Page 84 of Relentless

“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.”

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