Almost Just Friends (Wildstone #4)(78)

“I told you that wasn’t your fault. Let it go. I mean it, Piper. For this to work, for any of it to work . . .” He gestured to the table. “Like me running the B and B for us while you’re away at school, for example, you’ve got to be able to trust me.”

The door shut behind him and she said to it, “But we can’t do both the B and B and school . . .”

“We’ll find a way,” he said through the wood.

Shaking her head, she went in search of caffeine. If she was going to give up her dreams for Gavin’s and Winnie’s yet again, she was going to need a lot of it.





Chapter 25


“I’m going to take that as a hard yes.”

Piper spent the next week working either at the station or on the property. She didn’t enter anything new in her journal, which was rare for her. Instead, she worked at checking some things off her various lists. Like not taking extra overtime, buying something frivolous—sexy lingerie, thank you, Victoria’s Secret—and . . . actually wearing the sexy lingerie.

And though she’d agreed to think about Gavin and Winnie’s plan to turn the place into a B&B, she also still was exploring the option to sell.

At least, that was how she’d spent her days. Her nights, other than the three days Cam had flown back East to train with his unit, she’d spent in his arms exploring their attraction for each other.

But tonight was Emmitt Hayes’s fifty-sixth birthday, and they’d planned a surprise party. Piper had tried to warn everyone that he’d hate it, but Winnie was determined. She’d been in charge of figuring out who to invite, with Gavin being the resident caterer. He cooked while Cam got Emmitt out of the house by taking him fishing. Meanwhile, Piper set everything up, and when Cam texted that they’d docked, she made everyone hide.

A few minutes later, Emmitt and Cam entered the house and everyone jumped out of their hiding spots to yell “Surprise!” and “Happy birthday!”

Emmitt seemed thrilled, and the party got started. Piper was relieved, but not five minutes later, Cam turned to her. “He’s gone.”

“Who?”

“The birthday boy.”

“Are you kidding me?”

“Do you see him?”

Piper looked around. Nope, she did not. The house was full of his friends, including his maybe-girlfriend, Margaret, but there was no Emmitt in sight. He couldn’t have gotten far. “You check upstairs,” she said. “I’ll take a better look down here.”

She started in the kitchen, going still just outside the pantry door, where from within she could hear crinkle sounds she recognized all too well. She opened the door and, yep, found Emmitt eating a bag of Cheetos. “Hey,” she said, “that’s my usual MO, not yours.”

He shrugged and kept eating.

With a quick text to Cam that she’d found his dad, she sat on the floor next to him, reaching into the bag for herself.

“Birthdays aren’t my thing,” he said.

“Also my MO,” she said. “But you love being the center of attention. What’s going on?”

Before he could answer, the door cracked open and Cam slid in. He stared at his dad and then Piper, who gave him a palms up.

“You okay?” Cam asked his dad.

“Sure.”

“Then why are you in the pantry with my girlfriend?”

Piper’s heart skipped a beat. Girlfriend?

“Needed Cheetos,” his dad said. “And you just gave your ‘girlfriend’”—he used air quotes for the word—“a heart attack. Did you forget to tell her that’s what she is to you?”

Again, Cam looked at Piper, who was indeed trying not to swallow her tongue.

“You scared?” Cam asked.

“No.” Liar, liar . . . “Just not sure I’m girlfriend material,” she said much more calmly than she felt.

“Maybe you could try it on for size, see how it feels,” Cam suggested.

“For temporary size though, right?”

He gave her an almost smile. “Right.”

She bit her lower lip, and at the warm and amused look in his eyes, she nodded. Because no matter what happened, he made her smile. And that was worth just about everything, including the label that she wasn’t sure she was ready for.

“Okay, now that that’s solved,” Cam said. “Why are we hiding?”

“I’m not,” Emmitt said.

“Dad.”

“Fine. I’m hiding. You happy?”

“Not yet.” Cam took a handful of Cheetos for himself. Before he’d finished, Winnie had joined them.

“Yum,” she said, and took the bag of Cheetos.

“Hey,” Piper complained.

“What? I’m the one eating for two. And why didn’t I get an invite to this private VIP meet and greet?” No one answered her, and she eyed them all. “I’m guessing we have a problem. Why am I the last to know?”

“Apparently we’re all the last to know,” Cam said, and looked at his dad.

Emmitt avoided his gaze. “Are there more Cheetos?”

Beyond the door, they could hear the party continuing on without them. Music. Laughter. Talking.

Gavin peeked into the closet. They all scooted to make room for him. “What’s going on?” he asked. “My food’s fuckin’ awesome and you’re all in here inhaling Cheetos?”