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“What no milk jug, no plate with biscuits? No apple pie, no muffins?”
She opened another cupboard and took out a bag of half-eaten cookies. “Here, don’t let it be said I’m not hospitable.”
He laughed and grabbed them as she sat back down. “I don’t know why you’re so nervous.”
She touched the envelope. “Because we don’t know what’s in here. It could change everything.”
She wondered if Dawson might just rip his open, but instead he set his envelope back down. “What would change for you, Piper?”
He looked serious.
“You have a nice life. A house, your work. This is something that got thrust under our noses just a few days ago. I still feel like the rug could be pulled from under us.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of,” she admitted. “It’s like someone’s told you that you’ve won the lotto, and you make all these plans in your head in the space of a few minutes, and then they call you back and say there’s been a mistake.”
His smile was sympathetic. “That happened to you?”
“I never even buy a ticket,” she admitted.
He reached over and put his hand on hers. “I think you’re putting too much into this. This thing that’s happened, it could change our lives by letting us do something good. But you’ll still be you, and I’ll still be me—that boy who shouted at you all those years ago.”
Piper pulled a face and held two fingers close together. “I might have been a tiny bit early—maybe five minutes?” she admitted.
“Maybe fifteen,” he quickly countered. He held up his envelope. “Now, are you ready?”
She was still jittery, but she knew this had to be done. She held up hers, too. “Okay.”
He set up the camera and they ripped at the same time, both pulling out not a card, but a letter. Piper’s eyes scanned the page. “We’ve to go back to the office.”
“Tomorrow.” His gaze met hers. Now it was Dawson’s turn to look worried. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe we did get the clue wrong, and this is how they have to tell us.”
Piper put her head down on the table. “Darn it.” She waited a few moments, then stared out from under her hair. “I would have loved a bigger greenhouse,” she said with a sigh.
“I wonder what will happen to the land now. They wouldn’t tell us before. Do you think they’ll tell us now?”
Piper closed her eyes for a second. “Let’s not go there right now. Let’s just think good thoughts until we get to the office tomorrow. If you think I was a mess the last time—let me warn you, I may vomit all over myself out of pure fear tomorrow.”
He gave her an amused glance. “Stop it. I wasn’t nervous until I came over here. Now you’ve got my brain going into overdrive. Guess I better escort you tomorrow and keep a sick bag in my pocket just in case. Will I pick you up?”
Piper took a few moments. Just a few days ago, she couldn’t have imagined this conversation taking place between the two of them. Now, it seemed almost… normal. Or, at least right.
It was strange how getting to know someone out of the blue could change everything.
“Sure,” she said.
He took another drink of coffee then stood up. “Pick you up at two o’clock.”
*
Dawson was tryingto work out why he was nervous. He was absolutely certain it was nothing to do with the attorneys. He’d be sad if he didn’t get to build his dream of a park for kids, but now that the seed was in his brain, he wondered if he might still find a way to do it. It might take much longer. It might be trickier. He might have to try and persuade some sports stars to sponsor him. But, if he took his time, he was confident he could come up with something.
As for the thought of showing their story about the clue solving? It would hardly be exciting if they’d failed already. He could maybe write a small section for one of the newspapers, but that would probably be it.
So, if it wasn’t the thought of someone snatching his dreams from him, what could be the true reason that one leg was currently jiggling up and down next to the brake pedal as he waited outside her house?
The front door opened, and Piper walked out. She had a red coat and the striped hat she’d bought at the market the other night. Her red-blonde hair peeked out from under the hat, and he closed his eyes for a second, willing the image not to imprint on his brain, even though he knew it already had.
Last night had been strange. He’d gone home to his perfectly comfortable apartment, and sat in the dark for a bit. He couldn’t even explain it to himself. He hadn’t wanted to watch TV. He hadn’t wanted to listen to music or read a book. He’d just wanted to sit and think. And all he could think about was… Piper Davis.
