One
Piper Holloway loved a wedding. Who didn’t? They were joyous events.
Her niece Harley and Grant Everett had waited a long time for their happily ever after. Piper didn’t begrudge them their wedded bliss, but a part of her wished she wasn’t going stag to all of their festivities.
These happy-couple kind of events always made her reevaluate her life choices, even though she was perfectly content as a single woman. She had her art, which was way more reliable than a man, and a thriving—well previously thriving—business. Though she had never had any stake in Wingate Enterprises, many people suspected she might be part of its allegedly shady business dealings, and her clientele was down recently.
But none of that mattered. She was here to celebrate her niece’s wedding day and support her sister, Ava, who’d recently gone through a really tough decision to move out of Keith’s house and set up her own residence. Standing on her own after the death of her husband had been a struggle for Ava and she’d leaned on her good friend Keith until she’d realized he wanted a romantic relationship with her. Now, they all needed a fun day.
It was a gorgeous November Saturday in Royal, Texas. As much as Piper loved living in Dallas, there were times when she truly missed Royal, though she had been home a lot recently as her sister and family navigated their way through their business scandal. Of course, she didn’t miss the gossips who’d been making her family’s life a living hell since the drug-trafficking scandal had broken.
All of the Wingate assets had been frozen and their home seized. Harley wasn’t able to be married on the Wingate estate, which Piper knew had been a dream of hers. But Grant’s family’s ranch was perfect for the small wedding celebration. It was mainly family and friends—those who had stuck by the Wingates and Holloways through thick and thin.
The Everett ranch was large and sprawling, and the grounds were decked out for the wedding, which had been beautiful. Harley was big into the environment and her choice of venue reflected that. Therefore, it seemed apt that she and Grant had decided to be married in the old barn, which had been decorated under the supervision of her older sister, Beth. The chairs were lined up, and despite the fact that the Wingates were no longer the favored family in Royal, there was a nice intimate group of attendees.
Everyone was happy that “Uncle” Keith wasn’t in attendance today, mainly because of how that would have affected Ava. Piper’s sister was still dealing with the heartbreak of losing her beloved husband a little over a two years ago and no one had approved of Keith’s interest in her. Piper had kept her mouth shut because she didn’t like to fight with Ava, especially over men, but it had seemed to her that Keith had been a little too overprotective of Ava. Her spunky sister had become a shell of the woman she had once been.
Right now Ava looked gorgeous in her mother-of-the-bride dress, but she seemed tired and thinly drawn. Moving out of Keith’s house had only been the first step to Ava taking back her own life. Piper thought that Ava was finally getting past the crippling grief. Though Piper would never say it to her, the events of the last few months had certainly taken a toll on the Wingate matriarch. Ava was nineteen years older, and Piper had always craved her sister’s attention and approval.
“What’s that you’re wearing?” Ava asked, coming up behind her. “Even though the wedding is small, you could have made more of an effort.”
Piper turned to face her sister, biting her tongue as she always did. Ava was in a mood and Piper was giving her a little leeway, given that she’d lost her home, her husband and was on the verge of losing her company, as well.
“It’s a designer Grecian gown,” Piper said, air kissing her sister’s cheeks. “I thought it would be perfect for this occasion and when I texted Harley, she said it was fine. Have you heard any news on the investigation?”
“No. I believe Miles is getting closer but there is still nothing but rumors,” Ava replied.
“Do they have any suspects?” Piper asked. She wasn’t too close to the business side of things, but she knew that Ava was trying to get back into running the company so she would have something to do. But now, with the precarious state of affairs, those plans were up in the air.
“Yes, but I can’t really share that with you,” Ava told her in a terse tone. “I know you’ve never been married, but this really isn’t the kind of conversation anyone wants to overhear on their wedding day.”
“Of course, Ava. I see Zeke and Reagan waving me over. I’ll catch up with you later. I’m sure you need to circulate as the mother of the bride, especially since Trent is not here.”
Trent Wingate’s death had left a hole in all of their lives, and Piper knew that Harley missed her beloved father terribly. She’d escaped to Thailand to start her own business, which was thriving now.
Piper knew her words hadn’t been nice, but her sister had a way of making her react like a...bitch. She turned, thinking she should apologize, but Ava had already moved away. There were times when she wondered if anyone could melt the ice around her sister’s heart. Piper didn’t want to impose on her nephew and his new wife, so she drifted toward the bar.
“Buy you a drink?” a man asked. His voice was dark, sexy and straight out of dreams that she channeled into her art.
She turned to see Brian Cooper standing behind her. He was tall, over six feet, and had thick, close-cut black hair that made his face seem all strong, masculine angles. He had an easy smile and his eyes beamed with intelligence. He’d asked her to coffee more than once and she’d always said no.
He ticked a lot of her boxes. Whip smart with oodles of charisma...and the innate ability to make her forget things that she shouldn’t. She really believed in the adage older and wiser. Which was why she had decided to stay away from him.
But it wasn’t just the age difference—she was nearly eleven years older—but also the fact that he was Keith Cooper’s nephew. Keith had gone from being a family friend to Ava’s overprotective friend, and that complicated things. Piper preferred to keep things simple. It just was easier.
“It’s an open bar,” she pointed out.
He waggled his eyebrows at her. “I know. Figured this way you wouldn’t say no.”
He was effortlessly charming with the kind of square jaw and impish grin that made her pulse beat a little bit faster. She’d tried to be subtle when she turned him down, but as she’d already observed, Brian was a very smart man. “I’d love tequila straight. But Ava would have a fit if I had one, so sauvignon blanc please.”
“Do you always do what Ava wants?” he asked. “She has so much power over everyone in her circle.”
“Even your uncle,” she pointed out. Keith had been rumored to be taking Ava’s decision to distance herself from him without grace.