Alone in this apartment, he suddenly found he wasn’t entirely sure about a lot of things.
* * *
“YOU’RE LETTING HIM MOVE IN WITH YOU?” CAMERON said, sounding appalled. “Hello, can you say mooch?”
Piper flushed with anger. “He’s not a mooch.”
“You just said he lost his job and no one in his family would take him in. That’s a little too convenient, in my opinion.”
“I don’t remember asking your opinion.” Piper propped her phone with her shoulder and cut the daylights out of a piece of French bread, thoroughly annoyed. Everyone seemed determined to tell her that she was making a mistake. Given that she had never experienced that in her post–Mark the Butthead life, she wasn’t really liking it. Her dad had finally come around a little, and now she had Cameron telling her she was being used.
“Yeah, well, here’s another one—let’s see how in love with you he is in six months when he’s financially on his feet.”
“That’s the meanest thing you’ve ever said to me.” Piper fought the tears that welled up in her eyes. “I’ll talk to you later. Bye.”
Slamming her phone down on the kitchen counter, she took a deep breath and tried not to cry. Her phone rang. It was Cam calling her back, most likely to apologize. But she didn’t feel like hearing it. You could only have people telling you you’ve made a mistake so many times before you got sick of it. Plus, she hated to admit it, but without Brady there, showing her how much he cared, she was starting to feel some doubts creep in. Was she a phase or a fad for him? Would he get tired of her and leave? He had left Cuttersville with a fire under his butt the first time. It didn’t seem likely that he would just be willing to settle back down in the town he couldn’t wait to leave.
He’d been gone two days and she was already doubting that any of it was real. That frustrated the hell out of her.
With shaky fingers, she assembled her ham sandwich, jumping when her phone rang again. This time it was Brady.
“Hello?”
“Hey, babe, how are you?”
“Fine.” Not really. She was starting to freak out that they were moving too fast and that he couldn’t possibly care about her in any real way and that everyone in her life was turning on her. “Great. How did everything go?”
“I busted my balls and got it all done. I’m pulling into town now. Can you meet me at Shelby’s?”
The relief she felt in hearing his voice, in knowing he was almost back, kind of scared her. She shouldn’t be that dependent on his presence. “Why are you going to Shelby’s?”
“I want to show you something.”
It was hard to read his voice. He didn’t sound flirtatious. More tired and agitated. “Okay. I can be there in twenty minutes.” She wanted to eat her sandwich and brush her teeth.
“Good. See you soon, sex kitten.”
“Okay—” Piper frowned when she realized he’d already hung up. “See you then. Bye,” she told the dead phone. Then she made a sound of exasperation when her phone buzzed with a text message alert. It was from an unknown number.
It’s on you bitch.
Piper dropped her phone. That couldn’t be for her. She didn’t get messages like that. She quickly deleted it and went for her purse, deciding to forgo the sandwich. She just wanted to see Brady. Get some reassurance.
Which made her wonder if she still was that needy little girl she’d been.
* * *
BRADY WAS IN SHELBY’S DRIVEWAY, CURSING THE FACT that he’d asked Piper to meet him here. Shelby and the kids weren’t home, having stepped out for dinner at the Italian restaurant at the outlet mall thirty minutes away. Shel had told him where to find the spare key but suddenly he was wishing he’d just gone back to Swallow Street and taken a shower with Piper. This could wait until he wasn’t exhausted.
But it was too late now. She’d be there any minute. He went into the house, and on cue, there was a knock at the door. Opening it, the smile fell off his face when he saw a thin brunette looking at him, not Piper. She was wearing a huge hooded sweatshirt and her hair was limp, her eyes frantic.
“Is Piper here?”
“No.” Brady felt alarms going off. “Can I help you?” This did not look like the type of woman Piper would associate with.
“Yeah. Can you tell me where she is? I’m her brother’s girlfriend and I really, really need to talk to her.”
Piper had mentioned her half brother Marcus to him, had expressed how sad it made her that he had taken a bad path. Brady studied this girl, wondering whether he could trust her. “Where is Marcus?” he asked her.
“Jail. Possession of a controlled substance. That’s why I need to talk to Piper.”
By this time, she had entered the house. Brady cursed as she wandered into the parlor, her shaking fingers reaching out to stroke the end table. He sensed this girl was in desperate need of a fix. Great. He’d let a drug abuser come into his cousin’s house. Thank God they wouldn’t be home for another hour.
But Piper was going to be there any minute, and he did not want her to see this girl. “What’s your name?” he asked her.
“Trina. Who are you?”
“Piper’s boyfriend.”
It took her two seconds to process this. “Got any money?”
“No. I lost my job.”
“Oh.” Standing in front of the fireplace, her eyes traveled over the array of brass decorative items.
No doubt she was gauging what she’d score in a pawnshop. Brady felt sorry for her but he was already thinking he’d call the cops if he had to. “Why did you think Piper was here?” He was suddenly afraid. Had she been to the farm? He was sure she hadn’t because Danny would have called the cops, no doubt about it.
The girl was young, no more than eighteen, and now that he could see her in the light, it was obvious she was rail thin under that massive sweatshirt.
“The old lady in the diner told me.”
Marge? Or more likely his grandmother. She was the only one who had known he’d asked Piper over to his cousin’s. He had called her for her advice and she’d given him the thumbs-up.
“Listen, Trina.”
She knew he was about to dismiss her. Her eyes shifted, and she came closer to him. Brady stepped backwards, but he was caught by the fireplace.
“I’ll blow you. Just ten bucks, that’s all I need. I’m pregnant. I need to get something to eat. Please. Everyone says I give good head.”