Page 44 of Bidding on a Second Chance
“Hi, guys.” JoJo’s bright greeting jerked him out of the future and back to the present.
Which wasn’t such a bad place to be, considering he was with Piper and her growing soft spot for kids.
JoJo wore a canvas apron with knitting needles stashed in one of the pockets. The even knit of her sweater could pass for store-bought, but undoubtedly, she’d crafted it herself. “Here for candy bar money?”
“Yup.” Piper’s tone matched JoJo’s cheer. She browsed the impulse purchases near the register. “Are you ready for Christmas?”
“Mostly.” JoJo opened the till and took an envelope from under the money tray. “How about you? Don’t tell me you’ll still be in a boot.”
“Nope. Comes off Friday. I can’t wait.” Piper accepted the envelope and slid it into the manila mailer she’d brought. “Having it off will be the best Christmas gift I get this year.”
JoJo glanced at Graham as if to ask whether he planned any extravagant gifts that might compete. When he didn’t issue a challenge, she returned her focus to Piper. “Don’t be surprised if building back up the muscle you lost takes a while. It might be painful. Be gentle with yourself.”
“The doctor gave me rehab exercises, some of which I can do already.” Piper nudged her finger through the assortment of buttons in the dish by the checkout. “But yeah, she warned me. And I get to wear tennies with the thickest, stiffest soles you’ve ever seen.” With a self-deprecating laugh, she tucked her hair behind her ear.
He hadn’t put much thought into her having trouble after the boot came off. Maybe she’d need help with a few things, giving him an excuse to keep dropping by the store.
“Good girl. Follow those orders.” JoJo turned to Graham. “So we know what’s on Piper’s Christmas wish list. What about yours?”
Piper’s heart. That was the extent of his list. He forced a relaxed smile. “I’m looking forward to the auction. The Rasinskis’ expressions when they see the community’s generosity will probably be the best gift I get this year.”
Piper gave him a proud smile, and he let her handle the rest of the small talk with the shop owner.
Whether or not she needed his help around her store, they could remain friends. As a friend, could he invite her over for dinner? Or was that too much like a date?
After a few more pleasantries, Graham again got the door for Piper.
Almost as soon as she’d straightened her front tire to point herself down the walk, she said, “Hey, so, um …”
His breath froze. She’d save him a lot of trouble if she’d go ahead and ask him on the date she’d agreed to.
“I spoke to Ryan,” she said.
Oh. Not what he’d hoped to hear, but important, nonetheless. “And?”
“He did tell Bryce he played in the state game. The conversation happened shortly after his arrest, and I guess he was embarrassed of his situation, so he embellished. A lot. He apologized and said he’ll tell Bryce the truth the next time he sees him.”
“When will that be?”
“A week from today. I’m taking him between setting up furniture in the morning and the auction that evening.”
“Maybe the busy schedule will keep Bryce from stewing on it.”
Piper chewed her lip. “Do you think he’ll quit the team?”
“I imagine that’ll depend on Ryan’s delivery.” He didn’t hold out much hope a man with Ryan’s history could soften such news. But then, he hadn’t been interacting with Ryan and didn’t know how he’d changed.
“It might go okay.” She bumped her shoulder into his, as if to tell him to cheer up. “If not, you and I can talk to him.”
A sense of peace lifted his lips. She was hoping for the best and making plans with him. If those cords of fear hadn’t broken yet, they would soon, and he needed to save himself a front-row seat. “What if you and Bryce came over for dinner next Friday?” he asked. “Bring Teddy too. It’s the day before the auction, and we should celebrate finishing our work and you getting your boot off. Besides, that’ll let me get in some quality time with Bryce, so we have more to go on if things don’t go well with Ryan the next day.”
Piper cocked her head and smiled absently toward the street before them. “Sure.”
It wasn’t a date. Yet the victory kept him smiling through the rest of their stops, buoying his mood as his morning with Piper wound down. They returned to Second Chances, and though he’d rather find reasons to hang around, he had a shift in a few hours and some tasks to tackle at home beforehand.
Thanks to the storm, the roads turned icy as night fell and the rain turned to snow, but Redemption Ridge tended to get quiet pretty quick after dark. He parked to work on paperwork near the outskirts of town, where the higher rural limit dropped to city speeds. Prominent under a streetlight, the cruiser would serve as an extra reminder to drivers to slow down. Not much longer and he could head back to the precinct and—
“Patrol Three, Five, and Six.” The dispatcher’s voice came over the radio, brisk as she called for three officers, including Graham. “Robbery in progress at Quick Stop, six-two-four Chambers.”
