Rolling her eyes at herself, she started walking up the stairs. She knew what she was going to do, hard as it may be. She had to sell the shop, maybe even the house later on. Her life, such as it was, was in Seattle. But more than that was her need to get out of Eagle Creek, and finally try to leave the past in the past.
Eyes catching on the row of photographs on the wall that climbed with the stairs, her feet slowed to a stop. Right in front of her was a photo of her with her grandparents, taken before the homecoming dance her sophomore year. They were standing behind her with proud smiles, and she was all dolled up, anxious to leave with Jax and begin their date.
Piper smiled as she looked at herself. Her dress was modest, a calf length shimmering green with thick straps. Her brown hair was in an up-do, and her makeup was subtle, as her grandmother requested. Modesty above everything, Helen always said.
“But I want to look beautiful,” Piper whined.
“You are,” Grandma insisted. “Look at yourself. Your complexion is creamy smooth, you have lips women would die for, and those gorgeous violet eyes.”
“My lips are huge and gross, and who has purple eyes, Grandma? They’re weird and make me look like a freak. Add in mousy brown hair, a flat chest, and wide hips, and I’m hideous.”
“Oh stop,” Grandma said in exasperation. “Your hair might be brown, but it’s not mousy, and look how full and shiny it is. As for a flat chest, you’re fourteen. You still have time.”
Piper rolled her eyes. “Kelly went up two bust sizes over the summer. Two! I’m practically still in a training bra. Can’t I put on more makeup? I learned how to do cat eyes with eyeliner last week. That would look cool.”
“Subtle and natural is best, Piper,” Grandma said firmly. “Besides, Jax has seen you without makeup thousands of times, and he obviously thinks you’re beautiful. Else he wouldn’t be taking you to the dance.”
A dreamy smile curved Piper’s lips at Jax’s name. “I can’t wait for tonight.”
“Look at yourself in the mirror right now and tell me you’re not beautiful, Piper Jasmine McCoy. Now let’s get that hair done, because your young man will be here soon, and you don’t want to be too late.”
Gasping when she saw the time, Piper shut up and let her grandmother put her hair up. Piper was just slipping into her shoes when she heard the slam of a car door, and excitement to see Jax washed over her. Giving herself one last glance, she ran down the stairs, only slowing when her grandmother cautioned her.
Throwing open the door, she walked outside, her belly breaking out in butterflies when she saw Jax. He was beautiful, standing there in the sunlight, talking to her grandpa. He was wearing slacks and a dress shirt, and she drank him in, wanting to remember this moment forever. She’d never seen him in anything but jeans or shorts, and he looked so very grown up in his dress clothes.
He glanced over and saw her standing in the doorway, his eyes widening at the sight of her. Breaking off mid-sentence, he walked toward her, mounting the porch stairs and coming to a stop in front of her.
“Piper, you look gorgeous,” he said, his already deep voice sincere, the timbre sending shivers up and down her spine.
“So do you,” she said softly after she found her voice.
The butterflies had spread from her belly to her throat, and she couldn’t make her voice have more substance. Taking a shaky breath, she ran her eyes up and down his tall frame. Jax just turned sixteen last month, but he looked much older, and he was so cute. No, not cute. He was hot. He could have the pick of any girl in school, but he’d chosen plain, mousy Piper McCoy. Sometimes she still couldn’t believe it, and she just barely resisted the urge to pinch herself.
Jax took her hands in his, and the butterflies broke free, turning into tingles racing over her skin. She gazed into his dark green eyes, trying to understand what was happening to her. It was physical attraction, for sure, but it was even more than that. Could this be love? Already? They’d known each other since they were little, but this new tension had just developed over the summer. Could she have already, in the space of a couple months, fallen in love with him?
A whine broke through Piper’s memories, and she felt dazed as she blinked at her surroundings, the butterflies from that long ago moment fluttering in her belly. Glancing down, she saw Snickers on the stair next to her, head cocked as he watched her.
“Good looking out, Snicks,” she said, rushing up the stairs and into the shower.
That was a prime example of why she had to get the hell out of Eagle Creek. Remembering the past put her in that dreaded position of vulnerability, and she wasn’t that Piper anymore. She was a badass Boss Bitch who let nothing and no one stop her from being who she wanted to be.
Going into the bathroom, she got into the shower, relaxing into the hot water for a moment before she quickly washed. She was ready to go see the bakery, and she wanted to do it while she was feeling strong enough.
After showering and dressing in jeans and a tank top, she quickly applied makeup and took a moment to look at herself. She couldn’t look further from the naïve teenager she used to be, and she felt her lips curl up in satisfaction. This was the real her, the creative Piper she always wanted to be. Maybe her look was a little much for small town Wyoming, but screw them all. She was finally herself, and she would never censor herself again.
Letting Snickers out one more time before she left, she slid into the Mustang and took a deep breath before she started the car with a growl, the exhaust rumbling in the quiet of the street. Not allowing herself to think about what she was doing, she drove to the bakery, put the car in park, and got out. Ignoring the looks she was getting from the people on the street, she strode to the door and unlocked it, keeping a tight rein on her emotions as she let herself inside.
It looked the same as it did the day she left for college, and for a moment she felt like she entered a time warp. The only difference was the empty display cases, and the air of emptiness that permeated the shop. Taking a deep breath, she walked past the counter, sliding her fingers along the smooth surface as she walked.
This was where she spent so much of her time, as a kid who just came to hang out with her grandparent’s, and later as a teenager, working in the back and at the register. Her grandmother taught her everything she knew, back at the house and here at the shop. Once upon a time, her dream had been to come back home after college and run this shop while she and Jax began their grownup life together. A dream that crumbled to dust a couple weeks before graduation.
Cutting herself off from those thoughts, Piper made her way to the back, taking in the baking area. Other than some upgrades to the equipment, most of it remained the same. Her lips curved in a sad smile as she watched a transparent vision of her grandma bustling around the room, explaining what she was doing to a rapt, wide eyed Piper.
The vision disappeared as the bell above the door dinged, and with a frown, Piper walked to the front of the store. A woman around her age was standing in
side, looking around, and Piper smiled when she recognized her.
The woman glanced over and her eyebrow’s twitched in a frown. “Excuse me, I’m looking for Piper. I’m guessing she’s somewhere in the back? If you could get her, that would be great.”