The Look of Love Read Online Free PDF

pleased with his wife. Whatever. Who was she to decide what made a relationship work? She couldn’t get one right herself.
    Piper reached over and grabbed her BlackBerry from the bedside table. Checking it, she found she had no missed calls or new voice messages. Jack hadn’t called.
    She sighed. He’ll call eventually, right?
    Determined not to analyze the events of the night before, Piper logged onto Facebook and updated her status.
    SO I’M THINKING A LITTLE WORKING VACAY IS THE PERFECT WAY TO START THE NEW YEAR!
    IDEAS?
    F reshly showered and dressed in a red Urban Outfitters sweater and black leggings, Piper bounded down the short staircase that led from the bedrooms to the living area of the house. Her parents were in the kitchen. Vin was having a cup of coffee with the newspaper spread out before him on the table. Terri was washing and slicing fruit at the sink. Platters of crumb cake and bagels were on the counter, along with a French-toast casserole ready to be put into the oven.
    Piper gave both her parents kisses. “Happy New Year,” she said, picking off a piece of crumb cake.
    “You, too, sweetheart,” said Terri, followed by a cry as she pulled up the knife. “Oh, great. I just cut myself.”
    Piper felt a catch in her throat. The news that her mother had macular degeneration was relatively fresh. Cutting a finger was an accident anyone could have. It was a common thing. But now Piper automatically thought it was because of her mother’s failing eyesight.
    “Here, Mom. Let me.” Piper stood next to her mother, gently nudging her aside.
    “I can do it,” said Terri. “Don’t baby me, Piper. I’m warning you.”
    “I know you can,” said Piper. “But I want to help. You do something else.”
    “Everything’s pretty much done,” said Terri, handing the knife to her daughter. “I’m going upstairs for a Band-Aid.”
    Piper finished trimming the strawberries and washed a pint of blueberries, combining them in a glass bowl. Then she cut a melon into bite-size cubes.
    “The crown prince and his fair maiden are late,” she observed, glancing at the wall clock. “Can’t they ever come on time?”
    Vin shrugged, still engrossed in the newspaper. “What can I tell you?”
    “It’s just rude,” said Piper.
    “Forget it, lovey. Don’t get the year off on the wrong foot.”
    “A little too late for that.”
    Vin looked up. “What’s wrong?”
    While Piper actually wanted to talk about what had happened with Jack, she knew it was better not to bring her father into it. Vin wasn’t exactly impartial when it came to his daughter. There was a definite chance he’d find a way to hold Jack accountable if Vin thought Jack had hurt his little girl.
    But in reality it was she who’d done the hurting.
    “Nothing,” said Piper as the doorbell rang.
    B efore they even sat down to eat, Robert blurted it out.
    “Zara and I are having a baby.”
    The room filled with a roar of celebration. The grin on her brother’s face was contagious. Piper beamed as her parents, and then she, hugged and kissed Robert and Zara. Her sister-in-law smiled wanly, her face colorless.
    “That’s the most wonderful news!” cried Terri. “When?”
    “August,” Robert said with pride.
    Piper did the mental math. Wasn’t there something about waiting till a pregnancy was three months along before telling people? The baby’s conception had barely happened. Leave it to her brother to jump the gun.
    “I’m going to be a grandmother!” Terri squealed with delight. She turned to her husband and hugged him. “And you’re going to be a grandpa.”
    Piper watched her father’s face. She could almost see his mental wheels spinning, calculating what could go wrong and what kind of precautions would have to taken to ensure that his grandchild was safe. Her mother often recounted how thorough her father had been when Robert and Piper were little, how he would lie awake at night after completing his police shift,