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

switching positions and handing a fussing Frankie over to Michael. She took her role as maid of honor very seriously, even if the wedding was planned to be casual.
    “You’re not going up by yourself. I’ll go with you, but I’m not biting my tongue while I’m there. I’m going to tell her this is a bad idea,” Bobby said, folding his arms across his chest assertively.
    “I’m sure that will go over great. But you don’t have any time off, only what you’ve got scheduled for the honeymoon,” Piper said sounding defeated.
    “I’ll switch it. We’ll just honeymoon before our wedding. In Jersey. Doesn’t that sound romantic?” Bobby shrugged and leaned into Piper with a sweet smile.
    “I’m not sure either of you are capable of relaxing anyway. I figured even on your honeymoon you’d be solving a crime or something,” Michael joked, as he grabbed the onions off of Jules’s salad with his free hand and Jules grabbed the tomatoes off his. Piper had watched them morph into a couple during the time she’d known them and this was just another example. How wonderful to find the person who willingly gave you your favorite thing off their plate and took away the one thing you didn’t like. It brought balance to them both.
    “So we’re going?” Piper asked, looking around the table in a speak now or forever hold your peace manner.
    “I think we have to. I’ll give my boss a call and explain the situation. Maybe he’ll give me some liberties to work with a precinct up there. If Willow’s dead set on doing this at least we can do it the right way.”
    “If you two aren’t here for your wedding,” Betty began, pointing her knife threateningly over at them, “I will hunt you down and drag you back here. I have worked too damn hard to make sure you two don’t screw things up in this relationship. I’ll be damned if I’m going to postpone these vows.”
    “I think we’ve done most of the heavy lifting in our relationship,” Bobby shot back putting his arm around Piper proudly.
    “Oh please, you’d all be nothing without me. Just a bunch of hungry, lonely buffoons who keep screwing up your lives. Let me hear one of you disagree with that and I’ll start listing the crap you all pull.  So just don’t make me get on another plane and pull your sorry butts back here. You know how much I hate to fly.” Betty sliced off a bite of meatloaf and plunged her fork assertively into it. “Oh and give my love to Willow. Tell her we’re rooting for her and if she needs anything at all, I’m here.”
    “You’re scary and wonderful all at once, Betty,” Piper said as she poured a glass of wine for herself.
    “You just focus on the scary part if the idea of moving your wedding date creeps into your head,” Betty threatened with a sweet smile.
    Everyone finished their meals and then began to scatter. Jedda tossed his dishtowel back over his shoulder and tied his apron back on as he kissed Crystal goodbye. Jules and Michael finished the endless process of getting Frankie cleaned up, strapped in, and all of her jingling toys gathered up.
    “Piper,” Crystal called in a hushed voice once Jedda had disappeared back into the kitchen.
    “What’s up?” Piper asked reading the look of conflict on her friends face. Crystal had been someone Piper could talk to leading up to the wedding when Jules had been busy tending to Frankie. She’d assimilated well into this patchwork family, becoming her own pattern in their quilt. Crystal was good for Jedda, and in that, good for all of them.
    “I wanted to ask you and Bobby something,” she said looking uncomfortable as Piper waved Bobby over. “I know this makes absolutely no sense and I’m embarrassed to even ask, but I was hoping you could take something with you when you go to New Jersey.” She reached in her bag and pulled out the photograph of her missing sister Erica. The edges tattered and the print faded, Piper could see Crystal had been carrying it a long