he attempted to rein in his amusement.
“I don’t have a girlfriend,” he finally said. “And, Piper, you jump to conclusions quicker than anyone I’ve ever met. You take off at a tangent before I even get a chance to explain.”
She nodded. “I’ve heard that before. I’ve been told I might be a bit...overly enthusiastic.”
“That’s an understatement.” He spoke gently. “I’m going to pay a visit to an elderly widow who used to know my father.”
Of course her mind whirled at that. She could think of several different scenarios now, especially since she’d known his father. There were drunks and there were abusive drunks. Cord’s father fell into the latter category.
She ventured a guess, choosing the imaginary scenario least likely to offend him. “Collecting rent?”
“No.” Draining the last of his coffee, he set the mug down with a thump. “It’s actually none of your business.”
“Of course you realize your evasiveness only makes me want to know the truth, right?” She grinned. “Sorry, but I’m nosy like that. And if you didn’t want me to be all up in your business, you shouldn’t have insisted I stay with you.”
He nodded, conceding her point. “Fine.” Checking his watch once more, he faced her. “You can come with me. I’ll explain in the car. But on one condition. No matter what you think or believe or how you feel about the situation, I’d appreciate if you’d keep your opinion to yourself. Can you do that?”
She had no idea. In fact, she rather doubted it. “Of course,” she replied, intrigued. One thing she had begun to learn about Cord was that he certainly wasn’t boring. Or dumb. She’d met other male bodybuilder types before who were equally great to look at until they opened their mouths. Not him. He was the most fascinating man she’d ever met.
“When do we leave?” she asked, since he’d glanced at his watch a third time.
“Whenever you’re ready. It’s about a forty-five-minute drive each way, without traffic.”
“Okay.” Placing her mug next to his, she smiled her brightest smile. “Give me a minute to freshen up. I’ll be right back.”
He nodded, his expression either downright unenthused or simply resigned.
“We’ll also discuss your niece while we’re driving.” Glancing back over her shoulder, she raised her brows. “I promise I won’t waste your time.”
Back in her room, she checked her appearance in the mirror, then used her phone to see the outside temperature. November in Texas, even this late in the month, could run the gamut from freezing to downright balmy. Since today’s high had been forecast in the low fifties, she grabbed a light jacket, just in case.
When she reemerged just a few minutes later, Cord waited in the living room, jiggling his car keys in his hand. The sunlight streaming in the eastern window turned his dark hair to gold. “Ready?”
Temporarily struck dumb, she pushed away the aching need to touch him and nodded.
She waited until they’d backed out of his driveway and turned off his street before speaking, even though she wanted to bounce up and down in her seat like an impatient child. “Okay, so where exactly are we going?”
Unsmiling, he shot her a glance. “Did you ever know Ms. Berens? Most people called her the Widow Berens. Her first name is Lorraine.”
The name didn’t ring a bell. Piper finally shook her head. “I’m afraid I don’t.”
“Her husband used to own the pharmacy on Main Street, though he passed away, probably before you were born. She sold it and banked the money, intending to use it to live on for the rest of her life. I believe she supplements her income by making and selling custom quilts.”
Piper nodded. “I’ve seen some of her quilts. They’re beautiful.”
“Yes they are. Well, back when my daddy was alive, he ran a scam on her. This was before internet dating scams, but he did something similar to her. She was lonely, he was a good-looking man, and he convinced her that he loved her.”
“Oh, no.” Piper feared she knew what he’d say next.
“He bilked her out of her entire savings.” His grim voice told her what he thought of that. “Ever since I learned about it, I’ve been trying to make restitution by paying her back a little at a time.”
Moved, she nodded, looking away so he wouldn’t see the rawness of her emotions in her eyes or face. She’d always felt things deeply, a trait she’d learned at an early age to keep hidden to avoid ridicule. “That’s kind of you,” she managed, glad her voice sounded even. “Not many people would feel responsible for their father’s sins.”
“Maybe. Maybe not.” He shrugged. “All I know is that it’s the right thing to do. She was gullible and trusted the wrong man. My father didn’t spend one second regretting what he did to her, not even on the day he died.”
Hearing the trace of bitterness in his voice, she nodded. “Is there anything I can do?”
“Like what?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. Anything to help her. Cooking, cleaning, laundry?”
“I guess you can ask her. As far as I can tell, she’s still able to take pretty good care of herself.”
By the time he turned off the paved farm-to-market road onto a rutted, dirt one, Piper felt more like herself than she had since she’d been arrested. She’d always said helping others was the best medicine. The very act took all the focus off one’s troubles. Marceline had scoffed, as had Fowler, and Piper’s adoptive mother, Whitney. Her adoptive brother Reid had always smiled with pride. He’d often whispered to Piper how proud he was of her.
Piper wondered what Reid thought about her now.
“Here we are,” Cord said, turning into a long, gravel drive. A black metal gate that needed paint guarded the entrance, though it sat open, the part that closed hung crookedly from one hinge.
Despite this, the place felt homey rather than decrepit. She felt a sense of peace here.
The white farmhouse sat back from the road, under the shade of five huge live oak trees. “It’s nice. The wood siding appears to have been freshly painted, unlike that gate.”
He grimaced. “Yeah, I should’ve fixed that last time I was out here. No time to do it today, so it’ll have to wait.”
“Does Ms. Berens have children to help her?”
“No. At least not as far as I know. She’s never mentioned any kids and I certainly haven’t seen any in all the years I’ve known her.”
Once he killed the engine, he turned to look at her. “Do you want to wait out here?”
“Oh, heck no.” She grinned to take the sting off her words. “I want to meet her. I’m guessing she loves to have company.”
To her surprise, he grinned
