“She’s been a good partner.” Tucker shrugged, putting off the inevitable for a few moments longer.
“No, I mean you like her like her.” Piper’s words came out more like an accusation.
The tone made him bristle. But he bit back the irritation and fell back on sarcasm. “What is this, high school?”
“Tucker.” A plea this time.
He sighed, knowing the jig was up. “Fine. Yes, I like her.”
“You legitimately like Corinne Dawson,” Piper clarified. “The woman who spent all of high school and at least a year of college shamelessly throwing herself at one of your best friends and trying to torpedo his relationship with Tyler.”
Temper stirred again. “That’s what she did. It’s not who she is and that’s never who she was.”
“So you’re just excusing all the bad behavior?”
“I’m accepting it’s in the past. Why the hell does everyone insist on punishing her for something that was over and done a decade ago?”
“I’m not punishing her, Tucker.”
“You would have happily run her through on Tyler’s behalf when Brody came back last year.”
“Only because I thought she upset Tyler.”
“She didn’t. At least not deliberately. Tyler seems perfectly willing and able to get past their history now that she and Brody are engaged, so why can’t you?”
“I haven’t had a reason to before now. Look, Tucker, I’m not trying to be difficult here, I’m just trying to understand where this is coming from. You know as well as I do that performing together can create a false sense of attraction and intimacy.”
“This isn’t new,” he interrupted. “This isn’t because we’re dancing together. I’ve been wanting to ask her out for more than a year.”
Piper gaped at him. “A year? Tucker, I know you haven’t really dated anyone seriously since Laura, and maybe that’s left you feeling kind of lonely, especially since all of us are coupled up now, but Corinne? She’s all wrong for you.”
“Oh, because the one who was perfect for me on paper turned out so well?”
“I’m not saying you should find someone else like Laura, I just think you should find someone…”
“Who isn’t Corinne?” he finished flatly. “It’s not your call to make, Piper. And you’re hardly the poster child for making rational relationship decisions. You and Myles decided to get married before you’d even dated.”
She flinched, her hand going automatically to her belly, and Tucker felt like an asshole.
He sucked in a breath, striving for calm. “I’m not proposing. I’m not making any rash decisions. But I like her.” What the hell? Might as well go for broke. “I’ve always liked her. Had things been different, I’d have asked her out in high school.”
“But why? She was such a mean girl.”
“That’s all you ever saw. All you wanted to see.”
“Oh, like you knew her so well?”
He remembered what he’d seen after she’d been crowned Homecoming Queen, when her parents hadn’t even congratulated her. Instead they’d laid into her about what she hadn’t done, highlighting what they perceived as her failures. He’d watched them walk away from her and seen the tears streaking her makeup as they absolutely ruined her night. “I knew better what was driving her behavior.”
“And what exactly was that? What could possibly excuse how she treated people back then?”
“It’s not my story to tell. And it doesn’t excuse it. I’m not saying it does. She made some mistakes. And she’s more than aware of it. Since she came back to Wishful, she’s been working hard to make up for them. But that’s really hard when everybody keeps shoving her back in that box, acting like she still expects some kind of respect because of her former accomplishments. Newsflash: She doesn’t expect anything from anybody. She’s just trying to get by and make a better life for her son. I admire that. I admire what she’s done, what she’s trying to do. All I’m asking is for you and everybody else to give her the chance to do that without giving her more grief.”
“If I was interested in giving her grief, Tucker, I wouldn’t have been here tonight. I’m perfectly willing to concede she’s not as I remember her. And I’m sorry if I’m having some trouble wrapping my brain around all this. It just took me by surprise, is all.” Piper slid off the table and crossed to take his face in her hands. “I love you, and I want you to be happy. I know you wouldn’t be investing the time in her if you didn’t believe she was worth it. So I promise, I’ll work on getting past our history, okay?”
It wasn’t exactly the wholesale endorsement he’d hoped for, but under the circumstances, it was probably the best he’d get for now. He’d been right when he told Corinne it would take time for people to see her as who she was now.
Dropping a kiss on her cheek he said, “Thanks. Buy you and the Peanut a hot fudge sundae before Lickety Split closes for the night?”