by Cindy Kirk
Chapter Twelve
Anders couldn’t believe his luck. After enjoying an afternoon of sledding with Beck and his family, he’d been ready to call it a day. Then he’d spotted Piper.
Now he stood beside her as they waited for their turn at the highest point of the hill. Others had the same idea, but everyone was polite. No one tried to push past those already waiting.
“How did it go with the family reunion?” Piper asked, her cheeks flushed with cold, her eyes bright. “I thought you’d be tied up with them all day.”
“We got done early. They have some function tonight.” He couldn’t tear his gaze away from her rosy lips. “You look amazing. Red is definitely your color.”
Piper rolled her eyes. “No one looks good in ski pants.”
“You do.” He took her arm as they inched one step closer to the front of the line.
“Back to my question.” Her brown eyes, bright with interest, met his. “Did they have fun? More importantly, did you have fun?”
“I did. It felt good to be back on skis, and they were a good group.” As Anders breathed in the fresh scent of pine, he recalled the excited chatter and laughter among the group as they’d navigated the trails. “While the majority had done at least some downhill skiing, there were a few novices who needed to start with the basics. But they caught on quickly.”
A warmth spread through him as he remembered the effusive praise and thanks the group had heaped on him. When they’d spoken about wanting to bring their annual reunion back to Good Hope next year, he’d felt a surge of pride, knowing he’d played a small part in that decision.
Neighbors helping neighbors, he thought with a smile, remembering Beck’s words.
“What’s that smile about?” Piper asked as they moved forward another foot.
“They asked if they could book me for next year.”
“They already decided to come back?”
“That’s what they said.” Anders grinned. “That should make Fin and merchants in Good Hope happy.”
“Fin was ecstatic when you agreed to help. I really think she thought you’d say no.”
He pulled his brows together. “Why would she think that?”
“Well, not much notice, for one thing. And you aren’t from here.” Piper hesitated as if searching for the right words. “Around here, helping others is kind of a given. It’s who we are, or at least the type of people we aspire to be. I’m not saying it very well, but I think you understand what I’m getting at.”
Anders nodded. He did understand, and he was realizing that Piper was a whole lot more than a pretty face. She was kind, generous and truly interested in other people. So many women he’d dated over the years would be talking nonstop about themselves right now, but not Piper.
Not that there was anything wrong with liking to talk, but it was as if some of the women he’d dated never gave a second thought to anyone but themselves.
“I made it clear to Fin that, while I’m here, I’m happy to help in any way I can,” he assured Piper.
“I’m sure she was grateful.” Piper tipped her head back and inhaled deeply. “There’s nothing better than being out in the fresh air. And I love these kinds of winter activities. I only wish there were more daylight hours to enjoy them.”
Piper’s eyes took on a faraway look. “By the time I close up the store, it’s already dark.”
It struck Anders that today was Saturday. Even he, who wasn’t into shopping, knew this was one of the busiest days for most stores. Yet, Piper stood at the top of a hill, ready to sled. “Who’s watching the store for you?”
“No one.” She shrugged. “I closed early.”
“You don’t have any help there?”
“Business has been so slow that last month I had to let go of my one and only employee.”
That brought up more questions, but it was finally their turn to take on the hill.
Anders positioned himself toward the back of the tube, then motioned to Piper. “There’s plenty of room.”
“You two are going to have one awesome ride.”
Piper turned and smiled at a boy with an unruly mop of blond hair. “I’m sorry, Treach, I didn’t realize that was you behind us.”
The boy gave a snickering laugh. “That’s ’cause you were too busy making googly eyes at that guy.”
Treach jerked a thumb in Anders’s direction, and the two boys with him laughed.
Piper only chuckled, knowing this was typical of boys their age. She’d become acquainted with Cody Treacher, who insisted on being called Treach, through Charlotte and Adam. Treach helped out at Adam’s organic farm during the summer to earn spending money.
A thought struck her, and she turned back to Treach. “When we get settled, will you and your friends give us a push?”
“Sure.” Treach slanted a glance at the boys with him and got nods of confirmation. “With all that weight and a solid push, you two will fly.”
The words ended up being prophetic. A monster push coupled with the weight of two adults had them rocketing down the steep hill.
Piper’s pulse jumped, and her breathing turned rapid as they shot past several slower sleds. “Woo-hoo!”
Anders’s arms, strong and secure around her, gave her the freedom to simply revel in the moment. Since she sat in front, her body took most of the wind, but she wasn’t cold.
The bottom of the hill came far too soon as the tube spun to a stop, leaving her laughing and breathless.
She scrambled out of the tube, holding her hand out to Anders. “Want to do it again?”
As soon as he was on his feet, he slung an arm around her shoulders. “As many times as you want.”
If Anders was concerned about spending time away from Beck and his family, it didn’t show. They flew down the snowy slope half a dozen more times, the last time exchanging sleds with a couple with a red toboggan for one last trip down the hill.
By the time Piper got her tube back, darkness had started to fall.
“What happened to Ami and Beck?” Piper glanced around. The crowd had thinned considerably since she’d first arrived, so there shouldn’t have been a problem picking out the couple and their children.
“They left an hour or so ago,” Anders explained. “I ran into Beck when you went over to speak to that woman, the one from the soup supper.”
“Lila Nordstrom.” Piper had been surprised to discover Lila had come with some of her teacher friends, rather than her fiancé. Though, she assumed, Saturday was likely a busy day for a personal trainer.
“Beck told me they needed to get the kids home. When he asked how I planned on getting home, I told him you’d give me a ride.” Anders offered her a charming smile. “Will you give me a ride home, Miss Piper?”
She tapped two fingers against her lips as if pondering his request. “I believe I can find room for you in my SUV.”
His gaze traveled slowly over her, leaving heat in its wake. “If you don’t have plans for dinner, I hear there’s a pizza place downtown.”
“Bayside Pizza. It’s very good.” Piper gazed up at him through lowered lashes. “Are you suggesting we go there for dinner?”
Taking her arm, Anders grinned. “I thought you’d never ask.”
After stopping by their apartments to change clothes, Anders and Piper walked into Bayside Pizza. The business sported a rustic look with weathered wood siding and a deck that encircled the entire building.
The outdoor seating area, closed for now, had heat lamps strategically positioned. Anders could see the deck being a popular spot in the spring and fall.
He’d done his share of carpentry work and noted the large windows facing out over the water were triple-paned to keep the warmth in and the cold out.
“It smells good in here.” Anders inhaled the enticing scent of baking bread, garlic and spicy sauces.
“They make the pizzas in a brick oven,” Piper told him, then held up two fingers when the hostess asked for the number in their party.
Anders rested his palm against the small of Piper’s back as they followed the hostess to a wooden table, complete with bark on the legs, near the brick oven.
“Does this work for you?” The hostess, a twentysomething whom Piper recognized from a barre class she’d taken last year at the Y, directed the question to Anders.
Anders slanted a questioning glance at Piper, who nodded. “This will be fine.”
She placed the menus on the table, her gaze still fixed on Anders. “If I can get you anything, anything at all, my name is Cari.”
Anders smiled. “Thank you, Cari.”
Piper noted that his smile and words were only polite. If Heath had been at her side, he’d have flirted back. She remembered telling him once how his actions bothered her and felt disrespectful. Somehow, he’d managed to turn her comment back on her, making her feel overly sensitive and stupid for saying anything.
She hoped he’d grown up and didn’t act that way with her sister.
Once seated, Anders met her gaze. “What’s good here?”
Piper didn’t bother to lift the menu. “The place is known for its lobster pizza. It has lobster with asparagus and ricotta. I love it, but then, I like lobster and asparagus.”
“As do I. Shall we go with that, then?” His gaze dropped to the menu. “What about a salad?”
“The goat cheese one is excellent.”
“Look how easy that was.” He smiled at her, and Piper went warm all over.
The server took their order, returning only minutes later with their soft drinks and salads. Piper hadn’t even had a chance to lift her fork when she heard someone say her name.
She shifted in her seat to see Clay and Bea approaching.
Anders rose and shook Clay’s hand. “Would you care to join us?”
“Thanks, but we just ate. I wish we’d seen you an hour ago.” Clay pointed at Anders. “I heard about the stellar job you did with the ski group today.”
“I’d say a good time was had by all.” Anders grinned. “Especially me.”
“You closed early today.” Bea’s gaze sought Piper’s. “When I saw the Closed sign, I texted but didn’t get a reply.”
“She was concerned.” Clay’s arm rested lightly around his wife’s shoulders. “We planned on swinging by your place once we left here.”
“I forgot to charge my phone last night, so I left it on the charger when I went sledding.” Piper reached out and grasped Bea’s hand, giving it a squeeze. “I’m sorry I worried you.”
Puzzlement filled Bea’s violet eyes. “You closed Swoon on a Saturday to go sledding?”
“I did.” Piper wasn’t the least bit remorseful. “I don’t know how business was for you today, but Swoon was dead. I had three customers all morning and sold one fifteen-dollar item.”
“Book & Cup was slow, too,” Bea admitted.
Piper expelled a breath and shoved down the fear of what would happen if the slow sales continued. “I updated my displays, then decided to call it a day.”
“I stuck it out, but only because I had some rare books I wanted to get in the mail.”
Bea, Piper knew, had an advantage over her when it came to finances. Bea had a flourishing online presence, dealing in rare books that she shipped all around the world.
The couple stayed, and the four of them chatted until Cari appeared with Piper and Anders’s pizza.
Since they hadn’t had a chance to even touch their salad, they spent several minutes eating in comfortable silence.
“Are you concerned about business being slow?” Anders asked. “Or it that pretty much the norm during the off-season?”
Piper took a bite of pizza and chewed. She knew if she told Anders she preferred not to discuss business, he’d back off. The truth was, she did want to share her concerns with someone.
She certainly couldn’t discuss her failing business with her family without her mother launching into how she should never have left that “wonderful job” she’d had in Atlanta. And as for talking about it with her friends, she knew Charlotte was busy with the salon and baby stuff. And Bea, well, Bea would worry.
“I was concerned about the move to Wrigley Road. My lease was up on the Main Street location, and the Chapins weren’t going to renew it. They’re in the process of upgrading the heating and electrical, and I don’t know what else, on the buildings in that block.”
“It was a forced move.”
“It was.” Cognizant that Ami was related to the Chapins by virtue of Lynn Chapin being her stepmother, Piper chose her words carefully. “The Chapins gave the businesses that needed to be relocated a lot of notice and did some special pricing for the leases on the new building.”
“It’s still not a prime spot for a boutique.” Anders’s gaze turned sharp and assessing. “Not until there’s more development along that stretch of road.”
Piper could almost see the business wheels in his head turning.
“The Ding-A-Ling does extremely well, but that’s because it’s a destination. Tourists, or even locals, just don’t think of swinging out to Wrigley to do their shopping.” Piper stabbed a piece of arugula with her folk and resisted the urge to sigh. “It also hurts that more people are shopping online. I’d hoped that Lindsay Vaughn and Izzie Deshler would take part of my store space to help with the rent, but that didn’t happen.”
Anders’s brows pulled together. “Lindsay is one of Ami’s friends.”
“That’s right. Actually, she’s one of Ami’s best friends. She’s also a florist. Izzie is a local artist. When I had my store on Main Street, Izzie—along with other local artisans—rented space and sold their art, while Lindsay had a small space focused on wedding flowers.”
“Why didn’t they move with you?”
“They didn’t want to pay the rent.”
“Wouldn’t they need to pay rent somewhere else?”
“Eliza Kendrick owns the General Store. She’s letting Izzie take up one small corner for her art. It’s a win-win for both. Having the items there brings tourists into the General Store, and it gives Izzie and other local artisans a place to sell their wares.”
Anders nodded. “What about Lindsay?”
“She really doesn’t need store space. She has a fabulous website and is well known in the community. As her floral business is only weddings, brides-to-be come to her.”
“Sounds as if the changes worked for them, but not having them working with you cuts out a couple of your revenue streams.”
“Exactly.” Finished with her salad, Piper refocused on the pizza. She’d worried that speaking about this with Anders might kill her appetite or, worse, make her want to eat everything in sight.
The truth was, the pressure that had held her in a stranglehold began to ease as she talked. The worry might still be there, but voicing her concerns seemed to lessen its power.
“Will your store be able to survive?” Anders lifted his glass of cola, his beautiful amber eyes watchful.
“If holiday sales are strong, I might be okay.”
His gaze met hers. “If there’s anything I can do to help, I hope you’ll ask.”
“For weeks, months actually, the fear of my business not surviving has kept me up at night. Last night, all that changed.” Piper gazed down at her slice of pizza.
“How so?” he prompted when she didn’t continue.
“Remember last night at Clay’s birthday party when Gladys mentioned those cards?”
His eyes danced with amusement as he nodded. “The infamous relationship cards. Ami and Beck told me all about them.”
Piper rolled her eyes. “Well, I want to get rid of them without getting a long lecture from Gladys. So I took her suggestion and answered one myself.”
When he bit into his slice of pizza and offered her an encouraging smile, she continued.
“The question on the card I drew was about the craziest job I’d accept.”
Anders lowered the slice. “That made you feel better about your
store?”
“Let’s just say it made me realize I’m a survivor.” She smiled. “Whatever happens with Swoon and the wedding salon, I’ll be okay.”
Chapter Thirteen
Piper sat behind the counter at Swoon on Monday, her gaze fixed on her tablet. She reined in her frustration so her sister wouldn’t see it on her face. “You expect me to believe that you and Mom went to ten bridal salons, and you didn’t see one gown that was even a maybe?”
Sasha flushed, but her steady gaze didn’t waver. Her chin inched up a notch. “That’s right.”
“I don’t understand how you could possibly look at all those gorgeous dresses and not one catches your eye.” Piper kept her tone light.
“Mom found plenty.” Sasha’s blue eyes turned to ice. “But it’s not her wedding.”
“What kind of dress would Heath like?” Piper didn’t want to bring the man into the conversation, but she was getting desperate.
At the start of the conversation today, her sister had brought up Piper making her dress. Piper preferred to avoid that at all costs.
She might have had to agree to be her sister’s maid of honor, but to make a wedding gown so Sasha could marry a man Piper despised, well, that was more than she could bear.
“Heath is the groom.” Sasha used a tone more suited when speaking to an eight-year-old. “I am the bride. I pick my dress.”
“I simply asked because sometimes grooms like strapless or a long train.”
“As long as I look perfect, he won’t care.”
There was that word again. Perfect. Piper had noticed Sasha using it the last time they’d spoken about Heath.
“You mean as long as you’re happy, he’s happy.” Piper offered a bright smile, praying her version was the accurate one.
“I said what I meant.” Sasha’s gaze met hers. “You dated Heath. You know how much he values physical perfection.”
This was an opening Piper hadn’t gotten before. Maybe she could finally tell Sasha the truth.
“I do know.” Piper spoke cautiously, feeling as if she were navigating a minefield. “When I was with him, I felt as if I was never enough. Not pretty enough, not—”