“Happy birthday,” Erin said.
Beautiful, blonde, stylish, and intimidating if you didn’t know her, on paper, Erin Ashmore wasn’t the type of woman Piper thought she liked. Which proved a point—preconceived notions were dangerous. Luckily, they had friends in common. If not for Riley and Darcy, her relationship with Erin would have remained strictly doctor/patient and she would have missed out on getting to know an amazing woman.
“Thank you for taking the time from your busy schedule to help me celebrate.” Piper tried not to chuckle but couldn’t help herself.
“I’m sorry.” Erin raised an eyebrow. “Did I miss the joke?”
“I just realized the last time we met you were between my legs,” Piper said with a snort.
“I gave you an exam, not an orgasm,” Erin countered with her usual dry wit.
“True.” Piper shrugged. “Normally, I don’t get quite so intimate with someone until after we shared a meal.”
Erin laughed. Blue eyes twinkling, Riley tucked a strand of dark hair behind her ear. Darcy clicked her glass against Piper’s. Her eyes held a glint of warning, but her words were light and teasing.
“Careful. Erin’s been known to drop a patient for fewer reasons.”
“Piper is a friend,” Erin said with an easy shrug. “She’s safe.”
Loyalty ran true and deep with these women and Piper knew how fortunate she was to be a part of their tightly woven circle. Her mother valued money and social position above all else. Her brothers were the same. As for her father? Though they lived in the same city, he’d checked out of her life long ago both physically and emotionally.
Piper used to lament the fact that she wasn’t close to her parents and siblings. However, she accepted long ago that they would never understand each other. Even if they did, there was a lack of warmth in the house she grew up in that made her shiver in remembrance.
The lesson was hard, but Piper refused to live with regrets. She drew her strength and support, not from her blood relatives, but her friends. The family she chose, not the one she was born into.
“Your mother called my office for an appointment,” Erin said as she twirled some pasta around her fork.
“No.” Piper shook her head. “The doctor’s office is one of my safe spaces. The idea of meeting my mother there is too horrifying to contemplate.”
“I’m not taking on new patients,” Erin assured her. “Even if I were, I’ve met your mother. The woman asks too many personal questions.”
“I know,” Piper sighed. “The last time I agreed to one of her blind date fix-ups, she called the poor man the next day to ask if we had sex.”
“She didn’t,” Riley asked with a gasp. “How did you find out?”
“He let me know—in a text,” Piper said. “I forget his exact words. I never want to see you again because your mother’s a psycho, sums it up pretty well.”
“At least your date got off easy.” Darcy patted her hand. “Your mother treats you like a commodity with a dwindling shelf-life that she wants to sell off to the highest bidder before you hit your expiration date.”
“True,” Piper sighed.
“And your brothers?” Darcy continued. “Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dumber, pop up now and then like turds in the punch bowl of your life.”
“Ew!” Erin grimaced. “Sounds delightful.”
“Mostly, Warren and Teddy keep their distance.” Piper’s smile didn’t reach her eyes. “They learned not to mess with little sister. She bites—hard.”
“There you go.” Darcy gave Piper a high five.
Piper purposefully steered the conversation away from her family. By the time the dessert arrived—five brightly decorated cupcakes—the mood was light and filled with laughter.
“Your big birthday cake will be delivered to your door later tonight. I expect you and Levi to save me a piece,” Darcy said. “As a test run, blow out the candle and make a wish.”
Piper paused. What could she possibly wish to possess that she didn’t already have? World peace would be nice, but unrealistic since the mathematical variables were mindbogglingly difficult to calculate—even for her. The same could be said about so many things she might hope for but couldn’t realistically obtain.
In the end, Piper’s wish was simple. She wanted more days like today. With her friends. Happy and healthy.
Taking a bite of the cupcake, Piper jumped when a blaring noise that resembled a police car’s siren erupted from Darcy’s purse.
“Are we about to be arrested,” she asked as Darcy reached for her bag.
“Knights’ news text alert,” Riley said. Already on her phone, a worried frown marred her forehead. As she read the words on the screen, her expression turned stone cold. “Son of a—”
“Damn.” Briefly, Darcy closed her eyes. “Of all the irresponsible… Sorry, Piper. We need to go.”
Riley was already out the door, but Piper managed to grab Darcy’s hand before she could leave.
“What happened?”
“Monte Oliver,” Darcy ground out the name. “He ran his car into the front of the Bellingham Walmart.”
Startled, shocked, her mind suddenly blank, all Piper could do was blink.
“Is he okay?” Erin asked, her emergency training kicking in. “Was anyone else hurt?”
“Thankfully, no. As for Monte, I can’t say for sure. The message said he was conscious. Which is good.” Darcy gripped her purse so tightly her knuckles turned white. “Though by the time I get done with him, he might just wish he was dead.”
CHAPTER FOUR
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“Reckless fool,” Levi muttered as he walked down the corridor toward Monte Oliver’s hospital room. “If he wanted to give a lesson on how to destroy a career, he succeeded in vomit-inducing style.”
“Somehow the only thing the jerk totaled was his sports car,” Dylan said with a disgusted sigh. “He could have killed someone. Then his life would be ruined.”
“Pays to be lucky, I guess,” Levi agreed.
“Think he’ll ever play professional football again?”
“If he’d proved himself on the field, I’d say his chances were good. We both know the NFL tends to turn a blind eye to a lot of
