nerves raging. She winked at him and gave her best attempt at a naughty crooked grin.
“I think if you stayed we’d find other things to play.” Sean rose from the couch and Piper felt her heart skip a beat. She wanted to be flirty and mysterious, but she knew she might claw his eyes out if he actually tried to touch her right now.
“I don’t play anything without dinner, or at least drinks.” Piper slowly started putting her tools back in her bag and stood.
“You might be worth a drink or two. How about you meet me at Lorenzo’s Bar on Thursday night at nine?” Sean moved closer to her and she could feel her skin begin to crawl. She sidestepped him as he approached and headed for the door.
“That sounds great. I’ll see you there. Your cable should be all set in about ten minutes. I’ll just show myself out,” she spoke fast and moved even faster toward the door. Mission accomplished, she thought, no need to stick around and give Sean a chance to get any ideas.
As Piper reconnected Sean’s cable from the box outside his place, she could feel her heart pounding against her chest. Every time she took one step further down this path she felt herself falling slightly more out of control.
Chapter Nine
“Are you ready to go?” Bobby asked Piper as they sat on Betty’s porch swing watching the night unfold before them. Lightning bugs were beginning to sparkle across the open field of the front yard, and the crickets were chirping loudly. Piper looked forward to Wednesday nights week after week. They were brief moments in time filled with calmness and tranquility mixed with laughter. For the last two weeks Bobby had given her a ride there. Betty had insisted that it didn’t make sense for two people coming from the same direction to in drive different cars. Whether she was playing matchmaker or mother hen, it didn’t seem up for debate.
“I’m never ready to leave here,” Piper answered, with a little pout. “Don’t you wish you could stay forever? This creaky old swing, the sounds of the night and all these stars? I’m not sure there is anywhere on earth more peaceful than this.” Bobby watched the wonder dance on Piper’s face and realized how different her life must have been from his growing up. He appreciated a little front porch sitting as much as the next southerner, but Piper seemed completely in love with the concept of quietly watching the world around her, as if she had never really done it before. Until his parents moved back up north two years ago, Bobby had lived at home, just next door, with them. Most of his nights ended exactly this way. Now, since moving into downtown Edenville, Wednesday night was the only way he could enjoy the outdoors this way. But if he had to, he’d sit on a pile of rotting trash at the landfill to be next to Piper.
“Come on,” he said, standing and pulling her up by her outstretched hands. “It’ll be next Wednesday night before you know it. I’ll be honking the horn outside your house and we’ll be on our way back here.” Bobby poked his head back through the screen door and called a goodbye to Betty who was drying the dishes and humming a song.
“Bye kids, drive safe.” Betty walked out on the porch as they got into Bobby’s big red truck and waved at them as she always did. Piper loved that about Betty. She loved that she stood on the threshold of her house and waved all of them off every time they left.
There was something so comforting about knowing no matter how many times you looked back she’d still be there. She’d stand with her dishrag draped over her shoulder waving her hand and smiling until you were out of sight. Piper felt like she had waited her whole life for gestures like that.
Being a passenger in Bobby’s truck was oddly exciting. It was an antique but so comfortable and well-kept that you’d never know how old it really was. It was nice not to have to navigate the dark country roads, and to simply sit back and watch the world go by. They usually talked about how work was going for both of them, how much of an idiot Scott was that night, and occasionally about Betty and Stan. Piper had learned their love story was one you might see in a