Piper forced herself to smile and chuckle along with everyone else. Ever since Braden’s lips had landed on her cheek, she’d been battling feelings of discomfort. She couldn’t even put her finger on why it had been so unsettling, but her stomach was now tied up in knots. She needed to get a grip. Why was she being so fanciful? It was nothing but a peck on the cheek.
But it hadn’t felt like nothing. Her cheek felt scorched by Braden’s lips. She raised a hand to caress the spot where his lips had been. It still tingled. Everyone streamed out of the diner, and Piper stood in the doorway and waved goodbye as they headed into the night. Once she was alone, she allowed herself the luxury of sinking down onto a chair and putting her feet up. Letting out a sigh, she sat back and rested her head on the table. She was tired. Mentally exhausted in fact. She reckoned her strange feelings about the mistletoe were merely a result of being pushed past her limits. There was nothing more than friendship between her and Braden. And that’s exactly how it should be. Her life was already complicated enough. Her relationship with Braden was so full of tension and uncertainty.
Piper didn’t have any interest in muddying the waters any further between them. It would be a surefire way to mess up their friendship for good.
* * *
On the ride to Otis’s house, Braden turned the radio up and played holiday music. He desperately needed to stop thinking about the kiss he’d just placed on his best friend’s cheek. Otis tapped his feet and fingers along to the rhythmic beats. The older man reminded him a little bit of his own grandfather. Although Otis was a bit more of an extrovert, the two men shared similar qualities. It was probably the reason why he liked Otis so much.
“There’s nothing like Christmas music, is there? I remember the first time I laid eyes on my June it was at a holiday party in Fairbanks. I was stationed at Ladd Air Force Base, and there was a dance there. I looked across the room and there she was, decked out in a red-and-green dress. Once I clapped eyes on her, I saw my entire future flash before my eyes.” Otis sounded wonderstruck.
“I can’t imagine,” Braden said. “I don’t really believe in love at first sight, but who am I to disagree? Sounds like the two of you were a true match.”
“She was my North Star, Braden. I hope someday you find a woman who’ll always lead you in the right direction the way she did. I can’t tell you how much I miss her.”
“I’m not looking to settle down anytime soon, Otis, but I appreciate the sentiment.”
“That Piper is something else, isn’t she?” Otis let out a throaty laugh. “She reminds me a little bit of my June. They both have pluck and grit. And incredibly big hearts.”
Braden nodded. “I won’t argue with you on that. She’s been like that ever since she was a kid. She has a heart as big as the great outdoors. You’ll never meet a more loyal person.” His voice softened. “Or a better friend.”
Braden turned off the main road and began driving down the lane leading to Otis’s log cabin. Once he stopped the car and put it in Park, he turned toward the older man.
“She sounds like a keeper,” Otis said, his eyes twinkling.
“She is,” he responded before seeing Otis’s knowing smile. “No.” He quickly cut Otis off at the pass. “It’s not like that. We’ve been best friends since the cradle.”
Otis held up his hands. “Like what? I get the picture. You’re just friends. Piper already told me so.”
Just friends. It sounded so inconsequential. What he and Piper shared was epic. From the first days of preschool to the triumphant moments of high school graduation, they had been practically inseparable. And unlike some of his other friends, their relationship hadn’t faltered after graduation. She had consoled him over his first painful breakup while he had encouraged her to be more confident about her abilities. She was truly one of the only people in the world he completely trusted to be himself with. For so long he’d been feeling unworthy as a member of the North family. Growing up in the aftermath of his sister’s abduction had left scars and a heavy dose of survivor’s guilt. He’d always been plagued by the question of why Lily had been taken and not him or Connor. Why had he been so blessed? Piper had been the one he’d always leaned on during the tough moments where he had questioned why his family had been forced to go through such an ordeal. Piper had been his rock. Their friendship had been perfect until he’d ruined it.
“Night, Braden,” Otis said, reaching for the door handle. “Thanks for going out of your way to bring me home. You’re a fine young man. Make sure to tell your parents I said so.” With a tip of his hat, Otis exited the truck.
Braden waited until Otis was inside his cabin before turning back down the lane and heading home. He let out a sigh. Otis had been complimentary, but Braden had a hard time accepting his kind words. How would he feel if he knew the secret Braden was keeping? It was doubtful he would be offering him such praise. He was so tired of feeling like a fraud.
He had the distinct feeling Otis had been toying with him about Piper. The grin on his face had spoken volumes. It wasn’t the first time someone had teased him about his relationship with Piper, but for some reason it was becoming more difficult to laugh it off as he’d always done in the past. There had been that tense moment earlier when he’d kissed Piper under the mistletoe. It hadn’t been anything more than a peck on her cheek, but he couldn’t deny that it had felt oddly uncomfortable. He had a feeling he knew exactly why it had been so awkward. The weight of harboring secrets was heavy on his heart, mind and soul. No matter how hard he tried, Braden still couldn’t get back to the easy rhythm between him and Piper. Guilt was a strong force, and it reared its ugly head whenever they were in the same orbit.
He prayed the changes he was helping Piper implement at the Snowy Owl would yield great results. It would be his way of making amends for Jack’s death and moving past it. Braden wasn’t foolish enough to think he could ever repair the damage he’d wrought, but he would be doing a kindness for Piper and helping her turn a page. Losing the diner would be like losing Jack all over again. If that happened, he wasn’t certain how Piper would survive it.
* * *
Piper woke up the following morning to the savory scent of coffee wafting under her nose. She let out a groan and crawled back under her duvet cover. This was the problem with having flannel sheets, she realized. She felt way too warm and cozy to get up in order to open the diner. A light knock sounded on her bedroom door. “Come in,” she said before the knob began to turn, and her mother walked in carrying a tray filled with breakfast goodies.
“Good morning, sweetheart,” Trudy called out. “I have a treat for you. You’ve been working so hard these last few days I’ve barely seen you.”
Piper sat up in bed and propped herself against the bed frame. Trudy walked over and placed the tray on Piper’s lap. “This is so sweet, Mama,” she said, looking down at the steaming cup of coffee and a plate filled with eggs, waffles and bacon. “But I’m not going to be able to savor it. I have to get going to the Snowy Owl. It’s going to be a long day.”
Trudy sat down on the bed beside Piper. “You’re going to be on your toes all day and evening due to the holiday stroll, but you don’t have to go in for a few hours.” Trudy’s grin stretched across her face. “Jorge is opening up the diner this morning. He wanted to do something nice for you due to all the extra hours you’ve been putting in. Isn’t he a sweetheart?”
Piper was a bit of a control freak about the diner, but she didn’t have the energy to protest. She would love to stay in her pj’s for another hour of rest and relaxation. Plus, she trusted Jorge implicitly. He was a wonderful man and a hard worker. The Snowy Owl was in good hands with him at the helm.
“I’m going to let you relax for a bit and eat your breakfast. I’ve got some laundry to take care of. I’ll be on hand tonight if you need my help.” She sent Piper a tender smile. “Your dad and I used to have so much fun at this event. It was always such a celebration of Christmas and our good fortune. We were blessed beyond measure to find each other. I hope one day you find someone as solid as him to spend your life with.”
“Me too,” Piper murmured as her mother pressed a kiss against her temple and headed out the door, closing it firmly behind her.
Piper dug in to her me
al and sipped the hazelnut-flavored coffee. It was a real treat to indulge in breakfast in bed without having to worry about the diner. Lately she’d allowed it to consume her, and she knew going forward things would have to change. Once the Snowy Owl got on its feet, she intended to implement some changes.
