don had to have picked the most anal-retentive, control-freak pastor in all of Nebraska because that rehearsal shouldn’t have taken that long. At least her mom and future stepfather would have a perfect wedding.
Piper looked around. “Where’s Nate?”
Her mother shrugged. “Sorry, honey, I haven’t seen him for a while.”
“He’s outside with my kids at the park across the street,” Christie, Don’s daughter, said from the piano. “Bless his heart. He’s probably going insane right about now. I was just going to relieve him.”
Piper and Christie walked outside and made their way across the street. Before they even got there, they could hear laughter and screaming. The kind of screaming you did when you were having fun.
Nate was running, and the kids were chasing him. He was obviously going slow, so they were right on his heels.
Christie breathed a sigh of relief. “They look like they’re having fun.”
Piper smiled. “Yeah, they do.”
“Those two can be a handful sometimes, and I felt bad for leaving them with Nate. I just met the man, and here I was, pawning my kids off on him.”
Piper laughed. “I think he’s having just as much fun as they are. I’m sure he was bored, watching the rehearsal, too. He was probably grateful to have an excuse to come out here.”
Nate slowed, and the two kids tackled his legs. He made a big production of being caught. Christie’s little girl jumped up and down with her arms in the air, and her little boy jumped on top of Nate’s chest. Piper heard his oomph from way over here.
“Mr. Nate, Mr. Nate, we beat you,” the little boy said.
“Yeah, you did. I’m no match for you two,” Nate told him.
“Your boyfriend is a natural,” Christie said.
“I’m sorry, what? I was watching those two,” Piper said.
“I said, your boyfriend is a natural. Michael is very shy around strangers, and Nate has him hopping on his chest.”
Piper realized that she had never really thought about Nate being or not being father material. The fact that it seemed like he would never settle down prevented the idea from even being brought up. But, apparently, he was good with kids. Watching him with Christie’s children warmed Piper’s heart, and for a fleeting second, she let herself imagine what it would be like if Nate were with their kids.
She quickly shook off the fantasy though. Now was not the time to daydream about things she couldn’t have.
Christie’s phone pinged, and she pulled it from her pocket. “Of course my husband shows up now. Just in time for the rehearsal dinner.”
Piper laughed. “He came for the best part.”
Christie clapped her hands. “Olivia, Michael, it’s time to go eat. Daddy’s here.”
The two turned to their mother. “Mommy,” they both shouted and ran toward her. They’d been having so much fun with Nate that they hadn’t even noticed their mom’s approach.
“Thanks again, Nate,” she called to him.
“My pleasure.”
“See you at dinner,” Christie said to Piper.
After the three of them left, Piper walked over to Nate as he got up from the grass.
“You ready to eat?” she asked him.
“I’m ready for bed. Man, those two have a lot of energy.”
“How about dinner and then an early bedtime for you?”
Nate put his arm around her. “Only if you’re going to tuck me in.”
Piper looked up at him and laughed. “I’ll see what I can do.”
Nate held Piper in his arms as they danced in the banquet room in the basement of the church. All the tables had been pushed aside after everyone was finished eating.
The rehearsal was done, the wedding was done, and the reception was done. Now, it was time for the dance, and Nate was glad that Piper finally had some free time.
She’d been running around, helping her mother, the last few days. He’d tried to help as much as possible, but he didn’t know much about centerpieces or party favors. But, even though they’d been busy with doing a list of jobs for the wedding, Nate wouldn’t have wanted to be anywhere else.
And, while watching Piper walk down the aisle this afternoon, looking beautiful, he’d realized that he wanted her to be walking down for a different wedding.
He wanted her to be walking toward him.
Now, he just needed to find the right time to tell her.
He knew there was a strong chance that she wouldn’t feel the way he did, or it would take her some time to get to the same place he was. He’d give her as much time as she needed.
Someone cleared their throat next to them, and Nate swung them around to see who it was.
Piper immediately pulled away from him. “Mr. Stevens, Mrs. Stevens, I’m so glad you could make it.” She tried to sound sincere, but he heard the tension in her voice.
“Piper.” Mr. Stevens looked at Nate. “Nate.”
“Hello, Mr. Stevens. Mrs. Stevens.”
Jordan’s father turned his attention back to Piper. “It was kind of your mother to invite us.”
Nate had been dismissed. Jordan had always talked about how stiff and cold his parents were, but Nate had always thought it was an exaggeration until he’d met them.
The first time Jordan’s parents had come to visit him at college, they had insisted Jordan meet them in front of the dorm. They’d taken him to dinner and dropped him off after. They’d made no effort to see Jordan’s dorm room, to meet his roommate and dormmates, or to see what Jordan was involved in.
When Nate had mentioned it, Jordan had shrugged it off. That was how they had always been. It was probably the reason Jordan was so outgoing and nice to everyone. And it was definitely the reason Jordan’s younger brother had become a tattoo artist. Jordan’s parents didn’t even talk to Liam anymore. But Nate had to wonder if they had reached out to their only remaining child after losing Jordan.
Mr. Stevens looked around, obviously finding the place lacking. Mrs. Stevens was clutching her purse like someone was going to steal it. They were in the reception hall of a church, for heaven’s sake. They didn’t allow liquor, so all the guests were sober, yet it wasn’t good enough for the Stevens.
Yeah, Nate doubted they’d invited Liam back into their lives. At the funeral, they’d barely even acknowledged their younger son.
Mr. Stevens cleared his throat. “Nate, would you mind if we spoke to Piper alone?”
Nate looked at Piper. She had never liked being around her in-laws, always feeling like they were judging her. They probably were. And he wasn’t going to leave her alone if she didn’t want him to.
She put her hand on Nate’s arm. “It’s okay.”
Piper watched Nate walk away, desperately wanting to call him back. She could tell by the expressions on her in-laws’ faces that they had something on their minds that she wasn’t going to like.
They had never been warm people, but she could practically feel the chill coming off of them tonight.
She followed them off to the side where it was quieter and less crowded.
Paul cleared his throat. Again. It was an annoying habit of his. “We have something unpleasant we need to discuss with you.”
No shit, Sherlock.
“Okay. I’m ready.” She wasn’t sure what exactly they wanted her to say.
“We’ve heard some unpleasant news tonight.”
Paul paused, as if he was waiting for her to volunteer information, but she didn’t have a clue as to what they were talking about.
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
Cheryl, her mother-in-law, made a tsking sound with her tongue, like Piper was a child who had disappointed her. “Piper,
we know that you are involved with Nate.”
“Oh?”
“We saw you…close to him in the hall earlier,” Paul said, like he’d caught Piper having sex with Nate or something when it had been a few stolen kisses. They had been more sweet than hot and heavy.
“How could you?” Cheryl said through a clenched jaw.
Piper was so shocked that she took a step back.
“He’s barely been dead a year, and you’re already off with his friend. Have you no respect for our son?”
Piper held up her hand. “I loved your son very much. I still love your son. My relationship with Nate has nothing to do with my feelings for Jordan.”
“Apparently not,” Cheryl said.
Paul cleared his throat. “What my wife is trying to say is that it is disrespectful to Jordan and his memory. You should not be flaunting off your new beau so soon. You shouldn’t even have a new beau so soon.”
Wow.
Piper had never been a big fan of her in-laws, and they had never been big fans of her, but this was crossing the line. “I’m sorry, but my relationship with Nate is none of your business.”
“When it affects our son and his legacy, it sure as hell is,” Cheryl said.
Piper’s eyes widened. She had never heard Cheryl say hell before. She clasped her hands together. “Look, Paul, Cheryl, I’m not going to discuss this with you any further. I understand you are still grieving over the loss of your son. I can hardly begin to imagine how that feels. But I lost a husband. I loved him—still love him—very much. What goes on between Nate and me has nothing to do with Jordan. Now, if you’ll please excuse me, my mother needs my help. Thank you both for coming. I’m sure you can show yourselves out.” Piper spun on her heel and walked away.
“Piper.” Cheryl’s voice had lost its scorn, and only sadness remained.
Piper stopped but didn’t turn back around.
“I know you went to visit his grave. I know you mean it when you say you still love him. Please, think of Jordan. Think of how sad he is in heaven, watching his wife with another man. His friend. Someone he trusted. I admit, we’re worried about what others think when they see you with someone else, but mostly, I worry about my baby, up in heaven, feeling like his heart has been ripped out.”
Piper didn’t know what to say, but she felt like she’d been punched in the gut.
“Please, just think about it.”
Piper sensed, more than heard, them walk away. Her first instinct was to find Nate, but her second instinct was that she needed to get out of that room. It suddenly felt like the walls were closing in on her.
She quickly went out into the hall and slipped out the back door. She didn’t want to run into her in-laws by going out the front.
There were a few people smoking outside, so Piper quickly walked past them to find some seclusion. She ended up across the street at the park where Nate had just played with Christie’s kids.
She took a seat on the swing and rested her head against the chain.
Am I really a horrible wife?
The thought of Jordan up in heaven, looking down on her, watching her with Nate, while his heart broke, brought tears to her eyes and made her feel incredibly guilty. She’d always assumed that Jordan would want her to move on with her life, but what if it was too soon? And what if seeing her with his friend was like a stab in the back?
She had asked Jordan for a sign when she went to visit him, and Cheryl had mentioned her visit. Was this her beloved husband’s way of saying he didn’t want her with Nate? She couldn’t have gotten a more direct message.
And, now, Piper’s heart was breaking. She didn’t want to hurt Jordan, and she didn’t want to give up Nate. She’d finally felt happy again. She’d actually gone weeks, rather than days, without bursting into tears.
Could she really give that all up? Could she really go on being with Nate, knowing it wasn’t what her husband wanted?
One thing was for sure.
She had no idea what she was going to do.
Nate looked around for Piper but didn’t see her anywhere. It had been a while since the Stevens asked to speak to her alone, and Nate had gotten caught up in a conversation with Don and his son.
But, now, he was beginning to worry.
“Excuse me,” he told Don and Greg.
Nate walked around the room but still no Piper. He pulled out his phone. No missing texts or phone calls. He tried calling her, but he didn’t get an answer. He sent her a text and asked her where she was, but he didn’t wait around for a response.
Five minutes later, he found her outside, across the street, sitting on one of the swings.
She looked up when she heard him approach, and it was apparent that something was wrong. He wasn’t sure, but she might have been crying, and she looked miserable. And he strongly suspected it had to do with her in-laws.
Nate got down on one knee in front of her. “Hey, are you okay?”
“No,” she admitted.
He put his hands on her knees and rubbed them in an attempt to comfort her. “What happened?”
“Do you think I’m a bad wife?”
Nate was taken aback. “No.” Then, he got angry. “Why? What did they say to you?”
She shrugged.
“Come on, Piper. You know you can tell me.”
“They told me that I’m dishonoring Jordan and his memory by being with you.”
“Excuse me?”
“They said it’s too soon and that dating his friend is cruel. They think I’m moving on too fast.”
Nate clenched his jaw. He wanted to find Jordan’s parents and shake them. They hadn’t been there when Piper cried in his arms every night. They hadn’t been there while she basically stopped having a social life. How dare they make her feel guilty.
“Piper.” Nate sighed. He needed to think about how to word this. She was obviously feeling guilty. “You know that Jordan was their son, and they love him, right?”
“Yes.”
“It’s hard for them to see you with someone else because it’s a reminder to them that he’s gone.”
“I suppose you’re right.” She sighed. “But what if it is too soon? What if Jordan’s up there, watching us, thinking we betrayed him?”
“Piper, you know that Jordan asked me to take care of you.”
Her green eyes widened. “Exactly. He wanted you to take care of me. Now, you’re sleeping with me. I need time to think about this.”
Shit.
This was not going well, and he was losing her. He had reminded her of Jordan’s dying wish to show her that her husband had asked Nate to be with her, but she took it as an opposite sign. That they were to remain platonic.
He hadn’t wanted to do this here and now, but she needed to know that their relationship was special.
He grabbed her hands. “Piper.”
She looked into his eyes.
“I love you. I want to be with you as more than friends. I want you to be with me.” Forever.
She jumped up from the swing, pulling her hands from him and storming around him. “Did you not hear what I just said? I need time to think.”
Nate slowly stood and tried to reach for her.
She yanked herself out of the way. “Here I am, feeling guilty, and you think that telling me you love me will just make it all go away.”
Nate took a deep breath. He knew she was upset, and he needed to remain calm. “No. That’s not it at all. I wanted you to know that you’re special to me.”
She put her hands up in the air and shook them. “I can’t deal with this right now. Now, I have to feel guilty about you, too.”
Nate took a step back. “I see. Guilty because you don’t feel the same way.”
“I didn’t say that.”
“But you didn’t not say that.” This was not how he had imagined it going when he pictured telling her that he loved her. “You know, I never took you for a coward. Who cares what your in-laws think? If you want to be with me
, then you should be with me.”
She huffed. “I can’t believe you just said that to me. You, Mr. I Don’t Do Relationships Because My Mommy Died.”
“Whoa.” He couldn’t believe she’d just said that. That was a low blow.
She pointed to her chest. “I lost my husband. I’d put myself out there and fallen in love, and I lost.” She pointed to him. “You. You won’t even consider giving a relationship a chance. You lost your mom. Yes, it was sad. But she wasn’t your wife.”
“Well, Piper, I guess you’re right. The only women I’ve loved left me. First, my mother and then my grandmother. Even though they didn’t leave on purpose, it still cut deep. So, maybe I did close myself off from relationships. Easier not to get hurt that way. But you’re also wrong, Piper. Because I did give a relationship a chance. I opened my heart to the one person I thought wouldn’t hurt me, and she did. Thanks for reminding me why it’s better to stay single.”
And, with that, Nate spun on his heel and walked away.
As Nate walked away, Piper collapsed onto the grass and sobbed.
She let herself cry for a solid ten minutes. She cried for Jordan. She cried for herself. And she cried for Nate.
She was a horrible person. If she hadn’t felt guilty before, she sure did now.
The look on his face when she’d said that about his mom. She couldn’t believe those words had come out of her mouth. Ten minutes ago, she’d thought the night couldn’t get any worse. Boy, was she wrong.
She already regretted what she’d said to him. He’d just kept pushing her, and she’d exploded. Not that it was an excuse to attack him like that.
She owed him the biggest apology in the history of apologies.
She was exhausted and felt like shit, and she just wanted to go home, hide under the covers, and forget tonight ever happened. She wanted to wake up and have it be fourteen months ago when Jordan was alive.
But that would be taking the easy way out. Because, if Jordan were still alive, then she wouldn’t have to deal with grief and her guilt. Nothing she did would bring her husband back, and did she really want to erase everything she now had with Nate?
Nasty (Naughty #2) Page 19