Page 10

10

Piper

Later that afternoon, Maddie and I head to the festival grounds. The place is packed: families milling around, local vendors hawking everything from homemade cider to beaded jewelry, and on one side, a small stage where live music thumps.

I do my best to act normal, though a swirl of guilt churns in my stomach. My Penelope post practically eviscerated Jake for “selling himself to the highest bidder.” A total exaggeration, but it got the desired clicks.

Just as I’m about to grab some kettle corn, I spot a group of men standing off to the side. One of them, tall and broad-shouldered, is James Davidson—an infamous local businessman known for shady deals.

Next to him is a younger blonde guy, probably around twenty, with a sleek confidence that seems out of place for a kid. They’re talking in hushed tones, surveying the crowd like they own it.

“So that’s that Davidson guy,” I mutter. “He’s the one trying to buy up land for that casino project, right?”

Maddie nods grimly. “Yeah. Rumor is he uses intimidation tactics. A bunch of ranchers already sold out of fear.”

I nod towards the blond, good-looking younger guy at James’s side.

“And him?”

“Carter, his kid. Well, hardly a kid anymore.”

I say nothing, taking in the sight of the two of them.

Carter glances around and his eyes land on Emma, who’s standing by a popcorn booth with Carter and Emma’s mutual friend. Emma’s got her usual bright smile, while Carter looks like he’s itching to talk to her but doesn’t know how. She waves at him, and he gives a shy half-wave back, looking torn between flirting and fleeing.

“Whoa,” I say softly. “Carter’s got it bad.”

Maddie follows my line of sight. “He’s definitely giving Emma heart-eyes. Talk about star-crossed. The Davidsons are basically enemies of the Ice family.”

“Romeo and Juliet in the making,” I mutter. “This can’t end well.”

Before I can dwell on it, someone jostles me from behind. A huge guy wearing a sneer and an ill-fitting suit knocks right into me, sending my soda sloshing onto my shoes.

“Oh, sorry, babe,” he drawls, tone anything but apologetic.

“Vince,” another man says. I whip around and see Jake stepping up, tension coiled in every line of his body. He’s obviously recognized the guy. “Didn’t realize scumbags were allowed at the festival.”

Vince’s lips curl into a mean grin. “Jake Ice, fancy seeing you here. I was just enjoying this nice event with Mr. Davidson.”

My gaze flicks over to James Davidson, who’s pretending not to notice but is definitely watching. Vince might be one of his “goons,” or so rumor says. Sure enough, Davidson stands a few yards away with an amused expression. Carter lingers beside him, looking uncomfortable.

“Yeah, well, maybe you should keep walking,” Jake grinds out. “Unless you’ve got a reason to be here.”

Vince shrugs and gestures with a plastic cup. “Free country, right? We can enjoy the festival too.” Then he glances around, landing on Emma, who’s returning with a small bag of cotton candy. “That your sister over there?” he says, voice slick with insinuation. “How old is she now? Eighteen? Or not quite?”

My stomach twists. Jake stiffens, stepping in front of Emma protectively.

“You stay away from her,” he warns, voice dropping low. “In fact, don’t even look at her.”

Vince holds up his hands in mock surrender. “Relax, man. I was just asking.”

Jake doesn’t relax. He doesn’t even blink. Instead, he closes the distance and shoves Vince’s shoulder back.

“Is there a problem?” Davidson drawls, finally joining us. Carter stands behind him, jaw clenched, as if he’d rather be anywhere else.

“Your guy’s the problem,” Jake snaps. “He’d better keep his mouth shut about my sister.”

Vince takes a menacing step. “What’re you gonna do about it?”

In a flash, Jake’s fist connects with Vince’s jaw. The sound is ugly, flesh on flesh. People around us gasp, and Emma yelps. I jump back, my heart hammering.

“Jake!” I exclaim. But the fight has already broken out; Vince lunges back, nearly spilling his drink all over me. He manages to splash half of it onto my shirt.

“Hey!” I shout indignantly, but everything’s chaos.

Jake stands over Vince, fists clenched, pure fury in his eyes. “Don’t talk about Emma, you creep.”

Vince rubs his jaw, looking like he wants to swing again. “Big words from a guy whose family’s about to lose their precious ranch.”

Davidson steps in, lips curling. “That’s enough, Vince. We’re not here to brawl. Yet. ”

Jake doesn’t back down. “Get him out of here before I finish the job.”

I glance around—onlookers are forming a circle, and I can see Layla and Ethan rushing over. Davidson puts an arm out, stopping Vince from going for Jake again. Then he turns his cold gaze on Jake.

“You’ve made your point,” Davidson says smoothly. “But if you’re foolish enough to raise your fists at my associate again, I’ll have you charged with assault. Or worse. Understood?”

Jake grits his teeth. “Yeah, sure. Make all the threats you want.” He shifts his glare to Vince. “I might do an internet search on you, Vince. You know, see if there’s a reason you should be nowhere near minors.”

Vince bristles, face darkening. For a second, it looks like he might snap. But Davidson clamps a hand on his shoulder. “Let’s go,” he orders, voice still calm but with an edge.

Carter lingers a second longer. He glances at Emma—who’s being hustled back by Layla—and his face is a tangled mess of regret and embarrassment. “Emma…” he starts, but Jake takes a threatening step forward, blocking Carter’s view.

“Get out of here,” Jake warns.

Carter sighs, defeat on his face, then mutters a quiet, “Sorry,” before following his father and Vince.

The moment they’re gone, the tension seems to snap. Emma exhales shakily, hugging the cotton candy to her chest. “I’m okay,” she assures everyone. “Really, I’m fine.”

Jake’s breathing is ragged, knuckles red from the punch. “Em, I’m—sorry you had to see that.” He looks guilty, protective, and still pumped full of adrenaline.

“Don’t apologize,” Emma says in a small voice. “He was…ugh. Sleazy.”

“Yeah,” I murmur, stepping up. My shirt’s soaked in whatever Vince was drinking, and Jake notices.

“You’re wet,” he observes, brow furrowing. “Sorry about that, Piper. Let me—uh—”

“It’s fine,” I say quickly, though my heart’s pounding at how quickly Jake jumped to Emma’s defense. It was reckless, but also…protective, dominant. Something about it sends a shiver through me, and I’m not entirely sure it’s fear.

He steps closer, like he might help dab the stain, but I wave him off, ignoring the flutter in my stomach. He’s sweaty, angry, full of that fierce energy that says he’d fight an entire army if it meant keeping Emma safe. And that is far too attractive for my peace of mind.

“Thank you,” Emma says softly, looking up at her big brother. “You didn’t have to punch him, though.”

Jake grunts. “Yes, I did.”

I notice Carter in the distance, glancing back at Emma one more time before slinking off with Davidson and Vince. Star-crossed , indeed.

“Let’s get out of here,” Luke says, guiding Emma away from the crowd that’s still gaping. “We’ll figure out the rest later.”

As they move off, Jake and I stand there for a moment, the festival’s noise fading into the background. My shirt’s wet and sticky, the sweet smell of soda making me crave a shower. Jake’s knuckles are bruised and swelling, and he flexes his hand with a grimace.

“You okay?” I ask softly, more concern in my voice than I intend to show.

He raises his eyebrows. “Worried about me, sweetheart?”

I let out a scoffing laugh, but there’s no real bite in it. “Don’t get used to it. I’m just making sure you won’t pass out from caveman syndrome.”

He smirks, though his eyes still dance with leftover anger. “A punch doesn’t knock me out, Piper. Especially not for Emma’s sake.”

And just like that, I’m back to remembering how he pinned me during our last hookup, that same electric surge in his gaze when he took control. My breath hitches, and I hope he doesn’t notice.

I cross my arms, ignoring the damp fabric clinging to me. “Well, if you’re done beating your chest, maybe we can find some napkins?”

He almost laughs. “Sure. Follow me.”

We head toward a concession stand, and I grab a handful of napkins. As I dab at my shirt, I can feel Jake’s gaze on me. Warm. Intense. I straighten, forcing calm into my voice. “What?”

He shrugs, looking unapologetically at the wet patch. “Just making sure you’re alright. And…maybe a little sorry I couldn’t smash Vince’s face in sooner so he wouldn’t spill on you.”

My cheeks heat. I bite back a smile. “Such a gentleman.”

He leans in, dropping his voice. “You don’t know the half of it.”

My pulse stutters, memories rushing back. That mouth on my neck, his hand slipping under my shirt, my own moan. I had to force myself to stop it from going further. No. I can’t get sucked into some whirlwind romance, especially with a guy like Jake.

I don’t believe in love. I just know that the moment you start caring, you set yourself up for disaster.

Clearing my throat, I step back. “I can handle myself.”

He nods, eyes still heavy-lidded with that same energy that messed me up in the first place. “I bet you can.”

We fall silent, the festival noise swelling around us again. I can’t help thinking about how quickly he’d jumped to Emma’s defense, how protective he’d been. Maybe he’s not the arrogant misogynist my Penelope persona paints him to be. Maybe…

I clamp down on that thought. Doesn’t matter. I still have to keep the lie going—fake dating or not—because my blog depends on it, and Sadie’s blackmail looms over me.

“You have a weird habit of ending up soaked when we’re together,” Jake teases, nodding at my shirt, trying to ease the tension.

I roll my eyes, carefully ignoring the flicker of warmth in my stomach. “Don’t get any ideas. I’m not going to let you strip me down to fix this.”

He smirks. “Wouldn’t dream of it. Not here, anyway.”

Heat flares in my cheeks again, and I hate how easily he can rattle me. “I’m going to find Emma. Make sure she’s okay.”

Jake steps aside, but as I pass, he grips my wrist lightly. “Piper.”

His fingers brush the inside of my wrist—warm, steady, just firm enough to make my pulse jump. A slow, deliberate touch.

I freeze. My breath stutters, heart hammering against my ribs. For a second, neither of us move.

Then I force myself to exhale, shaking it off. “Yeah?”

He hesitates, then lowers his voice. “Thanks for, you know, checking on me.” He exhales slowly, as if the words are unfamiliar to him. “I’m not exactly used to…that.”

His admission is so vulnerable it makes me blink. Then he drops my wrist and stalks away, leaving me to stand there in the swirl of festival lights, my heart pounding in my ears.

I press my lips together, mind racing. Maybe he’s not so terrible, a traitorous voice whispers.

“Shut up,” I mutter to myself, heading off to find Emma and hopefully distract my brain from the chaos that is Jake Ice. But deep down, I can’t ignore the truth:

He’s definitely more than I bargained for.