Paying Their Piper with Passion and Love [Loving in Silver 6] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) (31 page)

Taking a deep breath she began introducing herself to everyone. She had already met many of them and it wasn’t long before she learned why the little boy was crying. The parents were there to surrender his dog because the man had his hours reduced at work and they just couldn’t afford to feed themselves and the dog, too.

“May I speak with you alone?” Piper asked the parents, her eyes beginning to burn as she saw how the boy was clinging tightly to the dog’s neck.

Camilla saw their hesitation and offered to stay with the child and dog. She sat down in a chair and began asking him questions about the dog. After a moment he lifted his red, tear-stained face to answer her. Piper led the parents away so the boy wouldn’t hear. He was old enough to understand what she had to say. She didn’t want to give him hope if his parents had already made the decision.

“I’m very sorry to hear about your situation. However, I can give you an option to consider. If it’s only the cost of keeping a pet which has brought you here, and not a behavior issue with the dog, we do offer a program here to help you out. If you accept it, you are under no obligation to repay it. You don’t want to give him up for any other reason?”

The father shook his head. “No, no, you see how great he is with our son. But he has had medical issues and needs food which is very expensive.”

“Is he taking medication?”

“No, not at the moment.”

Piper smiled. “We can help with that, as well. If you want to sign up for the program, then I’ll give you the forms to fill out. And since he’s had issues in the past, I’ll have you fill out forms that I’ll submit to the veterinarian for you. That way all you have to do is take him to the vet if he gets sick.”

Once she gave them the forms they were quickly filled out. Both parents hugged her tightly, thanking her. Then they were going out to tell their son the good news. As soon as the boy grasped what they were telling him he was whooping and cheering, jumping up and down. The dog, a huge yellow Labrador, jumped up and started barking.

The child ran and hugged her before running off, following his parents from the help center. Piper felt warm and fuzzy all over. Mink spoiled the moment by elbowing her and teasing her that she was still upright, that she hadn’t passed out when the little boy hugged her.

Once the last client had left, Mink began to rush around the waiting area, sweeping and disinfecting as Douglas and Camilla looked on. It was obvious he was doing what he could to avoid talking to them just yet.

Piper felt for him. Though they were dressed casually, they were still rather imposing looking. It was in the way they carried themselves. They were both very confident people and she hoped Mink would let some of his own confidence out. She had seen glimpses of it and knew it was only a matter of time.

“Daddy, what are you and Mommy doing here?”

“We thought we would take you to lunch,” Douglas told her. “I’m glad Mink and Jace are here. We can all have a meal together.”

Mink was standing there clutching the cleaning supplies to his chest, giving them a look much like a deer does as it’s staring into headlights. “I can’t,” he managed finally, his voice little more than a croak. “I have to stay here and run the help center. It’s been very busy this morning.”

Piper was relieved when Jace made an offer. “I’ll stay and run the place for you for an hour or two,” he told Mink. “I’ve got to make some phone calls. If I get too many clients, I’ll ask someone from the spa to come over to help.”

Mink didn’t have another out. He hurried to put the supplies away. He was gone for a moment and when he came back she thought he looked a little steadier.

They spent almost two hours with her parents. Mink was very quiet at first as they ordered their lunch, but was soon part of the conversation about the new businesses. By the end of the meal his shyness was all but a distant memory as he and their father began talking about tech gadgets. It seemed her brother had a passion for them, though he only owned a rather ancient music storage device, which had been a gift from his mother.

As they stood out in front of the restaurant, Douglas Barrows gave Piper a smile. She returned it. His hand went to Mink’s shoulder. “I’d like to trade your mother for Mink for a couple of hours. You don’t mind, do you, dear?”

Dear? Her father had never called her anything so informal. It had always been her name. And if he was in a rare temper, he would throw in her middle name.

Mink looked from their father, to her, and then back up at the tall man. He appeared torn about what he should do. Though he technically didn’t work at the center, he had obviously decided he wanted to be there to help her out in any way he could. Now he wanted to be responsible and return to finish out the afternoon, but also looked like he wanted to go with their father, too.

Piper nodded. “I think that would be a great idea. Mommy and I can catch up and you and Mink can, too. Mommy, do you mind walking back? This is such a lovely town to walk through.”

Camilla smiled. “I don’t mind at all.”

As they walked from the restaurant Piper and her mother fell into a companionable silence. It lasted for a couple of blocks before she brought up the subject that had been in her mind since her father mentioned it.

“Do you think you and Daddy will really stay in Silver?” Though they had suggested they might, Piper hadn’t dared hope. Her heart soared with happiness when she heard her mother’s answer.

“Yes, we’ve decided to stay.” She gave Piper a warm, sincere smile. “Though officially your father and Colt haven’t resolved their difference, Colt will be showing us several houses. Your father is also buying a section of land just outside of town. He’s planning on building a plant where a few of his more popular electronics will be made.”

“Oh, that will be terrific! Though there is a candy factory that employees several hundred people, building an entirely new plant will offer work for construction crews and more. And the jobs in the plant would be very welcome.”

Camilla nodded. “Your father has already spoken to Silver’s city council. They will discuss it at their next meeting. He will have a lot of paperwork and headaches, but I haven’t seen your father this excited in years. I’m surprised he didn’t tell you himself at lunch. He’s acting the way he did when he started out.”

“And what does he have planned for Mink?”

“Nothing more nefarious than finally getting to know his son, Piper.”

Piper blushed. “I guess that didn’t come out as I meant it. Mink is only beginning to come out of his shell. He didn’t really seem to want much to do with me at first. But we’ve really become good friends.”

“I’m pleased to hear that. Mink seems like a very nice young man. It’s too bad that your father didn’t get to know him sooner. I know he feels guilty about that.” Camilla sighed. “And he feels guilty about treating you as he did. It wasn’t until after you were gone that either of us could truly see the situation from your point of view. I’m sorry about that, Piper. Can you forgive me? Us?”

Nodding, smiling, Piper said softly, “It’s already done. I’m just happy you and daddy are here now. It’s a good place to start over.”

Okay, if she didn’t get someplace private she was going to cry all over her mother. They were both intelligent enough to know that the road ahead of them wouldn’t always be easy. But Piper didn’t care. The road she had already traveled had been emotionally rough and she had made it this far. She was more than willing to face any obstacles ahead if it meant healing her family.

“I need a tissue,” her mother said, sniffing before laughing.

Piper nodded as tears stung her eyes. They hugged, sharing the moment, before parting with another shared laugh. “Yeah, me, too.”

They were back in the parking lot for the spa and help center. The sheriff’s cruiser was parked in front and she wondered what was up with all the police presence. They had just walked by one idling on the opposite side of the street about a block back. And now that she thought of it, when she and Jace had walked to the center of town she had seen it parked there. There had also been one parked in the square while they had been in the restaurant.

Curious, wondering if they had discovered who had broken into her borrowed house, Piper quickened her steps. Sheriff Grayson Evans and deputy Cherry Preston were both inside the help center. There was also the possibility that they had discovered the identity of the woman whom had cruelly abandoned the rabbit out front.

As it happened, their visit concerned both. Grayson’s handsome face was grim. “Can we talk somewhere more private than this?”

Piper nodded. There were no clients so she asked one of the workers from the spa to come over to answer the phone or deal with anyone who might come in. She led everyone back to the small office. They all crammed in, her mother and Jace included.

“I’m glad we’re all friends,” she joked, since there wasn’t much more than a foot between each of them. “And family. Mommy, this is the sheriff, Grayson Evans, and one of his deputies, Cherry Preston. Cherry, Grayson, this is my mother Camilla Barrows.”

They shook hands then got down to business. “First, I’m going to tell you something your men should have told you last night.” He gave Jace a disapproving glance.

Jace looked sheepish, a dark stain rising in his cheeks. “What can I say? We were distracted by our beautiful woman.”

Cherry laughed. “Been there, done that.”

Piper looked at Jace. “What were you supposed to tell me?”

“That Bart Cragge was mistakenly released from jail. We’ve put a broadcast out to watch for him. It’s been on local TV and radio last night and today. Everyone around here will be watching for him. We don’t know if he’s even in the area. It’s simply a precaution.” He glanced at the papers in his hand. “I’ve read the transcripts of his trial. He made threats against you. We have to take that seriously.”

“Do you think he’s the one who broke into my house and sabotaged my brakes?”

Grayson shook his head. “I can’t really say. The break-in at your house and the hotel was too sophisticated for him. From what I’ve gathered about Mr. Cragge is that he’s more of a bull in the china shop kinda guy. He’d leave prints or some other kind of evidence. Hell, he would probably have kicked the door in instead of picking the lock.”

Piper blushed as she recalled her bed. She waved a small hand in agitation. “What about the bed?”

“No DNA to compare it to. Neither Cragge nor Howell have any on record.”

Her mother spoke up then. “Dennis Howell? The man your father fired?”

“Yes, that’s him. Grayson wanted to know if I’d had any trouble with anyone. Howell and Cragge are the only two I could think of. But I don’t really believe it was Howell. He never really threatened me. I just didn’t want him to kiss me. Have you been able to locate him?” she asked Grayson.

“No, not yet. He was doing some private security work for a company outside of Tampa until about a month ago. After that, there’s been no trace of him. That doesn’t mean he’s up to no good. Hell, he could be on vacation somewhere.”

“But he could be here in Silver.” Camilla was not happy.

“I suppose he could. But both Cragge and Howell would have to have tracked Piper here. Really how likely is that for someone like Cragge? Howell would be able to do it easily.”

“Piper, your father really needs to know about this. I have to call him at once.”

Piper’s headache began about then. Answers that weren’t really answers were the cause. Each one just led to more questions. Now her parents would be involved and it would probably trigger her father’s protective mode again. She could see it now, a hundred men dressed in black surrounding their ranch, the doggie spa and help center, and any other place she happened to be standing.

Fingertips to her forehead, she rubbed. “Please don’t tell daddy right away. There’s no point in ruining his time with Mink. And Mink needs this time, too.”

A long sigh escaped her mother. “All right. I’ll wait until this evening, after supper.”

“I wish we didn’t need to tell him at all. It’s going to get ugly.”

But Piper knew she couldn’t keep it from her father, no matter how much she wanted to do so.

Jace wasn’t any happier about the lack of progress in solving the mystery of who was terrorizing Piper, than she was. Once Grayson and Cherry had shared what they had learned about the woman whom had abandoned the rabbit, they left. Relieved to be alone with her he pulled Piper into his arms and kissed the top of her head.

“Does your head hurt much?”

“Just a little.”

Camilla slipped out the door, leaving them alone. Jace stroked his hands over his woman’s delicate body. She was small, but not helpless. She was very strong mentally. Though the situation was obviously stressful to her, she wasn’t wringing her hands and whimpering as if the world was coming to an end.

No, Piper would remain strong through this. Jace couldn’t imagine it would take much longer to track Cragge down. By Grayson’s description, the man wasn’t too bright. The fact that he had thought he could get away with attacking Piper at the rodeo was proof of that. There had been several witnesses.

“How’s the security business going?”

Soft curls stroked his palms as he caressed her hair. “It’s going well. You’ll have a new neighbor soon.”