Page 46 of Worth the Risk

Drew gives his signature fingers in the air for a little wave. “Hi.” He uncomfortably half smiles.

“Hi.” Piper’s smile is tight.

“Nice to meet you.” Lucy offers a warm smile.

“I’m sure this will go down as memorable,” Piper says as she flops on an empty chair.

I have to grin to myself as I pick up the bottle of wine on the table to pour Piper a drink. “I think this is turning out to be a great evening.”

“Ignore him. He takes joy from uncomfortable situations,” Drew mentions before taking a sip from his beer bottle.

Lucy is quick to clarify. “I mean, there is nothing to feel uncomfortable about. I think it’s awesome that we got to witness this, slightly out of the box on the introductions, but if you and Hudson are a long-term thing, then I can totally bug my husband that he walked in on his future stepmom who is his age half-naked.” She grins, completely at ease.

What I love about my daughter-in-law is that her words are 100% genuine and not malicious in any way. I have to laugh, while Piper’s face stays blank, and her eyes don’t blink.

I walk to Piper and hand her the wine while looking over my shoulder to my daughter-in-law. “You know, Lucy, I always knew you would be a good addition to the family.”

“Okay, I’m putting my foot down on both of you dragging this out,” Drew states.

I sit next to Piper and intertwine our fingers. “Message received. Does the shelf fit on the wall?” He went to check when I ordered pizza.

“A perfect fit, the wood is the right shade too.”

“Hand-carved by the greatest,” I add. “By the way, did you have a look at the schedule of which games you want to come to?” I ask him.

He shrugs a shoulder. “Not yet. I’ll get back to you later in the week”

Lucy turns to Piper. “My husband doesn’t provide much data, but I love him anyway. He mentioned that you make pajamas, and well, what you were modeling earlier.”

Piper seems to relax. “I do. I own Piper Ginger—”

“What!” Lucy’s excitement is in full swing again. “I love those pajamas. So soft and cute. I got a pair with frogs with crowns on it.”

Piper smiles brightly. “Oh yeah? I actually have a box of new designs in my car if you want another pair.”

Lucy looks at me and winks. “I approve of this match.”

“I’m positive I don’t need your approval, but fine, I’ll take it,” I tell her. I can’t help but look at Piper affectionately.

“Hudson mentioned you write romance.” Piper attempts to keep the conversation flowing.

Lucy nods. “I do. So, apologies if I look at you two like you’re a case study. How did you two meet?”

Piper nervously giggles. “Uhm, well, fun story really.”

“She walked into a bar, and I bought her a drink. Kept it classic.”

Piper glances at me, and I see a keenness to my answer.

“I had no idea who he was. A sort of mystery.” Piper squeezes my fingers once.

“Well, mystery solved.” Drew surprises me with his straight-forward reply, as normally he’s one to stay neutral, but I sense something is on his mind.

Piper just continues on. “Hudson talks about you all the time. He showed me the pictures from your wedding, and they were lovely. Also, the pieces of furniture you made are beautiful.” She touches my shoulder. “Hudson doesn’t brag much, except when it comes to you. He is a proud dad for sure.”

“Yeah, I’m getting used to it. Sometimes he can be a real pain in the ass, but he always means well,” my son responds with a bit of humor. “Do you like Lake Spark?”

“Love it. I wish I had visited this place sooner; the town is so ridiculously over-the-top quaint, but it’s perfect.”

---