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My brows shot up. “Is it a DNA test?”
“A what?” Zara tilted her head, brows furrowing. Then she laughed. “Oh, you mean the Jensen thing! It’s too early for that. In a few weeks, we can do an amnio and get a sample of the baby’s DNA to test against his.”
I slumped back against the bedhead. “Right.”
“It really doesn’t matter, though,” Zara said, waving a dismissive hand. “Jensen is healthy, and he comes from a good background. He’s also tall, fit, smart, and handsome. The baby will be worth just as much to the prospective parents.”
“So what’s the surprise, then?” I asked, eyes narrowing.
She perched on the end of my bed and took a sip of coffee before replying. “Piper came to me a few days ago and told me she needs some more extracurricular hours for school. She asked if she could come out here to the farm and do some work this weekend. She has such wonderful initiative, don’t you think? It’s so rare for teenagers to want to work.”
“I guess,” I muttered.
“She’s going to do some stock-take in one of the storage sheds, and she’ll also sort out one of the file rooms that’s fallen into disarray. But I thought it would be a nice idea for her to come and see you as well.” Zara moved closer and patted my hand. “I know you probably aren’t her biggest fan right now, seeing as you know she’s one of us, but it’ll still be nice for you to see someone you know, won’t it?”
I forced a smile. “Sure.”
A knock at the door startled the two of us, and Zara abruptly stood. “Speak of the devil. She’s already here.”
She crossed the room and let Piper inside. She was hardly dressed for manual labor on a farm—pink suede waterfall jacket with a strange-looking silver butterfly brooch on one side, white chiffon blouse, tight skinny leg jeans, and stiletto-heeled boots.
Zara must’ve had the same thought as me, because her forehead creased as soon as she gave her daughter a onceover. “That’s what you’re wearing today?”
Piper rolled her eyes. “Oh my god, Mom, don’t be so dramatic. I came straight from Hillary’s place,” she said. “I have sneakers and casual clothes out in the car. That’s why I have a duffel bag on the back seat.”
“You didn’t put your sneakers directly on the seats, did you? You know how your dad feels about that leather interior.”
“I told you, it’s all in a bag.” Piper stepped over to the bed, fluttering her fingers in a mocking wave. “Hi, sis!”
I stared at her, nostrils flaring with fury. “Hi,” I said in an acid tone.
“Too soon for that joke?” Piper giggled. “Sorry.”
“Be nice,” Zara said, putting her hands on her hips.
“I am being nice,” Piper replied. “It was just a joke. Anyway, leave us alone so I can catch Amerie up on all the gossip and drama she’s missed.”
“Okay. I’ll be right over here.” Zara gave us a tight smile and headed over to the small sectional sofa that sat in front of the TV.
Piper climbed onto my bed and sat cross-legged. “So, you’re probably wondering what’s been happening at school, right?”
“Um. Not really.”
“Sure you have.” Piper leaned forward with a glimmer of amusement in her eyes. “Okay, so… you know Kelly Williams?”
“Sort of,” I said, shrugging listlessly. “I think she threw a soda at me once.”
“Well, she was dating Michael Cross for ages. It just came out that she cheated on him… with his uncle. How crazy is that?”
“Pretty crazy, I guess.”
Piper sighed. “Sorry. You’re probably more interested in hearing about people you actually like, right?”
“Yeah.” I licked my dry lips and sat up straight. “What’s Addy been up to?”
“I don’t know. The usual stuff, I assume. I don’t really talk to her.”
“But she’s okay, right?”
