she’d pampered the hell out of him—bathing, loving, and soothing his battered and bruised emotions. It had been exactly what he’d needed. She was exactly what he needed.
Piper’s pampering had done the trick last night, calming his thoughts enough for him to fall asleep. But this morning he’d woken up with the sun, feeling discombobulated again, and with Piper fast asleep in his arms, he’d tried, and failed, to sort out his feelings about Marshall.
He’d been walking around with a gut full of lead since he’d arrived at his mother’s house. Neither she nor Delaney had mentioned hearing from Marshall, which either meant they hadn’t, or they were waiting to drop the bomb.
Delaney rolled her shoulders back, glancing out the patio doors at the girls sitting in the hammock together playing on their iPads.
Harley handed her a glass and said, “Are you okay?”
“Yeah. I did too much around the house yesterday. I’m just a little sore.” It had been almost two months since her operation, and she was doing much better. She’d decided to work from home part-time until her breast reconstruction was complete and she healed enough to manage carrying files and working for several hours at a stretch without too much pain or fatigue.
“Damn it, Dee. Why are all the women in my life stubborn? Didn’t I tell you to call me and I’d take care of whatever you needed?”
“Yes, but I don’t think I need my little brother to do my laundry or run a vacuum.”
He handed her a glass of iced tea and said, “I met the guys who run At Your Service at the dance. They’re expanding their business to include errands, handyman duties, and even cleaning. I’ll hire them for a month to help out.”
“Don’t you dare.” She turned away, but not before Harley saw her blushing.
“Dee . . . ? What’s going on?”
“Nothing.” She tried to school her expression, but her joy broke free and she said, “God, I hate that I can’t lie to you. Ike still brings dinner by sometimes, but I don’t need him cleaning my house.”
He took a sip of his iced tea and said, “Are you seeing him? I met him last night, and he seems like a nice guy, but I’m not sure that’s a good idea with all you and the girls are going through right now.”
“The girls and I are fine, thanks to you. As you heard when we got here, Jolie hasn’t stopped raving about the dance. It sounds like you made quite an impression and left her friends wishing they had cool uncles like you. But as far as my nonexistent dating life goes, that’s not your decision to make. There’s no need to get all riled up anyway. I just hired him for dinners three times a week. It was easier, that’s all. It’s not because he’s hot and smart or because his daughter and Jolie have gotten to be good friends or anything.”
“You just said you can’t lie to me, but you seem pretty good at it.”
“I’m a lawyer, which means you have no idea if I’m lying or telling the truth, while I know one thing for sure: You look like crap. Having a hard time keeping up with your girlfriend?” she teased as they went into the living room.
“Hardly.” Harley handed his mother a glass of iced tea and sat down on the couch beside Delaney.
“Thank you, honey,” his mother said. “I’m so glad you decided to drop by. We’re taking the girls to the library later. Would you like to come?”
“No, thanks. I’ve got a lot to do.” Like trying not to punch a wall.
“With Piper?” his mother asked.
“She’s working right now, but later, yes.”
“I don’t know how she manages like she does.” His mother set the glass on the coffee table and said, “She’s so tiny, and she’s working with big, gruff men all day long. I tried to help your father when we first moved into this house and were finishing the basement. No sooner did we start than I hit my thumb with the hammer. It was excruciating. Needless to say, from that moment on, my help consisted of feeding him while he worked.”
“She’s been doing it a long time, Mom. She’s excellent at what she does, and the men respect her.”
“If they didn’t, she’d kick their butts,” Delaney added.
“Yes, she’s a tough cookie,” his mother said.
He could talk about Piper for hours, but every second he put off what he’d come to talk about