Page 51 of The Keeper

Piper’s green eyes locked on mine like a missile, the muscle in her jaw ticking. “Where’d you hear that word?”

“Is that a word?” I asked. “Didn’t sound like a word to me.”

“We’ll talk about this later,” she muttered, shifting Avery to her hip.

The tension in the air was thick enough to choke on when she turned to Derek with a forced smile. “Sorry about that. I’m just finishing up and should be out of your hair in a few minutes.”

His earlier nervousness was gone, replaced by another smarmy grin. “No rush. Family comes first, right?”

I clenched my fists at my sides, biting back the urge to wipe the smile off his face. Piper must have sensed my rising anger because she quickly handed Avery back to me.

“Why don’t you two wait in the car?” she suggested through clenched teeth.

Derek cleared his throat. “Nice meeting you, Dane. I’m sure we’ll be seeing more of each other.”

I sensed a hint of challenge in his tone but simply nodded, not keen on digging my grave any deeper than I already had. The bell jingled again as we left, and I could feel the weight of everyone’s stares on my back.

Once we were settled in the SUV, I glanced in the rearview mirror to see Piper having what looked like a heated discussion with Derek.Her cheeks were flushed, and she was gesturing animatedly with her hands.

“A-ma?” Avery’s small voice pulled my attention back to her. She was watching me with wide, worried eyes.

I faked a smile, reaching back to smooth her hair. “Mama will be out in a minute.”

True to my word, Piper stormed out of the bakery moments later, her face a thundercloud as she yanked open the passenger door and slid inside.

“What the hell was that?” she hissed, keeping her voice low so Avery wouldn’t hear.

“Look, I’m sorry if I overstepped?—”

“Overstepped? You threatened my boss, Dane. Do you have any idea how that makes me look?”

“Didn’t threaten him, per se,” I argued, gripping the steering wheel tighter. “I just made it clear he can’t keep jerking you around with your schedule. That’s all.”

Piper huffed out a laugh. “Oh, is that all? Look, I’ve been handling things just fine on my own for years. I don’t need you swooping in to save me like I’m some damsel in distress.”

The words stung more than I cared to admit. “Not trying to save you, darlin’,” I gritted out. “I’m trying to help.”

“Well, don’t,” she said, turning to stare out the window. “I can take care of myself.”

The rest of the drive home was tense and silent, save for Avery’s occasional babbling from the backseat. By the time we pulled into the driveway, my jaw ached from clenching it so hard.

Piper was out of the car before I’d even cut the engine, slamming the door behind her. I sighed, rubbing a hand over my face before grabbing my kutte and Avery from the backseat.

“Looks like Daddy’s in the doghouse, princess,” I murmured, lifting her onto my hip.

She gave a little yip and grinned up at me, oblivious to the mess I’d made.

SEVENTEEN

GHOST

Ivy & Piper’s Guide to Life Rule Number Thirty-Five:

If it feels like a bad idea, it probably is.

Inside, I found Piper aggressively wiping down the kitchen counters, her movements jerky and tense. “This whole damn place is a mess!”

We’d only been living together one week, and the growing pains were becoming more evident by the day.

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