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“It’s huthat you didn’t willingly allow Stanley to do Stanley never helped you in any way at all He dragged you down and shoved your face in the dirt, remember?”
Piper felt her cheeks heat—the truth did hurt “I wish people had told ether”
“Nobody wanted to hurt you, Pipes,” Melanie said softly “And would you have listened?”
Piper sighed “No, I wouldn’t I’d have due and Stanley would have hadthat distracted ot to the point where he’d be derogatory to you in public and you wouldn’t even defend yourself anymore It hurt me to have to stand by and keepwith me, Mel Those were some bad years I can’t believe I let him crush my self-esteem like he did He even ran me down in front of his boss, for God’s sake”
“You can see it now, that’s the i, and now it’s time to move on Move upward You’re free from him and all the toxicity of that relationship”
“So the upshot of what you’re saying is that I should go along hat DeLeo wants rin and bear it?”
“I say it could be a whole lot worse and you ht actually enjoy yourself”
“Jesus, that’s what he said!”
“Looks like you’re outvoted then” Melanie drained the last of her coffee and slipped the strap of her purse over her shoulder “And I have a hunch that the wedding of the year you’re going to in a couple of weeks is one of my coht even recognize the coral tealight holders you soldfabulous and very expensive at the bankable brewer’s expense”
Piper watched Melanie leave, and then squeezed her eyes shut tight against the world Her fate was apparently sealed
The walk from the coffee shop to the retail premises that Silver Bells and Cockle Shells shared with other craft stores and then back to her apart progressively worse and now high winds lashed bitter snowflakes into her face and hair By the time she’d walked down Fourth Street, she wished she’d taken a cab to avoid this hell The streets were e fast so she couldn’t expect any walk-in custoet her stock updated in the ten ed some cover for the times when she wouldn’t be around
Sophie was supposed to take so a roof over her head, picking up herthe rough end of the deal, but family was family and she was sure Sophie would put herself out in the same way if their situations were reversed Maybe
Outside her apart cold, she fuht one in the lock, but her fingers were clu fell with a clatter onto the rind of the lockthan usual, the last twist of the knife after a painful day Her tiny foyer was dark, biting cold, and silent Until a pitiful loom
“Sophie?” The place was empty Piper put her purse on the telephone table in the hall and shrugged off her coat so as not to trail ers of dread crept up her spine as she acknowledged her furnace had probably broken down again, just what she needed She flicked on the front roonant cat curled up on the sofa