front doors. He felt a nervous shiver run up his spine as he stood in the misting rain. “Hello?”
“Bobby, I’ve got some bad news. I was at the diner, and the judge was there. I guess his wife is traveling or something so he’s eating there all week. I heard him take a call, and it didn’t go well. He said he didn’t care if the situation sounded under control- it was too risky for them to sit back and do nothing. He told the person on the other end of the phone that he thought they should stick with the plan. I’m guessing it was Rylie he was talking to, and he didn’t like what he was hearing. The judge said if he wasn’t interested in the job then Christian would be. They talked for a bit more, and it sounded like the judge might have been coming around to Rylie’s side on the whole thing, but all he said was they would talk more about it later. I don’t know if Jules and Betty are safe at this point, it’s all going to come down to how convincing Rylie can be. Until we know more, you have to be hyper-vigilant.” Piper was short of breath from the sprint she made back to her apartment after hearing the judge’s phone conversation.
“I’m with Jules now. Betty would have gotten home an hour and a half ago. I’m not sure exactly how we should handle this. Neither of them will be willing to blindly trust any warning I give them right now. Jules is already pushing back. I think we should talk to them tonight. We don’t have to tell them everything but we should let them know they may be in danger. Can you get to Betty’s house in about an hour? I’ll stay with Jules while she locks up and we’ll head over there, too.” Bobby felt another chill run down his spine. He wasn’t sure if it was from the cold rain or the thought of an impending threat on the dearest people in his life.
Piper hesitated on the other end of the phone, not sure how to ask a question weighing heavily on her. “What did you tell them about me? About why I wasn’t around? The way Scott was avoiding me at work I figured it had to be something pretty substantial. I want to know what I’m walking into.” Piper went from being winded to feeling sheepish. Somehow the thought of Jules or Betty thinking negatively about her was more intimidating than anything she was doing with the judge.
“I told them you were going through some stuff, and that you needed some space. I said that you’d come around when you were ready and as hard as it was to stay out of it, we needed to. The reason Scott was avoiding you is because he and Jules separated last month. They filed for an annulment.” Now that Bobby had learned more about Piper he found himself looking for little moments of vulnerability. Moments like this reminded him she wasn’t quite as damaged as she liked to think she was. She cared so much about the girls and about what they might think of her.
“Thank you. I know you were only watching out for them and that you weren’t intentionally trying to hurt me by keeping me away. They are lucky to have you. I’ll get over there soon. We’ll figure this all out.” Piper waited for Bobby to say goodbye and then hung up the phone from her end. She wasn’t sure sharing anything with Jules and Betty would be in their best interest, but Bobby knew them better than anyone. If he thought it was the only way to keep them safe then it was the right thing to do.
Chapter Sixteen
Pulling into Betty’s long dirt driveway felt incredibly right to Piper, even if her stomach was fluttering from nerves. She had missed this place. If she had to sum up the feeling of Betty’s home in one word it would be unconditional. That seemed like the perfect way to describe the love Betty showered on everyone, and the friendship around her table.
Bobby’s truck was already in the driveway, and the light on the porch was shining brightly, cutting into the dark night. Piper tapped on the screen door, no longer feeling that her old blank check about “come right in, no need to knock” still applied. Betty came barreling around the corner with