Page 18 of The Unbound Bookshop
“Okay, you made your point.” She cracked a small smile and added, “Thanks.”
Logan grinned, happy she looked reassured. “Besides, even if we ignore reality for a second and pretend that Donnie really is Tyler’s father, Piper wouldn’t have waited this long to show up. She would’ve asked Donnie for child support years ago.”
“That’s true. There is something off about her. Like she’s hiding something.”
“Yeah. Sheishiding something—the truth. Seriously, Abs. There are so many holes in her story, it looks like target practice.” The pep talk seemed to be working, so he stopped while he was ahead. No reason to mention the tiny, niggling questions still bothering him. Like, what exactlywasthe connection between Piper and Donnie? She knew too much to be a complete stranger. And why had Donnie kept the house a secret from Abby for all those years? Something didn’t add up.
“You’re right. Thank you. I feel much better.” She glanced at the antique clock on the wall. “If you don’t leave soon, you’ll miss the bus.”
“I thought I’d stick around here today. Stress-squeeze some lemons. Maybe squish a few more muffins.”
“Nope.” Abby shook her head. “As much as I appreciate your superior grip strength, you’re not missing your doctor’s appointment on my account. Not when they’ve been going so well.”
“But that’s exactly why Icanafford to miss one. Doc gave me a gold star at my last appointment. He says I’m making good progress.” Logan hadn’t wanted to get his hopes up too high, but after months of working with a specialist to reduce his sporadic muscle spasms—a fun little present from the spinal injury that got him kicked out of the Air Force—he’d finally seen improvement.
“You’re proving my point. You shouldn’t interrupt your progress.” Abby’s tone said,Don’t even try to argue with me, mister. “Besides, I have it all under control. I spoke to a DNA testing laboratory this morning. They’re sending a swab kit for Tyler. And once the Air Force releases Donnie’s DNA records, they can have the results in forty-eight hours. With any luck, this whole ordeal will be over in a few days.”
In awe, he leaned against the counter, forgetting about the deluge of dishwater. It dampened the back of his T-shirt, but he didn’t care. “You’re incredible. You know that, right?”
“So I’ve been told.”
“And I’m going to keep telling you.” He almost addedfor the rest of our livesbut held off. He’d get a proposal do-over someday, but not today. Soon, he hoped. He wasn’t sure how much longer he could wait. There were times he literally ached to marry her, to finally merge every aspect of their lives—ofthemselves—together. His scrawny one-bedroom bungalow had started to feel a little too lonely these days.
After another kiss goodbye, he headed outside to catch the bus at the end of Main Street. Not his favorite mode of transportation, but until he got the muscle spasms under control, he refused to drive and put others at risk. He’d use the downtime to Google Piper Sloane on his phone. Maybe he’d get lucky and find something useful.
As he crossed the front lawn, he spotted Verna Hoffstetter emerging from her light-purple Queen Anne Victorian across the street. The color reminded him of grape-flavored saltwater taffy. Mr. Bingley—affectionately dubbed Bing—waddled a few steps behind. The chubby English bulldog could stand to lose a few pounds, not that he’d tell Verna. If she put him on a diet, Bing would never forgive him.
“Hey, Verna.” He stopped at the curb to greet her, briefly stooping to scratch Bing behind the ears.
“How’s our girl?” Verna asked in lieu of hello.
“Tough as titanium,” he told her. “And a far better person than I am. She’s treating Piper as if she’s any other guest. I would’ve given her a first-class ticket to Get Outta Town.”
Okay, so maybe he wouldn’t have been quite that heartless. Sure, he had zero respect for Piper, but she had a five-year-old son. Tyler didn’t ask for this. He seemed like a sweet kid. His mom might be an opportunist charlatan, but Tyler wasn’t. In some ways, he was a victim, too. What kind of mother involved her own son in such an underhanded scheme? He’d keep an eye on them. If he suspected the kid was in any harm, he wouldn’t hesitate to intervene.
“Our Abby is kindhearted,” Verna cut into his thoughts. “But she’s no pushover. There’s a reason she let that woman stay.”
“You’re probably right. I jumped straight into fix-it mode without really considering Abby’s motivation,” he admitted. But his wife-to-be wasn’t a damsel in distress. She was a fighter. And often, a whole lot smarter than him.
“Whatever her plan is,” Verna said, “we’ll be with her every step of the way.” Her eyes sparkled with a mischievous glint. “I called the Belles. We suddenly needed to reschedule our weekly book club meeting to today, and we thought Piper might like to join us.”
Logan grinned at the visual of Piper being grilled by five feisty octogenarians. “I’ll look forward to the debriefing.”
“We’ll happily share our intel. There’s something off about that woman. Like she’s hiding more than a secret affair.”
“I think you’re right, Verna. And apparently, so does Bing.”
The pudgy-faced pup sniffed the back tire of Piper’s black four-door Jeep parked along the curb.
“What is it, bud? What d’ya smell?” Logan stepped closer and peered into the faintly tinted windows. The entire back seat disappeared beneath Tyler’s car seat, bulging duffel bags, dirty clothes, blankets, toys, stuffed animals, boxes of snack food, and two cases of bottled water. His heart lurched. Were they living in their car?
“That’s odd,” Verna said, snooping over his shoulder.
“You’re telling me. Either they’re fleeing a crime or preparing for the apocalypse,” he teased, but the joke fell flat. His stomach turned with worry for Tyler. Theycouldbe witnessing the aftermath of a long road trip, he supposed. But Piper said they’d traveled seven hours. Was this level of chaos a reasonable result?
“Do you think this woman and her son are in some kind of trouble?” Verna asked, her hushed tone mirroring his concern.
“I don’t know,” he admitted. “But I intend to find out.”
