Chasing Justice

Chapter Nine



“Are you ready to go?” Bobby asked Piper as they sat on Betty’s porch swing watching the night unfold before them. Lightning bugs were beginning to sparkle across the open field of the front yard, and the crickets were chirping loudly. Piper looked forward to Wednesday nights week after week. They were brief moments in time filled with calmness and tranquility mixed with laughter. For the last two weeks Bobby had given her a ride there. Betty had insisted that it didn’t make sense for two people coming from the same direction to in drive different cars. Whether she was playing matchmaker or mother hen, it didn’t seem up for debate.

“I’m never ready to leave here,” Piper answered, with a little pout. “Don’t you wish you could stay forever? This creaky old swing, the sounds of the night and all these stars? I’m not sure there is anywhere on earth more peaceful than this.” Bobby watched the wonder dance on Piper’s face and realized how different her life must have been from his growing up. He appreciated a little front porch sitting as much as the next southerner, but Piper seemed completely in love with the concept of quietly watching the world around her, as if she had never really done it before. Until his parents moved back up north two years ago, Bobby had lived at home, just next door, with them. Most of his nights ended exactly this way. Now, since moving into downtown Edenville, Wednesday night was the only way he could enjoy the outdoors this way. But if he had to, he’d sit on a pile of rotting trash at the landfill to be next to Piper.

“Come on,” he said, standing and pulling her up by her outstretched hands. “It’ll be next Wednesday night before you know it. I’ll be honking the horn outside your house and we’ll be on our way back here.” Bobby poked his head back through the screen door and called a goodbye to Betty who was drying the dishes and humming a song.

“Bye kids, drive safe.” Betty walked out on the porch as they got into Bobby’s big red truck and waved at them as she always did. Piper loved that about Betty. She loved that she stood on the threshold of her house and waved all of them off every time they left.

There was something so comforting about knowing no matter how many times you looked back she’d still be there. She’d stand with her dishrag draped over her shoulder waving her hand and smiling until you were out of sight. Piper felt like she had waited her whole life for gestures like that.

Being a passenger in Bobby’s truck was oddly exciting. It was an antique but so comfortable and well-kept that you’d never know how old it really was. It was nice not to have to navigate the dark country roads, and to simply sit back and watch the world go by. They usually talked about how work was going for both of them, how much of an idiot Scott was that night, and occasionally about Betty and Stan. Piper had learned their love story was one you might see in a movie. Bobby painted them as the perfect parents and fiercely loyal to each other. He had mentioned on more than one occasion that he would never settle for a relationship that was less than what Betty and Stan had.

“So I’ve been meaning to ask you something,” Bobby started timidly, and Piper could tell he was feeling a little awkward about his question. “Did Jules give you the same speech about how we have her blessing if anything should happen between us?” Bobby looked straight ahead, focusing on the road.

“She did. It was strange and uncomfortable but very sweet. Don’t worry though, I told her nothing was going to happen.” Piper was desperate to move on from this conversation. She hated any deep discussion that didn’t come with an exit strategy, unless she considered diving out of a moving truck an acceptable form of ending a chat. She knew everything she had been doing over the past weeks was playing with fire. She couldn’t go around blending herself into this peculiar but delightful group without them wanting more from her. And she couldn’t go around swinging on a porch swing week after week with a gorgeous cop and not think he’d expect something to come of it.

“Well that’s not completely true. We kissed.” Bobby felt a small pang of disappointment at Piper’s reaction. He had hoped this conversation might be a jumping off point for something more.

“That wasn’t really a kiss. It was a thank you between friends. It didn’t mean anything. It was how you would kiss your grandmother for goodness sake.”

“I guess the next time I kiss you I better not leave any doubt about my intentions then,” he smiled unapologetically at her.

“There isn’t going to be a next time. I’m not sure how to put this so bear with me while I think of the right way to say it.” She bit her lip and searched out her window, hoping maybe the right words would be painted on the passing trees.

When Piper remained silent for several moments, Bobby spoke up. “You’re very beautiful when you’re speechless. Let me see if I can help you. Are you dating that lawyer guy you’re doing all that research for? Because that won’t stop me from pursuing you. I’m not above stealing another guy’s girl,” Bobby said with a forced seriousness that broke into a smile.

“No, Michael and I are barely even friends. We’re more like acquaintances. That isn’t it at all.” She looked down at her lap still searching for the right words to say. She fiddled nervously with her hands until Bobby reached over to hold one.

He intertwined his fingers with hers, and she was taken aback by how warm and large his hand felt. Her hands were always cold regardless of the outside temperature. It seemed to be ages since she had felt the warmth of another person in this intimate way. She let the comfort and connection of his hand take over for a moment before realizing what she had to do. She pulled her hand away and began to speak.

“I’m not even a whole person, Bobby. I’m no Betty to your Stan. There are some girls out there who are worth the fight and the hard work, but you’re going to have to trust me when I tell you that I’m not one of them.” She had her hands back in her lap now and stared down at them. It had only been a minute and she already missed the feeling of his hand enveloping hers.

“I’m a pretty insightful guy, Piper. By now I’ve realized that you don’t talk about your past. If you haven’t noticed, I’ve stopped asking. I can see that you’ve got some history that maybe you’re still dealing with. That doesn’t make you some damaged girl unworthy of a relationship.” Bobby pulled the truck up to the front of Piper’s house. The thought of the conversation ending was relieving to Piper and disappointing to Bobby. She pushed open her car door instead of waiting for Bobby to come around and do it for her as he usually did, another gesture she had always imagined but never expected. Before she could hit the first step of her apartment she heard Bobby following behind.

“Bobby, I know you have this whole hero complex thing, and you probably see me as this great cause you can work on. I don’t need that right now. I need a friend, and you, Jules, and Betty have been wonderful. That’s all I have room for at the moment.” She fumbled for her front door key as she climbed the stairs, not looking over her shoulder to see his reaction or if he was following her. He certainly was.

They were both at the top of the stairs now, her keys in hand and her forehead pressed against the door in frustration. He turned her around to face him and pulled her chin up so he could look into her eyes.

“I’m going to kiss you right now unless you explicitly tell me not to.” He paused, and Piper was frantically searching for the words to tell him to stop, but none came.



Bobby leaned in and kissed her, hesitating slightly as if he were afraid to scare her off. After a moment of passively fighting it, Piper parted her lips, inviting him to kiss her passionately. Bobby’s warm hand was resting softly on her cheek. His tongue danced lightly across her lips. He used his free hand to pull her body up against his and she felt herself shake with passion. It didn’t matter how many times she had touched him over the last few weeks she was always surprised by the tightness of his muscles and the width of his shoulders.

Time seemed to cease, until the sound of a honking car somewhere in the distance freed them both from the trance. As their lips moved away from each other’s, their foreheads came together, and Bobby looked into Piper’s eyes, searching for a reaction.

Her face read only stunned. She was surprised at how magical the moment felt, how she had made it all the way into her twenties without ever feeling anything like that before. She was even more surprised that she had let it happen. Bobby kissed her cheek, tucked her frazzled brown hair behind her ear and leaned in to whisper to her, “That was no Grandma kiss.” He took the keys from her hand, unlocked her door, and swung it open. Piper, who was still reeling from the kiss, felt his hand on the small of her back as he nudged her in. For a moment she thought he’d be joining her and the kiss would be only a gateway to a night of passion. But in true gentlemanly fashion, he nodded and winked as he turned back toward the street, pulling the door closed between them.

It took another long minute before she could will herself to move toward the window to watch his taillights as he pulled away. She had kissed and been kissed by men in the past, but none had ever felt so breathtaking. She could still taste the mint of his gum on her lips and smell his fresh, soapy skin. She knew now that she felt something for Bobby that she had never experienced before, and it meant one of two things. Either she’d have to let him in or push him away. Both options seemed suffocating.