"I think I need another drink," she said, stepping back.
He gave a small nod. "I'll get them. Same as before?"
"Coke? I've gotta drive."
He nodded, and as he made his way to the bar, Zach couldn't help glancing back to where she stood at the edge of the dance floor. She was tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, her expression thoughtful as she watched the other couples around them.
"Well, well, well," Brek drawled as Zach approached the bar. "Never thought I'd see the day Zachary Dvornakov went all moon-eyed over a woman in a pantsuit. Can't help it, though. It happens to the best of us."
Brek was Zach's brother's best friend, and he'd been around since Zach was a kid. He also fell for a very organized woman who leaned professional.
"I'm not moon-eyed," Zach protested, leaning against the polished wood. "I'm being hospitable."
"Sure, and I'm running for mayor." Brek replied.
Zach put in their orders and Brek grabbed the soda gun. "She's cute, though. In that scary, could-organize-your-life-while-destroying-it kind of way. I've got one of those, too. Best thing that ever happened to me."
"Piper's not scary," Zach said automatically, then paused. "Okay, maybe a little intimidating at first, but in the best possible way."
Brek slid the drinks across the bar with a knowing smirk. "You got it bad, brother."
Zach didn't bother denying it again. There was something about Piper that had gripped him from that first sidewalk encounter.
Her sharp wit, her determination, the vulnerability she tried so hard to hide.
When he returned to their booth, Piper was already seated, her fingers absently tracing the carved heart in the wooden tabletop. She looked up as he approached, a smile spreading across her face that made his chest tighten.
"Successful mission," she said as he set the drinks down.
"Brek sends his regards," Zach replied, sliding into the seat across from her. "And his nosy curiosity."
"About?"
"You." Zach took a sip of his beer. "He thinks you're interesting."
"Like a Russian horse?" Piper pointed out, but she looked pleased.
"People are usually good judges of character on first impressions." He leaned forward slightly. "I know I was."
Piper raised an eyebrow. "And what exactly was your first impression of me?"
"That you were someone who takes herself too seriously," Zach admitted with a grin, "but is worth getting to know, anyway."
"Whereas I thought you were an annoying distraction who looked far too good in casual clothes," she countered, then immediately flushed as if surprised by her own candor.
Zach's smile widened. "You thought I looked good?"
"Don't let it go to your head," she warned, taking a sip of her drink. "The gum situation distracted me."
"The gum situation that brought us together," he corrected. "Some might call that fate."
Piper rolled her eyes, but her smile remained. "Some might call it poor sidewalk maintenance."
He laughed. "I prefer seeing possibilities where others see problems."
"That explains why you're so invested in this wedding," Piper observed.
Zach considered her for a moment. "Seeing what my parents have? The real deal for thirty years? I want that for Anna. My brothers? They've both found it, too."
