CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Piper stared in disbelief. Why did Gino ask Brandy to dinner? He had to know Piper would be uncomfortable with Brandy’s presence at the table. Maybe her uncle thought enough time had passed that she wouldn’t mind.
Thinking of Brandy and Gavin’s betrayal no longer brought sharp pain. From the time Liam walked into Wicks, he’d captured her interest.
Being in the same room with Brandy made Piper conscious of her rough appearance. She cast a glance at Liam. Would he think Brandy was attractive? Of course he would. The woman was beautiful. She hadn’t met a man yet who wasn’t captivated by her.
She sighed, aggravated with herself. Liam loved her. He never said anything he didn’t mean, and he was loyal. Piper wouldn’t have to worry about him straying. Liam believed he was the luckiest man on the planet because she loved him.
Liam’s handshake was just long enough to be socially acceptable as he introduced himself. He sat and wrapped his hand around Piper’s.
Brandy looked disconcerted a moment before turning to Piper. “It’s been a long time.”
“You look beautiful.” The other woman always took time to look her best before venturing into the world.
“Wish I could say the same. What happened to your face?”
Wow. She still had claws and didn’t mind sharpening them on Piper. “An accident. I’ll be fine in a few days.”
“Have you been in town long?”
“A few hours.”
“I suppose you haven’t seen Gavin.”
Liam’s hand tightened around hers in silent warning.
Everyone in town would know the truth about Gavin’s absence soon. The Copper Ridge police would notify Barone before much longer.
Grateful Liam didn’t allow her to see Gavin in the cave, Piper shook her head without having to hide a lie. “I don’t want to see him.”
An eyebrow rose. “You’re still hung up on him.” She smiled, satisfaction gleaming in her eyes.
“No, Brandy. I have no interest in him. I haven’t talked to him since I left Hartman.” Another truth.
Sophia brought a pitcher of iced tea and filled Brandy’s and Gino’s glasses.
Brandy frowned. “Don’t you have anything besides tea? Something stronger, perhaps?”
“After dinner, my dear.” Gino patted her hand. “Sophia is catering to Piper’s preferences tonight.”
With a shrug, the other woman sipped the drink, grimaced, and set it aside. “I’ll stick to water,” she muttered.
And so began a long string of complaints from Brandy about everything from the food to the decorations and candles. Dinner progressed with conversation between Gino and Brandy. Piper and Liam contributed little although the other pair didn’t seem to notice their lack of participation.
Throughout the meal, Liam found opportunities to touch her. A brush of fingertips over her cheek, a gentle squeeze of her hand, a wink when she glanced his way, an intimate smile. Although he remained alert and aware of Gino and Brandy, Liam’s focus centered around Piper. With every passing minute, she fell deeper in love with the handsome operative.
When the meal ended, Gino said, “Liam, escort Brandy into the library for a stronger drink. Get to know her better.”
Piper’s hand tightened around her fork. Uncle Gino was determined to separate her and Liam. Did he think Liam would succumb to Brandy’s charms, leaving the path clear for Gavin to move into her life? If so, he’d be disappointed.
Liam smiled. “I have a coffee date with two beautiful women as soon as the table’s cleared and the kitchen cleaned. I’ll have to pass.”
Brandy’s forehead furrowed. “A coffee date?”
“Sophia promised to share stories about Piper’s childhood with me.”
She scowled. “You prefer spending time with a servant than me?”
“He didn’t mean it that way.” Gino stood and held out his hand. “I’ll go with you. Perhaps when they finish their coffee, Liam and Piper will join us. We’ll get reacquainted.”
As she walked from the dining room on Gino’s arm, Brandy said, “You haven’t told her yet. You promised to talk to her as soon as she arrived.”
Piper and Liam exchanged puzzled glances. Why did Uncle Gino want to talk to her about Brandy? From the way things looked, she’d spent a lot of time with him.
Sophia walked into the dining room to see them at the table. “You didn’t go to the library for drinks?”
Liam smiled. “I’m not letting you wiggle out of our date, Sophia. I want stories about Piper more than I want to spend time with Brandy and Mr. Romano. An added bonus is spending more time with the love of my life.”
The housekeeper’s eyes softened. “You have to share the story of your romance with me.”
“If I can have more apple cobbler while we talk.”
“Deal.” Her eyes twinkled. “You might have to run two extra miles tomorrow.”
Liam chuckled. “You’re an amazing chef, Sophia. Mr. Romano is lucky to have you in his employ.”
Piper pushed back from the table. “We’ll help clear the table, then we’ll catch up.”
“That’s not necessary.” Sophia glanced toward the hallway, as though worried she’d be overheard. “It’s not your job.”
“We’re family. Family works together to accomplish tasks faster.”
They cleared dining table and wiped it down before shifting their attention to the kitchen. While she and Liam loaded the dishwasher, Sophia prepared the coffee maker.
By the time the carafe was full, Liam and Piper had loaded the last of the dishes and taken a seat at the kitchen table. Sophia placed a steaming mug of coffee in front of Liam and returned for the mugs of tea she’d prepared for Piper and herself. One more trip netted the apple cobbler for Liam.
“Don’t keep me in suspense any longer. Tell me how you met and when you realized you were meant for each other.”
Piper paused with her mug halfway to her lips. “How do you know we’re meant for each other?”
Sophia laughed. “The joy in your eyes, sweet girl. You adore that man and he feels the same about you. It’s exactly how my Julio and I looked at each other for forty years. Tell me the story, Liam.”
“I met Piper soon after I arrived in Otter Creek a few months ago. Hate to burst your bubble about a slow-growing romance with an epiphany of love but I took one look at Piper and every other woman faded into the background. No one interested me except her. Took me a while to work up the courage to ask her out. I’m not good enough for her.”
“That’s not true,” Piper protested. “Don’t listen to him, Sophia. He’s exactly what I need. The same thing happened to me. No one caught my eye except Liam.”
“How did you meet?”
“His teammate is married to my boss. The training staff at Personal Security International spends time together outside of work, building a strong team rapport. Delilah dragged me to every dinner or cookout the team held because she knew we were fascinated with each other. While Liam worried about not being good enough, I struggled with trust issues after what happened with Gavin.”
Sophia shook her head. “He’s a foolish man who takes after his father. How serious are things between you?”
Liam kissed the underside of Piper’s wrist. “I haven’t purchased a ring yet, but Piper has consented to be my wife. I’d love to marry her in the spring.”
Piper’s heart skipped a beat before surging ahead at greater speed. “I like that idea. We’ll figure out a date that works with your schedule when we return home. My schedule is more flexible.”
Liam turned to Sophia. “How do you feel about coming to Otter Creek next spring?”
“You want me to come to your wedding?” Sophia’s voice sounded faint.
“You’re my second mother.” Piper clasped the older woman’s hand. “Please say you’ll come.”
“If I’m able to get away, I’d love to attend.”
She squeezed Sophia’s hand. “Great. We’ll give you three or four dates. Hopefully, one of them will work with your schedule as well as ours.”
“Do you plan to work after you’re married? You told me often how much you want to start a family.”
Piper’s cheeks heated at the thought of having family with Liam. “I’ll work for now. When we’re ready for a baby, we’ll talk about the feasibility of me staying at home.”
Yet another thing she and Liam hadn’t discussed. They had time. First, Piper wanted to build a solid marriage with the man she adored.
Brandy’s laughter rang out, drifting into the kitchen.
Piper frowned. “Why did Uncle Gino ask Brandy to dinner tonight? He must know I haven’t talked to her since I found her in bed with Gavin.”
Sophia looked uneasy. “You should discuss this with Mr. Romano.”
“I will but I’d appreciate your take on the situation so I don’t blunder and cause Uncle Gino undue distress.”
Although Sophia still didn’t seem comfortable with the conversation, she said, “Brandy is spending more and more time with Mr. Romano at work and at home.”
Stunned, Piper stared at the housekeeper. Why was her uncle spending so much time with Brandy?
“When did this start?” Liam asked.
“Not long after Piper left Hartman.”
She frowned. “Wait. What do you mean about Brandy spending time with my uncle at work?”
“Oh, that’s right. You don’t know. Brandy got a job at your uncle’s company soon after you left.” She leaned closer and dropped her voice. “I don’t know what’s going on except Brandy has been promoted several times over the past three years. She’s one of the vice presidents of the company now.” A pointed stare at Piper. “Your job if you’d stayed instead of running from your problems.”
“Leaving was the best thing I could have done for myself, Sophia. If I’d stayed, I wouldn’t have met Liam. I don’t have one ounce of regret for leaving Hartman and Gavin in my rearview mirror. I wish I’d parted on better terms with my uncle, though.”
Sophia patted her hand. “You’re here now. That’s what matters. Mend your fences while you can.”
“Do you know why Brandy insists on Mr. Romano talking to Piper tonight?” Liam asked.
Another guilty glance toward the hall, then, “I shouldn’t say. Mr. Romano won’t be pleased if he finds out I’m gossiping.”
Piper squeezed her hand again. “You’re giving me advance warning. We know Uncle Gino plans to talk to me. Help me out.”
“I think it has to do with the company. I overheard Brandy on her cell phone, bragging to Mr. Gavin.”
“What about?”
“She said Mr. Romano is going to make her CEO of his company.”