Play It Again (23 page)

“He cleaned out a drawer and half the closet
for you.”

“So …?”

Kim rolls her eyes, a slight flush pinking
her cheeks as she rolls onto her stomach on the bed, and stares at
me with her chin in her hands. “So … that means he’s serious. I
don’t think you’re ready for his kind of serious.”

Tell me about it.

No, scratch that, don’t tell me. My nerves
are jumpy enough as it is.

I cut my eyes at her. “I don’t understand why
you suddenly have such an issue with me hooking up with Vance.”

“Piper,” she stalls, sighing dramatically. “I
don’t have an issue with you and Vance. I’m happy about it.
Honestly happy. It’s just that … It’s just that I want to make sure
you’re doing this for you, because you want to be here with him,
and not because Vance bossed you into it.”

I give her a bored look, hoping it’ll mask my
own nerves as I try to calm them. The truth is, Vance did sort of
boss me into staying with him, but I also didn’t protest too much,
because when a badass hottie asks you to stay with him, you
consider it, but when a badass hottie asks you to stay with him and
then tells you you’re his girl, you do it. No questions asked.

“I want to be here,” I say. “I trust him and
I think it’s safer for all of us if I’m staying here.”

Rolling her eyes, she gives me a look. “Where
is he, anyway? He didn’t even say goodbye to me before taking off
from your place. He never does that.”

I shrug. “He got a call from Wes, but he
should be here soon.” Then, needing a shift in topic, I ask, “Have
you heard from Jimmy today?”

“Yeah, he got a room at Clear River Inn. I
told him he could stay with me, but with Tara being MIA and the
fire at your place …” she lets her words fall off, shrugging
helplessly.

My brow furrows. I’m not sure how to feel
about that. “He won’t answer my calls. All I got was a text message
that said I’m sorry.”

“Well, he should be.” I’m momentarily caught
off guard by her sharp response, and before I can question her
anymore, her phone chimes. Kim jumps up off the bed, darting across
the room to her purse, and rummages through it. She pulls out her
phone, glances at it, and then groans. “Crap, I’ve gotta run.
Stupid dentist appointment. I’ll give you a call later, and
remember, the room’s there for you if you want it, okay?”

“Okay,” I reply. “I’ll remember that.”

With a quick hug, she’s out of the room and
rushing for the door, her purse slung over her shoulder. To be
honest, I don’t expect to think about my old room at all.

Once she’s gone, I flip the deadbolt back in
place and then head to the kitchen to check on the pie. I open the
oven, glance in, and then shut it again. It could still use another
couple of minutes, I think.

I pull out my phone, and send Jimmy another
please call me back
message, before puttering around the
kitchen, cleaning up and washing a few dishes.

I’m just about to take the pie out when the
door opens, and I glance over to see Vance coming in.

“Hey,” I say, offering him a smile as I open
the oven, and grabbing a couple of towels, I pull the pie out,
setting it down to cool on the stovetop.

Vance comes over to me, and wraps an arm
around my neck as I close the oven, turning me to him and leaning
in for a long wet kiss that tastes of coffee and a sweetness that’s
entirely him. My arms come up, wrapping around his neck as his
hands trail down my sides, cupping my bottom, and I let out a
surprised shriek as he lifts me up, setting me on the countertop.
He nudges at my knees, pushing my legs open, and moves his big body
between them.

When I’m settled where he wants me, Vance
pulls away and cradles my face in his hands. “Hey, freckles,” he
says, smiling down at me. “Is there any particular reason the
apartment smells like smoke?”

“I brought some clothes back from my house
and I, uh, also kind of burnt a pie.”

His gaze shifts from my face to the pie, and
his brow bunches. “It doesn’t look burnt to me.”

“That’s the second try,” I say, blushing.
“The first one came out black.”

Vance brings his eyes back to me, regarding
me curiously. “Any particular reason you’re baking a pie?”

I nod slowly. “Yes.”

He cocks an eyebrow at me. “You gonna share
that reason?”

“Well, I was going to bake a cake, but the
meeting with the insurance adjuster took longer than I thought it
would and I knew I wouldn’t have enough time for it to cool before
putting on the icing. Then I remembered that you like apple pie, so
I stopped by the grocery store and picked up the stuff to make one
and got it in the oven, but then Kim showed up and I forgot to set
the timer and I burnt it, so I started again.”

A legitimate look of surprise mixed with
confusion crosses his face, and my cheeks heat with embarrassment.
Oh, God. What’s wrong with me? I’m rambling, babbling on to him
about cakes and pies without taking a breath.

“Freckles, why are you baking anything at
all?” he asks, curiously.

“Because this is Elena’s welcome home party,”
I say. “And you need home baked stuff for welcome home
parties.”

He laughs, genuinely amused. “Have I told you
how adorable you are?”

I shake my head, grinning at him. “Nope, not
yet.”

He laughs again, shaking his head. “You’re
adorable.” He kisses me again, this time, just a quick press of his
lips to mine, before stepping away from me. “Go grab whatever you
need, yeah? We’ve gotta get going.”

Slipping off the countertop, I grab my
things, sticking my phone in my bag before wrapping the pie in a
towel, and careful not to burn myself, I follow Vance out the door.
Jase’s place is only about a ten-minute drive away. It’s hot
outside, the air stifling from the late afternoon sun. It doesn’t
seem to faze Vance, but I crank up the air-conditioner as soon as
he starts up the truck.

Vance rambles on about Elena the entire
drive. She’s shy, she’s sweet, she’s loyal. He tells me she’s
completely in love with Jase, that Jase hasn’t been the same
without her here. There’s respect in his voice when he speaks of
her, respect and emotion. It’s pretty obvious he thinks highly of
her, and cares about her a lot.

When we arrive at Jase’s place, Wes is
standing in the street, leaning against his car. He pushes off the
car as we park, shoving his hands in the pockets of his jeans. He’s
grinning—Wes always seems to be grinning about something—and he
takes a couple steps toward us as we hop out of the vehicle.

“Yo,” he says, lifting his chin. “Any chance
you brought your keys?”

Vance laughs. “Jase is gonna shoot you if you
lost the keys to his house again.”

“I didn’t lose them,” Wes says, smiling
sheepishly. “They’re in a safe place; I just don’t remember exactly
where that place is at the moment.”

Vance chuckles, casting an amused look at him
as he makes his way up the driveway, keys in hand. I stroll along
behind, letting him take the lead as he unlocks the front door, and
moves into the house.

It’s quiet inside. Really quiet. And if it
weren’t for Jase’s car and what I assume is Elena’s new truck in
the driveway, I would think no one is home.

Wes follows us in and pauses, regarding me
strangely for a moment, before his eyes cut to the pie I’m holding.
His brows lift up in shock. “You made a pie?”

I nod, flushing slightly. “Um, yeah.”

“That’s fuckin’ awesome,” he says. “I love
pie.”

Vance laughs, and Wes’s grin widens as he
purposefully slams the door behind him, and then bolts for the
stairs. His footsteps are loud, thundering down the hallway, and
then I hear him bang on a door and shout, “Yo, Elena! Jase! Get
your asses dressed and downstairs. It’s barbeque time.”

“Oh my God, did he just, uh, interrupt them?”
I ask, unable to help myself. I keep my voice low, though, hoping
no one will overhear me.

“Yep,” Vance says, taking the pie from my
hands, and walking toward what I assume is the kitchen.

I follow him, shaking my head.
Awkward.
“That’s so not cool.”

My response makes him laugh, and he glances
over his shoulder. “She loves barbeques. She ain’t gonna care.”

I gape at him. I’m pretty sure he’s wrong on
that. “I hope you’re right.”

“I am,” he says, smirking, as he enters the
kitchen. He sets the pie down, and goes straight for the fridge,
pulling it open and retrieving two beers, before closing it and
strolling over to me, handing me one. “Come on, let’s go out
back.”

He doesn’t wait for me to respond, dropping
an arm over my shoulder, and guiding me toward the patio doors. We
go outside, and Vance ushers me over to the barbeque, and gets to
work starting it up.

Moments later, Wes joins us. He starts
talking to Vance about a new case, something about a divorce and a
dog, though I’m not really listening. I’m too busy glancing around
the yard, my gaze wandering over the insanely large padlock on the
gate leading to the front, and all the motion sensors scattered
around the yard. The security measures seem overboard to me, and I
nearly laugh. Looks like Vance isn’t the only security system
enthusiast in the bunch.

My gaze continues to wander over the large
deck and patio set, stalling when it hits the doors, and I spot
Jase, standing with a woman just inside. She’s cute, and slightly
shorter than me, with dark brown hair, blonde roots, and bright
blue eyes. She stands at the door, hesitating for a moment. Jase
says something to her, and she quickly shakes her head. Her smile
is shaky, and so is her hand as she reaches for the patio door.

I turn to Vance, about to ask him if she’s
okay, but he’s already on the move, climbing the steps to the deck.
He wraps Elena in a hug at the same time as Wes, squeezing her so
tightly it looks painful.

I hang back and watch them, my heart pounding
in my chest. I feel a little out of my comfort zone and completely
out of place watching them.

The four of them seem so … close. So
comfortable with each other.

I almost feel like an intruder watching a
precious moment between friends.

No, not friends.

Family.

Jase is smiling, and his eyes are smiling,
too, as he watches the three of them. He looks younger somehow,
more relaxed than I’ve ever seen him before, and I’m guessing it’s
because of her.

He loves her.

A lot.

It radiates from him, pours off him.

Elena laughs. It’s a beautiful sound. Not too
high, not too loud, as Jase mutters, “Jesus, let her go. You idiots
are gonna suffocate her.”

Vance and Wes let her go, and I laugh when I
hear them grumbling something about Jase hogging her as they
do.

“You ain’t allowed to leave for four weeks
again,” Vance says seriously. “Not unless you take him with you.
Can’t handle the fuckin’ moping.”

“Shut up,” Jase says.

Wes laughs. “He barely slept.”

“Shut up,” Jase repeats, louder.

“He wouldn’t go to the bar with us because he
didn’t want to miss a call with you,” Vance continues, grinning
like a fool.

Jason’s arms come around Elena’s waist,
pulling her to his side, and he groans and mutters, “Shut the fuck
up.”

Elena laughs, tilting her head, looking up at
him. He watches her, brow cocked as though daring her to say
something, but she doesn’t. She just laughs and hugs him back.

“Yo, Piper,” Wes says after a moment. “Come
over here, babe.”

At the sound of my name, my heart somehow
pounds a little harder, and my feet start to move. Slowly, I climb
the steps, moving over to the group as Elena unwinds herself from
Jase.

“This is Piper,” Wes says, waving a hand
toward me. “Piper, meet Elena.”

I smile, offering a little wave. “Good to
meet you. I’ve heard so much about you.”

Elena lets out a groan at my words. “Whatever
they said, don’t believe them. These guys are the best liars I’ve
ever met.”

I laugh softly, not doubting it for a second.
The three of them have mastered the blank face expression. “It was
all good. I swear.”

The guys laugh at us, and Vance grins and
winks at me, before making his way over to the barbeque with Wes
and Jase. They joke around, laughing and carrying on like a bunch
of teenagers, while Elena and I sit on the deck.

Neither of us talk much. I’m not really sure
what to say, and she seems content enough to just watch the guys as
they laugh.

I get lost in my own head, mulling over what
to do about my house. My computer and everything in my office came
out unscathed—thank God, but I’m going to need to pick out new
furniture, and basically an entire new kitchen. The fire ate away
at my cupboards and counters, leaving not much more than the ruined
remains of the appliances. The living room furniture was all
destroyed, too, and the walls need repair and paint. If I want to
change the colors or decor, now is the time to do it, I guess,
though I doubt I will.

I loved my house.

Everything about it.

Late afternoon morphs into early evening. We
eat and drink and laugh, and I relax, slowly beginning to feel like
a part of their group, and start having a good time.

No. Scratch that. I’m having a fantastic
time.

After we finish eating, Vance leans into me,
telling me he’ll be right back, before he gets up and heads into
the house. He strolls back out moments later, carrying a guitar.
His eyes cut to me, and I raise an eyebrow in question as he takes
a seat on the steps, but he merely smirks.

And then he starts to play.

And he’s good.

Really good.

It takes me a moment to recognize the song,
but when I do, I freeze and I feel my jaw go slack. It’s the song …
the one from the bar … the one from the truck …