Piper jumped at his loud voice, and Karen saw her out of the corner of her eye.
“Oh my God, how do you put up with him, Piper? Thank you for the socks.” She pulled away from Drake and gave Piper a hug. “My feet are freezing, these are perfect.”
She walked over to the ottoman near the fire. She pulled off her ballet flats, and put on the warm socks that Piper had given her, but not before Drake noticed that the polish on her toes exactly matched the color of her sweater.
“Look, Drake, I knew what I was getting into when I drove over here. People around here know about your father. Everything was made crystal clear when Piper had to hide from him.” Her voice dripped ice. She stood back up and came to stand toe-to-toe with him. It was pretty funny, it was like a kitten against an eight-hundred-pound gorilla. The woman had no sense of self preservation. Or maybe she could just handle him. Wasn’t that a fascinating thought?
“Your sister is too important to me to let her suffer if I can do something about it, and I can.”
“Fine, do what you need to do. Then you’re going to get your pretty ass back in your truck and teach your little kids.” He’d feel a hell of a lot better if he could follow her back to town, but he couldn’t leave Piper and Evie unattended.
Suddenly, she wasn’t as sure of herself, her eyes darted to the side, and she bit her lip.
“What?” he demanded.
“It’s not that simple. This semester I’ve been tutoring Piper on her calculus and...”
“And what?” he asked ominously.
“I promised I would pick up her paperwork and take it to her teachers.” Her eyes turned pleading. “We’re also putting together all of her college and scholarship applications. That’s not something that can be done over the phone. If there were another way, I’d do it. I’m not trying to make this difficult.”
Dammit. He looked over to where Piper was sitting on her hands on the couch, he could see the pleading look on her face. He knew when he’d lost an argument.
“Fine,” he raked a hand through his hair. “I have a friend coming. He’ll pick you up in the evenings that Piper needs you and bring you here. People might be watching you, they know you’re important to Piper. Plug your number into my cell phone.” He handed her his cell phone, and she pressed in her contact information.
Piper popped up off the sofa like she was spring loaded. “Thank you, Drake!” She hugged him, and it felt wonderful.
“You’re welcome, Tinkerbell. But this stops the moment we think the situation is dangerous. You got it?”
“Definitely. You’re the best.” She tugged at his shoulders. Drake bent down, and Piper kissed his cheek.
He looked up, and he saw Karen sitting down on the ottoman getting ready to take off the socks and put on her soggy shoes.
“Do you have time to swing by your house before you need to get to your classroom?” he asked.
She looked up startled. “Yes.”
“Leave the socks on.” He turned to Piper. “Do you have any questions for Karen before she leaves?”
“Nope, I have everything I need.”
“Okay, let’s get you to your truck.”
Karen gave him an inquisitive look and then went to where her coat was laying. He took it out of her hands and helped her into it.
She gave him a surprised look. “Thank you, Drake.”
“Do you have everything?” he asked as she picked up her purse and briefcase. She had tucked her shoes into the side of her case.
“Yep.”
He swung her up into his arms. It was funny how good she felt nestled there.
“Put me down,” she squeaked. “I’m too heavy.”
Evie and Drake laughed.
“Honey, I carry backpacks heavier than you when I’m on training exercises.” He walked the few steps over to the door, shifted her, and opened the door letting in the biting wind. He stepped onto the porch, then carefully walked down the steps. He saw a distinctive red truck.
Good God and the Easter Bunny, was this for real? “Dammit, why not paint a neon target on yourself?”
“What?”
“Your truck. Everybody would notice that thing leaving town.”
“I love my truck. It drives great in bad weather.”
God give him patience.
“It’s red, Karen.”
“I love red.”
“Of course you do. Open the door, Karen.”
She reached out and opened the door. He carefully deposited her inside the driver’s seat. She set her belongings in the passenger seat and then started the car. He watched her shiver, then she turned the heat on high, and it started blasting hot air down to the floorboards.