A Moment on the Lips (A Whistle Stop Romance, #3) (14 page)

“Wow. That didn’t take long to make the rounds. Listen, if you’re here to talk me out of it, you’re too late.”

Ana’s forehead wrinkled. “Talk you out of it?”

Piper nodded. “As soon as my mother heard the news, she made a beeline over here. She was horrified that I’d agreed to make the cake for David’s wedding—”

“You what?” Ana’s eyes grew round as lines on her forehead became even more pronounced.

“Isn’t that what you’re here to discuss?” Maybe she’d spoken too quickly.

Ana shook her head. “I wanted to tell you that Cord popped the question to Alexis and she accepted.”

“Oh. Wow!” Piper quickly shifted gears from being defensive to being ecstatic for her friend. “I was starting to wonder if they’d ever make it official.”

“Looks like next year is going to be a busy year, what with your brother and Bella getting married, and now Cord and Alexis are tying the knot, too. Next thing you know, we’ll be planning baby showers.”

“Really? You think?”

Ana nodded. “It won’t be long until you and I are the only bachelorettes in Whistle Stop.”

“It sure seems that way. But I’m sure you’ll find Mr. Right soon.”

“That would imply I’m looking.”

Piper studied her friend for a moment. “You’re really okay with not having a significant other?”

“I have enough on my hands what with my father being ill, running the restaurant, and dealing with my brother when he makes one of his surprise appearances. I don’t need anything else to contend with.” Ana arched a brow. “I don’t mind being the last bachelorette.”

“The last one? Why would you say that?”

“Oh, I don’t know. Just because you have a really hot guy making himself at home in your bakery every morning.”

“That’s business.”

Ana sent her an I-don’t-believe-you look. “Uh-huh. Then how do you explain the way he stares at you?”

“He does not.” Boy, was it getting warm in here?

“Oh yes, he does. And I’m not the only one who’s noticed.”

Piper’s mouth opened, but nothing came out. She didn’t know what to say. She was still stuck on the fact that Joe was interested in her. Was that really possible?

“Well, I should get back to the restaurant. But before I go, you have some explaining to do.”

“I do?”

“Yes. What were you thinking by agreeing to do the cake for David’s wedding? Did you fall and hit your head?”

Piper sighed. Why did everyone make it sound so bad? Had she miscalculated the benefit over the cost when she’d agreed to Laney’s plan?

She gave Ana the highlights of her conversation with Laney. “So you see, this is a chance to get the residents of Whistle Stop to stop pitying me because what happened will all be ancient history. And I could gain some new clients, maybe some big accounts. Now doesn’t it make sense?”

Ana didn’t say anything as she just stood there staring at her.

Piper couldn’t stand the silence. “Well, say something.”

“Fine. Do you want my honest opinion?”

Piper nodded. Ana’s opinion meant a lot to her.

“I think you made a huge mistake. I think you’re so worried about what everyone thinks that you aren’t taking into account your own feelings.”

After Ana left, Piper brushed off her friend’s concerns. Ana just didn’t understand. It was important as a small-business owner to gain the town’s respect. After all, look how hard Joe was working to fit back in.

Ana was just too cautious.

This would all work out.

F
ive sunrises.

Five sunsets.

Five days of torture.

Piper stopped in front of Sam’s Hitchin’ Post to catch her breath. Her entire body screamed out in exhaustion. She hadn’t known it was possible to have so many aches and pains all at once.

“Come on. You can do it.” Joe jogged in place, waiting for her to catch up.

She didn’t feel like she could do it. In fact, pulling up a piece of sidewalk and collapsing on it sounded heavenly. But she refused to give in and admit defeat. She started to move again. Mind over matter. Wasn’t that what people said?

Step by agonizing step, they covered one block—then another. Piper moved slower and slower. Whatever made her think this was a good idea?

“Don’t give up now,” Joe said, barely winded. “We’re almost done. All you have to do is make it to the town square.”

“I’m done,” she gasped. “I can’t go any further.”

Joe jogged back to her, looking all peppy and ready for another trip around town. “You aren’t telling me you’re a quitter, are you?”

Even though she glanced up to see his teasing smile, the question pricked her ego. She may have her share of shortcomings, especially in the weight department, but she didn’t want to add quitter to that list.

From somewhere, she dredged up a modicum of energy. An inchworm could have outpaced her, but at least she was moving. That had to count for something. Right?

But would it be enough to get her down the last block to the town square, to her finish line? Each step was a challenge. Her gaze latched on to Joe’s backside—his very fine backside—and it was like he was pulling her along.

After five days of running together, Piper had to revise her initial impression of Joe. If she were to be honest with herself, he was actually interesting and engaging. When the running got tough for her, he slowed down and never complained. He was a great sport.

At last, the town square came into sight. She made it! And if she weren’t so tired, she’d point out that she wasn’t a quitter. But she was just too plain exhausted to waste her breath.

Joe patted her on the back. “Don’t worry. With a little more training, we’ll bring up your time.”

Her time? She sucked in a breath, her lungs burning. She’d made it to the end, and she was still breathing—that was all the accomplishment she needed.

Joe stretched. “Looks like this is going to be a great Hump Day.”

Piper didn’t think it was possible for her overheated face to grow even warmer, but her cheeks felt like they were on fire. How could this man make an innocent enough comment and yet her mind twisted it into something steamy and tempting? And worst of all, Joe starred in her fantasy. Her imagination needed a cold shower—icy cold.

She bent over, bracing her palms on her knees.

“Are you okay?” Joe peered at her, his handsome face creasing with concern.

She nodded. “Winded.”

At this particular moment, it wasn’t the run that was getting to her—it was him. Maybe her mother was right. She should take a look around and find herself a date. Because if she was finding herself attracted to Mr. Things-Must-Be-My-Way, she must be getting desperate. He was far too irritating to be likable, wasn’t he?

“Come join me,” Joe said, taking a seat on one of the weathered benches in the town square.

She shouldn’t. It wasn’t advisable, especially with the errant thoughts running rampant through her mind. And with Joe in running shorts that showed off his lean, toned legs, he was making it all the harder to keep her thoughts from drifting to the idea of giving in to her desires and finding out just how attractive Joe found her.

“I have to get back to work.”

“Hannah has it under control.” Joe patted the seat next to him. “You need a couple of minutes to rest. And we need to talk.”

Talk? About what? Was it something serious? She hoped not. With it still being early, the town was quiet. Even the bakery wasn’t open to the public yet, although the work had begun hours ago. Running her own business, Piper quickly had learned that it was early to bed and early to rise.

She supposed if he needed to talk, it was probably something to do with the fundraiser—a problem that would have to be solved ASAP. She sat down next to him, making sure to leave a modest space between them.

“Hey, look at that.” Joe pointed to the sky.

Piper turned her head, catching sight of a couple of hot air balloons. One was red, white, and blue. The other was pink and purple. They made such a pretty picture against the clear azure sky.

“That gives me an idea.” Her mind started churning with excitement.

“Are you planning to share?”

She glanced over at Joe, finding curiosity reflected in his eyes. “What if we got some hot air balloons to float by during the festival?” Joe’s mouth opened, but before he could speak, she got an even better idea. “What if we got someone to do balloon rides? Wouldn’t that be fantastic?” When he didn’t respond, she asked, “Why aren’t you saying anything? Do you think it’s a silly idea?”

He shook his head. “I’m just wondering if it’s my turn to talk.”

“Sorry. I got excited.”

“So I noticed. What I was about to tell you is that I know someone with a hot air balloon—”

“You do? That’s awesome. There’s an open spot in the center of the town square. Do you think it’d be big enough to tether the balloon?”

“Whoa, slow down. I don’t even know if he’s available that weekend. Or if he’d be willing to help us out.”

“But you’ll call him, won’t you?” She loved the idea so much that she wasn’t above begging. “Pleeease.”

“Who knew that all it took was a balloon to turn your head?”

She playfully swiped at his arm. “Quit teasing me. Will you call your friend?”

“I suppose if it’s that important to you—”

“It is.” She grinned. Autumn Fest was going to be a smashing success. She could feel it in her bones. “Well, I should go shower so I can get back to work.”

“Not so fast. Just because you got what you wanted doesn’t mean you can just go running off. Stay and talk with me a bit.”

She hadn’t meant to come across as rude. “What did you want to talk about?”

“You. Tell me about yourself,” Joe prodded.

“What?” She didn’t even bother to hide her shock. “I thought you wanted to talk some more about the festival.”

“We talk about that every day. I’m curious about you and why you stay here in Whistle Stop when you could be a baking sensation anywhere in the world.”

Sensation? Really? She fanned herself, hoping he’d assume her discomfort was due to the run and had nothing to do with the flattery he’d just presented her.
Sensation
. The word rolled back and forth through her mind like a shiny marble tantalizing her.

“Whistle Stop is my home. I thought of moving away after high school, but the opportunity never presented itself. I hadn’t thought about it since...until...until recently.”

She was so tired of the gossip about her breakup with David. Oh, and she couldn’t forget the part about her gaining back all of her weight. Certain people wouldn’t let her forget that part after she’d lost twenty-five pounds for the wedding. The clucking tongues and rolling eyes were about to drive her crazy. It had to change, or she just might very well pack up and head on outta here.

His brows shot up. “So this town is starting to feel a bit too small for you? A little too claustrophobic?”

“I...I didn’t say that.” She was stunned that he’d nailed down her feelings exactly.

“You didn’t have to. Your face said it all. If my mother was outspoken like yours, I’d hightail it out of town, too.”

“It’s not all about my mother. There are other things—”

She paused. She hadn’t meant to get into any of this—not with him. Her past wasn’t something she wanted to make light conversation about while sitting sat around in a park. It wasn’t that she was still in love with David. She was surprised how fast she’d gotten over him. It was the mortification of finding out how easily she’d let herself be coaxed into becoming someone she didn’t recognize.

But the expectant look in Joe’s eyes told her that she’d already said too much. She’d opened Pandora’s box, and now he stood in the way of her closing it again.

“You aren’t going to just let this drop, are you?” she asked vainly.

“Not a chance. The gossip mill has kept you up on my life. It’s only fair that I know something about yours. So what’s your story? What happened to make you want to run away from this place? What made Whistle Stop too small for you?”

She glared at him. “I wasn’t going to run away. Whistle Stop may not be a thriving metropolis or a resort destination, but it’s got character. It’s got history. And best of all, it has a closeness to it—friends helping friends. You can’t find that just anywhere.”

He held up his palms. “Okay. You don’t have to sell me on the place. Remember, I’m the one who moved back. You’re the one pondering leaving. So what gives?”

More traffic started to move through the streets. One by one, people were getting out and about. She needed to return to work. But she knew Joe well enough by now to know that he wasn’t going to let the subject drop. And the last thing she wanted was for him to bring up the subject at the bakery, where there would be far too many eager ears.

“Here’s the abridged version. I was engaged to the mayor’s son. Long story short, I ended up giving up more of myself than I could live with... I almost sold the bakery. I lost a ton of weight so that I could wear the perfect wedding gown to marry the perfect guy and be the perfect wife.”

“Let me guess. You figured out you didn’t fit into that perfect mold?”

“Not by a long shot. The problem was, I wasn’t willing to admit the truth to myself or anyone else. I was lightheaded and a bit nauseous from the crash diet I was on. I would never have made David happy if I was miserable. But in the end, he made my choice to end things easy for me.”

“Just be glad you figured it out in time.” Joe squeezed her hand. “Some of us don’t.”

“I tried to be exactly what David wanted. The devoted fiancée. I dressed in the right clothes. I went to all of the boring lunches with his mother. And I even agreed to sell the bakery.” She drew in an unsteady breath. “But in the end, I was miserable. And, apparently, he was too because...because he found someone else.”

A muscle in Joe’s jaw tensed. “It’s his loss, not yours.”

“But maybe if I’d tried harder...”

Joe placed a finger beneath her chin, prodding her to look at him. “You didn’t fail. You succeeded in being true to yourself. And that’s the most important thing.”

His direct gaze held hers. The breath trapped in her lungs began to burn. When his gaze dipped to her lips, the pounding of her heart echoed in her ears. Was he going to...would he...kiss her?