Page 83 of Make You Mine

My eyes shot to Hunter. “Really?”

“Oh yeah. Ask around town. Anyone who knows him has probably taken a swing at him a time or two. Which is why I was so surprised he managed to get Piper.”

“What about Paige? Didn’t she set them up?”

“She had no clue. Her ex had her blind for years. Richard was his friend. She probably thought it would be fun for her sister to date her husband’s friend.”

“Damn.”

“Yeah, damn. That pretty much says it all.”

“Should I drop you back at the Honeybrook?” I asked.

“Yeah, my car is there.”

I pulled away from the curb. I glanced over at Hunter, who leaned back in his seat with a contemplative expression. The residual tension broke, and we laughed as Cody propped his paws on the console and licked the side of my face.

“Thanks for backing me up,” I told him as I pulled into the Honeybrook’s parking lot. “It’s appreciated.”

He smiled as he opened the car door. “Anytime. It was good to meet you.”

“You too.” I nodded, watching him disappear into the night.

Pulling back onto the road, I took a deep breath, trying to steady my thoughts. The drive to Loganberry Lane was quiet, save for Cody happily panting in the passenger seat.

Once I pulled into Piper’s driveway, I took a moment to collect myself and prepare to go home alone after I dropped Cody off.

Paige answered the door at my knock. Bending to pet Cody after he barked his hello.

“Is she okay?” I asked.

“Yeah, we’re just sorting through all the shit he left her with, you know?”

“Yeah…”

“She’s not great when it comes to dealing with her feelings. Usually something big has to knock her on her ass before she starts to deal.”

“That’s relatable.”

“Don’t I know it.” She laughed. “I mean, sticking our heads in the sand is a Darlington family trait.”

“Can I talk to her for a minute? I’ll stay on the porch, I promise.”

“I’m not worried about you, Ren.” Her eyes softened. “It’s why I—never mind.” She turned away toward the entryway. “Piper,” she yelled. “Company.”

“Hey,” she whispered. “You got him.” Tears filled her eyes when Cody rubbed against her legs. “I can’t thank you enough.”

She stepped onto the porch, shooing Cody inside before closing the door behind herself. I smiled when I saw her in another caftan—purple with pink and lavender paisley swirls. God, she was beautiful.

“This was never fake for me,” I blurted. “Time and time again, I tried telling myself that it wasn’t real yet, or that we had an expiration date. But then I kept ending up here with you, right here on this porch, never wanting to leave.”

Her eyes met mine, and for a moment, the turbulent emotions seemed to still within her. She took a deep breath, her voice steady but soft. “You know, I spent so much time convincing myself that I never wanted to fall in love again. But I was just scared of being hurt. Maybe we told ourselves it was fake because neither one of us was ready.”

“Maybe,” I murmured, reaching out to take her hand. “Probably.” I smiled at her.

She squeezed my hand, a tentative smile forming. “I don’t want to pretend anymore, Ren.”

“I don’t either. No more lying to ourselves about what we have.”

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