Page 35 of Black Roses

Cassidy shoves the takeout bag at me. “I’ll clean her up.” She whisks Hailey away to the bathroom leaving me with her food and, conveniently, the bill.

I open up my wallet and pay Mindy, who asks, “How does Cassidy do that? I swear she manages to get out of paying the bill every single time.”

I laugh. “Are you suggesting she has my daughter trained to poop whenever the bill comes?”

“I wouldn’t put it past her,” she says. “But I’m not sure anyone isthatgood at manipulation.”

“Oh, I don’t know. She’s pretty damn good.”

When I get to thinking about all the manipulating she’s done with me, my entire body stiffens when I realize she’s in the bathroom. With Piper. That can’t be good. I quickly excuse myself from the table and head down the hall. Before I round the corner to the bathrooms, I hear Cassidy’s voice and stop to listen. She must have cornered her in the hallway.

“What is it with you Mitchell sisters?” she asks.

“Exactly what is that supposed to mean?” Piper replies.

“You all go after the rich and famous ones. What makes you think you’re any better than the rest of us?”

“First of all, I’m notgoingafteranyone,” Piper says. “And you don’t know anything about my sisters, so why don’t you shut the fu—, uh, just shut up about it.”

I’m amused, and slightly impressed, that Piper is censoring herself in front of Hailey.

“Mama, poopy,” Hailey reminds her.

“Just a minute, baby.” I hear movement and then I have to concentrate to hear her growling whisper. “It was you he was with last night, wasn’t it? Do you really think you’re good enough for him? You dress like a pauper. You have that thing on your nose. It’s so last decade. You’re just so . . . normal. You realize Mason Lawrence can have anyone he wants, right? Why do you think he would choose someone as plain as you? Unless of course you’re fucking him. Are you fucking him? It won’t last, you know. He’ll use you up and throw you away just like all the others. He’ll go through all of his little fan girls until he realizes who he needs to be with. The mother of his child. He will do anything to make Hailey happy. And Hailey wants her Mommyandher Daddy. And as soon as she’s old enough to ask for it, he’ll give it to her. He does every time. So go have your fun, but know who he’ll end up with in the end.”

“He’ll obviously want to be with you because you’re such a great mom,” Piper deadpans. “Cussing and talking the way you do in front of your daughter; you should win the Mother of the Year Award. How proud you must be. You don’t even realize what you have, do you? You don’t realize it because instead of seeing her as a gift, you see her as a tool to getting what you want. I feel sorry for you, Cassidy. For you and your pathetic life. Now run along and pretend you’re a mother who actually cares that her daughter messed her pants.”

I’m stunned by their exchange. I’m enlightened by Cassidy’s admission. I’m encouraged by Piper’s declaration. She thinks children are a gift? Perhaps it won’t be so hard to forge a bond between them after all. But before I can process all of this information and get out of the way, Piper rounds the corner smacking right into me.

“Ooof.” I put my hands on her arms to keep her from falling.

She looks up at me bashfully. “Uh, did you hear any of that?” she asks.

I give her a confirming nod. “Pretty much all of it. I was coming back to rescue you from Hurricane Cassidy. But apparently you didn’t need my help.”

Her eyes fill with regret. “I’m sorry I said those awful things about your kid’s mom. I shouldn’t let her get to me like that.”

“Are you kidding? Everything you said is true.” I look her straight in the eye. “And everythingshesaid is not. I hope you know that. I told you last night, you were the first date I’ve had in years. There hasn’t been anyone else, even in passing. Those things she said, she said them to scare you away. I had no idea that she’s been waiting for me to get back together with her. I promise you that will never happen. You were the first woman I’ve wanted to be with since Hailey was born. You’re theonlywoman I want to be with.”

I both see and hear her sigh of relief. Her eyes soften. She believes me.

I realize my hands are still on her arms and she has goosebumps; the fine hairs prickling my fingertips. It’s not cold in the hallway. It must be me. She’s reacting to my touch. Better yet, she’s making no attempt to pull away from it. Now may be the right time to ask her out again. While we have this connection. This fire that’s coming from her and going straight to my groin—right through every bone in my body—and directly to my goddamn heart.

“Piper—”

“Is everything okay back here?” I’m cut off by Jarod, who is eyeing my hands on her arms with disdain.

She backs away, putting too much distance between us and my hands fall down to my sides, heavy with emptiness.

“Everything’s fine, Jarod. We were just heading out to the table.” Piper walks away, glancing back at me over her shoulder with sympathy, as if she knew what I was about to ask and Jarod ruined the moment. That look—does it mean she would have said yes?

Jarod glares at me before going back to his duties.

Fucking waiters and their bad timing.

chapter fifteen

piper

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