Almost Just Friends (Wildstone #4)(87)

He tightened his grip on her. “I know.”

She inhaled him like he was a bucket of double-buttered popcorn. Only he was better than a bucket of double-buttered popcorn, even the jumbo size. “A part of me doesn’t know how to deal with how well you know me,” she admitted.

He cupped her jaw and lifted her face. “And the other part of you?”

“Loves it,” she whispered.

He stilled for a beat and then cuddled her back into him. “Same.”

After a wow kiss, during which she nearly climbed him like a jungle gym, she pulled back. “I need to go back in there, don’t I?”

Gaze solemn, he nodded, and together they reentered the kitchen.

Gavin was eating out of a gallon ice cream container with a wooden spoon. Winnie had been pacing, but when she saw Piper, she slid down the cabinets and sat on the floor, bending her legs, putting her forehead to her knees.

Cam glanced at Piper, and then without giving away a single thought or clue as to what the actual hell was going on, he crouched at Winnie’s side, balanced on the balls of his feet. “Tell her, Winnie. She deserves to know.”

“I don’t think I can do this,” Winnie whispered, and although Piper had no idea what “this” was exactly, it almost seemed like Winnie was saying everything, which was heartbreaking.

As was the way that Cam wrapped an arm around her sister and she buried her face in his shoulder, taking strength from him.

Something Piper knew a little bit about.

“It’s not fair to her,” Cam murmured. “You need to tell her.”

Piper agreed, even though she wasn’t sure she was strong enough for another hit. But she managed to walk closer on wobbly legs.

Gavin silently offered her the ice cream.

She shook her head, eyes on Winnie and Cam. “Tell me.”

“Wait,” Gavin said. “Would you prefer a shot of vodka? Because probably, you don’t want to do this without a sugar or alcohol rush. If not for you, then do it for me.”

Piper watched as Cam kept his gaze on her sister until she nodded. Then he rose to his full height and turned to Piper. Reaching out, he squeezed her hand, but she pulled away. She didn’t know why.

Okay, she did know why. Whatever the hell was coming, he knew about it.

And she didn’t. “What is it, Winnie? What’s happened? Just tell me.”

Her sister sighed and lifted her head, eyes wet. “I . . . got something in the mail today. A check. It’s from Rowan’s life insurance policy, the one none of us knew he had. It’s a hundred thousand dollars.”

“Wow. Okay,” she said, seriously confused. “Why did the check come here? That’s probably just a post office delivery mistake, it happens all the time. You can give it to Emmitt.”

Winnie shook her head, her eyes overflowing. “The check’s written to me. I was his beneficiary. I didn’t know he’d done that—” She pressed a hand to her mouth. “He must have done it when he found out I was pregnant.”

Piper dropped to her knees beside Winnie. She was incredibly aware of Cam, who’d backed up to give them space but hadn’t left the room. It felt like he was both angry and worried, and yet she somehow knew it wasn’t directed at her. “That was incredibly generous of Rowan,” she said. “But I’m not sure I understand—”

Winnie murmured something so softly that she missed it.

Piper glanced at Gavin, her usual Winnie translator, but he was avoiding her gaze, so she turned back to Winnie. “I’m sorry, honey. I couldn’t hear you. What does you being pregnant have to do with Rowan having you down as his beneficiary?”

Winnie lifted her head and pressed both hands to her belly as more tears spilled out of her eyes and ran unchecked down her cheeks.

“Oh,” Piper breathed, sitting back on her heels, wondering how the hell she’d missed this. “He’s the baby’s daddy.”

Winnie nodded and it all fell into place. Winnie hiding the pregnancy from her for as long as she could because her sister knew how she’d felt about Rowan not being responsible. Emmitt infusing himself into Winnie’s life, teaching her how to do things, being so kind and welcoming—he was going to be a grandpa. Cam being so patient with her because . . . because this baby would be his niece or nephew. And he’d never told her. That hurt. As did the way her mind was spinning.

Gavin didn’t meet her gaze.

“You knew,” she said. She then turned to Cam, who absolutely met her gaze. In fact, he’d never stopped looking at her. “And you,” she said softly, because her throat was tight and on fire. “You knew too.”

The answer was in his expression, and the tight, grim set to his mouth.

She nodded, trying to absorb the blows. “I see,” she said to the room, even though she didn’t. Everyone had known about the pregnancy before her. Everyone had known about Gavin’s rehab before her. And it turned out that everyone had also known the baby daddy. They’d all known everything.

And she’d known nothing. She’d been kept out of the loop on purpose by her siblings, whom she’d put her life on hold for. And also by the man she tried not to fall in love with—and failed, by the way. He’d known more about her family than she had.

And hadn’t said a word to her. In fact, he’d told her he’d come to help his dad. On the heels of all this, some other uneasy realizations were coming hard and fast. One, Cam was right. He wasn’t the no-strings fling she’d set out to have, the no-strings fling she’d been up front about wanting.