She Loves Me (Harmony Pointe #3) - Melissa Foster Page 0,28
wonder what other switches he can flick . . .” Aurelia waggled her brows.
Piper didn’t want to think about that. It would only make her think about him naked again.
Great. Now she was doing just that.
“Can you please stop?” Piper pleaded. “The minute you sleep with a man, they change.”
“Not always. Why can’t you just give him a chance? Give yourself a chance,” Aurelia asked as Sophie headed in their direction. “Ben and I took a chance, and look how happy we are. I’m married to my best friend, and I can tell you that sleeping with him only made things better.”
“Ew. I don’t want to know anything about my brother’s sex life.”
“Fine, whatever. But I’m telling you, we’re ridiculously happy. I can’t believe it’s been more than a year since Bea came into our lives,” Aurelia said as Sophie joined them. “Hi, Sophie.”
“Hi. I was hoping you had Bea with you today,” Sophie said. “I haven’t seen her in a while.”
“I loved bringing her to work with me, but I don’t bring her with me that often anymore,” Aurelia said. “She’s too curious, and into everything. She pulls all the books off the low shelves. She’d love to see you, though. Hey, I have an idea. Why don’t you and Jolie come for a visit Saturday after I get off work? We’ll give your uncle and Piper a few hours to take care of some grown-up things.”
Before Piper could shut down her matchmaking, Sophie said, “Jolie has a sleepover after her soccer game, so she can’t come, but I’d like to.”
“Actually, I have a better idea.” Aurelia had a scheming look in her eyes. “Ben and I could use a break from playing with baby toys. I’d love to have a mother’s helper like you around for an evening. Why don’t you come spend the night Saturday, Sophie? We’ll have dinner, go to the park, maybe get some ice cream. What do you say?”
Sophie turned pleading baby blues on Piper and said, “Can I? Please, Piper?”
Piper realized if the girls weren’t with Harley, he shouldn’t need her around Saturday night. She could go to the pub, hang out with the guys, and get her overactive hormones under control. Then things would go back to normal.
Her annoyance quickly turned to gratitude as she said, “I have to ask your uncle, but I’m pretty sure he won’t mind.”
“Thank you!” Sophie exclaimed.
Looking overly pleased with her scheming, Aurelia said, “Great! Now that that’s settled, Sophie, did you find a good book?”
Sophie held up the book, showing them the cover. Dork Diaries 8: Tales from a Not-So-Happily Ever After.
Piper snagged it from her hands. Life had enough hard knocks, as Sophie had experienced firsthand after losing her grandfather and now with her mother’s cancer diagnosis. “Soph, are you sure you want to read something with a sucky ending? Shouldn’t you be reading a book with a happy ending?”
“I’ve read seven of this series already. They have happy endings,” Sophie said, as bright-eyed and undeterred as ever.
“Piper is just trying to protect you from getting your heart broken,” Aurelia said reassuringly. “Read the back, Piper. These are great books for kids her age. Each one teaches a valuable lesson.”
Piper scanned the description and said, “I see that. Lessons about mean girls and boy crushes. But shouldn’t girls Sophie’s age be learning about how awesome they are all on their own, without boy crushes?”
“I know I’m awesome,” Sophie said proudly. “I’m smart and I have lots of friends. But I can put it back if you don’t want me to read it.”
She had even more confidence than Piper at the moment. Piper knew she was pretty cool, but she was also well aware of her weaknesses. Wasn’t this the perfect time to fix one of them and use a softer touch?
“No, it’s fine, honey. You should read it if you enjoy them.” Another win!
“Thank you. My mom says books like this teach us how to deal with things that are hard and confusing.”
Piper put her arm around Sophie as they walked to the register with Aurelia and said, “Maybe I should read it when you’re done.”
CHAPTER SIX
JOLIE LOOKED CUTE with her hair pulled up in a ponytail, chatting with the other girls as they walked off the soccer field. Piper tried to read her expression, but she didn’t look particularly unhappy or cheerful. The other girls didn’t, either. Maybe Jolie’s attitude wasn’t so far out of the norm for girls her age after all.