True to You in Good Hope: A Good Hope Novel Book 15 Page 4

  The way Piper had been eating lately, her stomach could easily hold two sandwiches and a piece of pie. What did it say about her that her first thought was that Bea shouldn’t be eating so much, no matter how yummy the food?

  It said if Piper wasn’t careful, she’d end up as judgmental as her mother.

  “I’m so happy to see you.” Bea rested a hand on her arm. “I need to let you get back to work, but I really want us to find a time to get together. Even if it’s only for coffee.”

  “I’d like that.” Piper’s heart swelled. She was so lucky to have such a good friend. “How about I text you, and we’ll figure out where and when?”

  “Or we can nail down the date and time on Sunday,” Bea told her. “Come to Muddy Boots for breakfast after the service, and we’ll figure it out then. I’ll save you a seat.”

  Before Piper could decline, someone called Bea’s name.

  Piper recognized the distinctive, theatrical tone. A voice capable of projecting to the back row of any theater, or across a basement social hall, with ease.

  Gladys.

  “Bea,” Gladys called again. When both women turned, Gladys motioned with one hand. “A moment, please.”

  “You better go,” Piper warned, “or she’ll come over and haul you away.”

  “I wouldn’t put it past her.” Bea gave Piper another hug. “See you Sunday.”

  Piper hoped Bea referred to the church service, because she had no intention of going to Muddy Boots. That’s where a huge group of the movers and shakers gathered after church, while their children were in Sunday School. Bea’s husband had been one of the last single guys in the group. Now he, too, was married.

  A second wave of hungry Good Hope residents arrived, and once again the lines swelled. Piper concentrated on the task at hand. Beside her, Cory kept busy with chicken noodle soup requests while Lila, on his other side, had a good number interested in the vegetarian vegetable soup.

  “I’ll have a bowl of chili, please.” The soft Southern drawl had Piper shifting her focus from the pot of chili to meet the gaze of the man with the amber eyes.

  Anders watched the change in Piper’s demeanor when she saw it was him. A smile blossomed as recognition filled her eyes.

  “Piper, it’s good to see you again.” He offered a smile. “It’s been a while.”

  “I saw you at Muddy Boots and thought about stopping at the table to say hello, but I didn’t want to interrupt.” Piper ladled chili into a bowl and held it out.

  If there had been a line, as there had been only a few minutes earlier, Anders would have had little choice but to move along. Knowing that, he’d lagged behind, waiting until there was no one behind him.

  He took the bowl from her hands. When her fingers brushed his, he felt the sizzle. “I like the red.”

  “What?” Confusion had her brow furrowing.

  “Nail polish.” He gestured with his head toward her hands. “Your nails were red at Beck and Ami’s reception. I remember because they were the same color as your dress.”

  He’d noticed the sexy red dress first, the way it had clung to her curves and dipped low in the back. The color and style had suited her. Not overly flashy, but attractive and appealing.

  “I like red.” Her voice sounded breathless.

  Her lipstick that night had also been red, and her lips had tasted like strawberries.

  Anders’s gaze dropped to her mouth. When their lips had met, there’d been an explosion of sensation. They’d kissed in a darkened area by the pond like two hormone-driven teenagers. By the time he’d come up for air, he’d felt drunk on her.

  Would kissing her now set off the same explosion?

  “How do you like it here?” he heard her ask.

  “So far I like it fine.” Anders pulled his gaze from her lips and reminded himself they were at a soup supper. In a church basement. No lascivious thoughts allowed.

  “You have a store. One that recently relocated.” Now he was the one who sounded breathless. “How do you like the new location?”

  Though the slight smile remained on her lips, Piper’s eyes darkened. “It’s okay. I really loved my former spot on Main Street.”

  Enough small talk. Anders knew at any time a herd of people could come down the stairs, and he’d have to move on with no chance to say what he wanted to say. “I’d like it if we could get together while I’m in town.”

  Before Piper could respond, Anders felt a firm hand on his arm. He turned to find an older woman smiling warmly at him. Tall and thin, almost to the point of bony, she was impressive. A large swath of silver streaked her dark hair. Eyes of the palest blue met his.

  “I’m sorry.” Anders lifted his hands holding the bowl of chili and offered an apologetic smile. “I didn’t realize I was holding up the line.”

  “No worries.” The woman waved a dismissive hand, her throaty voice deep and commanding. “I understand completely. When a man is flirting with a pretty girl, everything else fades into the background.”

  Anders was close enough to hear Piper’s quick intake of breath.

  “Piper and I were simply catching up.” He shot Piper a smile. “We met at Beck and Ami’s wedding.”

  “Is that so?” Interest sparked in the woman’s blue eyes, and she smiled at Piper before focusing all her attention on Anders. “I don’t recall seeing you together on the dance floor.”

  “We were there,” Anders assured her. Of course, they’d spent more time kissing than dancing that night. “I’m sorry, I don’t recall your name.”

  “I’m Gladys Bertholf. You’re Beck’s younger brother.”

  He took the hand she extended, then impulsively leaned over and kissed it, noticing that every finger bore one sparkling ring. “Anders Cross, at your service.”

  Gladys gave a titter of a laugh. “You’re quite the charmer.”

  “And you’re a fascinating woman.”

  This time, Gladys laughed outright. She slanted a glance at Piper. “Mark my words, you’ll have your hands full with this one.”

  Not waiting for Piper’s reply, Gladys returned her attention to Anders. Sharp eyes studied him with what could be described only as a calculating expression. “Your hair was shorter at the wedding. I like the bun. It suits you.”

  Anders grinned. “Thanks.”

  Piper cleared her throat.

  Gladys placed a proprietary hand on Anders’s arm as they turned to Piper. “What is it, dear?”

  “I need to ask you to move along.” Though Piper’s voice remained pleasant, Anders swore he saw a hint of worry in her brown eyes. “We have a line.”

  “No problem.” Gladys studied Anders and the bowl in his hands. “While you eat your chili, you and I can get better acquainted. You can start by telling me just how well you know our dear Piper.”

  The soup supper ended promptly at nine. As cleanup volunteers swarmed, Piper prepared to bolt. While keeping her emotions under tight control had been a strain, she finished the evening with no one suspecting anything was amiss.

  Though Gladys had sat with Anders for the longest time, once Anders returned to his family, Gladys’s friends had arrived. The older woman never did return to speak with Piper.

  “Just visiting” was how Gladys would likely frame the interaction. Piper felt confident what occurred had been more like a carefully crafted interrogation.

  Instead of letting him sit at the table with his family, Gladys had maneuvered him to a small one against a far wall. Piper had kept her eye on them. Shortly after they sat, Anders had risen and strolled past the soup line, shooting her a jaunty wink.

  He’d returned moments later with a sloppy joe and a glass of tea for Gladys. His smile had remained easy, and he’d appeared to be enjoying his conversation with the woman.

  What had they discussed? The question ran round and round in her head. Surely Anders hadn’t regaled Gladys with tales of how Piper had thrown herself at him during the reception.

  On the surface, Anders did
n’t seem like a man to give in to gossip, but then again, she didn’t really know what made him tick.

  Piper had been feeling low the night of Beck and Ami’s wedding. It started when she’d made the mistake of texting her mother a picture of herself in her new red dress. Her mother’s immediate response that the dress made her look “hippy” had shaken Piper’s confidence.

  Anders had caught her eye during the ceremony. Though his hair had been stylishly short, it was evident the strands longed to break free. He’d seemed different from other men in town, many of whom appeared to be poured from the same mold.

  At the reception, Piper had smiled and returned an occasional greeting while nervously eating appetizer after appetizer. The wineglass in her hand had quickly become her best friend.

  When Anders had strolled over and asked her to dance, Piper had wanted to cheer. They hadn’t even made it through one song when Marigold Bloom had cut in.

  Feeling sick, sad and more than a little buzzed, she’d slipped from the tent and wandered down to the pond, hoping to be recharged by fresh air and solitude.

  Sitting on a bench at the water’s edge, Piper had let her gaze wander over a lawn lush with flowers and blooming bushes showcased by yard lighting. A deep inhalation had her tension easing as the sweet scents teased and calmed.

  A large yellow moon hung bold and bright in a cloudless sky. The July heat that often made her long for fall didn’t seem as oppressive this evening.

  “I wish they could have put a fan down here,” Piper murmured, thinking of the decorative fans placed strategically around the reception tent. She lifted her hair, left down for the evening, off her neck.

  “Fans are great. Added bonus—they keep the bugs away.”

  The voice came from the shadows, and Piper’s heart jumped as Anders stepped into the light.

  “I’ll take no-bugs any way I can get it.” She offered him a smile before returning her attention to the water.

  “I didn’t mean to interrupt. If you prefer to be alone, I’ll go inside.”

  Piper shifted her attention back to him.

  He remained where he stood, making no effort to move closer, his gaze watchful.

  Piper patted the spot beside her on the bench. “I’d like company.”

  He dropped down beside her. “Sorry our dance got derailed.”

  “D-derailed?” She stumbled over the word as the enticing scent of his cologne wrapped around her.

  “When Ami’s sister cut in.”

  Piper waved an airy hand as if the interruption had been of no consequence.

  Anders offered a warm smile. “You’d just started telling me about your store.”

  Yes, she recalled how he’d asked a simple question, and she’d taken the ball and run with it. Truly, it was probably a blessing that Marigold had stopped her rambling before she’d put the guy to sleep.

  “Yes, well…” She wouldn’t make that mistake again.

  “You were saying you’re considering adding a wedding salon for another revenue stream. You’re determined to make your business succeed.”

  “I think most people who own a business want it to flourish.”

  “Sure, they want it to flourish, but that doesn’t mean they’re willing to do the work to make it happen.” Admiration filled Anders’s voice. “Don’t sell yourself short, Piper. You’ve got a vision of where you want to take your business and the drive to get there.”

  He paused, and a smile spread across his lips. “All that and beauty, too. That red dress is amazing.”

  Could it be she hadn’t blown it on the dance floor? At least not completely. “After Marigold cut in, it struck me that I was doing all the talking.”

  “I enjoyed listening to you talk about your business. I like getting to know you.” He reached over and took her hand, sending shock waves of feeling up her arm.

  “I’d like to get to know you, too. All I know is you’re a good dancer. I—”

  “Look up.” He slid close and pointed upward. “A shooting star.”

  She tipped her head back just in time to see the last of the light streak across the sky. Her cheek was so close to his she’d only need to turn her head ever so slightly and their lips would brush.

  Her blood pulsed hot and fast.

  “Seeing a shooting star is supposed to convey positive vibes and good luck to anyone who gazes on one.”

  Piper loved his soft Southern drawl. She also loved the way he smelled, like soap and shampoo and an indefinable male scent that had heat filling her lower abdomen.

  She let her gaze linger on his mouth and tried to will him to kiss her.

  As if feeling the crackle of energy, he turned slightly in his seat. His eyes seemed to glow with an inner light.

  Piper slipped her arms around his neck.

  He tilted his head and studied her. “I can’t believe you don’t have a boyfriend.”

  She slid her fingers into his wiry hair, her eyes focused on his face. “I wouldn’t be here now, wanting to kiss you in the worst way, if I did.”

  The words had barely left her lips before his arms went around her, and his mouth closed over hers.

  Piper couldn’t recall ever being kissed like this. Sweet kisses that teased and tantalized. Steamy kisses that had her heart rate skyrocketing and her blood flowing hot in her veins.

  She wanted to kiss him all night. Piper quickly realized kisses weren’t going to be enough to quell the fire burning inside her. She wanted to crawl under his skin, to feel his body joined with hers.

  Though Piper was rarely impulsive, she couldn’t resist giving in to the heat building inside her. Grasping his head between her hands, she looked into his eyes. “Come home with me.”

  Chapter Five

  Once Anders got home from the soup supper, he planned to head straight upstairs. He wanted to give Beck and Ami some alone time.

  Ami wouldn’t hear of it.

  Beck gave him a beer and told Anders to put his feet up and relax in front of the fire while he and Ami got the kids to bed.

  Not wanting to be rude, Anders took the beer and put his feet up. His time in cold-weather climates had taught him a few things, not the least of which was that he really preferred living in Northern states.

  He enjoyed the distinct change of seasons, liked it when the warmth of summer was replaced by cool evenings where you needed a jacket and snow sometimes made an unexpected early appearance.

  As he gazed into the cheery blaze Beck had started before heading upstairs, Anders realized even this—a fire in the hearth on a cold evening—was a simple pleasure he’d grown to love.

  The sounds of children laughing and small feet running down the hall upstairs made him smile. He tipped the beer bottle to his lips and let himself relax.

  Anders wasn’t sure how much time had passed. He only knew his thoughts had settled firmly on Piper when Ami came down the stairs.

  “Beck will be right down.” Ami smiled. “It’s his turn to read the very last story of the night.”

  His brother. The family man.

  Family had been important in the home they’d grown up in, so it was no surprise his two older brothers were good husbands and fathers.

  Growing up, his brothers had left him with big shoes to fill. Anders had risen to the challenge, both on the ball fields and in the classroom. When he’d graduated from college, he’d seen himself building a successful career in advertising.

  The work had come easy to him. He’d excelled at planning and executing media plans. He’d loved working with clients and building relationships.

  Grateful for a job at a prestigious NYC advertising firm, Anders had seen the sixteen-hour workdays and lack of personal life as simply the price necessary to build a career. After all, most of his friends had equally demanding schedules.

  Besides, after spending most of his childhood trying to keep up with his brothers, his competitive streak was well-honed.

  It was that competitive streak and the agency’s win-
the-account-at-all-costs culture that had finally had him reassessing and stepping back.

  He’d told his family he left because of the toxic work environment. That was part of the story but not all of it. The truth was he’d gotten caught up in the drive for success and seen his moral compass eroding.

  Taking a brief sabbatical before returning to the business world had seemed like the answer.

  “Grab your drink and come sit over here with me.” Ami’s voice pulled him from his reverie.

  He looked up to see her motioning him to a table set up in one corner of the parlor.

  “Perfect timing,” Ami called to Beck as his brother came down the stairs. “Are the kids asleep?”

  “Out like a light.” When Beck reached his wife, he kissed her lightly on the mouth. Glancing at Anders, Beck gestured to the tabletop. “What do you think? Up to the challenge?”

  Anders cast his brother a questioning look. “It’s a puzzle.”

  Beck smiled in satisfaction. “It’s one tough son of a gun.”

  Anders remembered how his brother had been prior to Lisette’s death. On the go 24/7. The word puzzle hadn’t been in his vocabulary.

  “Ami and I like to have one always going during the winter,” Beck explained. “Once the kids are in bed, we find it relaxing to work on one while we talk and catch up on each other’s day.”

  “It can also be extremely frustrating.” Ami spoke matter-of-factly as she eyed a corner of the puzzle. “This is a thousand-piece one, which means it’s four times as difficult as one that has five hundred pieces. There’s also gradations in the colors, which make it even more challenging.”

  “Sit.” Beck pointed to a folding chair. “Help me find pieces to complete this ship.”

  “Good luck, sweetheart.” Ami rested a hand on her husband’s back. “While you men search for those pieces, I’m going to grab us some puppy chow.”

  Anders’s brows pulled together. “Puppy chow?”

  Beck grinned. “Chex cereal, chocolate chips, peanut butter and powdered sugar.”