Thinking about what a bossy mouth you still have on you. And how you grew up into a hell of a sexy woman.
If I said all that out loud, it would absolutely make her back off. Not that I would. I had a strict rule about not being an obnoxious dick.
The back door to her car opened, and a boy of around ten stomped toward us through the snow. “Mom, that’s him, right? The one we were talking about?”
“Ollie, I told you to stay put.”
“But I wanted to make sure you were okay.” He eyed me like I might pull a knife any second, and he had every intention of defending his momma from me.
The corner of my mouth ticked up. What did we have here? Piper had a kid. A feisty one at that.
I held up my hands. “It’s all good. Your mom was just checking up on me, little man. Which I appreciate. But I’m fine.”
“I’m not little.” His scowl deepened. “See, he’s fine, Mom. Can we go?”
“No, we are not going. Not until I’m satisfied.”
Ollie sighed like he was well familiar with that tone of voice. His mom meant business. She looked at my old truck, then at her own vehicle, then at the gas station. And finally, back to me.
“Here’s what’s going to happen. You’ll sleep on our couch tonight.”
Ollie’s mouth dropped open. “Mom, seriously?”
I ran a hand over my beard, tilting my head.
She didn’t take her eyes off me. “It’s either that, or I call Grace and Callum right now and let them know where you are. You decide. But I’m not letting their brother freeze to death in a rickety truck on Thanksgiving.”
“Rickety? My truck takes exception to that.”
“Your truck will get over it.”
I glanced at Ollie, lifting my brows. “Your mom drives a hard bargain.”
“You have no idea,” he muttered.
SIX
Grayden
I followedPiper’s car in my truck. It wasn’t a long drive. Meanwhile, the snow continued to fall.
After maybe three minutes, we pulled up to a little cottage about a block off Main. I grabbed my duffel from the backseat.
The rest of my stuff was in the truck bed, covered by a tarp, and it’d be fine. But these were the items I couldn’t afford to lose. My tablet computer, chargers, art portfolio, and my tattoo equipment. A couple changes of clothes and a toothbrush.
I followed Piper and Ollie to the front door. He kept glancing back at me suspiciously. Piper pulled out her keys, balancing a container of leftovers with her other arm.
“I can get that for you,” I offered, but Ollie grabbed it first, sending a glare my way. I held up my hands, backing off, and my duffel swung against my side on its long strap.
The moment we stepped inside Piper’s house, welcoming scents enveloped me. Savory home cooking, fresh flowers, and something sweet like cinnamon or nutmeg blended with the rich aroma of coffee.
The walls were painted in bright colors with white trim. Shoes and boots were lined up beside the door, with coat hooks above.
I took a few steps inside, lowering my duffel to the ground,and reached to untie my boots. Piper and Ollie took an immediate left through an archway into a small kitchen. I could see them from the entry. It wasn’t a big place.
After Ollie set the leftovers on the counter, he went to open a cookie jar. “Oh no, don’t even think about it,” Piper said. “It’s late. You need to go to bed.”
Ollie tipped his head back, lamenting. “I’m not tired.”
