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Grace picked up Piper and set her on the counter so they were eye to eye. “Kisses are special, little one. Both people should want the kiss. And they should care about each other. And they should be at least thirty-five.”
Piper giggled. “Thirty-five? That’s a lot.”
“Exactly.”
“Is Uncle Isaac thirty-five?”
“Nope. No kissing allowed for like eight more years. He’s out of luck.”
I threw my hands up in mock annoyance. “This is terrible news. I didn’t know I needed to be thirty-five.”
Piper was used to our teasing, and I listened to the two of them talk about what the real rules were and what was Grace’s wishful thinking while I pulled all the shades down and swept, preparing to close up for the night. Just before I locked the front door, a familiar Audi A6 pulled up and parked out front.
“Dean’s here.”
My sister groaned. “Tell him we’re closed. I want to go home and eat spaghetti and meatballs in my pajamas while Piper and I watch cartoons.”
I turned and raised my eyebrows at her. “Don’t tell him that. He’d follow you home. He loves spaghettiandcartoons.” Not that he needed a reason. He’d follow her home every night if she’d let him.
“He’s not invited.” She looked down at Piper. “Don’t you dare.”
“But it’s spaghetti night. We make Nana’s special breadsticks. I bet he’d love our breadsticks.”
Dean got out and checked his light brown hair in the reflection of his car window, running his fingers through the back where it curled just past his ears and smiling to himself. His natural vanity did not surprise to me in the slightest, and yet he was the most loyal friend you could have. He was almost to the door when Grace, in what must have been a last-minute decision, ran past me and flipped the lock on him.
“Very mature, Grace,” Dean called through the door. He pressed his forearms against the glass and stared her down. “What if I came to buy flowers?”
“Did you come to buy flowers?” she called out.
“No, I’m currently single, and my mother is allergic. However, I could point out I helped start this place—” His words cut off as Grace unlocked the door and pulled it open, causing him to fall forward before he caught himself.
Grace liked to remind him in subtle ways that his golden boy charm didn’t work on her. She waved him forward. “Come in then, shameless investor.”
“Dean!” Piper ran towards him, and he caught her up and gave her a big hug.
“I’ve missed you, pumpkin.”
“We missed you, too. Did you bring me anything from Chicago?”
“Besides lots of pictures of snow?” Dean put her down and looked to Grace, clearly asking for permission on how to answer the question. Knowing Dean, he probably had several gifts for Piper, along with a few for Grace he couldn’t give her because she’d never let him.
Grace gave him a tiny nod of assent, and he turned back to Piper. “I did get you something. Hang on, and I’ll go get it from my car. Help your Uncle Isaac close up, okay? Just don’t let your mom lock me out this time.”
“Okay.” Piper guarded the door and watched for Dean to come back while Grace looked on and sighed.
“You could do worse,” I murmured.
“He’s like a brother to me.”
I wasn’t sure I believed that. In her unguarded moments, Grace was not unflappable when it came to him. Yes, our mom had seriously dated his dad back in the day, and I considered Dean and his dad to be family. But that didn’t mean they were. “He’s our friend. You could at least give him that courtesy.”
“I know.” She sounded so conflicted that I let the subject drop. It wasn’t like I was some love guru who had all the answers. They would probably be a disaster together anyway.
“Are you okay if I go?” I asked. I wasn’t in a hurry to leave like I used to be, back when my schedule, and, okay, my life, was run by my former fiancée; but I did have things I wanted to do tonight.
“Yeah, we’ll be fine. Get out of here.” Grace watched me pick up a leftover bouquet from the counter and gave me an understanding smile. “I’d say you need some new hobbies, but then I’d probably be struck dead. Maybe, I don’t know, consider hanging out with ladies under the age of eighty, occasionally?”
“I have a date on Friday,” I reminded her.
