Read Online Wrapped in Lace by Prescott Lane - Free Book Online Page A

seconds. “You just got here,” I said. “You haven’t even talked to your family.”
    “That’s the point. I’m trying to avoid them.”
    I stepped back, forcing him to release me. Guess he was too good to be true. I wasn’t going to be used. He was clearly trying to escape from something, and I wasn’t going to be his excuse to avoid whatever it was.
    “Piper?” he said, reaching out for me.
    “I’ll talk to you later.” I turned and walked off the dance floor.
    *
    DREW
    I wanted to kick my own ass. I didn’t know why I’d said that to Piper. I made it seem like I was using her to avoid my problems. Real romantic, idiot. I had to go after her and explain. Glancing through the crowd, I saw she hadn’t left. She was simply sitting at the bar, but her eyes gave everything away. She looked so disappointed, and I couldn’t stand it. I started towards her, but my parents were gawking at me. They quickly tried to busy themselves with the pretzel baskets, but they weren’t exactly subtle. I really wanted to go to Piper, but she’d made it clear she wanted me to talk to my family, so maybe it was better to get that out of the way. I took a seat between my parents, kissing my mom on the cheek.
    “Where have you been all day?” my mom asked.
    “Last minute Christmas shopping?”
    “For anyone in particular?” she asked, smiling like only a doting mom can.
    “Piper’s a nice girl,” my dad added.
    I looked at Piper on the other side of the bar. She was the last thing I expected to happen on this trip. “She is.”
    “Pretty, too,” my mom said.
    “Yep, that, too.” I agreed. There was no use denying it. Piper was a total knockout, and I’d just openly groped her, so I didn’t see the point in lying.
    “Are you two a thing now?” Dad asked, throwing some pretzels in his mouth.
    “From Mom, I expect this, but not you, too, Dad.”
    My dad looked at my mom and shrugged. “I tried, Gwennie.”
    She laughed and threw her hands up at him. “Like you tried to have ‘the talk’ with him. A football analogy didn’t quite cover all the bases,” she said.
    I busted out into a huge laugh, remembering my father trying to explain that sex was like football—telling me that the quarterback is like a penis, and he needs his protective padding. My mom had been so mortified that Dad slept on the sofa for a week. “I need a drink for this conversation,” I said.
    “I’ll get it,” Rob said, walking over. “What’re you having?”
    Shit! Why did he have to come over here? Why couldn’t I just have some time with our parents without him? I hated him. He had ruined everything. I’d always thought we’d run the bar together, live close, be best friends, but Rob had blown that dream to pieces. “A Lemon Drop,” I said, knowing that was a bitch of a drink to make, if Rob even knew how to make it.
    “A little girly, don’t you think?” Rob asked.
    “It’s for a girl.”
    “Piper likes Blue Moon beer.”
    The sound of her name coming out of my brother’s mouth made me see red. I felt my whole body tense. “You don’t need to worry about what Piper likes.”
    My mom put her hand on my forearm. “Please don’t do this.”
    “It’s not my problem Rob doesn’t know how to make a simple drink. There’s more to tending bar than beer and whiskey.”
    “There’s more to life than holding on to something that happened six fucking years ago, too,” Rob barked.
    “Can you make the damn drink or not?” I got to my feet and leaned over the bar, getting into Rob’s face.
    My dad pushed us apart, his teeth gritted together. “This is not the time or place for this.”
    “Stop babying him,” Rob said. “He’s got his own business and a shitload of money. He can live wherever he wants, and I’m. . . .”
    Did Rob really expect me to feel sorry for him? He’d be waiting until hell freezes over. “Forget it, Rob. Guess you’re as shitty a bartender as you are a brother.”
    Every muscle in