“Alright! So, let’s figure out these next few weeks.”
“Don’t go too crazy, Karen,” Dad said, his tone even and calm. While I'd gotten my looks from Mom, my even-tempered disposition was all Dad. “This little family has more than pancakes on its plate.”
“I know, I know,” Mom said. “All the same, we’ve got cousins and aunts and uncles to introduce, homes to visit, dinners to plan…all that good stuff! Not to mention, I’m sure you two are well into thinking about what kind of wedding you’re going to have.”
I nearly choked on my coffee. Piper and I shared another look, this one more concerned.
Mom picked up on this right away.
“Wait, you two are telling me that you haven’t even startedtalkingabout marriage?”
Sensing tension on the horizon, Dad spoke up. “Karen...”
“We’re still easing into this,” I said. I glanced over at Maddie. Thankfully, she was busy with her pancakes, only taking breaks from eating to wave to Mick in the backyard. “This is a unique situation with a lot that still needs to be figured out.”
"Who’s getting married?” Maddie asked.
I raised my palms, not wanting the situation to get too out of hand.
“Mads, what do you think of taking your food outside?” Piper asked. “I bet Mick wouldlovea bite of pancakes.”
“OK!” Maddie grabbed her plate and headed out the door. Normally, I would’ve said something about not feeding Mick from the table. This was hardly a normal situation, however, and I was happy to get Maddie out of listening distance.
“Mom,” I said once the door was shut, and Maddie was seated at the patio table. “You need to cool out.”
“Oryou could tell that sweet little girl that you’re her father and we’re her grandparents. Doesn’t she deserve to know?”
Dad formed his lips in a tight line the way he did when he agreed with Mom in spite of her lack of tact.
“She’s right. I understand completely that you two are still discussing matters. But at the end of the day, Maddie thinks she doesn’t have a father. Little does she know, he’s right here in front of her.”
Piper and I shared another look, one that suggested there was really no good reason to keep the information a secret any longer.
“How about this?” Mom began. “With all that’s going on, your father and I decided that we’re going to stay in townat leastuntil the Fourth of July—that's three weeks from now.”
“And Maddie’s birthday,” Piper said. "Believe it or not.”
“There we go! Sounds like a perfect time to have this family celebrating. Guys, you need to tell her. And the sooner, the better.”
Mom was right. The only question was how.
Chapter 25
PIPER
“How’re you feeling?” Valentino regarded me with concern. John and Karen were out on the patio, having their breakfast with Maddie while Mick played in the yard.
I sighed, still wrapping my head around the morning’s events.
“Well, I had your parents burst into the bedroom while we were in there resting after a night of amazing sex. So, that got my morning off to a, ah, different kind of start.” I followed this up with a smile, letting him know I wasn’t too bothered by what had happened.
“To be fair, it was only my mom who marched in there. Dad at least had the courtesy to stay at the door.”
I laughed. “Yeah, that’s true.”
He put his hand on my shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze.
“Seriously though, how are you? I know we’d planned to ease into everything. But as you can see,” he swept his hand toward the breakfast-in-progress out on the patio, “sometimes life has other ideas in store.”
