Chapter 16

16

Piper

How fucked up has my day been, you ask?

I just sent Cutter Buckley a text message that makes it sound like I'm half naked, horny, and two seconds away from touching myself because I just need him so badly…

I can't smack my own forehead because it's too late.

The text has been sent.

"Piper, are you with us?" Brian asks.

I look at him and widen my stare.

All I picture is me dragging him by his fucking red tie to the pool and holding his head under the water until he's eaten enough chlorine that his sinuses will forever stink like the chemical.

"Brian, mute the call," Dorothy commands.

"Chuck, give us a second," Brian says. He mutes the call. He looks at Dorothy.

"Don't talk to her that way," Dorothy says. "Bad enough we're all stuck here right now because of your ineptness, but you're going to talk to her like that? She's working on childcare right now."

Brian glances at Keith.

If he's looking for reassurances he sure as hell won't get it from Keith.

Need me? What do you need Piper?

My eyes move from my phone to Brian, back and forth.

"That your babysitter?" Brian asks.

I cringe at that thought.

I'm mad at myself a little too. I've boxed myself so far in the corner that my only help is either in this room - minus Brian - or my neighbor. Maryanne is actually an hour away at some exotic bird pet shop to meet with the owner to talk about the cardinal eggs.

Now, sure, maybe I can just let Saxon get home on his own… no thanks.

Also, he has his piano lessons today. Something that means the world to him.

Believe me, I thought about texting Hunter. In my few seconds of considering asking Saxon's father for help, I don't know why I did it but I ended up on his socials and - oh, look - Hunter is at some damn football camp program.

He's actually coaching kids…

Oh, did that piss me off to see.

Of course I don't get time to be pissed off in these kinds of situations. What I have to do is go down my list, which feels shorter by the day, and I settle and panic text Cutter Buckley to help me.

"Piper?" Brian asks.

"You know, if there was some sort of breach here, why does it concern me?" I ask. "You have the resources. Or you should. And it's not poor Keith's fault."

"That's why I'm on this call with Chuck," Brian says. "And I need you three here. Like it or not, okay? How often do I ask you to stay like this, Piper? Be real with me for a second."

My nostrils flare. "Yes. I'm texting… the babysitter…"

Note to world: here comes another influx of rambling, panicky texts to the hunky stud of a baseball player with a tongue like magic.

This is so embarrassing for me, Cutter. I'm stuck at work dealing with a crisis. I have no help for Saxon. I can't just let him walk home alone. Don't bust me on that. It's my choice. But he also has piano. I know this is a lot to ask. It's a stretch. Believe me you're the last person I want to ask to do this.

I send the text.

It instantly shows me that Cutter has read it.

Oh, that ‘last person' thing sounds mean. I'm not mean. At least not right now. I just need this Cutter. It's for my son. Not for me. His idiot father is coaching some football thing.

I hit send again.

Then I realize I'm text vomiting about my ex to Cutter.

My face starts to burn red hot.

"I've got to continue this call," Brian says. "Just pay attention when you can, Piper." Brian smacks the phone on the desk. "Chuck, we're here. I'm sorry about that. Listen, I'm going to put Keith on the call now. We'll get this all worked out in no time."

OH MY GOD disregard the last message. I didn't mean to send that. About Saxon's father. I meant what I said about needing your help though.

Well… I send that text too.

I'm making this worse by the second.

"Mr. Fairlight, I assure you while this looks bad it's been expertly handled," Keith says. "I will spend as much time needed going through records but I am confident this was more or less… a fender bender… compared to a head-on collision."

Brian sticks up both thumbs.

Dorothy lifts both middle fingers and points them at Brian.

Cutter finally has a chance to respond to me.

Text me where I need to be and what time.

Okay, this is the thing about favors I don't like.

I've never been good at keeping score, which I guess you're not supposed to do. But you can't tell me honestly there isn't a single favor that happens without some kind of thought behind it.

Maybe Cutter helped me with my battery because he's a nice guy, but you and I both know him being the hero is kind of sexy.

And him stopping whatever he's doing to go meet up with my son and safely get my son to and from piano…?

It's panty-wetting sexy.

My stomach churns at the thought of it.

Not that I can possibly get wet because of Cutter. I mean, I have been wet because of Cutter. Very wet. I've orgasmed because of Cutter.

Okay, now I'm slipping again.

My mind races as I turn down my street.

I really don't know what to expect.

I know Saxon has been picked up and he's gone to his piano lesson. Cutter made sure to text me and send pictures.

The whole mom guilt thing hits me hard because whether I like it or not - for the most part - Cutter is a stranger to us.

But he certainly saved the day.

I see his gigantic SUV parked across the street from my house.

I turn into my driveway and I can't miss the sight of Cutter's big, muscular frame as he stands on the porch.

He's not alone either.

Maryanne is with him.

"Oh, crap," I whisper as I put my car into park.

I almost forget to turn the vehicle off before jumping out.

I hurry to the porch to find Maryanne sitting on the railing that separates my porch from hers.

"Piper, you never told me about Cutter," Maryanne says.

"How was your day?" Cutter asks me.

"Insane," I blurt out. "I guess someone tried to hack into our system? I don't know how it works. But I got stuck in a meeting because that pencil-dick moron Brian demanded all of management be there. I didn't even know I was management!" I take a breath. "I don't know if Brian has a pencil dick or not. I've never seen his dick, is what I'm saying."

"Piper?" Maryanne asks.

I suck in another breath and realize I'm officially losing my mind for real this time.

"Kid is inside doing homework at the table," Cutter says.

"He's… what?"

"Well, when we got home I told him to get it done," Cutter says. "Told him I used to have to sit at the table. Get it done and then he has the night to relax. Is that okay?"

"That's amazing. He usually sits in his room and then it takes forever. Piano went well?"

"Yeah," Cutter says. "He's talented. Really talented."

I smile.

I feel Maryanne staring me down.

I turn my head. "Are you being overprotective?"

"As always," Maryanne says. "Not very often I come home and find a man who looks like this standing on the porch. Aside from that, Cutter got me some birdseed."

"You didn't," I say.

"Oh, I did," Maryanne says.

"Am I missing something?" Cutter asks.

"She asked you to get her birdseed?" I ask Cutter.

He backs up a step.

"He did it through his phone!" Maryanne cries out. "He ordered it and they brought it right over. Took maybe fifteen minutes."

"The last thing she needs is to know how to get stuff delivered to her house," I say to Cutter.

"Hey," Maryanne says. "I'm not that behind on the times. I get deliveries."

"Wait," I say. "Is she keeping you out here? Are you not allowed in my house?"

"I never said he can't go in," Maryanne says.

"You did want to verify who I was," Cutter says. "You wanted to see my license."

"That was before you ordered the bird seed. I trust you now."

"Okay, this conversation is ending now," I say. "Maryanne, it's nice to see you. We're going to go inside now. Nope. Wait. Hold on. I'm going to go inside. See my son. It's been a long day."

"You're not even going to invite him in?" Maryanne asks. She leans forward as though that makes it so Cutter can't hear her. "After what he did to help? You can at least cook the guy a burger. Or give him a little attention."

Maryanne wiggles her eyebrows.

I never thought I would want Maryanne to talk about birds… but I do right now.

She laughs and swings her legs over the railing and is now on her side of the porch.

"Cutter, it was nice to meet you," she says. "I'm never going to watch a baseball game."

"Wow," Cutter says.

Maryanne goes inside.

I jump at Cutter and touch his left arm.

He looks down at my hand, then into my eyes.

I pull my hand away. "Sorry about her. I should have warned you. She means well."

"You own this house?"

"Yeah… why?"

"I don't know. She told me that she rents from you. You're kind of a secret badass, aren't you, Piper?"

"A secret badass? Hardly. Look at me, Cutter. Scrambling. I can't believe the way today-"

He closes in on me and touches my face. "Don't ever doubt yourself, sweetie. You're doing an amazing job. That kid in there? He's a really good kid. Polite. Well mannered. Respectful. He listens. He practices really hard. It shows."

Okay, this whole telling me how awesome I am as a single parent thing… it's starting to work a little. I'm starting to fall for it.

I have to pull back.

"I really appreciate you coming through for me with this," I say. "You were my last call. I don't know what I would have done if you weren't around."

"I don't want to be your last call next time, okay?"

I'm not even sure what that means or how I should take it but oh my does it open a cage of butterflies in my stomach.

I end up stepping backward to my front door.

I open it and step inside.

Without thinking, my right hand grabs at Cutter's shirt.

He comes toward me.

I jump up to my toes and he leans down and next thing I know we're kissing right there in the front doorway to my house. And this isn't just some little peck on the cheek or lips either. Our tongues collide like two prized sword fighters in the battle of a lifetime.

It goes from zero to sixty in a second.

I spread my hand as much as I can across his muscular chest and I push myself away.

Again, without the ability to properly think, I just say the first thing that comes to mind.

"I want to fuck you, Cutter."

He's surprised but he doesn't seem to mind.

Why would he?

That's when I realize what's happening.

I push Cutter back - or I just push myself back into my own house.

And I quickly close the door. And lock it.

I listen to Cutter walk off the porch.

I'm faced with two really important and serious truths.

The first? I really do want to fuck Cutter Buckley (or, you know, have Cutter Buckley fuck me.)

The second?

I need him to fuck me really soon before I lose my mind.