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He loved A.S. because it represented hard work and change. Joe had spent years becoming the man he was today, and this place had been his first solo acquisition when he returned to Ryker Falls.
“So, Dylan, why are you in Ryker? Are your family still here?” Bailey asked.
He was silent for so long Piper wondered if he was going to answer. She had a feeling the line he’d fed her about him being on vacation wasn’t true, she just wasn’t sure why he’d needed to lie to a total stranger. Looking at Joe, she noticed he was busy wiping the bench with a great deal more effort than he usually put in.
“I’m Mary Howard’s son.”
The silence was suddenly deafening. Piper heard the music Joe ran through the system, she heard the rumble of voices, but it was as if they’d suddenly been muted. She dragged in a much needed breath and exhaled loudly.
“Howard.... Jesus, I didn’t put it together,” Piper said. “Mary Howard’s golden boy? I guess you’re not on vacation then.” She sent her cousin a look. “And you’re happy to see him?”
“Leave it, Pip.” Joe’s frown was fierce but she didn’t care. This man’s mother had taken shots at one of the people she loved most in the world for most of his life. In fact, she’d gone after all the Trainers occasionally, but it was Joe who took the brunt.
“Leave what?” Dylan threw her a look. “What am I missing?”
“Nothing. Sit.” Joe motioned him to a barstool, and gave Piper another look that said she needed to keep her mouth closed.
“No, there’s something that needs to be said, and I’d appreciate knowing what it is.”
There was some force behind those words now. Still calm, but he wanted answers and was going to get them.
Piper raised her hands as if to say it wasn’t her place to speak again, then picked up her wine and drank a mouthful so she couldn’t talk.
“Your mom and I don’t get on,” Joe said.
A massive understatement as far as Piper was concerned.
“It’s a thing we have.”
“Thing?”
Piper took another mouthful so she didn’t add anything, and let it sit in her mouth to stop her from speaking.
“We don’t need to get into this, Dylan. Just enjoy your first night home... this is your first night, right?”
Dylan Howard nodded. The expression on his face told Piper he wasn’t about to let this drop. His blue eyes were steady on Joe’s face.
“I went home, visited Dad at the hospital, then came here.”
“I heard about his accident. How’s he doing?”
“Pretty beat up, but he’ll recover.”
Joe pulled out two glasses and grabbed the bourbon.
“Old times’ sake.” He poured two shots. “You look like you need it.”
Piper swallowed her mouthful of wine. “How come he can have one?”
“He’s bigger than you, and a paying customer,” Joe said. “Plus there’s the fact that he’s not a lightweight. In fact, we could handle this stuff at fifteen.”
Piper flipped her cousin the bird, which made the side of Dylan’s mouth kick up again. She had a feeling that was as close as he got to an actual smile.
She watched as they threw back the whiskey without a single wince or cough.
“Weird how your dad skidded out like that coming down Burns Pass,” Joe said. “I mean, he’s driven that road hundreds of times before.”
Dylan nodded. “That’s what I’m having trouble understanding.”
