Page 1 of Meant To Be

Chapter One

PIPER

“You’re breaking up with me?” I sputtered.

My seconds-old-sort-of-ex couldn’t hold my eyes. He had his hands stuffed in the pockets of his jeans. When Kent finally looked back at me, I could instantly see he would be a coward about this. “If that’s what you wanna call it,” he muttered.

“What the hell else would it be?”

The backpack slung over my shoulder was jostled when someone walked by me at the airport. We had just landed here. We were on the way to a weekend together to watch one of my favorite bands. I’d gotten us the tickets months ago. This was one of those once-in-a-blue-moon opportunities. A popular bluegrass band was playing for the holidays at a small inn in the mountains in North Carolina.

I stared at Kent. He wiggled his jaw and shrugged. “It’s been fun,” he finally said.

“Fun?!” I exclaimed and threw my hands up in the air. As they fell, my backpack slid off my shoulder and landed with a thump on the floor. Someone else passing by kicked it out of the way.

I didn’t even know if Kent heard me. He was already walking away. It was official. I had just been dumped in the freaking airport.

It wasn’t like I thought he and I were on track to be together long-term. I had plans to move out of state soon as it was. But we had been dating, at least on and off for a while. We had a lot of fun together. I had tickets for a concert and a room. Just for me now.

For maybe a second, I wanted to scoop up my backpack off the floor and chase after Kent. I hated the humiliation churning in my gut. I didn’t follow him. He was walking fast, quickly disappearing into the cluster of people moving through the airport like a rushing tide. We were at the airport in Charlotte, North Carolina, and I had another flight to catch. I sensed Kent already had different plans, and he hadn’t bothered to tell me about them.

“I paid for your ticket, asshole!” I shouted.

If he heard me, he didn’t look back. Whatever.

Someone else bumped into me from behind as they passed.

With righteous anger buzzing through me, I scooped up my backpack and fumbled for my phone in my jacket pocket. For good measure this time, I slipped both arms through the straps of my backpack, so I didn’t drop it again.

“I’ll just go by myself,” I said to no one as I began walking.

I found a little alcove between the airport concourses with white-painted rocking chairs. Not the most comfortable seating, but I suppose they were going for the original feel. There wasn’t a chair available, so I found a spot by the wall and sat on the floor.

I had three hours to kill before my next flight, which would take me to Asheville. We already had a car rental lined up. Ugh. I needed to stop thinking of “we” and realize I was on my own now. I would be driving to Merry Falls Inn for the concert all by myself.

I had just visited my older brother in Stolen Hearts Valley, North Carolina, and gone out of my way to rendezvous with Kent here. I got the sinking feeling he had asked me to meet him here solely so I would pay for his flight. This whole holiday thing was my idea. It was supposed to be fun. I was beyond relieved I had already had my visit with my brother. He would have opinions on this fiasco.

This was just a stopping point on the way to Alaska because I was moving there. I had scouted it out during a visit with my friend Delilah a few months ago and already had my plane ticket from Asheville to Alaska after this weekend. My brother Wade would probably be gleeful if he heard Kent dumped me in the airport. He hadn’t been a fan.

“Whatever, whatever,” I muttered to myself.

Just then, a pair of boots appeared in my line of sight.

“Piper?” a voice prompted.

My eyes traveled upward along practical leather boots and denim-clad muscled legs to a black T-shirt and an open lightweight down jacket.

I knew that voice. Dylan Tayton was one of my brother’s best friends. He was also inconveniently handsome and sexy.

I met his startlingly blue eyes, a contrast to his rumpled dark curls. “What are you doing here?” he asked.

“Waiting for my next flight.” I stretched my legs out, crossing my ankles.

“Are you headed to Stolen Hearts Valley?”

I shook my head. “Nope.”

Dylan dropped his backpack on the floor. “Mind if I wait with you?”

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