Page 4 of Too Fast To Fall
Funny, but Mikey the Australian shepherd sure felt like a client. He was that big of a pain in the ass. Piper wasn’t surehe’d ever grow out of his puppy phase.
“I’ll never understand how you work with dogs all day,” her mom continued, directing her attention to Piper. Her blond hair,a near match for Piper’s, was getting that telltale midafternoon Florida frizz. “You must get so bored. No one to talk to.That’s why I love real estate. I talk to people morning, noon and night. It energizes me. Maybe you should try it.”
Piper recoiled. Interacting with other humans all day? That would drain Piper of her life force. She’d be nothing but a shell.A husk. She could handle afewpeople, spread out over hours, but Piper would never be cut out for a job built on human interaction. She shook her head,wishing her mom wasn’t so mystified by her career of dog care—walking, sitting and at-home grooming. Whatever Fido & Friends,the agency she worked for, asked her to do. “Dogs are very good listeners, and they love unconditionally.” Which was morethan Piper could say about most people.
“Dogwas your first word. It was so cute,” Josh said.
“I was never convinced. I thought for sure you were sayingdad,” Willa countered.
“There was a distinct ‘g’ sound, Wills.”
Willa shrugged. “If you say so.”
True or not, it meant a lot that her dad’s version of Piper’s history told a story that said dogs were more important thanhe was. He’d always been a very selfless person.
“Everywhere we went, you wanted to say hi to all the dogs,” he said. “They all loved you.”
“We had two different strays follow us home,” her mom added.
“You guys should get another dog,” Piper said.
Her mom and dad both looked at each other. Her dad swallowed so hard she could see his Adam’s apple bob up and down.
“We could never replace Ozzy. He was the best dog ever,” Josh said.
Piper’s eyes welled up. Ozzy had been her childhood dog, and she missed him like crazy. Her dad wasn’t wrong, but it had beennearly four years.
Sharon, Moondance Bridal’s resident seamstress, poked her head out of the fitting room with narrow reading glasses at theend of her nose. “Are we ready for the big reveal?”
Piper’s stomach lurched. She and Sharon had history. As in Sharon had helped Piper with her own wedding dress, the one shebought but never wore. That was nearly two years ago, and Piper was a good eighteen months clear of her broken engagementnow, but it still stung. The sense of failure still loomed overhead. Her pride hadn’t fully healed. More than anything, shewas still nagged by the question, “Why wasn’t I enough?” Being dumped and having your entire life turned upside down did thatto a person.
“Yes.” Willa popped up from her seat. “I can’t wait.”
“Let me see my beautiful girl.” Her dad stepped out from behind the settee.
Piper also stood, wondering why she’d ever thought she could handle this.I’ll be fine, she’d stupidly said to Gabby when she’d asked.I care more about your big day than what happened to me.Now her stomach was rolling like a hurricane was on the way.
“Here she is, the bride—” Sharon started.
“Sharon. Please.” Gabby unceremoniously stepped out from behind the curtain and pushed past Sharon. She was not sentimental.Not like Piper and her dad. “It’s just my parents and my sister.”
Piper, Josh and Willa all gasped when Gabby came into full view. She looked stunning. Still, for Piper, it was way too muchlike looking into a mirror. The three kids—Piper, Gabby and Meghan—all looked alike. Gabby’s dress was different from Piper’s,but otherwise... this was a redo of her final fitting. Piper wasn’t even occupying her own body, tangled in the memoryof smiling at her own reflection, filled with butterflies and hopes for what she thought would be her new life. Kyle brokeit off that night over dinner.
Piper fought the tears welling in her eyes.Stop thinking about it,she admonished herself, but just as quickly self-corrected.You’re standing in a bridal shop watching your sister model her wedding dress. Of course this is bringing up bad feelings.There’s no way it wouldn’t. You’re okay. You’re safe.A lot of therapy had gone into being able to think that.
Willa rushed forward as Gabby lifted the hem of her dress and stepped up onto the pedestal. “It’s perfect, honey.”
“You’re pretty as a picture,” Josh said.
Gabby swished the skirt back and forth. “I love the way it turned out.” She made eye contact with Piper through the mirror.“Thoughts?”
“You look like one of those old-school wedding cake toppers.”
Gabby’s lips formed a hard, thin line. “Plastic and fake?”
Dammit, Piper probably should’ve thought that one over before she’d said it. “I only mean that you look classic. Perfect.I can’t imagine you looking any more perfect.”
Gabby’s shoulders dropped. “Really?”
