Playing with Piper (Menage MfM Romance Novel) (Playing for Love Book 3) Read Online Free

years. I suspect the only reason she’s asking me to be a bridesmaid is to prove to everyone that she didn’t steal my boyfriend from me.
    “But honey,” my mother frowns, “you know everyone will gossip if you aren’t part of the wedding.”
    “I don’t care.” I’m not used to defying my mother, but I need to hold firm on this issue. I can’t keep flying to New Orleans for wedding events every weekend. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays are my three busiest days. There’s no way I can leave Josef in charge of Aladdin’s Lamp while I’m off on bridesmaid duties. He drinks too much to be trusted. “I’m sure Angelina will understand.”
    “Leave it, Lillian,” my father advises, surprising me. My mother’s the more vocal of the two, but my dad doesn’t approve of me living so far away from home either. Still, I’ll take advantage of the respite. “Tell you what, why don’t I take my favorite two ladies shopping, then we’ll have a nice dinner somewhere? Piper, I’m sure you can steer us somewhere good.”
    Oh dear . I talked to Owen Lamb on the phone this morning. The two of them wanted to meet me to discuss changes to the restaurant, and the only time they were available was seven this evening. “I’m sorry, I can’t stay for dinner.” I don’t know why I’m apologizing. It isn’t as if they asked me if this weekend was a convenient time to visit before they showed up. “I have a meeting with my partners that I can’t miss.”
    “Partners? Partners in what?”
    Of course she’d catch that. “ Aladdin’s Lamp has two new investors.”
    My mother’s eyes narrow. “I thought that was against the terms of the will?” She looks at my dad for clarification. “It was, wasn’t it, Matthew?”
    I grit my teeth and count to ten. What are you going to do, rat me out to Aunt Vera’s trustees, mother? I want to yell. But well-behaved Southern women don’t raise their voices. “It’s allowed as long as I retain majority control,” I bite out. “I plan to.”
    “Oh for crying out loud, Piper. At what point are you going to give up this charade and move back home?” My mother’s eyes brim with the ready tears that she can summon at will.  “Every day, you’re getting older. Angelina is three years younger than you, and she’s already engaged. You don’t even have a boyfriend. At your age, I was married for seven years. Isn’t it time you stopped this rebellion, and got on with your life?”
    “I am getting on with my life.” Ten minutes in her company, and I sound like a surly teenager. “I’m doing something I care about very much. You should be happy for me.”
    “That’s enough.” My father’s voice is firm. “Piper, you’ve upset your mother. Apologize.”
    For what?  “I’m sorry, mother,” I say, just to keep the peace. “Look, let’s not argue. Why don’t I show you around the city before I go?”
    “Can’t you cancel the meeting, dear?” The tears miraculously vanish. “After all, we see you so rarely.”
    Oh God. Cancel a meeting with Lamb and Lawless. They’ve already hinted I’m not serious about Aladdin’s Lamp . If I blow them off, they might just walk away from the deal. Nothing’s signed yet. I can’t let that happen. I can’t believe my mother would suggest such a thing.
    Of course, it’s not the first time. Three years ago, I’d got a job as a waitress at a high-end French bistro called Le Papillon. I was working my second weekend shift when my mother called me in a panic because my father was having a heart attack. Of course, I flew home immediately, only to find out it had been nothing more severe than acute indigestion. Worse, my mother had known it wasn’t serious before I boarded the flight, but didn’t tell me because she thought it was nice that I was coming home.
    I know what I should do. I should put my foot down, tell my parents that I can’t have dinner with them, and get to that meeting. But I’m really, really bad at direct