Playing with Piper (Menage MfM Romance Novel) (Playing for Love Book 3) (27 page)

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Authors: Tara Crescent

BOOK: Playing with Piper (Menage MfM Romance Novel) (Playing for Love Book 3)

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Epilogue

Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.
Søren Kierkegaard

Piper:

Thanksgiving Day...

P
iper’s is officially shut
for the holiday, but you wouldn’t know it from the number of people at my restaurant. For the first time in my life, I’ve decided not to go to New Orleans for the weekend. Instead, I’m hosting a celebratory party, and I’ve invited all my friends.

The three people that know how to cook — Sebastian, Owen, and me - have spent all morning in the kitchen cooking a feast for the people we love. The tables are loaded with food. The roasted turkey jostles for room with the vegetarian pumpkin lasagna. There’s stuffing and gravy, my macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes, green beans, steamed broccoli, and cranberry sauce. In addition, Gabby’s brought sandwiches, because it wouldn’t be a party without them.

The place is packed. Bailey’s flown up from Argentina for the holiday weekend. Apart from Sebastian and Daniel, she’s brought Daniel’s mother and sister. “Thank you for inviting us,” Daniel says to me as he walks in. He winks at his mother and lowers his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “You saved me from my mother’s cooking.”

Bailey chuckles as Daniel’s mother digs an elbow into her son’s side.

Gabby’s men, Carter and Dominic show up. “Where’s Noah?” I ask them. I like that little kid.

“With his father,” Carter replies. I know from listening to Gabby that Carter and Noah’s dad have a rocky relationship, but Carter seems pretty calm at the moment.

“We’ve got a room in the city,” Gabby confesses with a grin. “We’re going to make the kid-free night count.”

Six months ago, I would have blushed. Now, I just chuckle and look around to make sure Katie’s twins aren’t listening to this conversation. They aren’t. They’re at the table holding the pies, and they’re eyeing them like they haven’t been fed in weeks.

Katie and Adam are talking to Miki, who I haven’t seen in months. She’s here without her husband, which is an ominous sign. I pull Wendy aside to ask her about it. “Where’s Aaron? How come he’s not here?”

She grimaces. “I think Miki’s leaving him,” she says. “She walked in on his secretary blowing him in the office.”

“What?” I gape at Wendy. “I’m going to kill him.”

“Get in line,” she replies. “Miki almost sounded relieved. I think things have been rocky for a while.”

“Why didn’t she say anything?”

Wendy shrugs. “You know Miki,” she says. “She doesn’t really say much at the best of times.”

“She’s not the only one.” I give Wendy a questioning look. I haven’t seen much of you either. What’s going on?”

She doesn’t meet my eyes. “Work,” she says vaguely. “You know how it is.”

Wyatt walks up to the two of us carrying a couple of flutes of champagne. “Ladies,” he says gallantly. “You need drinks.”

I smile and take the offered glass. Wendy hesitates for an instant before reaching for the champagne. “Aren’t the two of you friends yet?” I ask them. Wyatt and Owen have told me about Wendy threatening to hurt them if they broke my heart, but given that I’m deliriously happy, everyone should be getting along just fine.

Wendy grins. “Of course we are.” She punches Wyatt lightly on his arm. “Unless you hurt Piper…”

“At which point you’ll chop my balls off and use them in a stir-fry,” Wyatt quips. “Don’t worry,” he winks at me. “I take
very
good care of Piper.”

My face heats. “Stop that,” I mutter, embarrassed, but he just chuckles.

Just then, Owen taps his fork against his glass. “It’s time for thanks,” he says quietly. “And I have many things to be thankful for.” He lifts his glass in my direction. “Let’s drink. To laughter, to love, and happily ever after.”

I take a sip of my champagne, and turn to Wendy to continue our conversation, when I notice she’s not drinking. Her glass is untouched. I open my mouth to ask her why, then I realize that Wendy might not talk with Wyatt nearby. “Excuse us,” I tell him, clamping my fingers around my friend’s wrist. “Wendy and I need to go to the bathroom.”

I drag her through the kitchen doors. “This isn’t the washroom,” Wendy jokes.

I’m not distracted. “You’re not drinking,” I tell her. “What’s going on?”

She takes a deep breath. “I was going to tell everyone on Monday,” she confesses. “Almost two months ago, the day before my birthday, I decided to have a one night stand with two men.” Her mouth twists. “It was just one night, no strings attached. What could possibly go wrong?”

I know what’s coming, but I wait for her to speak the words.

“Except the condom failed. I was in a ménage, and there were two of them, and now I’m pregnant.” She gives me a bleak look. “And I don’t know which one of them is the father.”

Oh dear. I stare back at her, totally lost for words. “I’m going to be a mother,” she continues, her voice a mere whisper. “And Piper, I’m terrified.”

The Playing for Love series continues with
Wagering On Wendy. Coming August, 2016!

A Note from Tara

D
ear readers
,

I hope you enjoyed reading
Playing With Piper
.

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Tara

About Tara Crescent

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T
ara Crescent is
a writer of steamy romantic fiction. She believes in sassy submissives, firm Dominants, completely consensual relationships and happily-ever-afters! Her favorite kind of romance stories are ones that are somewhat believable.

In her spare time, Tara reads, gardens, cooks, and procrastinates about cleaning. From time to time, Tara blogs about what she's working on (and anything else that she finds interesting) at
http://www.taracrescent.com
. She lives in Toronto.

She is somewhat active on Facebook and Twitter, especially when the writing is going poorly.

Tara also writes sci-fi romance as Lili Zander. Check her books out at
http://www.lilizander.com

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