A Moment on the Lips (A Whistle Stop Romance, #3) (23 page)

“Whoa, Mom. Are you jumping ahead? Mason hasn’t even entered the mayoral race.”

“He will. He’s just waiting for a strategic moment.”

“Oh, okay.” Piper’s gaze kept straying to the window, watching for Joe. They’d been having such an amazing time this past week. Who knew that making bunting could be so much fun?

Her mother expelled an exasperated sigh. “Is there a reason you’re barely paying attention to me?”

There Joe was again. He was carrying boxes from the back of a pickup to his store. She was itching to investigate as an excuse to talk to him because they’d both agreed to keep this wondrous new relationship low-key. They weren’t eager for people to jump to conclusions when neither of them was sure exactly what this thing was between them.

“Piper, honestly, where is your mind today?”

“Sorry. What were you saying?” She searched her memory. “Oh yes, the cake for the auction—”

“Shh...” Her mother glanced around at the couple of men who were at separate tables. Mr. Wilks was reading a newspaper, and the other gentleman was on his laptop. “This is supposed to be just between you and me.”

Piper stifled a laugh. Her mother was all about appearances, and it just wouldn’t do for the citizens of Whistle Stop to know that her mother could barely bake a box cake much less whip up a cake from scratch. And Piper wasn’t about to tell her mother that she wasn’t the only one to place a secret order for a cake for the auction.

“Quit worrying, Mom. I think your secret is safe.”

“I hope so. Well, tell me. What did you come up with?”

Piper had actually given the cake situation some thought. “I have two choices for you. Both are seasonal cakes, since this is Autumn Fest. How about a pumpkin cake with caramel cream cheese frosting?”

Her mother paused for a moment, as though considering the idea. “It’s okay. What is my other choice?”

“An apple rum cake.”

“Oh, now that sounds delightful—that is, if I ate sweets. But you know that I don’t.”

“Let me write this down so I don’t forget.” Piper looked around the front counter but couldn’t locate a pen. She turned and searched the back counter.

“I see your jeans are getting loose. That’s good.” When she turned around, her mother was smiling triumphantly. “I knew those supplements would help you.”

So did the daily runs each morning, as well as the Greek yogurt for breakfast, the salads for lunch, and the minuscule dinners. But according to her mother, her success was all due to the diet aid. Still, it was nice her mother had noticed. And it was certainly getting Joe’s attention, too, which gave her the incentive to stick with the restrictive regime, even though she missed her cupcakes like crazy.

Mind over matter. Mind over matter. And a total hottie for a reward.

“Mom, would you like the cake topped with some pecans and caramel?”

Her mother hesitated. “I suppose so. It’s a lot of calories, but not everyone worries about those things.”

Thank goodness. Even though Piper was dieting, she was nowhere near as serious about it as her mother. Which made Piper a little sad for her mother, as she didn’t understand the concept of moderation.

There went Joe past the window again. What was that man up to?

“Piper, are you listening to me?”

“Um, sure.” There he went back past the bakery.

Her mother turned to follow her line of vision. “Oh, so that’s who has you so distracted. Honestly, Piper, do you think a barista will make you happy?”

Piper focused her attention back on her mother. “He’s more than a barista. He owns the place. And, yes, I think he could make the right lady very happy.”

Very happy indeed. But was she the right lady? Was she brave enough to put her heart back on the line?

♥♥♥

T
his was the way every morning should be.

Joe held the door for Piper to exit Sam’s Hitchin’ Post, where they’d just grabbed a couple of energy drinks. This had been one of Joe’s favorite stops as a kid, as Sam used to always slip him a lollipop. And not just any old lollipop, but the kind with the bubble gum in the center. The memory had a smile pulling at Joe’s lips.

Piper glanced at him as she passed by him. “You’re smiling. What gives?”

He let go of the door and joined her on the sidewalk. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Uh-huh. Why do you have such a hard time admitting that you’re happy?”

“I do not.” Did he? He’d never really thought about it.

She nodded. “You were smiling the whole time you were in the store. I take it that it holds some good memories for you?”

There was no reason to deny it. “Yes, it does. We used to come into town every Saturday morning to shop. And my favorite stop was always Sam’s.”

“Did it have anything to do with this?” She held out a lollipop.

“How did you know?” Joe accepted the candy and tore off the red wrapper. He stuck it in his mouth, surprised to find that it tasted just as good as he remembered. So maybe he did have some good childhood memories.

“I didn’t know. It was Sam who insisted I give it to you.”

Joe glanced at her. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome. But why are you thanking me?”

“For helping me remember the good parts of my childhood.”

She smiled and nodded. “What other good memories do you have?”

“When I was real young, my mother would take me to visit my aunt. My father would drive us into town, and we’d take the train.”

“Lucky you. I always wanted to ride on it, but my mother hated the train.”

“Not my mother. She was always in such a good mood when we went on it. Looking back now, I’m sure it was because she was getting away from my father. But as a little kid, I didn’t put those sorts of things together. I just knew that train trips made us both happy.”

“Would you go away for long?”

He shook his head. “Not long enough. Sometimes, I wished we could just keep going on that train and find another life, but my mother said my father would miss us too much. I wonder if she truly believed that, or if she was just too afraid to leave him.”

“At least she’s happy now.”

“I guess that’s something. It’s just all of those wasted years—”

“Don’t dwell on it. You can’t change the past. Think about the good times, like your visits to your aunt.”

“Too bad there weren’t more of them. My mother was always uptight on the way home. So I’d entertain myself with a coloring book or some such booklet that the train attendant would hand out to kids. I used to daydream about one day being a conductor.”

“Really?” Piper studied him for a moment.

“What? I could have done it.”

“I’m sure you could have. I’m just imagining you with a conductor’s hat. Yep, you’d still be just as cute.”

He glanced away, not used to such compliments. “What can I say? I was just a little kid.”

“I think it was a great dream. You know, it’s not too late to become a conductor. And when they reopen the depot here in town, you can work close to home.”

He shook his head. “I’ve got a new dream.”

“And what’s that?”

“Starting a string of coffee shops. I had three of them in Albuquerque, but Denise got them in the divorce.”

“So Fill-It-Up Joe will be your flagship store?”

“Yes. I have everything invested in it. If it goes under, so do I.” He had absolutely no idea what he’d do if the business failed. Maybe he would have to reconsider the idea of becoming a railroad conductor after all.

“You’ll be a huge success.”

“How do you know?”

She stopped and turned to him. “Look at all of the challenges you’ve overcome in your life, and you are standing here stronger than ever. If you set your mind to opening a chain of coffee shops, you’ll do it. I just know it.”

Her faith in him meant a lot. “Thank you.”

“Any time you need a pep talk, I’m your girl.”

They started to walk again. When they paused at the intersection, Piper turned as if waiting to cross the street as they did each morning. But today he wasn’t ready for this conversation to end. It was really nice, and the company wasn’t so bad either.

“Do you have to go back yet?” He hoped this one time she would relent and return to work just a little bit later than normal.

She paused and looked at him. “What do you have in mind?”

He shrugged. “Nothing in particular. I’m just enjoying the company, and I’m not ready to see it end just yet.”

“Okay. But it can’t be long.”

He crossed his heart. “I promise.”

She turned his way, and they continued up the quiet street. He longed to reach out and take her hand in his, but he resisted. They’d agreed they would not display their relationship in public. Not yet.

The funny thing was that keeping their relationship under wraps was more her idea than his. But he couldn’t blame her. Her last breakup set tongues a-wagging for months. If they didn’t work out, he didn’t want to hurt her like that, so he played along with her request.

At this point, he would do anything to make her happy.

I
n the week leading up to the festival, Joe had never been so happy in his life. Every morning when he woke up, he wondered if it was all some sort of dream. Then he’d show up at the town square, where Piper would meet him with a smile and a quick kiss. That definitely wasn’t a dream—it was better.

With nothing left to do at the coffeehouse until a couple of rush orders arrived, he’d decided to volunteer to build the game booths and benches. The physical effort in hauling wood, cutting it, and nailing it together helped alleviate some of his anxiety over the launch of his business. Everything was going to be fine. He reasoned that if he told himself that often enough, he’d begin to believe it.

Joe was hammering a two-by-four for a game booth when he heard his name being called. He glanced up to find his friend Holden headed in his direction.

“Hey, man, I see they’ve put you to work.” Holden slapped a hand on the wood frame as though to test its sturdiness. “Wish I could help, but until I can get a couple more ranch hands, I’m swamped.”

“So then what brings you to town? Surely you couldn’t be so lonely you came to watch me swing a hammer.”

“Do you really think I’d actually miss that ugly mug of yours?” Holden laughed. “Not a chance. I needed some supplies.”

“And you need something else or you wouldn’t be talking to me. Do I even need to ask if you’re in search of some free labor?” Joe grabbed another nail and hammered it into the board.

Holden lifted his Stetson and rubbed a hand over his forehead. “The thing is, I really need help getting the herd moved to higher ground. But never mind, you’re busy here.”

The truth was, they already had enough volunteers to complete everything in time for the fundraiser. Mrs. Sanchez had made certain of it. He’d volunteered just to keep himself busy and away from the temptation of talking to Piper all morning when she had work to do. He’d already monopolized enough of her time both night and day—perhaps too much so.

He needed some time away to clear his head. Whether he’d planned it or not, this thing with Piper was getting serious. It wasn’t fair to her to lead her on if his feelings weren’t real.

He glanced over to where she was helping a customer carry their order to their car. Piper had on those slim-fitting jeans that nestled against her hips, right where his hands went when he was pulling her close for a kiss.

As though she sensed he was staring at her, she turned her head. When their gazes met, his heart thumped. He wanted nothing more than to go to her, but he resisted.

That was a fine example of his dilemma. Was it purely a physical attraction? Or was it something much deeper?

He had to get this figured out.

“I don’t have anything here to hold me back.” Joe returned his hammer to his toolbox.

“Are you sure about that?”

Joe glanced up. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I see the baker lady over there. She keeps glancing your way.”

Without thinking, Joe looked over his shoulder. The tiny red T-shirt that emphasized her chest made her stand out like a bright flag, reminding him of what he was missing. Her laughter. Her teasing. Everything about her.

“She’s not looking my way.”

“Uh-huh.” Holden cleared his throat as though to smother a chuckle. “You sure she won’t miss you? Or is it the other way around?”

“It’s neither,” he said quickly, maybe a little too quickly, as Holden eyed him doubtfully. “It’s not like we’re a couple or anything. We’re friends.” But that didn’t sound right even to his own ears.

“Sure sounds like that little lady over yonder has her claws in you.”

Joe stood up to his full height, which thankfully was just a bit taller than Holden. His fists settled at his waist as he glared at his friend. “If you want help today, you best lay off. There’s nothing between me and Piper, at least nothing to concern you. So let the subject drop.”

Holden held up his hands. “Hey, I don’t know a thing about women. It just seemed like...”

Joe scowled at him, not wanting him to finish that statement, because between sweet-as-pie kisses, morning runs, and nights holding her in his arms, they’d bonded. He’d let down his guard and trusted her more than any other person. He’d thought that maybe, just maybe, they might have something. But how did he know if all of this was real?

His head started to pound. “Let’s go before I change my mind.”

With nothing requiring his attention here in Whistle Stop, he didn’t have an excuse to turn away Holden’s request for help. After all, some distance would help him get his head screwed on straight where Piper was concerned.

He hoped.

Joe wanted to go to the Poppin’ Fresh and give Piper a proper good-bye. But with Holden already giving him a hard time about her, Joe settled for a text message as he grabbed some clothes to take with him.

Holden needs help at the ranch. Will be gone a few days. If anything comes up, call me.

♥♥♥

T
he day was done.

Piper flipped over the closed sign on the door and turned the lock. On her way back to the kitchen, she switched off the overhead lights, leaving only the glow of the lights in the display case.