by Addison Cole
“Because you believe nothing happens by coincidence,” Grayson said as they headed for the cottage.
“You should listen to me. I know what I’m talking about.” Sky hugged Parker and Grayson and petted Christmas. “I’ll see you guys later. I’ve got a date with my fiancé.” She walked backward toward her car and called out, “We’re wedding planning!”
“About time,” Grayson called, then to Parker, “Hey, be my date for the wedding?”
“You don’t even know when it is,” she said as he held the door open for her.
“It doesn’t matter when. I know we’ll be together.”
Her mind skidded with the realization that she knew it, too. They’d been staying at his place for only a few days, but it already felt like home. She didn’t miss her lonely house on the bay one bit. The railing Grayson was making would make it feel homier, which would be wonderful for the kids visiting through the foundation. But she knew it would never feel like home to her the way his cottage did. How could it, when the man she loved had built his life here, taking every day as it came?
They went inside, and Christmas plopped down in front of the fireplace. Grayson grabbed a vase from the floor by the hearth and filled it with water. “Sweetheart, the wedding? Would you rather I ask someone else?”
“Yes, that’s exactly what I want. Some other woman’s hands on you.” She pushed between him and the sink. “You better not.”
“Never.” He pressed his lips to hers.
“Not even when we’re apart for long spans of time? You’re a guy. You have needs.”
He lifted her in his arms, and her legs wound around his waist. “The only woman allowed to satisfy my needs is right here in my arms.” His brows knitted. “What about you?”
“I don’t need a woman to satisfy my needs, but thanks for asking.”
He nipped at her lower lip, making her laugh.
He placed the flowers in the vase and set it on the counter, then carried her over to the couch.
“I know I said we’d figure out each day as it came, but not talking about the future is eating me alive.” He laid her on her back and came down over her. “There are a few things we need to clarify.”
“So you’re trapping me beneath you like a prisoner?” she teased.
“What was it that Abe said? Control? Confidence?”
“You’ve got those down pat.” In more ways than one.
“Good, then hear me out. The way I see it, all we know right now is that you’re leaving next week to go back to California, and I’ll join you a few weeks later, when I finish the railing. We’ll spend a week together, and then I’ll head out to Texas to work on the piece for the foundation.” Grayson’s calming voice soothed her nerves. “And beyond that, we have no idea about your schedule. Do I have that right?”
“Yes, I think so. When it was just me, having an ever-changing schedule was fine. But I hate it now, and I know it’s not going to be easy. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry, and don’t worry. We both have important careers. We’ll figure this out. Maybe not today, or next week, but if we want this to work, we’ll find a way.”
“But what if we can’t find a solution, and we miss each other too much?”
“Then we deal with it and make whatever changes need to be made. I spent today tied in knots about not having the answers, and it sucked. But I realized we don’t need an answer today, baby, or tomorrow. All we need is the trust that we’ll work together to figure it out. This is our real life. Now, here, us.”
Christmas lifted his head.
“And your boy,” he said, making her love him even more. “Parker, in all the months we were emailing, I was never once with anyone else.”
Shocked at his confession, it was all she could do to remember to breathe. She blinked up at him, trying to process the new, heartwarming information.
“I wasn’t either,” she finally managed. “But I’ve never dated a lot, so that’s not unusual for me. But you? I’ve seen women checking you out everywhere we go, and you’re so sexual. I’m surprised that you would do that, when we weren’t even a couple.”
His eyes warmed. “I told you I felt like we had something special, and I’d hoped that once we saw each other we’d see we had more. Sweetheart, I’m the way I am with you because of what I feel for you. But before you, sex was just sex, totally different from what we have together. I don’t want you to worry about me being faithful, no matter how long we’re separated.”
“Grayson, I’d never—”
He silenced her with a kiss.
“I never thought you would, but I wanted you to know I wouldn’t. There’s no one else for me, Parker. Just you.”
“For me, too. There’s only you, Grayson. I love you so much. I’ve been afraid to say it, because what if we can’t figure out how to make it work? I thought it would hurt more if I’d said the words, which was really stupid. It would probably hurt more if I’d never told you how much I love you and that I think I was falling for you over all those months we were emailing. And now I’m rambling, and…” She drew in a deep breath. “I love you, Grayson. I love you so much.”
“Trust me, baby, even if you’d never told me, I knew you loved me.”
“I do trust you. I’ve trusted you since day one. Just look at our perfect kiss. That is a kiss of trust.”
He wrinkled his brow and followed her gaze to the picture Sky had given her, which she’d proudly placed on the coffee table, and he shook his head.
“Oh, stop. Sky gave it to us. You know you love it as much as I do.”
“Kissing you? Darn right I do. At least all those Hollywood hotshots will know you’re taken.” He ran his hand down her hip. “You look gorgeous in this sexy little dress. Maybe you shouldn’t wear it when I’m not around.”
“Mm. You look pretty hot yourself.” She ran her hands over his shoulders. “Maybe you shouldn’t wear any clothes when I’m around.”
“Your wish is my command.” He reached behind him and tugged his shirt off. Every time he did that it sent shivers from her head to her toes.
“I got you a surprise today.”
“Yeah?” He kissed her collarbone.
“Mm-hm. It’s on me. You’ll have to find it.”
“I do love a challenge.” His mouth took a leisurely stroll along her shoulder, placing tantalizing kisses all the way down her arm to the tips of each of her fingers.
His eyes narrowed seductively. “I’m going to have to be excruciatingly thorough.”
“I wouldn’t want it any other way.”
Chapter Nineteen
GRAYSON AWOKE TO the sound of his cell phone vibrating on the bedside table. A quick glance at the clock told his fuzzy brain they’d gone to sleep only two hours ago. Parker sighed in her sleep beside him. He grabbed the phone with two fears racing through his mind—Dad, Abe—and slipped silently from the room to answer it.
The relief he felt that the call wasn’t about his father was short-lived. He returned to the bedroom with a heavy heart, hating the world for crashing down around Parker once again. He hadn’t told Parker he’d kept in touch with Abe’s nurse, because Parker was doing so well, and he knew her world would be shaken up again soon enough. There was no reason to upset her in the time between coming to grips with Abe’s wishes and this difficult moment.
She looked so peaceful he didn’t want to wake her. She still felt guilty for not being with Bert at the end of his life, and he wasn’t going to let that happen again. He sat beside her on the bed and brushed her hair from her shoulder. She reached for him, and he kissed her cheek.
“Wake up, sweetheart.” He hated this so much.
“Hm?” She looked up at him with a small smile. “Hey, is it morning already?” She glanced at the dark windows.
“No.” He swallowed hard to force the lump from his throat. “It’s Abe, baby.”
Her eyes filled with tears. “Is he…?”
Grayson gathered her in his arms. �
�No. Not yet. I wanted you to have a chance to say goodbye.”
She pushed from his arms, tears streaming down her cheeks. “He said I couldn’t.”
“I know, but I know you, baby, and I didn’t want to take the chance that you’d feel like you let him, or yourself, down.” He pulled her close again. “We need to hurry. His nurse, Helga, said he doesn’t have long.”
She clung to him as if she’d like to climb beneath his skin. He wished he could take away her sadness, but there was no time for futile wishes. And despite the heartache, he knew she needed this chance to say goodbye.
“I love you, baby. We’re going to get through this.”
“He won’t,” she choked out.
“No, he won’t.” He closed his eyes against his own sadness. “But now you’ll have a chance to say goodbye, and you’ve already given him the gift of a lifetime.” Acutely aware of how little time Helga said Abe had, he forced himself to gently draw her away from his body. “We have to go now, baby. I’m sorry to rush you, but it’s time.”
He wiped her tears and helped her from the bed.
“How did she get your number?” She pushed to her feet and into her jeans.
“I gave it to her on our last visit, and I’ve checked in with her a few times.”
She pulled on her shirt at the same time he did. “Abe doesn’t want me there.”
“You want to be there, and I’m pretty sure he’ll be glad you came.” He went into the bathroom and put toothpaste on their toothbrushes, handing her one when she followed him in.
“What if he doesn’t?”
“Then we’ll leave. Baby, I was going with my gut on this. Is this what you want? We don’t have to go if you’d rather not.”
She nodded vehemently. “Yes. Yes, more than anything. I’d just given up.” Fresh tears slid down her cheeks. “Thank you for not giving up.”
“I’ll never give up, baby. Not where you’re concerned.”
HELGA ANSWERED THE door with damp eyes. Her professional attire was replaced with a pair of slacks and a rumpled blouse. Her shoulders sagged, just like Parker’s heart. Grayson held Parker close, whispering reassuring thoughts, kissing her temple, and anchoring her as the world around her spun.
“Parker, Grayson. Please, come in.” Helga stepped aside, filling them in as they crossed the room. “It won’t be long. I’m glad you came right over.”
“Thank you for calling,” Grayson said.
Helga looked thoughtfully at Parker. “The doctors said he should have passed months ago. But he’s an ornery man. For weeks he told his doctor he ‘wasn’t done yet.’ Your visits helped him, Parker. I’ve come to believe he was waiting for you.”
“But how could he know I’d come?”
“He couldn’t have known. But maybe someone more important did.” Helga lifted solemn eyes toward the ceiling.
Parker didn’t even try to hide her tears as Helga pushed the door open and led them into Abe’s room. Abe lay so still she feared they were too late. No, no, no. Her heart climbed into her throat. An oxygen mask covered his mouth and nose. Helga lifted the mask.
“Stubborn girl,” Abe said just above a whisper.
A garbled half laugh, half cry fell from Parker’s lungs. She reached for Abe’s hand.
“Last time I was here you said I didn’t learn, but I did.” Ignoring her heartache and focusing solely on making him proud, Parker said, “‘Control.’ I’m here against your wishes. ‘Confidence.’ I love you, Abe Stein. Your brother loved you. And I’m so glad I had a chance to get to know you.”
His fingers closed a little tighter around hers. “Good girl.”
Helga replaced the mask, and the room went silent again. Abe’s chin bobbed, and she removed the mask again.
“Lacroux.” The softness of Abe’s voice did nothing to lessen the force behind his words. This frail, bedridden man, hovering between life and death, possessed more authority per syllable than any man she knew.
Besides Grayson.
Grayson leaned closer, his eyes damp and his voice tender. “I’m here, sir.”
“You done good.” He inhaled a few jagged breaths. “You big fool.”
Parker laughed and cried, glad that what were sure to be some of Abe’s last breaths were happy ones.
Helga lowered the railing on the side of the bed so Parker could give him one last, long hug.
When Abe’s frail arms embraced her and he whispered, “I love you, too,” Parker shed more tears and silently thanked Bert for leaving her the letters. She’d never know if Bert had meant for her to visit Abe, but she had to believe this was meant to be. She silently prayed that Abe would pass without pain and with a feeling of peace. As she held him, she sent another thanks to the heavens above, for Grayson—his strength, his support, and his insurmountable love. Without Bert, she wouldn’t have come to Wellfleet, and without Grayson, she wouldn’t be holding Abe.
Maybe Sky was right and the universe really did know exactly what they needed.
Chapter Twenty
PARKER PADDED INTO the living room late in the afternoon, looking sleepy and sad with her tousled hair and puffy eyes, but when she saw Grayson, her lips curved into a grateful smile. Christmas was right behind her. The lovable pup had remained by her side since the minute she’d climbed into bed when they’d arrived home after visiting Abe. Grayson had lain with them until Parker had fallen asleep. Too restless to lie still, he’d come into the living room and called to check on Abe—and Helga. Over the last few days of calling to check on Abe, he’d learned that Helga had been in love with Abe for years, and he worried about her. He’d also phoned Sky, since she and Parker had become so close, and she must have filled everyone else in, because he’d heard from his father, Hunter, and Pete. Pete said Jenna and Sky were reaching out to the other girls.
Grayson held his cell phone to his ear, listening to Matt, who had called a few minutes ago, and wrapped his arm around Parker. He whispered, “Hey, sweetheart.” Into the phone he said, “Hey, Matt. I’ve got to go. Parker just got up. I appreciate the call.”
“I’m here if you need me,” Matt said. “Give Parker my condolences. Love you.”
“Will do. Love you, too.”
He set his phone on the counter beside the wooden box Helga had given them when they were leaving. She’d told Parker it contained Abe’s most treasured things, and he wanted her to have them. Parker hadn’t been up to looking inside it, but there was plenty of time for that.
“Matt sends his condolences.”
“You told him?”
“I told Sky, and I guess Sky told everyone. I’m sorry, she’s just—” He realized what Sky was doing and knew it would make her feel better. “She’s treating you like family. She worries, so she thinks everyone should.”
She tipped her chin up. “That’s nice.”
“Yeah, she’s pretty thoughtful.”
Christmas pushed between them, and Grayson petted him.
“Are you hungry?” Grayson asked, but Parker was moving from his arms, having spied the basket of goodies he’d prepared a few days earlier.
She sat on the couch rifling through the basket, fighting for space as Christmas nosed in beside her. “Peanut and pretzel M&M’s? Snickers? Twizzlers? Laffy Taffy?” Her mouth and eyes widened when she got to the bottom and found the movies. “Psycho, The Blair Witch Project, The Cabin in the Woods, The Ring. Grayson…”
“I wasn’t sure what flavor of horror you liked, but these seemed like your go-to remedies for sadness.”
She set the basket aside and went to him. “They were.”
“I didn’t get tequila.”
“I don’t need tequila, and honestly, I don’t need these things, either. I need you, Grayson. You’re my go-to remedy now.”
He hated to tell her the news about Abe, but Matt had reminded him that one of the hardest things for him to deal with when their mother passed was that he hadn’t received the message until two hours after the rest of the family k
new. He’d been teaching a class, and his cell phone had been turned off. With that in mind, he sat down on the couch and brought Parker down beside him, holding her hands in his.
“He’s gone, isn’t he?” she said softly.
“He is, baby. I’m sorry. Helga said he fell asleep right after we left, and he went peacefully. In his sleep.”
She blinked away fresh tears and snuggled into his side. “It’s good that he went in his sleep. Will they let us know about his funeral? I’d like to go.”
“There won’t be a funeral. Abe didn’t want one.”
“I guess that makes sense. He wasn’t really the kind of guy who would want to be the center of attention.”
“Helga said you were the only person who visited him.”
“The only person? That’s so sad, and it’s probably why he left me whatever’s in that box.”
“Apparently he sold their family business years ago, and once the transition was complete, she said he preferred a solitary life.”
“At least he had Helga.” She eyed the box and sighed. “I’m going to wait to look at what he left me.”
“Wait as long as you’d like. No rush.”
He gazed into her eyes and was surprised to see light beyond the shadows of sadness. “You’ve had a rough few weeks.”
“It’s funny how the bad comes with the good. Losing Bert was awful. Losing Abe is sad but not as hard as losing Bert. I had no warning with Bert, but I knew from the first day I met Abe that he wasn’t doing well. And while all that sad stuff was happening, you and I had all these wonderful moments. So I’m in this weird place where I feel okay instead of devastated. Does that make me a bad person?”
He gathered her against him. “No, baby. It makes you someone who knows she’s loved. You felt alone when you lost Bert, but now you have me and our friends. You have family.”
CONVINCING GRAYSON TO go to work Thursday morning was like pulling teeth. But as much as Parker wanted to spend time with him, which had become her favorite thing to do, she needed him to know she was okay. And the only way to do that was to push him out the door.
