Page 28 of Make You Mine

Her hand tightened in mine as a small smile tugged at the corner of her lips. “God, Ren. Why do I like that so much?”

“Because it’s what you deserve.” Her smile widened, and I felt a warmth spread through me, knowing I’d managed to lift her spirits, even just a little bit. “You’re perfect the way you are?—”

“Piper, sugar, come on in!” Our heads whipped to the side in sync at the sound. I squinted into the dusk to see an older woman on a Segway riding toward us, with three little pugs running along beside her.

“Grandma? What are you doing out here?”

“They have to do their business before bedtime. Grandpa is busy watching the TV. Your table is all ready. Is this him?”

“Oh. Yes. Excuse me. Grandma, this is Ren Moretti. Ren, this is my grandma, Mabel Darlington.”

He offered his hand. “Nice to meet you, Mrs. Darlington.”

“Nice to meet you in person. I know all about you from Paige, and I like you already, honey,” she said as she stepped off the Segway and shook his hand. “Do you like dogs?”

“Love them.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Cats?”

“Love them too.”

“Sweet girls who need a nice man to take care of business?” She shot me a wink. Subtle, she was not.

“Grandma!” Piper squealed as I burst into laughter.

“Those are my favorite,” I grabbed Piper’s hand and kissed the back, grinning as her grandmother eyed me speculatively.

“What?” she smiled innocently at Piper. “You need someone to help you get Cody back, and he sure as heck helped your sister get what she needed.”

“Ren and I are just seeing where this goes—it’s casual. We have reservations, we can’t be late. I’ll catch you up about Cody later.”

“Reservations,” she scoffed. “Family is family. You sit wherever you want, whenever you want. Reservations…” she muttered as she hopped back on her Segway to follow after the dogs. “Have fun tonight,” she called over her shoulder.

“She means well. I don’t—I don’t even know what to say, other than I should have warned you about her and her nosy ways. How did I do, though? Casual? Seeing where things go?”

“Perfect.” I grinned at her. “Exactly as we planned.”

“Let’s go inside.” She grabbed my hand and pulled me after her.

As we walked the rest of the way toward the entrance, the soft crunch of gravel under our feet mingled with the distant hum of the pugs barking in the distance. The Inn stood majestically, its old-world, log cabin charm a perfect complement to the mountains dotted with spiky pines against the misty moonlit sky beyond the roofline.

“It’s beautiful, Piper. Did you grow up coming here?”

“Yes, it’s been in the family for generations. I love it here.”

Stepping inside, we were greeted by the cozy, rustic elegance of The Honeybrook. The wooden beams overhead and the big, crackling fireplace in the corner were homey, yet refined. The check-in desk was off to the right, while to the left was the entrance to the restaurant.

The lobby was grand, with multiple places to gather. Leather couches flanked the fireplace, and a sitting area with a huge shelf full of books was in the far corner. I could tell this was a place to spend hours exploring.

I followed Piper toward the restaurant, smiling down at her as she led the way and shaking the hostess’s hand after she introduced us. Flickering candlelight cast soft shadows on the tables and décor as the hostess led us to our booth. I wanted to stop in the middle and look my fill, but figured I could do that once we were seated.

Piper ordered a bottle of wine, then we looked at each other, smiling as the hostess left our table.

“Do you remember the first time we met?” she asked.

My cheeks heated because, of course, I did. I remembered everything about her. “I do. It was one of Violet’s coffee shop parties. You wore a bright red dress, and your hair was platinum and rolled up like a 1950s pinup girl. You were stunning. I asked Jake about you.”

“You did?”

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