Page 5 of Black Roses

“Skylar, did you get the church re-booked for the 15th?” Baylor joins us in the living room with a plate of cheese and the champagne. She hands one to each of us. “Only one drink for Skylar and me since we’re nursing. But you can have the rest, Piper. I’m sure you need it after your long day.”

I nod and take the glass from her. “Thanks.” I don’t bother telling her it’s not the long day—it’s the destination.

I look around Skylar’s townhouse. It’s amazing. Tasteful. Safe.

Then Baylor’s words sink in and I snap my eyes to Skylar. “The 15th? I hope you mean the 15thof April.”

She shakes her head and laughs. “Apparently you have a lot to learn about wedding planning, little sister. There is no way we could pull it off in a month. I have my doubts about being able to organize it intwo.”

“Two?” I place my glass down so forcefully, champagne sloshes out the top of it and all over the coffee table. “You said six weeks, Skylar. Six. Not eight. I have to get back. I can’t be away that long.”

“It’s only a few more weeks, Piper.” Baylor grabs a burp cloth from her bag and wipes up my mess. “It’s not like you have a job to get back to or anything.”

I give my oldest sister a punishing stare. “Oh, right. Like writing books is a real job, Bay.”

I feel bad as soon as the words leave my mouth. I know her books have done very well. I even read one once. But I just can’t get into all that mushy-love crap. Give me a good mystery or thriller. I close my eyes and blow out a deep breath.

A hand comes up to touch my shoulder. “It’s okay, Pipes,” Baylor says. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. I just wish you would come back home. Why do you insist on traveling all the time? What happens when your college fund runs dry? You’ll need to work. Come back here, be my assistant.”

“Or work in one of the restaurants,” Skylar adds. “There is so much for you here.”

I’m exhausted. I don’t want to have this argument with them again. For the sake of peace, I say, “I’ll think about it. When the money runs out.”

This seems to appease them for the moment. They don’t need to know the money will never run out. They don’t need to know my college fund was depleted long ago and Mom and Dad send me a small stipend to live on each month. They don’t need to know I’m never coming back.

They don’t need to know.

“So, other than wedding planning, what should we do while you’re here?” Skylar looks lovingly over at little Aaron. “I’m on maternity leave until after the wedding, so we can hang out. It’ll be just like high school. Well, before you bailed on me and did a semester abroad your junior year.”

High school. I cringe thinking back on it. I wonder if everyone hates it as much as Charlie and I did. She and my sisters were the only things that kept me sane my senior year. I couldn’t wait to graduate and travel the world.

I need to talk to Charlie. I glance at my watch and realize it’s the middle of the night in Barcelona—no wonder I’m so tired. It’ll have to wait until morning.

“I’m not exactly sure what I’m going to do. I was thinking about training for the Boston Marathon. And maybe I’ll help the folks out at the new place for some extra cash.”

“Oh, they would love that.” Skylar walks over to get her stirring baby. “You could always waitress at Mitchell’s NYC, too. We’re always looking for good—”

“Marathon?” Baylor interrupts. “You’re kidding, right?”

“Don’t you keep up with Piper’s Facebook page?” Skylar asks. “It’s practically the only way to get information on where she is and what she’s doing.”

“Oh, come on, you guys know I’ve never been on Facebook.” Baylor raises a snarky brow.

“Right.” Skylar laughs. “I almost forgot about the infamous Facebook sabotage.” She unsnaps her shirt and settles Aaron against her breast for a feeding.

I roll my eyes at how my sister is simply flopping her boob around without a care in the world. “Really, Skylar?” I ask, walking away so I don’t have to witness it.

“Wait, Pipes.” Baylor follows me into the kitchen. “Tell me more about the marathon. I know you’ve been running, but a marathon? Don’t you think that’s a bit extreme? Anyway, don’t you have to register for those things well in advance? It’s next month, isn’t it?”

“It is. April 20th, in fact.” I pull out my phone and scroll down to find a few pictures that were taken last year. I show her the photos Charlie snapped of me in the marathons I ran in Berlin and Amsterdam. “I know it’s too late to register, but they always reserve a few thousand spots for charities and contributors. I thought maybe Gavin, with his ties to the movie business and all, could pull some strings and get me in.”

Baylor scrolls through the pictures of me, sweat-drenched and practically limping across the finish line. I look at them over her shoulder, proud of the one thing in my life that gives it meaning. Clarity. Purpose.

She hands me the phone and wraps me into an all-encompassing hug. “I’m so glad to see you doing something you love. I’ve been so worried about you, Piper. I’ll ask Gavin about it.”

The doorbell rings. Jordan is fussing, garnering Baylor’s attention, and Skylar is still busy nursing so I walk over to answer it. I look through the sidelight to see a young man, probably my age, carrying a large bag. He’s got dark-brown hair that’s short and manicured—a contradiction to the sleeves of tattoos on his arms and the gauges in his ears. He’s hot. European-guy hot. I wonder who the hell he is and why he’s coming to my sister’s house.

For a moment, I freeze. My stomach forms a large knot and my head feels light. Oh, God, they aren’t trying to set me up, are they? I knew this would happen. It was one of my fears coming back home. I just can’t believe they didn’t even give me a single goddamn day to get over the jet lag before they started.

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