AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I promise it’s perfect,” Piper tells her sister as she hugs Nolan.
“I guess I was wrong about you and your grandfather selling the bakery without telling my sister,” Missy admits embarrassedly, her cheeks turning red. “Nolan says you have an amazing plan.”
“Yes, we’re still working out the details,” I admit, “but we’re committed to helping the local businesses. They’re what gives this town such a unique character.”
“That’s great,” Nolan says, patting my shoulder. “Piper deserves someone who will stand by her and the bakery.”
I smile at his words. Piper has already managed to weave herself into the very fabric of my life, and now it looks like her family and friends are starting to accept me as well. It’s more than I could have hoped for. Now, I need to make it official between Piper and me.
We’re called over to sit down for dinner. Piper’s sisters and their significant others sit across from us—Missy with Nolan, and Olivia with her husband, Nick, and their two sons.
“My name is Isaac, and I’m four.” He holds up four fingers. “And this is my baby brudder, Andrew. He’s two,” Isaac says as Andrew holds up one finger on each hand.
“It’s very nice to meet you guys,” I say as I chuckle.
“Before we dig in, let’s say grace,” Piper’s dad announces.
We walk towards the table when I lean down to whisper to Piper. “I think your family likes me now.”
“I guess you’ve won them over,” she replies with that glint in her eye that I know is her teasing me.
We all join hands around the table as he begins to pray. I listen intently as he talks about the love between Missy and Nolan and the gratitude for them finding each other. As we eat, there are conversations layered on top of other conversations. It’s the noisiest dinner I’ve been to—usually it’s just Grandad and me. I glance down at Grandad who’s laughing with Piper’s parents and who I think are Nolan’s parents. He looks happy, like he belongs right here.
Even in the midst of what seems like chaos, I notice how much Piper’s family loves each other. They’re laughing and making jokes. And Piper…she’s the glue that holds them together. They have all relied on her during this whole process. She may be messy in the kitchen but she’s smart and has a sense of calm—and they come to her because of it.
“So, you ready for a little blackmail on my sister,” Olivia asks.
“Oh, I think this is Missy’s event, and we should focus on the bride,” Piper attempts to shut her sister down.
“No, I think this is the perfect time to educate Caleb on what kind of crazy he’s getting with you,” Missy interjects.
“I’m not the sister that toilet papered the school on a dare,” Piper defends as she turns to glare at Olivia. “Or the sister that painted herself purple once for a pep rally, not realizing it would stick for nearly a week and would have to attend school as a grape,” she turns to Missy.
Olivia chuckles, “No, but you are the sister who made nearly the whole town eat paper.”
My eyebrows shoot up, and I look at Piper. “I need to hear this.”
Piper slumps her shoulders. “Oliviaaa,” she pleads with her sister.
“Oh come on, Piper. It’s funny.” Olivia’s eyes dart to me with a smile. “Piper was always the entrepreneur—even as a kid.”
Missy chimes in, “Lemonade stands, door-to-door selling cookies, booths at every town event.”
“One year for Valentine’s Day,” Olivia continues, “she decided to bake heart-shaped cupcakes.”
Olivia and Missy are doing that thing again—where they play off each other and it seems rehearsed. It has to be a sibling thing.
“But Piper had the brilliant idea of putting love messages inside the cupcakes,” Missy adds. Piper’s cheeks are turning red now.
“Like a fortune cookie?” I ask, intrigued.
“Yes, exactly!” Olivia nods. Piper is covering her face with her hands now.
“But she didn’t tell anyone about the notes inside. So people were eating their cupcakes with a side of paper.” Olivia starts laughing.
I look over at Piper who peeks out from behind her hands. “That sounds very much like something you would do.”
She groans and playfully swats my arm. “Hey, they requested them again the next year—love note included! But I made sure everyone knew about the surprise inside. And it’s now a specialty every year in my bakery.”
