Later that night Naomi had left, and Ford was putting the girls down in the living room in sleeping bags with Piper’s little niece. Her mom had gone to bed and her brother and his wife from his second marriage had gone for a walk. The house was quiet except for the tiny little chatter of little girls from the living room.
Taking in some alone time, Ford and Piper sat on the deck couch and relaxed together, enjoying the night air. The cool ocean breeze was a nice break from the hot North Carolina sun.
“So, do you want to tell me what was said on the beach earlier? Naomi came back a little too cheerful. That's odd and creeps me out, to be honest.” Ford pulled her over to him. “She’s not trying to talk you out of dating me, is she?”
“No. It was nothing, really. We talked about the girls
