Page 4 of Not Faking it with the Colonel

ETA 5 minutes.

“You two be nice to Piper. She’ll want to pet you,” Erin said as if the two cats understood her. As long-term pet-sitting gigs went, this was an easy one. Feed them and change their litter boxes and the cats typically ignored her, except for the occasional rub against her leg or foot.

A few minutes later, headlights slowly approached. Piper parked her SUV out front.

Erin stepped outside. “Hey, sweetie.” She embraced her youngest daughter.

Piper hugged her back longer than usual. “I’ve missed you.”

The tightness in Piper’s smile pulled at Erin’s heart. “Can I help you carry anything in?”

“I’ve just got the one bag.” Piper studied the parked cars and exterior of the older condos as the hatch lifted, and she grabbed her duffle bag.

Erin led her inside, making sure neither cat snuck out.

“Oh,” Piper crooned, setting down the duffle. She dropped to her knees and held out a hand to the cats.

“The yellow tabby is Tink.” The larger cat studied Piper for a long moment before edging close enough for Piper to scratch behind her ears.

“Like an Army tank?”

“Tink. Short for Tinkerbell. She even has a green collar with bells on it. I switched it out because it gets annoying when she and Smokey engage in a game of chase at seven in the morning.”

“Maybe they’re on Army time instead of our night owl clock.” Piper sat cross-legged on the floor and coaxed Tink closer. “Were their owners able to get you any connections with Special Forces guys?”

“No. They’re in a medical unit. They said there’s a bar called Jumpy’s that’s known for being a hangout for the Spec Ops guys. Can you see me hanging out at a bar at my age, offering to buy drinks for guys in their twenties and thirties? ‘Hi, handsome. Can I pick your brain, or will you invite me to shadow you for a few days of training for research for the TV series I’m writing?’” That hadn’t been picked up by a studio yet. Which meant she had zero credibility.

Smokey ventured closer to Piper. It’d taken three days after Erin moved in before Smokey didn’t run from the room every time she got near. Piper was clearly the cat whisperer in the family.

“It could happen. You have a way of connecting with people.”

“I’m hoping I’ll make a connection at the USO on base. I volunteered at a homecoming for the 82ndAirborne two weeks ago. One of the wives I talked with seemed receptive to introducing me to her husband, but I want to give him a few weeks home before I reach out. I have five more months here, though I hope it won’t take that long. My former student, Ian, says his boss is already talking to some actors to gauge interest. If we can get a big name attached, it would increase the chances of HBO, Netflix, Showtime, or Amazon picking up the series.”

“That’s all great.” Piper stroked Tink’s fur, not meeting Erin’s gaze.

“Are you nervous about your year abroad?” It was a big step.

“No. Well, a little. Dad and Madison have been texting about you all coming over for Christmas and traveling around Spain.”

“All? As in together?” Their divorce was amicable, as divorces go, but notthatamicable.

“Yeah. Madison brought up how her friend’s parents got back together after spending time doing stuff for her wedding. She wanted me to bring up the idea of a joint trip.”

Erin patted the space beside her on the sofa and waited for Piper to join her. “Madison hasn’t been home for longer than a two-week stretch between school and moving to Austin after graduation. She hadn’t seen how bad it’d gotten before we separated. He’s your dad, and it’s not your place to tell her. She still thinks the car accident was because a deer ran out in front of him.”

“What? You never told her?”

“He asked me not to and saidhewould ‘handle it.’” There may have been a deer, but that wasn’t the sole factor, and the police officer knew it. Why would Madison suspect her father of being over the legal alcohol limit for driving at one-thirty on a Sunday afternoon?

“She thought maybe you could try counseling again.”

“Honey, you know I went. He came once.” And got all defensive. “The next week, he had business meetings scheduled and couldn’t make it.” AKA wouldn’t go. “And the same too-busy scenario played out the next week.” She’d continued to go and was in a better place thanks to over a year of therapy.

“Maybe he’d go now.”

“It could be beneficial if he went, but as for us doing joint counseling, that’s not going to happen.”

Piper nodded, though a few tears still escaped. “If I had—”

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