Page 49 of By Your Side
Piper caught the shift instantly. Her chair scraped against the hardwood as she sat up straighter. “Oh my god. It’s alreadyallthe way out there now, isn’t it? I didn’t think Jasper was the gossiping type.”
“He isn’t. Someone else had to have seen us.” My voice wobbled. “And now half of Honeybrook Hollow knows we were having a parking lot make-out session under the neon lights.”
“That was faster than I thought,” her laugh was short and disbelieving. She leaned back, crossing one leg over the other.
I slouched back in my chair, rubbing at my temples. “Piper, if Eli hears about this?—”
Her teasing expression shifted into something calmer and more deliberate. “He will hear about it, that’s a given. But it doesn’t matter. Don’t forget that he’s the delusional, dirtbag cheater who left his wife and three kids for another woman and tried to make his baby girl quit her dance class, the rotten bastard. That’s not on you. You’re allowed to have a life, and he’s allowed to suck a bag of di—lemons.”
I stared at the swirl of coffee in my mug.
I sighed, feeling the weight settle heavily. “Yeah, but logic doesn’t really win against humiliation, does it? I just wish I could rewind and keep our business private for once.” The ache in my chest tangled with embarrassment; I hated being the center of whispers, even when I’d done nothing wrong. “I just hope people move on to something else soon and let this drop.”
“They will. Try not to worry. Eli is the problem. Not you.”
“You know he doesn’t see it that way. I mean, I don’t care what he thinks about me; I’m over that. But the kids don’t need to be involved in town gossip, and I’m beginning to think he will trash me as much as he can if he thinks it will get him what he wants.”
“I know,” she cut in gently, reaching across the table to nudge my hand until I looked up at her. “But you’ve got people in your corner. More than you think.”
Her fingers wrapped around mine, warm and certain. “You’re not alone in this. And I think you’re about to find out just hownot-aloneyou are. No one in their right mind will take his side. Please believe that.”
“I wish I could stay home tonight and hide from this. But Jasper is off, and I have to be behind the bar, damn it.”
“Want me to stop by?”
“No, it’s okay. I’ll have to deal with this sooner or later anyway. Might as well be sooner.”
“Okay. You got this. You know that, right?”
I forced a smile and squeezed her hand. “Yeah. I always do. Thanks, Piper. Really. I mean it.” She grinned, eyes crinkling with warmth, and stood to gather her things. I watched her sling her bag over her shoulder, lingering for a moment by the door.
“Get some rest before work if you can, okay?” Piper said, pausing as she reached for the handle. “Text me if you need anything, or if you want me to kick someone’s ass.”
I laughed softly, feeling lighter. “I will. Later.”
“Later.” She hugged me, then slipped out, leaving the kitchen a little quieter.
The rest of the night passed without incident. I kept my head down at work, pouring drinks and laughing with the regulars. The whispers faded into the usual background noise of the bar, and by closing time, I almost forgot there was anything to worry about at all. Then Hunter showed up, and all my worries faded away.
When my night ended, I drove home beneath a quiet sky, the crisp air clearing away the last of my nerves. I let myself in, shed my jacket, and settled onto the couch, a gentle relief blooming in my chest. For once, everything felt manageable—maybe not perfect, but enough. I was okay. Tomorrow would come, and I’d be ready.
Chapter 14
Hunter
The next few days drifted by, slow as molasses. The nights blurred together for me—a mosaic of clinking glasses, laughter, and the low throb of music from the jukebox as I waited to help Paige shut down the bar. We talked and laughed, back to our usual banter and jokes. But neither of us mentioned that night, or the half-life of a kiss that seemed to hover between us, unresolved and undeniable, yet heavy with the knowledge that it would absolutely happen again.
Why were we taking it slow?
Work kept me busy, but not enough to drown out the tension curled tight in my chest. I’d memorized every knot in the wood grain behind the bar, waiting for the time to pass until closing. Some nights Paige would catch my eye from across the room, her lips quirking in a secret smile, and I’d feel the world tilt a little closer to right, even if just for a heartbeat.
Being caught was a worry. Gossip had spread, and it made her uneasy. A storm was coming, the kind you could sense before it broke. News traveled fast in this town, faster than any of us liked, and I knew it was only a matter of time before Eli found a way to push himself back into her orbit. I knew she was worried, so I didn’t push.
The day dawned with a cold, steely sky. I left early, needing air and time to think. I ducked into the town’s diner for a quick bite before work.
The Pennywhistle Pantry always smelled like grilled cheese, fresh pie, and coffee that had been brewing since before sunrise. The red vinyl booths gleamed under the soft hum of neon signs, and the checkerboard floor was worn smooth by decades of locals sliding in and out for their lunch specials. It was the kind of place where you knew everyone, right down to the waitresses who called you “hon” and topped off your coffee without asking.
I’d gotten lost in thought as I stood in the doorway trying to find a table. Then I saw Paige standing at the counter near the register, a takeout bag in one hand, her jacket unzipped to show a soft, fitted T-shirt underneath, probably with a bar pun stretching across her chest as usual. Snug jeans hugged her hips, and the worn leather of her boots caught the light as she shifted her weight. Her shiny blond hair fell loose around her shoulders, and she was smiling politely at whatever the cashier had just said. My heart thudded to a stop as I fought the urge to claim her, take her in my arms, and kiss her right where she stood.
