Free Total Surrender by Rebecca Zanetti Page A

work.
If
she could get the commander alone for a few moments.
    Aromatic scents of garlic, cheese, and spices filled the warm kitchen as Piper uncorked a bottle of Silver Oak Cabernet. Maybe inviting her father to dinner had been a mistake, although Brian should arrive any minute, and he definitely knew how to relax a group of people. Being a realtor made him good with folks, which was something she admired since she’d rather be alone on a computer than in a group. She tried to force a smile to calm down her mother before the commander showed up.
    Rachel fluttered around, her face pale, her hands shakingas she straightened the placemats for the tenth time. “This isn’t a good idea,” she muttered.
    Piper sighed and finished tossing the salad. “Why not?”
    “Because that man isn’t one to trust.” Rachel pushed unruly hair away from her forehead, revealing a line of blue paint along her hand she’d failed to wash off. She’d taken up the hobby of painting like she did everything else—completely. “You don’t know Franklin.”
    Piper’s shoulders went back. “That’s what I’m trying to remedy. Seriously. What’s one dinner?”
    “You don’t understand,” Rachel whispered, way too pale.
    Piper paused. “Don’t understand what?” She strode around the table to reach for her mother’s hand. “Did he hurt you?” God, had he forced her?
    “No.” Rachel rubbed her chin. “He didn’t hurt or force me. We got drunk, I took him home, and you know the rest.”
    Piper studied the circles under her mother’s pretty eyes. “Are you scared of him?”
    Rachel straightened a napkin, her gaze on the table. “Of course not. I barely know the man.”
    Okay, the guy could be definitely intimidating. Plus, her mom had to feel odd about them having a child together and not really knowing each other. Nobody liked to admit they got knocked up by a one-night stand, but it happened all the time. Piper hugged her mom. “Just because I want to know him better doesn’t mean I had a bad childhood or any regrets.”
    Rachel snorted and hugged her back. “Well, duh.”
    Plus, Piper had to figure out the truth about Jory. She’d spent many hours that day typing outside his cell, and he’d talked while she’d pretended to ignore him. The man understood computers as well as she did. And he’d hinted more than once that she didn’t know what was going on.
    In fact, she’d already determined it was time to mine theservers a little deeper and discover more about him. If nothing else, she might find a clue for how to deactivate the chip. Hell. How to reach the chip.
    But she’d been warned about his charm and his intelligence, and the warnings rang true. While she didn’t trust Dr. Madison as far as she could throw the bitch, she did believe her father, who’d never lied to her. Even so, she wanted to dig a little deeper just out of curiosity, if nothing else. The hacker inside her demanded answers.
    A knocking pattern pinged on the back door. Piper and her mother both straightened.
    “Um,” Piper said.
    Rachel hustled toward the glass slider and pushed it open. “Earl. What a lovely surprise.”
    Piper jerked back her head. Lovely?
    “Please come in. We’re having company for dinner, and you’re more than welcome.” Rachel tucked an arm through Earl’s and all but dragged him into the kitchen. “Piper, set another plate, would you?”
    Earl flushed a charming crimson. As usual, he wore dark jeans and a nice golf shirt. “My computer is acting up again, and I was hoping Piper would take a look.” He glanced around the cozy kitchen. “I wouldn’t want to intrude.” He tugged on his collar.
    “You’re not.” Piper reached for another plate. Maybe having Earl there would diffuse any awkwardness. “I’ll check your computer later tonight.” The doorbell pealed, and she handed the plate over to her mother. Her heart sped up, and her hands grew moist. Taking a deep breath, she hurried to open the door.