by Cindy Kirk
Her polite tone reminded him of one you’d use with a repair person who called to schedule an appointment, not a parent.
As Piper listened, her face remained carefully blank. “I thought we’d left it that you and Sasha would visit bridal salons in the Atlanta area. Yes, it was clear to me she was upset when we spoke earlier.” Piper’s fingers tightened around the phone. “I am doing my duty as maid of honor, but I have a lot on my own plate now. Besides, I can’t choose the dress for her. Sasha has to—”
Her mother interrupted, speaking so loudly that Anders heard the agitation in the older woman’s voice, though he couldn’t make out her words.
Though Piper hid it well, the tense set to her shoulders and the high color in her cheeks told him she’d lost the calm she’d found while helping him with the puzzle.
Piper’s brow furrowed. “She quit her job? Why?”
Anders moved to the kitchen, hoping to give Piper and her mother some privacy. A few feet scarcely mattered. The apartment was so small that even without trying, he heard ever word Piper said.
He opened a cabinet and began rearranging the contents.
“Seriously? She quit her job to plan the wedding?” Piper’s voice rose. “Who does that? I know—”
Even from where he stood, Anders could hear her mother’s voice rolling over everything Piper tried to say.
“Good-bye, Mother.” Silence descended. Piper stood for a long moment, phone in hand, eyes shut.
Anders strode to her, wanting to comfort, but not sure how. In many ways, she was still a stranger. “Want to talk about it??”
Piper’s eyes popped open. She fluttered a hand in the air, and the laugh she uttered pitched high. “Just more wedding drama. For whatever reason, my sister seems incapable of choosing a dress. Somehow, that’s my fault.”
“Tough spot.”
“Tell me about it.” Piper blew out a breath. “I need to go.”
Anders had thought before she left this evening, he’d invite her over for dinner this weekend. He was a passable cook. Sensing now wasn’t the time, he set aside the invitation for another day. “If there’s anything I can do to help, I’m right next door.”
Something flared in her eyes for a brief second before she offered a weary smile. “Thanks, Anders, that’s really nice of you.”
“I’ll walk you home.”
She gave a quick shake of her head. “Not necessary.”
“Humor me.”
With a curt nod, Piper opened the door and started down the steps, her spine rigid.
Anders followed her down the stairs, but when she stepped outside, he remained in the doorway. This spot allowed him to make sure she got home safely, but also gave her the space she appeared to need.
Once she reached her door, she turned, met his gaze and lifted her hand.
Oddly cheered by the gesture, Anders returned the wave and added a smile.
The Ding-A-Ling bar had once been a pimple on the backside of Good Hope. The poorly run, dilapidated structure positioned at the end of a dirt roadway had been neglected for years.
Now, the two-story wooden structure rivaled the Flying Crane as Good Hope’s favorite bar. Fire-engine-red paint and new shingles had spruced up the exterior, and the recently installed double-pane plate-glass windows brought light into the once-dingy darkness.
Piper loved all of the changes, but her favorite part of the renovation was the new porch. In nice weather, people often gathered there, talking and greeting those who were coming or going.
As Swoon sat directly across the street from the bar, Piper loved looking out the window, especially on weekends, to see if she recognized any of the bar’s customers.
It wasn’t weird, she assured herself, wanting to know what was going on in her neighborhood. No different than living on a residential street and being part of a Neighborhood Watch program. It wasn’t like she spent every weekend at home gazing out the window at other people living their lives. She kept busy.
Piper had to admit the recent marriages of her two best friends had put a crimp in her social life. There were plenty of single women in Good Hope. She just hadn’t had time to foster friendships with any of them. But she would make the effort, she promised herself, once her sister found a wedding dress.
After trying repeatedly to reach her mom and sister to set up a Zoom call, she’d given up. Piper could only hope they were out shopping for gowns and would soon be texting they’d found THE ONE.
She was determined not to give either of them another thought. Tonight, she would attend Clay Chapin’s birthday party and have fun.
Piper glanced at her leggings, red sweater and boots. She would fit in perfectly with the Ding-A-Ling crowd.
That was one of the nice things about starting a business in a community where she’d grown up. She understood dressing casually worked for most events, which was why she stocked more casual clothing than fancy in her store.
Though the temperature hovered in the forties this evening, it felt almost balmy compared to the past week. Because she lived so close to the bar, Piper didn’t bother with a coat. The tiny bag hanging from a gold chain contained everything she needed—cash, credit card, identification and lipstick. Right before she left, Piper dropped the key to her apartment into the bag.
With anticipation fueling her steps and the wind giving her a not-so-gentle push, Piper crossed the recently paved road.
The porch might be deserted this evening, but inside things were clearly hopping. Piper smiled and let the sound of music, conversation and laughter wash over her.
Until this moment, she hadn’t realized how much she needed a night out.
Yes, tonight she was going to forget about everything and simply enjoy herself.
Chapter Nine
For the evening’s festivities, Piper had braided her hair into what the YouTube video she’d watched called a “messy fishtail half up.” Though she’d never been the controlled-messy type, she’d been ready for something other than her normal, every-strand-in-place look.
Simply changing up things a little had her feeling bold and daring. And, she’d admit—but only to herself—sexy. Anticipation coursed through her. This was one weekend night she wouldn’t spend alone watching other people having fun.
According to a prominently placed whiteboard, Clay’s party was upstairs. Utilizing the area reserved for private events had been a wise move, considering the number of people crowding the main floor of the bar.
After giving a quick wave to Oaklee Marshall, who oversaw the karaoke machine this evening, Piper headed up the steps.
More laughter, voices and the clink of glasses greeted her. Piper had thought small and intimate when she’d heard the party was for Clay’s close friends and family. It appeared Clay had more close friends and family than she’d realized.
After stopping every few feet to say hello to someone she knew, Piper finally made it across the crowded party room to where Bea stood beside the birthday boy.
Her friend scattered smiles like confetti, her cheeks flushed with happiness. Clay stood beside his wife, beaming.
When Bea spotted Piper, she stepped forward to give her a quick hug. “I’m so glad you made it.”
“Wouldn’t have missed it for the world.” Piper returned the hug, then took a step back and shifted her attention to Clay. “Happy birthday, Clay.”
“Thanks. It’s good to see you.”
Piper gestured with one hand toward the crowd. “Looks like a stellar turnout.”
“Free beer and wine brings ’em out every time.” Clay grinned. “If you decide to head downstairs and want to order something, there are drink tickets you can use on the table by the door.”
“You’re doing it up right,” Piper told him.
Clay wrapped an arm around his wife’s shoulders. “Bea planned this all just for me.”
The look of love and gratitude in his eyes was nearly Piper’s undoing.
“Excellent job, Beatrice,” Piper
said.
Bea glanced at her husband and smiled. “A labor of love.”
Several newcomers converged on Clay at the same time.
“It’s time for this girl to mingle.” Wiggling her fingers, Piper slipped through the crowd to where she’d seen Charlotte standing with her new husband.
Nearly there, she skidded to a stop when she realized the couple wasn’t alone, and the man with them was Anders. Not wanting to interrupt, Piper was on the verge of changing course when she heard Charlotte call out to her.
“Piper, over here.” Charlotte’s strong voice carried easily over the noise.
Piper lifted a hand in acknowledgment and continued forward. Anders’s warm smile held a welcome.
“Hey, neighbor,” she said to Anders before turning to Adam and Charlotte.
She blinked at the way the blue stretch fabric of Charlotte’s shirt clung to her body. “That baby seems to be getting bigger by the day.”
Charlotte’s hand dropped to her protruding belly and beamed. “March isn’t that far off. But you’re right about him being big. Then again, Adam and I were both nine-pound babies.”
“The doctor expects our son to easily top nine pounds.” Adam, a tall, lanky organic farmer with a mop of long black hair, gazed adoringly at his wife. He ran a hand down Charlotte’s arm.
“You look amazing,” Piper told her friend.
Piper loved that, in addition to the pregnancy glow, Charlotte now sported her natural hair color.
When the hairstylist had returned to Good Hope early in the summer, she’d been a blonde. Then she’d gone with a mixture of blond and brown before returning to being a brunette.
“I love the darker color on you.” Piper cocked her head. Something else was different. “Did you also put in a couple of layers?”
“Guilty.” Charlotte lifted a hand to her chestnut waves and smiled. “Hairstylists are always messing with our hair.”
“I’ve been considering doing something different to mine.” Piper lowered her voice to a melodramatic whisper. “Something…radical.”
“More radical than messy fishtail braids? Which, by the way, I happen to like very much.” Charlotte’s eyes lit up. “Tell me how far you’re willing to go.”
“I’m not sure. A different cut. A funky color.” Piper’s lips curved as she imagined the look on her mother’s face if she showed up to the wedding with purple streaks in her hair. “The only thing is, my hair needs to be back to normal before my sister’s wedding.”
“Red velvet is trending this year,” Charlotte informed her. “You’d look amazing as a redhead.”
“You should do it.”
Piper jerked her head, realizing the encouragement came from Anders, who until now had remained silent.
He lifted a hand holding a bottle of beer. “Stepping outside of one’s comfort zone can be a kick.”
Charlotte placed a hand on her chest and thumped. “A man after my own heart.”
“Hey, what about me?” Adam spoke in mock outrage, but his twinkling eyes gave him away.
“My darling, you know my heart belongs only to you.” Charlotte gazed into Adam’s eyes.
Adam lifted her hand and kissed her fingers as if they were alone in the busy, noisy room.
Anders raised his brows, and his gaze met Piper’s.
“They’re newlyweds.” Piper spoke to Anders in a mock whisper. “And madly in love.”
“It seems the two often go together,” Anders mused.
Piper thought of her sister and Heath. Would they look like they were in love? Had he changed? She hoped so.
“Stan has arrived.” Charlotte put a hand on Piper’s arm. “Will you excuse us?”
“Of course.” Piper turned, spotted Adam’s father and waved. The older gentleman was one of Piper’s favorite people in Good Hope.
Stan lifted a hand in greeting and grinned.
“Back to the hair.”
Piper shot Anders a quizzical look.
He smiled. “I say if you feel like doing something crazy and fun, you should go for it.”
Her lips quirked upward. “Says the guy with a man bun.”
Anders shrugged good-naturedly. “My hair isn’t meant to be short. Or to be controlled. Letting it do its thing makes it easier on both of us.”
The fact that Piper found herself wanting to stay and talk with him was no surprise. Anders was not only sexy, he was also an intelligent and interesting guy. Yet, she didn’t want to monopolize him. She glanced around the party room. “Well, I should—”
“Do you always do what you should?”
Confused, Piper cocked her head. “Pardon?”
“I notice you start a lot of sentences with ‘I should.’ As in, I should go here, I should do this.”
Piper narrowed her gaze. “What are you getting at?”
He held up his hands as if to say, Don’t shoot the messenger. “Simply saying that living our lives in terms of should can be stifling.”
His comment intrigued her. She offered an encouraging smile.
“I’m a case in point,” he went on. “Even before I graduated, I had doubts about a career in advertising. Not earth-shattering doubts, but I wondered if the field was really where I wanted to spend my working life. I shoved aside the doubts and told myself I should stay focused on the field.”
Piper nodded.
“Advertising was my major in college. All the internships I’d done were in that field. It would be foolish to, what’s the expression, change horses midstream.”
Though not familiar with the saying, Piper got the gist.
“That’s what I thought at the time.” His tone remained matter-of-fact, and she saw he was warming to the topic. “As I already had a position lined up after graduation, I stayed the course.”
“But it wasn’t what you wanted,” she guessed when he sipped his beer, his eyes turning dark with memories.
He lowered the bottle, and it was almost as if he was speaking to himself. “I enjoyed it. At first. I liked working in a fast-paced environment, pushing to get the best accounts, being lauded for my creativity.” The smile he flashed quickly faded. “As time went on, I got caught up in the game. I found myself focused on doing whatever I needed to do to win an account, no matter the cost. When I finally recognized what was happening, I turned in my resignation.”
Piper knew what her parents would say about such a bold action. Probably something close to what they’d told her when she’d quit her manager job at one of Atlanta’s top boutiques to move to Good Hope and start Swoon. “What happened after you left your job in New York?”
“The plan was to take a year’s sabbatical. I’d travel and then try again with another ad firm. Maybe one closer to home.” He shrugged and smiled. “The best-laid plans…”
“You never went back to advertising.”
“The logical part of my brain told me to go back, but—” He paused and took another pull of beer.
“Sounds like you made the best choice for yourself. Though I do believe there are often good reasons to stay a particular course.”
“No disagreement here. If you think about it, our rational nature is what makes it difficult for people to break free even if they don’t like the rut they’re in.”
“What kinds of other careers have you explored?”
“That question calls for more alcohol. What can I get you to drink?”
“I’ll take a beer.”
Anders surprised her by slinging an arm around her shoulders and giving her a squeeze. “A woman after my own heart.”
“What have we here?”
Piper’s heart sank at the familiar voice. She gently pushed Anders’s arm off her shoulders.
“Mrs. Bertholf.” Anders offered the woman a friendly smile. “How nice to see you.”
Gladys made a tsking sound. “I believe we already established you are to call me Gladys.”
“You did and I apologize.” Anders gave Gladys his total attention.
He’d been that way with Piper and with Adam and Charlotte. Whoever he was speaking with always had his complete attention. A stark contrast to Heath, who’d always seemed to be looking around for someone more important to talk to.
“Hi, Gladys.” Piper pushed welcome into her voice. “I saw you when I first arrived, but you were deep in conversation with Ruby and Katherine, and I didn’t want to interrupt.”
Gladys waved a dismissive hand. “You should have come over. I’d have welcomed the interruption. I’ve been meaning to have a word with you.”
Piper cocked her head. “About?”
“The cards, for one thing.” Gladys’s gaze narrowed. “Charlotte assures me you have them.”
“I’m glad you brought them up.” Why, oh, why hadn’t she put them in her purse tonight? Then she could have given them to Gladys, and they’d be out of her house and out of her life.
Instead, the deck sat on her nightstand, a mocking reminder of her singleness. “I have no idea why Charlotte even gave them to me. I’m not in a—”
“Keep them.” Gladys’s tone brooked no argument. “If you have to answer the questions by yourself, so be it.”
Piper couldn’t imagine anything more pathetic than sitting home alone and answering relationship questions by herself. Somehow, she’d find a way to get the cards to Gladys and make her keep them.
“It’s nice that you and Beck’s brother have become such close friends.” Gladys’s pale blue eyes held an unsettling gleam as they shifted between her and the relaxed-appearing man who remained by her side.
“We’re next-door neighbors.” Piper realized her mistake instantly. She’d offered the information to explain why she and Anders were together at the moment, but the flare of excitement in Gladys’s eyes told her it had the opposite effect.
The old woman shifted her focus to Anders. “Are you living above Book & Cup or Echoes of Yesterday?”
“Book & Cup.” Anders’s tone turned curious. “I didn’t realize there’s an apartment open above the antique store.”
“From what I understand, that unit isn’t fully finished off yet. I knew you’d moved out of your brother’s home, but hadn’t heard where you’d landed.” Gladys studied him. “Did you and Beck have a falling out?”