Chapter 15

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

M onday morning at eight, Piper was ready.

She sat at her desk in her temporary office and waited.

She heard her boss walk in, and she winced as she waited for Irina Williams to check her messages.

Surprisingly, it took less than three minutes for Irina to burst out in curses, yank her door open, and stride into Piper's office. She walked in, tan and fit, blue eyes blazing. "What the hell, Piper?"

Irina was almost six feet tall, broad shoulders, perfect posture, blond hair bleached almost white. She walked like a model, carried herself like a CEO. She could nurture a crying bride like the kindest mom on the planet, and then turn around and rip through a staff of sub-performing caterers like the worst demon-possessed villain. And she was a beast with design and organization. The best in the area, and Piper's last chance to get back in the business. "Wedding Killer? My firm has a wedding killer on staff?"

Piper took a deep breath and went to work. "I met with April last night. We're still with her, and I made some good progress helping her reframe what happened. I think we're in better shape than before." She'd spent last night and this morning canvassing the internet and social media to find new brides to win over. "I have meetings scheduled with four possible new clients this week. Here's the list." She slid the list of high-profile names across her desk.

Irina didn't look at them.

She just flattened both palms on the desktop and leaned in, tapping into her favorite power stance. "You lost two clients over the weekend, and a third cancelled her wedding, citing you as the reason. Tell me I'm wrong. Tell me I have the facts wrong. Tell me that while I was out fighting for my family, you didn't totally screw up my business. Tell me that, Piper. Tell it to me."

Shit. "April now considers me the Bride Protector, not the Wedding Killer. Trust me, that gives us a unique spin that no one else has."

"Us? There is no us. You were a temporary hire, and your season is over." Irina shook her head in visible disappointment and disbelief. "I believed in you, Piper. I gave you a chance, and you…" She held out her hands. "Wedding killer? Really? How did you even manage to do that?"

Piper managed not to grimace. Instead, she lifted her chin and met Irina's gaze. "It's a good thing," she announced with absolute confidence…that was a complete fa?ade.

"Really?" Irina sat down. "Tell me how it's a good thing that I lost three clients in one weekend. I'm listening."

"I'm the bride protector, Irina. It means I protect the brides on their big day."

"Protect them from what?"

"Anything. Mother-in-law nightmares. Chaos. Or a man who is cheating on her who she'll regret marrying her whole life." Piper leaned in. "We're the company who the brides can count on to put their best interests first, and not simply use them to make money."

Irina crossed her legs and bounced her foot. "We do use them to make money."

"Everyone uses these women to make money," Piper said. " Literally everyone in their lives. If there is one person in the world they can trust to look out for them, like really look out for them, then they will trust us in a way they can't trust anyone else."

Irina didn't speak for a moment, then suddenly stopped bouncing her foot. "I'm almost certain this is asinine, but you have one minute to convince me otherwise. Start."

Piper quickly filled her in on the conversation she and Declan had had the previous evening with April. "She loved it," Piper finished. "And then she went back and told her friends."

Irina drummed her fingers on the arm of the chair. "How attractive is your fiancé?"

"Very attractive."

"Rich?"

Piper pressed her lips together. She didn't like Declan being reduced to money and looks.

"Rich?" Irina repeated.

Reluctantly, Piper nodded.

Irina thought about that. "All right. I'm willing to run with this. If you can land four new clients this week to replace the three we lost, then you can come to work on Monday. I'm not promising you anything long term, but you at least have earned yourself another chance. You have until Sunday at eight. Use this Declan of yours. He sounds helpful."

Relief rushed through Piper. "I won't let you down. I promise."

Irina leaned forward, and her face softened. "Piper, I know you're excellent at your job. But in this business, it's not simply about the execution. We create magic for brides, and you've managed to coat yourself in grime. No bride wants a fairytale covered in grime and doubt."

Piper's stomach tightened. Grime? She was grime ? "I know, but?—"

"The only reason I'm giving you a chance to turn this around is because it's a mess that you made that I don't want to take the time to clean up. Plus, you're hungry, and that makes a woman be the best she can be. Be better, Piper. Because this is the end of the line for you, and we both know it."

And with that, Irina stood up and strode out of the office, leaving behind her the scent of power and mercilessness.

Piper leaned back in her seat, fighting back the sudden tears. Everything about that conversation felt terrible. She was grime. She was prostituting Declan. Her job with brides was to take their money. And even if she achieved the impossible this week, all it got her was Monday morning at the office.

No promises beyond that.

Piper touched her necklace. "Mom," she whispered. "I'm trying. But I'm failing so badly."

How many hours had she and her mom spent dreaming of the life Piper was fighting for? Of the career she'd blown? Of becoming an independent woman who would never need to rely on a man for anything?

Her mom would be crushed if she saw how badly Piper was failing.

Not because she would be disappointed in Piper, but because this had been Piper's dream, and her last words had been to tell Piper to go for it, to get out of the life that had trapped her, to run like hell and make it.

Piper loved planning weddings. She loved creating magic, joy, and perfection for this important day in their lives. She wanted to be the romance and happily ever after specialist.

And she wanted to do it at this level. The top. The best. Like she and her mom had planned.

"Sunday at eight," Irina shouted from her office. "But I'm going to post your job now, just in case. I can't afford to be without an assistant, so if I fire you Sunday, I need to hire someone two minutes later. It's fine to feel threatened by my actions, by the way. Fear is a strong motivator."

Crap. Piper's heart started to race. The normal acquisition rate of new clients was one out of every six meetings, which was a pretty high rate. And this week, she needed to be four for three? That was impossible.

She touched the tiny diamond one more time. "I'm not giving up, Mom. I'm going to make it."

She needed a plan.

And fast.

The moment Declan pulled up to the florist and parked his truck, he had a flashback to when Diana had dragged him to the florist to choose flowers for their wedding.

He remembered his crankiness, and her happiness. He recalled her trying to coax him out of his bad mood, trying to convince him to care about the flowers, but all he'd wanted to do was get back to work on a case that had been pressing at him.

He sat back in his seat, suddenly remembering with vivid clarity the interaction they'd had, and what an ass he'd been. Damn.

He'd expected to feel sadness or PTSD upon showing up at the florist to look at wedding flowers, but he hadn't. He'd just felt this sudden sense of clarity about what a freaking jerk he'd been.

Shit. He almost started laughing. He'd remembered so much about his time with Diana, but this was the first time he'd seen it from the point of view of him being a jerk. It was Piper's fault, the way she called him out on being a grumpy cactus.

He let out a breath. Yeah, his first instinct had been right. As difficult as it was at times to fake this engagement with Piper, she was what he needed. He'd never met a woman who pushed at him so relentlessly, completely uncowed by his moods or his attitude.

Piper was fucking sunshine in a bottle, and he owed her better.

He hadn't been able to man up for Diana at the florist, but he could step up for Piper right now. He could almost feel Diana laughing, delighted that Piper was making him be the man he hadn't been able to be for Diana. "You sent her to me, didn't you?" he asked aloud as he got out of his truck.

There was no answer, but he felt the truth of his words. He was supposed to move forward. He was supposed to follow this path, no matter how fucking hard it was.

He shut the door and faced the florist. It was a different one than he and Diana had used, obviously. They hadn't had a five-star wedding, like the ones Piper planned.

But this was the world he'd grown up in. He could walk in these circles even if he didn't want to. "Right. Let's go."

He squared his shoulders, headed across the parking lot, and stepped inside.

Piper, April, and a woman he assumed was April's mom were gathered around a table filled with flowers in vases. Maddie was laughing with delight, beaming at the trio as if there was nothing more fantastic in the entire world than to be helping a bride select her flowers, which he was pretty sure was the truth.

Her smile was radiant, and her laughter was infectious, as high energy as Piper.

He was willing to bet that Piper had directed April to Maddie's store. Bride Protector indeed. Positive energy all around. Maddie glanced his way, and her smile widened. "Well, hello, Declan."

All three women turned, but Declan only had eyes for Piper. Her eyes widened when she saw him, and then relief filled her face. He was instantly glad he'd come.

"Declan!" Piper said. "This is my fiancé, Declan Jones. Come on over."

Declan strode across the room, summoning the power and authority that his money afforded him. His parents had both grown up poor, and they'd fought hard to get over their sense of not being good enough for these people. They'd taught their kids to present as if they belonged, no matter what they felt like.

So, Declan turned it on, and he saw April's mom stand a little taller, watching him with great interest .

He hadn't bothered with the jacket and tie, but he'd worn the watch. He walked straight over to Piper, slid one arm around her waist, and moved his body at an angle that was pure possession and protection. "I missed you," he whispered softly, just loud enough that the others would think they were overhearing a private moment. "Morning, love."

Piper's eyes widened, and then he kissed her, short and proper, but lingering with a promise of so much more. He flashed her a grin, then turned to April and her mom. "April," he said. "Good to see you again."

Her cheeks were flushed, and he had to keep himself from grinning. Yeah, he knew how to turn it on. He had to admit, it was kind of fun. "And you must be April's sister?" he said to her mom. Oldest damn trick in the book, but when in Rome, right?

April's mom gave him a look like she knew what he was doing, but she loved it anyway. "Any relation to Kitty Jones?"

He flashed her a grin. "Her favorite son."

She smiled then and held out her hand. "Lisbeth Hunsaker. Lovely to meet you."

He shot a glance at Piper, wiggled his brows, then took Lisbeth's hand and gave it a proper honoring worthy of the most well-bred country club sort.

Piper had to turn her head away to hide her smile, but April and Lisbeth both beamed at him. It was absurd the games that they played, how easy it was to make them fall for him. Money, connections, and obsequiousness. No wonder he'd walked away. No wonder his dad had declined to join his mom most of the time for her social outings.

"How did we get the honor of your presence, Mr. Jones?" Lisbeth asked.

"Declan. Call me Declan. I was in the area and wanted to stop in and say hello." He turned to Piper. "Piper?—"

"What were you doing in the area?" Lisbeth asked, with a pointed glance at his jeans and work boots.

He turned back to her. "I was buying paint. "

Piper gave him a look, and he swore. He probably should have said he was buying a new Rolex or making money doing something.

"For what?"

"My house. I'm redoing it."

Lisbeth's mouth pursed. "You're a laborer?"

"He's a genius," Piper interrupted. "Show her pictures."

Declan didn't give a shit what Lisbeth thought of him, but he knew Piper needed a win here, so he pulled out his phone. He flipped to a few before and after pictures of his house and handed his phone to Lisbeth.

She and April leaned in, scrolled through the photos.

To his surprise, he tensed, waiting for their response. He'd done the house for himself, but he loved it. He suddenly deeply regretted allowing anyone to see or judge what he'd created.

Then April looked up. "You designed and built this?"

"Yeah."

"It's gorgeous."

He couldn't help but grin. "Thanks."

"Will you build our house?" April said. "Wendall hired a contractor, but your work is so much better."

"Do your house?" Declan was startled by the offer. "I'm not for hire. It's not my job. I just do it for fun."

"How much would it take to make it your job?" Lisbeth asked.

"No price. I'm not for sale." He took his phone back and shoved it in his pocket. "I gotta go. Piper?"

She was watching him with a thoughtful look, and laughter chased away his crankiness. His little fake fiancée was planning something, and he knew he wouldn't like it. "No," he said.

She grinned. "You don't even know what I was thinking."

"It doesn't matter. You have that look in your eye." On a whim, he leaned in and kissed her, a little longer and less proper this time. Not for show, but because he needed to connect with her authenticity. Piper might play in this world, but she was nothing like it. He broke the kiss. "See you at home, my love. "

She grinned. "You bet."

He nodded his farewell at the others, then headed toward the door. Just as he reached the door, however, it swung open and a man in a custom suit strode in. He glanced dismissively through Declan, then focused on the women. "April. My darling. So sorry I'm late."

Wendall?

Curious now, Declan turned to watch as Wendall strode up to the trio, then Declan saw Wendall's gaze sweep down Piper's body with an entitlement that made Declan's alarms go off.

"Piper, so great to see you." Wendall kissed the back of Piper's hand, lingering ever so slightly before turning back to his bride.

Son of a bitch. Declan would wager a month's salary that Wendall was cheating on April.

He'd been around enough scumbags in his life that he knew the details to look for, the giveaways they couldn't hide.

Declan ground his jaw. What the fuck? Piper needed this wedding to work. But if this guy was a jerk, April needed to know.

Declan's gaze shot back to Piper. She was fully immersed in the moment, laughing and coaxing smiles out of her clients. She was electric with her energy, he could practically feel them falling under her spell.

No wonder brides wanted to hire her. Piper's passion and zeal were infectious, and she was so capable that she dissolved tension and difficulty before it could even take root, navigating disagreements between the bride and the others with practiced ease.

Piper cared, he realized. She truly cared about what she did. It wasn't simply about the money or the fashion. Her heart was all in. She literally created joy. That was her job.

It was perfect for her.

Then Wendall laughed, a grating, annoying, much-too-bold laugh, drawing Declan's attention back to him. Declan didn't want to be right about him. Maybe Declan was just too damned cynical about this high-class world. Maybe he was looking for trouble. Just because he didn't like the guy didn't mean he was cheating on April.

His gaze went back to Piper. Maybe he was simply jealous that another man had touched her.

Oh… hell.

Was that it?

It might be.