Piper looked at Maggs as she approached, basket over her arm, looking like a candy apple in that pink dress, red curls pulled back, face perfectly made up as always. She was surrounded by people who looked like they’d stepped out of a glossy magazine. Looking down at the toe of her worn sneakers, Piper wondered if she should make more of an effort.

“Those cans you’re staring at, they’re beans.”

“Sure, and I was thinking maybe I’d try something new, you know, spice things up a bit, but Luke and Jack are creatures of habit.”

Maggs snorted. “They wouldn’t even know the difference.”

“I guess.” She randomly selected two cans, unsure why she wasn’t telling her friend the truth. Maybe because this was personal to her mom and cousins, and maybe because it was personal to Dylan and his sisters too. Whatever the reason, she kept it to herself for now, as she knew Miss Marla would.

Moving on to the dog biscuits with her friend chatting, Piper studied them. Buzz liked a certain type. The locals knew this and stocked up, hence there were only a few bags left on the shelf.

“What you up to?”

“That would be shopping, same as you, Maggs.”

“Right, but after I mean.”

“Nada.”

“Sweet, come hiking with us?”

“Us?”

“Me and Charlotte Howard. She was in the gallery earlier and I invited her to come for a quick hike, then we could have wine.”

“What? Why?” Piper frowned at her friend. “I mean, didn’t you tell me she had an attitude when last you met?”

“She does.”

“So why the hell would you go hiking with her?”

“Because it’s important to be nice to people, and when she walked into the gallery she looked like she needed a friend. We got talking, and hiking came up. Anyway, she said she wanted to take a trip up to the falls, and I said I’d accompany her.”

“Why?”

“Why what?” Maggs was looking at the shelves, avoiding Piper’s eyes.

“Why are you hiking, in fact exercising at all, when you loathe and detest it? In fact, the only thing you do is ride horses, occasionally.”

“I don’t loathe exercise, and I hike.” Her friend looked uncomfortable.

“No you don’t. And you hate that brand of mayo you just threw into your basket.”

“All right!” Maggs glared at Piper as she removed it. “I met this guy, and he hikes, and he’s in town for a month, and maybe I might have mentioned I do too.”

“Ah, it begins to make sense now.”

Her friend’s eyes narrowed.

“So are you coming?”

“Wouldn’t miss it for the world. After all, I want to support my friend.”

“Good, because I offered you up as his friend’s partner for our double date tonight.”

“What? No. I meant I want to support you while you hike.”