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Chapter 17

Lachlan

Twenty minutes later,I was loading Caleb’s carrier into my truck while Piper stood beside her beat-up Honda, wringing her hands.

“I don’t have anything nice to wear,” she said for the third time.

“Whatever you have is fine. It’s Garnet Bend, not New York City.” I secured the carrier and turned to her. “This isn’t a test, Piper. It’s just dinner.”

But I could see in her eyes that everything felt like a test to her. Every kindness was something to be suspicious of, every gesture potentially hiding some darker motive. It made me want to find whoever had taught her that lesson and introduce them to my fists.

No doubt it had started with Ray Matthews, but now that she was an adult, who was responsible?

“We’re going to have a good time,” I told her. “Follow me home?”

She nodded, climbing into her car with movements that spoke of resignation rather than anticipation. Not exactly the reaction a man hoped for when asking a woman to dinner, but I’d take what I could get.

An hour later, after we’d both showered and changed, I found myself staring at Piper in my hallway and forgetting how to breathe.

The dress was simple—navy-blue cotton that had seen better days, a little loose at the waist and short in the sleeves, like she’d bought it when she was heavier. But on her, with her blonde hair pulled back in a loose bun and a hint of color on her lips, she looked beautiful.

“It doesn’t fit right,” she said, tugging at the waist. “It’s my only dress, and I haven’t worn it since—” She stopped, shaking her head. “We don’t have to do this.”

“You look beautiful.” The words came out rougher than intended, but they were true. “Absolutely beautiful.”

If anything, that made her sadder. Like compliments were weapons designed to wound. I didn’t understand it, but I was determined to show her they could be something else. Something real and freely given.

The drive to Rosario’s was quiet except for Caleb’s contented babbling from the back seat. He’d been fed and would probably sleep through dinner, which was perfect. I wanted this time with Piper, wanted to see if I could bring back even a hint of that happiness I’d glimpsed in the barn.

I wanted to get to know this woman who was the mother of my child. I should’ve started before now.

Rosario’s was Garnet Bend’s attempt at upscale dining—checkered tablecloths, candles in wine bottles, and the best Italian food in three counties. As we walked in, Piper immediately tensed.

“This is too expensive?—”

“It’s really not.” I put my hand on the small of her back, gentle pressure to keep her moving forward. “Trust me.”

The hostess, Maria Rosario herself, looked up with a welcoming smile that froze the moment she saw Piper. The temperature in the room seemed to drop ten degrees.

“Sheriff Calloway,” Maria said, her voice carefully neutral. “Table for two?”

“Three, actually.” I gestured to Caleb’s carrier. “Though the little one will probably sleep through it.”

Maria’s gaze stayed locked on Piper, recognition clear in her eyes. “I see. Right this way.”

She led us to a table in the back corner—not the nice booth by the window I’d been hoping for, but I didn’t argue. Not yet. Piper was already shrinking into herself, that brightness from the barn completely extinguished.

As we settled in, I noticed other diners glancing our way. Conversations stopping mid-sentence. Heads turning to whisper behind hands. Small-town curiosity was one thing, but this felt different. Hostile.

“They know who I am,” Piper said quietly, not looking up from her menu.

“Let them look.” I reached across the table, not quite touching her hand but letting her know I was there. “We’re here for dinner, not their approval.”

But as our water glasses were slammed down rather than placed, as our server took our order with barely concealed disdain, I couldn’t ignore it. The Rosarios had been one of the families Ray Matthews had swindled. They’d lost their entire savings, had nearly lost the restaurant.

And now they had to be thinking Ray’s daughter was sitting in their establishment like she had the right to be there.

“We should go,” Piper whispered after the server walked away without asking if we needed anything else. “This was a mistake.”