Page 6 of Finding Romance (Romances in the Building #2)

CHAPTER SIX

Piper

“Are you sure you don’t want me to stay here with you?” I ask my aunt as I swish my dress back and forth. Something about long flowy dresses with Converse shoes just makes me happy.

“No, dear. I’ll be fine. I have my book, my water, and the remote. I’ll call you if I need you,” she says.

There’s a knock on the door and I walk over and open it. Kasen is standing there holding a walkie-talkie.

“Here, Cornelia, you can use this and we’ll just keep it on up there so you can talk to everyone,” Kasen offers.

“Oh, that’s so sweet, Kase. Thank you,” my aunt says, her voice perking up at his idea.

He turns it on and does a practice “testing, one, two, three” into his.

“You press here to talk,” he explains as he shows her a red button.

She tries it and they both laugh when her voice rings out from his. She pats his hand, and he gives her a big smile. Interesting, that this broody muscle man has a sweet spot for my aunt.

“You coming up, Margie?” he asks as he walks toward her and extends his elbow.

“Of course,” she states and laces her arm through his.

I wave to my aunt and follow Margie and Kasen up to the roof.

I haven’t been up here since arriving. It’s changed a bit since I was here in high school.

There’s a whole seating area with a fire pit and a hot tub.

The bar has been expanded and now seats four people.

But there are still two tables with umbrellas, a few lounge chairs, and the greenhouse where Al grows things year-round.

“Hey, Piper, come on over and tell me what you’d like to drink,” Al calls out from behind the bar. I’m not a huge drinker, so I go with a glass of chardonnay, which he pulls out of the fridge and pours into a stemless wineglass.

“Piper, it’s been ages,” Jessa exclaims as she walks over to me and gives me a big hug.

“How are you guys?” I ask as I get a hug from Troy next.

“Same old, just older,” he quips.

“So when were you last here?” Cam asks.

“Oh, uh, well, a few times in college for an afternoon here and there, but not for a full stay since summer break when I was in high school,” I explain.

“Wow, has it been that long?” Bray asks.

I nod. “I think that was my junior year summer because, after senior year, I went to Europe for the summer. So, like six years ago?”

“That explains why none of us have met you,” Hutch says as he bounces a little girl on his leg. She’s watching me from behind his giant arm.

“And who is this?” I ask.

“Ava,” she whispers.

“Hi, Ava. I’m Piper,” I say with a smile.

She grins. “Do you like to play tic-tac-toe?”

I nod. But Carly rolls her eyes. “Ava, how about you let Piper talk to everyone first and she can play with you later, OK? I bet Unca Bray will play with you.”

“Set it up,” Bray says with a wink, and Ava giggles and scrolls out a game board on a napkin with a marker that Al hands her.

“So has everyone moved in since then?” I ask.

“Well, Bray was here,” Hutch says.

“I remember,” I state.

“And I probably just had moved in then,” Hutch says.

“Gray moved in two years ago and Roxy this past year. Cam and Drew moved in around the same time as Carly and Ava, so like three or so years ago,” Hutch continues.

It’s odd getting to know people when my aunt has mentioned some of them in passing.

Like Gray, I knew he was a composer because Aunt Cornelia said something about him, but I hadn’t met him before being here this visit.

“I moved in four years ago,” Kasen states.

“Al, how long have you owned the building?” I ask as I lean on the bar.

“Oh, gosh, I bought it around the time Edith and I got married which was nearly sixty years ago. My brother had a commercial real estate license and I thought it’d be a good investment.

And it allowed Edith to have her antique store right here and it was close to my work.

And now, I have all my friends living here with me, aside from a few guys I still play cards with on occasion.

It’s the perfect place,” he says with a distant smile as if a million memories are playing in his mind like a movie.

“It does seem like a great location, especially with the dead-end street and park right here. It’s unusual for a city apartment,” I point out as I take a sip of wine.

“That it is. It’s what drew me to it, to begin with,” he explains.

“How many residents have you had over the years?” I ask.

Shrugging, he scratches his head, and I can see him mentally counting. “Oh, I reckon a few dozen. Most stay for at least five years, but a few have only stayed for a year or two.”

“We moved in almost eleven years ago,” my aunt pipes up from the walkie-talkie.

Al jumps and clutches his heart. “Oh my, Cornelia, you scared the daylights out of me.”

She cackles. “Kasen brought them. Aren’t they great? You should bring me down some wine,” she insists. I want to fight her on it, but she’s off her pain meds, so technically she can drink.

“Your wish is my command,” Al replies with a chuckle.

“I can bring it down, Al,” I offer.

He waves me off as he pours some into a stemless glass. “I got it. You enjoy yourself.”

I step back and twirl around as I take in the rooftop again.

“Are you a princess?” Ava asks.

I freeze and then slowly turn back to face her. “Me?” I confirm. She nods vigorously.

I smile warmly and shake my head. “Nope. Just a normal woman.”

“Oh,” Ava says, her smile falling a little. “’Cause your dress twirls like a princess.”

She points to the skirt of my dress. And I give it a little half twirl and her smile widens again.

“I can do that too,” she says as she squirms out of Hutch’s lap and takes my hand so I can twirl her. I spin her in a circle, and she giggles.

“See,” she says as she points at her skirt.

“It’s a very good twirly skirt,” I state. I glance over to find Al watching me from the door to the stairwell.

I give him a little nod and walk Ava back to Hutch. He scoops her up and plops her back in his lap. She looks ridiculously small in his lap.

Kasen pushes a bowl of pretzels toward me. “You want some?”

I shake my head. “No, thanks.”

He frowns. “Not hungry?” he asks.

“I don’t really like pretzels,” I say with a shrug. I mean, there’s food I like less, but I’m just not a huge fan. I’d rather have something with flavor.

Kasen frowns, stands, and walks around the bar.

He rifles through some cupboards and then opens the fridge.

I watch with curiosity as he moves something and brings out a jar of spicy pickles.

Setting them on the bar. He then pulls out some olives and celery.

Before I know it, the man is making me a Bloody Mary complete with the vegetable works.

When he finishes, he pushes my mostly finished wineglass to the side and slides the alcoholic tomato juice concoction toward me. Now, I’m not a huge drinker, but this is up my alley.

I take a sip and groan. “That is really good,” I say as I pop an olive in my mouth.

“Try the pickle,” he demands. Normally, I don’t like to be bossed around, but I can tell he means well, so I comply. My eyes widen as I chew.

“Wow. That’s really good,” I say as I eat some more. I look at the jar on the counter but it’s not labeled.

“Al, she likes your pickles,” Hutch laughs.

Al strolls over from the door where he’s still silently watching us. He points to the greenhouse.

“I grow them in my garden,” he says.

“Can I see?” I ask because I love a good garden.

“Sure,” he replies as I pick up my drink.

I lean over the counter and kiss Kasen’s cheek. “Thank you,” I whisper.

I can feel him watching me as I turn and walk with Al across the rooftop to his small greenhouse.

Al explains everything he’s growing. “I’m winding down my summer harvest. But I’ll keep fresh herbs in here over the winter,” he explains.

“It’s really cool that you have this up here,” I say as I look at each neatly labeled plant.

“Edith wanted a garden,” he says wistfully.

“I bet she’d be happy that you’re taking care of it for her,” I reply as I remember his sweet wife who always made the best homemade chocolates at the holidays.

We leave the greenhouse and walk back over to the bar. I look up and find Kasen still watching me. He’s talking to Hutch and putting things away. But I can see his gaze following my movements.

You’re a real mystery, Kasen. And I sort of want to get to the bottom of it and figure you out. I should probably be applying for more jobs, but I also desperately need a distraction, and Kasen Saddler, whose last name I learned on his mailbox, is looking to be a very hot distraction.