“Last week.” He didn’t want to be two thousand miles away, worrying about his dad, about Winnie. Piper . . . He’d known what he needed, wanted to do, almost from the moment he’d set foot in Wildstone.

Piper came closer, and with her back to the room, asked softly, “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Haven’t had much time alone.”

She shifted even closer and whispered, “We had plenty last night.”

“After you freaked out about me extending my leave, I thought I’d wait and break it to you gently if it happened. Besides, we were . . . busy last night.”

“No really,” Gavin said. “Ew.”

Piper didn’t take her eyes off Cam.

“Do we have a problem?” he asked.

The look on her face told him they did indeed have a problem, a big one. And he knew why. She’d been comfortable with this thing between them when it’d been temporary. But if he stayed, it suddenly made their no-strings fling complicated.

And she hated complicated.

Emmitt went to the fridge to pour some more OJ. He turned to Piper. “Need anything?”

“Actually, yes. I need my sister to be realistic about what she’s facing. And I need my brother to understand that putting too much pressure on himself right now is a bad idea. And I need them both to be honest with me when shit happens, because how can we be a family if we’re not honest with each other?”

“I feel like he was just offering you a refill, not counseling,” Gavin stage-whispered.

“Food’s getting cold,” Emmitt said, and everyone started eating.

Cam was impressed. He had no idea his dad could command a room without trying.

Halfway through eating, Gavin cleared his throat and looked at Piper. “I know you think I’m in trouble and shouldn’t overextend myself, but I do better when I’m productive. I’ve decided I’m going to hire myself out to build websites on the side.”

“You’ll have to schmooze and wine and dine people,” Winnie said. “Not exactly a smart idea for a recovering druggie.”

“Says the teenager who’s pregnant,” Gavin retorted. “And when exactly did that seem like a stellar idea to you, huh? I mean, it’s right up there with that time you tried to trap a pile of ants with peanut butter, and then thought you could still eat the peanut butter.”

“Hey, I was four,” Winnie said. “Don’t even get me started on the stupid things you’ve done.”

“She’s got you there,” CJ said into his mug of coffee.

Gavin rolled his eyes. “Thanks.”

“Anytime.”

“And also,” Winnie said to the room, “I’m not a teenager anymore. I’m twenty.”

“Pass the syrup,” Piper said.

CJ tossed her the squeeze bottle. “Nice refereeing.”

“Not my first time.”