by Reese Ryan
“Kayleigh.” He caught her hand in his and it seemed to surprise them both.
“Yes?”
He took a napkin, rubbed it against the condensation on the glass and wiped at the blue paint stain on her cheek. “You’ve got a little paint here.”
Kayleigh thanked him, then headed back to the party, leaving her sweet scent in her wake.
* * *
Time slowed as everyone moved around Kayleigh.
Iris and Savannah cut the cake, and Sloane handed pieces out to the children. The men sat around the bar, joking with each other, and the other women sat on the patio, gossiping and catching up on each other’s lives.
She’d known the Abbotts her entire life, as just about everyone in town did. But even when she and Parker had been school-age friends, their families didn’t move in the same circles. In fact her family was the antithesis of the Abbotts.
They were wealthy, world-famous local royalty and beloved by all. Her family had barely skated along between utility shut-offs and vehicle repossessions. Her father’s notoriety had been a perpetual stain on all of them. He’d been the most despised man in town, and everyone regarded her, her mother and her sister with a pity that clawed at her soul and burned her skin.
Leaving town hadn’t solved the problem. The damage had been done. It had burrowed its way deep inside her consciousness and infected her psyche. Only once she’d moved back to Magnolia Lake had she been able to work out the demons that had haunted her. Little by little, she’d come to love the town and its people again.
Still, she hadn’t extended the need for peaceful resolution to Parker Abbott or his father, Duke. She’d held onto her resentment of them like a warm blanket that warded against the cold winds of doubt that sometimes crept back in. But the past few weeks with Parker had slowly been chipping away at that protective armor.
Her close friendship with Savannah had given her occasion to get to know Blake and Zora. But she’d stayed clear of Parker and politely declined whenever her friend had invited her to functions at Duke and Iris’s home.
Seeing all of the Abbotts and their extended family together this way made them seem more human. More real. The love they had for each other was evident, even in the teasing between the siblings. Duke and Iris were doting grandparents who were deeply affectionate toward their children and grandchildren.
There were so many of them. All of the Abbotts were here, including their grandfather Joseph. Sloane, Benji and their twins, along with her mother and grandfather, and his parents, sister and niece. Even Savannah’s sister, Delaney, and her young daughter, Harper.
And she had...no one. Maybe she never would.
Tears burned her eyes suddenly. She’d never have her parents again, and even when they’d been in her life, their family was nothing like the Christmas-card-worthy Abbotts.
It was one more thing they had that she never would. Maybe Aidan had been her one chance at having a meaningful relationship and children of her own. Kayleigh’s hand drifted to where the tears were spilling down her wet cheek. She furtively glanced around the space, hoping no one had noticed. The only thing worse than being alone in the world was being pitied because of it.
She turned around and collided with a hard body.
“We’ve gotta stop meeting like this, darlin’.” Cole wore a good-natured grin—and his slice of cake, which she’d smashed into his pricey designer shirt.
“Cole, I’m so sorry. I ruined your shirt.”
“Not one of my favorites anyway.” He shrugged, licking icing from his fingers.
“I should’ve been paying attention. I’ll get something to clean it before the stain sets.”
“It’s no big deal. I’ll throw it in the wash and grab one of Dad’s shirts.” He swiped the wetness from her cheek. “Seriously, it’s nothing to cry over. It’s just a shirt.”
Her face stung with embarrassment and the sound of her heartbeat filled her ears.
“What did you say to her?” Parker was there suddenly, and now half of the adult eyes at the party were focused on the three of them.
“Nothing. It was an accident—that’s all.” Cole wiped frosting off his shirt with a napkin.
Parker looked to her as if he needed her confirmation.
“I’m sorry, Cole. I’ll pay for the shirt. Excuse me.”
Kayleigh wished she could disappear, or at the very least go home. But she’d promised to frame the kids’ art. So she made her escape to the craft room on the lower level of the spacious home. When Kayleigh closed the door behind her, she couldn’t contain the tears.
As shitty as it had been to grow up poor with only a few friends and a father who was the laughingstock of the town, it had made her strong. Impenetrable, even. Losing her father had been painful, but not unexpected, given his lifestyle. But losing her mother...that had broken her.
That had left just her and her sister. But Evvy’s way of dealing with the pain was to throw herself into her new life, thousands of miles from this little town. Between school and work and the small acting jobs her sister was able to garner, they’d simply grown apart. But Kayleigh had gotten through it.
She’d met Aidan at a time when she’d felt incredibly alone. He’d been warm and supportive, and Kira had been like a sister to her. But then she’d walked away from the two of them.
The door opened and she expected Savannah, but it was Parker.
“I came bearing cake and libations.” He held up a plate in one hand and her bourbon punch in the other. “Pick your poison. Or don’t. You can have both.”
“Thanks, Parker. Maybe later.” Kayleigh swiped away the dampness on her cheeks, not meeting his gaze. “Could you just leave them?”
“Oh, sure.” He put both the cake and the drink down on the work surface, away from the kids’ art that Blake and Benji had transferred there earlier.
Parker opened the door to leave, but closed it again. He walked over to her. “Are you sure Cole didn’t do anything...inappropriate? I saw him touch your face, and you seemed agitated.”
“It wasn’t because of anything Cole did. I was already upset and in tears. I was trying to leave before anyone noticed. That’s how I ended up running smack-dab into Cole. Which, of course, drew everyone’s attention.” She sighed. “If anything, he should be angry with me for ruining his expensive shirt.”
Parker stepped closer, extending a handful of napkins to her. “Then why the tears?”
She accepted the napkins, decorated with colorful balloons, the words Happy Birthday emblazoned on them. She wiped her cheeks, then shoved the crumpled napkins in her pocket. “You wouldn’t understand.”
Parker stepped closer still, his gaze trained on hers. “How do you know?”
“Because you have all of this.” She gestured around them angrily, fresh tears stinging her eyes. She wiped at them, her cheeks heating with embarrassment. “And because you still have your parents, and you’re surrounded by your siblings, and that’s great. But you have no idea what I’m feeling right now, and I hope you never do.”
He stepped closer, his voice low and his expression sincere. “I would never have invited you here if I’d realized how it would impact you.”
“It isn’t your fault.” She sniffled. “And I’m not normally like this. I can’t remember the last time I cried about anything. Besides, I’d already promised Savannah that I’d come to the party before they decided to have it here. I couldn’t miss Davis’s birthday.”
Parker’s eyes were filled with what seemed like genuine compassion, as awkward silence stretched between them. He stepped close enough that his enticing scent tickled her nostrils and his heat enveloped her. His dark eyes locked with hers as he took another step forward.
He slowly lifted his hands and cradled her jaw as he lowered his head, closing the space between them.
Kayleigh squeezed her eyes
shut, her heart beating faster.
His lips met hers in a kiss that was tender and sweet. Yet her body burned for him as she leaned into his touch, her hands pressed to his firm chest.
She knew that he’d kissed her out of a sense of pity. She didn’t want Parker’s pity, but she did want this. His firm, sensual lips on hers. His strong hands gently cradling her face. His hard body braced against hers.
He tilted her head back, and she parted her lips in response. A soft murmur rose in her throat when his tongue swept between her lips.
Warmth filled her chest, and her belly fluttered as he deepened their kiss. His mouth tasted rich and sweet. Like bourbon, sweet tea and buttercream frosting.
Parker’s hands dropped to her waist and she gasped when he lifted her onto the table, without breaking their kiss.
His hands found her lower back as he pulled her closer to the table’s edge. The ridge beneath his zipper pressed against the growing heat between her thighs, making her want things with Parker Abbott that she shouldn’t.
Her pulse raced as Parker’s large hands slipped beneath her shirt, his fingertips skimming her back.
She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer, desperate for more of the unexpected connection between them.
The door opened suddenly, startling both of them. They turned toward the sound.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to... I just wanted to make sure Kayleigh was all right,” Savannah stammered. “I’ll just go. Let me know if you need anything.”
Her friend was gone before either of them could respond.
Kayleigh’s face stung with heat and her heart raced. She didn’t meet Parker’s gaze as she slid off the table and out of his reach. She folded her arms over her chest, shielding the evidence of her body’s intense reaction to his.
“We should get the framing done.” She moved toward the back of the room, where the frames were lined up.
Parker ran a hand over his head and sighed. “I know I shouldn’t have done that, but—”
“Let’s just consider it practice. You know...in case the situation arises while we’re at Kira’s wedding.” She tested the paint on the children’s artwork to see if it was dry without looking up at him.
“I’m sorry about your parents and about you and Evvy.” His voice was warm and reassuring. “If there’s anything I can do—”
“Thank you, but I’m fine now.” She glanced up briefly before returning her attention to the paintings. “Now, if we work together, we can get all of these framed in no time.”
“Just tell me what you need.”
What she needed was...him. The comfort of his embrace. The warmth of his kiss. To not feel alone.
She asked him to hand her one of the frames instead and tried desperately to convince herself that she didn’t want Parker to kiss her again.
Eight
Kayleigh sat across the booth from Savannah at Magnolia Lake Bakery after yoga, sipping her mocha latte.
Savannah still looked stunned, despite the fact that they’d broken down the kiss between her and Parker, as well as everything that had led up to it.
Who could blame her? Kayleigh had had two days to digest and rehash the events and she was still just as surprised.
“Does that mean Project Friendship has now become Project Relationship?” Savannah sipped her peach-mango smoothie.
“As far as I can tell, neither of us is looking for a relationship. I’m not even sure we’ll come out of this as friends exactly.” Kayleigh shrugged. “But I do know that, for the sake of the deal, we both need to remain focused on our objectives.”
Kayleigh sipped her mocha latte and returned the oversize cup to the table. “Getting through Kira’s wedding without incident is my only concern, and it should be his, too. The deal hinges upon it. Anything else is an unnecessary complication neither of us can afford.”
“Believe me, I understand where you’re coming from. This is supposed to be about what your head wants, not your heart.” Savannah sighed. “But I also understand how quickly a plan like this can go off the rails when you’re battling your emotions and physical attraction. It isn’t easy to ignore feelings like that, whether it’s love or desire.”
“Whoa, no one said anything about the L word.” Kayleigh held up a hand.
“So maybe love isn’t an issue...yet.” Savannah looked at her pointedly, one brow raised. “But from what I saw, the other L word, lust, was definitely in play. Who knows how far you two would’ve taken things if I hadn’t interrupted you.”
Kayleigh’s cheeks burned, the possibilities flashing in her brain. “Things wouldn’t have gone that far. Not there,” she added.
“But you and Parker have that camping trip coming up this weekend. He’s just spending one night at the site, right?” Savannah pulled off a piece of her warm sticky bun and practically purred when she put it in her mouth.
“Actually, there’s been a change of plans and a compromise.” Kayleigh had hoped the topic wouldn’t come up.
“What kind of change?”
“I’ve agreed to accompany him to New York for the weekend when he attends one of his industry events in a couple of weeks, so he thought it would only be fair if he stayed the full weekend when we go camping.”
“Right. That’s the week our whole family will be in the Bahamas.” Savannah nodded, then hiked an eyebrow as she leaned back, arms folded. “Wait... Parker volunteered to spend an entire weekend at a campground site with public bathrooms and an outdoor shower? That’s surprisingly charitable of him. What’s the compromise?”
“That we don’t spend the weekend at a campground site with a public bathroom and an outdoor shower.” Kayleigh sipped her latte slowly, allowing the large cup to shield much of her face.
“I thought you were a purist when it comes to camping.” Savannah could barely hold back her smirk.
“I am when I’m paying for it,” she muttered. “Parker insisted on the upgrade, so he’s paying the difference.”
“And what about when you two go to New York?”
“Separate rooms, of course.” Kayleigh didn’t meet her friend’s gaze, didn’t want to see the questions and implications there. “And King’s Finest is paying for my flight and hotel since I’m accompanying him to an industry event.”
“Just be honest with yourself and each other about how you feel. I know Parker comes off as this curmudgeonly turtle with a hard shell who only peeks his head and limbs out when it’s absolutely necessary, but he’s more vulnerable than he believes he is, especially when it comes to you. What happened Saturday proves that he’s a lot more into you than either of you might realize.”
“I never asked Parker to run interference between me and Cole. Nor did I ask him to kiss me.”
“And yet he did.” Savannah nibbled another bite of her sticky bun. “He’s already in way over his head, but he still thinks he’s standing safely on the shore.”
“You’ve got a soft spot for Parker.” Kayleigh cut her muffin in half. “Even after he tried to toss you in jail?”
“To be fair, he thought I was a corporate spy trying to steal proprietary information to sell to their competitors,” Savannah said, her tone serious. “So I can’t much blame him for being angry at the time. Or for his initial objections to his grandfather giving my family what was rightfully owed to us. But that was three years ago. Our relationship has come a long way since then.”
“You’ve been charmed by Oscar the Grouch.” Kayleigh teased.
“Well, you kissed him, so I’m pretty sure I’m the one who’s winning.” Savannah giggled, drinking the last of her smoothie.
“Good point.” Kayleigh laughed. “I’ll admit, I’m seeing Parker in a new light the more time we spend together. I’ll keep what you’ve said in mind. I promise.”
“That’s all I ask.” Savannah sm
iled sadly. “You’re both family to me. I don’t want to see either of you get hurt.”
Kayleigh’s heart swelled. Savannah, having lost her parents at a young age in a fire, understood Kayleigh’s pain and loss. Perhaps even more deeply. So saying that she considered them to be family... Savannah understood just how much that meant to Kayleigh. That it made her feel a little less alone in the world.
Nine
Kayleigh stood in Parker’s driveway with Cricket by her side as he loaded his duffel bags into the back of the Jeep. The golden retriever still wasn’t a fan of Parker’s, mostly because he usually ignored her, but at least she wasn’t growling and baring her teeth at him.
So...progress.
Since they wouldn’t be needing the tents, sleeping bags, heater or propane stove, there was plenty of room for his oversize bags.
“You do realize we’re only staying for the weekend and formal attire isn’t required?” Kayleigh teased as he loaded the last of his things into the back.
“In the event of a zombie apocalypse, I’ve got you covered,” he said, nearly straight-faced.
“Can’t argue with that logic.” She laughed.
Parker had just referenced her favorite television show and he wasn’t taking himself too seriously. Also progress. Maybe their weekend together wouldn’t be so bad.
“Hey, Cricket, how are you this morning, girl?” Parker waved at her, smiling.
Cricket turned to Kayleigh, seemingly as surprised by Parker’s direct address as she was.
Kayleigh patted the dog’s back to ensure her that the zombie apocalypse hadn’t arrived and left them with a zombified version of Parker Abbott.
Cricket walked over and sniffed the part of Parker’s leg left bare by his navy cargo shorts. When Cricket seemed satisfied, she looked up at Parker.
Kayleigh laughed. “It seems you passed the sniff test. I believe she’s waiting for you to pet her.”
Parker patted the dog’s side twice. “Good girl. Ready for our weekend adventure?”
