Settling Scores (Piper Anderson Series) by Danielle Stewart Page A

silverware rattling.
    “Crystal’s right,” Bobby agreed, sucking in a deep breath. “Jedda can’t go there but I can and I don’t care what she wants, I’m getting her home. I don’t care if I have to handcuff and arrest her. At this point she’s done enough to warrant it.”
    “I recall you just giving Josh the wild horse speech. You’re changing your tune now?” Piper asked, finally speaking up. “I thought you were speaking from experience. Do you really think a plan like that would have worked on me?”
    “She’s not you Piper. You never stole money or drugs. You weren’t out associating with guys like Brad or God knows who else in order to take him down. What you were doing was admirable.”
    “That’s what I was doing in Edenville,” Piper admitted. “But I had a whole life before turning up here. Trust me, some of my mistakes would make Willow look like a nun.”
    Bobby threw Piper a curious look as he asserted, “All I’m saying is I think she needs a firm hand at this point. Josh went out there, and I was hoping he’d talk some sense into her. Clearly he didn’t.”
    “She’s a grown woman and Josh is with her. If this is what she thinks she needs to do then we should let her,” Piper stressed, raising her voice to meet Bobby’s volume. They didn’t do much arguing these days. Their lives had settled over the last few months, but Willow had remained their one point of contention. Bobby hadn’t fully shaken his views of right and wrong and Piper hadn’t been able to ignore her empathy for Willow’s situation.
    “Josh has lived in Edenville his whole life. He’s not going to be prepared for what it’s like up there. Think about how Jules was when you got to New York,” Bobby reminded. Piper knew he expected her to be on his side but she wasn’t. She knew what it felt like to be paralyzed by life as though you couldn’t move forward until you fixed the things haunting you.
    Jules cut in with a stern look, “I did just fine up there, thank you very much.”
    “You’ve been going to school for a while now, Piper,” Michael said as Betty came in with a tray of food for everyone. “I’d imagine learning to become a social worker and victims advocate you’ve seen your share of the horror stories. Hell, you’ve lived them yourself. The statistics don’t lie. The odds that any of these women will be found are miniscule. She’s not actually going to have a good outcome from all of this. You have to know that.”
    Piper kept her tone steely, knowing a lot was riding on this debate. “I’m not saying I think she’s going to find them, I’m saying she deserves to look for them if that’s what she thinks she needs to do.”
    “Josh is worried about her mental state,” Bobby chimed in now not looking at Piper at all as Betty placed his plate of pasta down in front of him.
    “Willow?” Betty asked, putting down the last plate and then taking a seat with all of them.
    “Yes, she’s going to New Jersey and trying to remember things from when she was younger. She thinks she can help some of the girls her parents hurt. I know it’s not likely but I think it’s important that she try.” Piper pled her case to Betty, knowing if she could win her over, she could turn the tide of this conversation.
    Every eye was on Betty, waiting for her to weigh in. She pulled her napkin from the table and placed it on her lap as she thought it over. “Is it safe?” she asked, and her eyes went wide as Bobby, Jedda, and Michael called back a loud and resounding no.
    “But she’s determined I’m sure?” Betty continued, the wheels in her brain turning.
    “She’s not going to stop,” Piper interjected before anyone else could. “Willow is going to do this, we just have to figure out how to help her, not how to stop her. I’ll go up there. I’m off school this month anyway.”
    “You’re off school because of your wedding and honeymoon. Don’t forget about that,” Jules reminded,