Riley glanced over at Parker, who was holding onto the fruit salad that she’d made like it was a life preserver. She always got that way at Carson family gatherings. He’d wanted to spend the day with the two most important women in his life, but Aubrey decided to hang out with Bridgette instead. Sure, it was the nice that the college students connected. It was good she had someone her age to talk to. It beat her being on the phone with Theo all the time. Aubrey’s ear was constantly glued to her cell phone, chatting with Theo who was in New Mexico filming something or other for a documentary. To tell the truth, he’d tune out whenever she mentioned him. He tried not to feel rejected, but it was a punch to the gut that Aubrey didn’t seem to like hanging out with him anymore.
It had to be some weird, opposites attract kind of thing. Aubrey was wicked smart, had a good head on her shoulders, and was practical compared to most kids her age. Theo was all about chasing adventure. He probably had a string of girlfriends. Aubrey was so innocent and naïve, she wouldn’t be able to tell if Theo was playing the field. He gripped the wheel tighter. If that jerk did something to her, he’d pay dearly.
“Babe. Any reason you’re giving the fruit salad a bear hug?”
“I’m heading into the lion’s den.” She rolled her eyes. “And you’re one to talk. You’re about to rip the steering wheel off. I guess you’re thinking about Aubrey and Theo.”
He loosened his grip. “Just thinking about Aubrey. What is she thinking, going on a hiking expedition? She’s one of the most pampered women in the world.”
“When you like someone, you do wacky things like share their interests. She’ll be fine. Have you talked to your brother lately?”
“It’s been a couple of months.” He glanced over at her. He knew where this was headed. He was close to Aubrey but had the exact opposite relationship with his brother Dylan.
“Uh huh,” Parker said.
He didn’t want to talk about Dylan. “Back to you. Why are you so wound up? Are you worried about what they’re going to say about you being on television? I don’t think you being on Ultimate Champion is going to sully the Carson name.”
“They love to pick on me. My mother is going to nitpick about something.”
“It’s harmless ribbing, and you know it. Your family loves to give each other a hard time. And I think Deke getting filmed arresting that crooked mayor at that massage parlor last week is going to be the hot topic of the afternoon.”
“True.” She giggled. “They actually got him on camera saying ‘You won’t be getting a happy ending today.’ The funny part was that Deke said it with a straight face.”
“See, you Carsons love to one-up each other with outrageous behavior. If you tell them about the competition, I’m sure Solomon will say he’s going to the moon next week.” Now seemed like a good time to broach the subject of her new car. “What have you decided about getting a new car? Anything catch your eye?”
“No. Still in denial, but I’m working through it.”
“I can always help you look.” He smiled. He’d hoped she’d be getting more receptive to a car search. The dealer sent him an update yesterday. They were almost finished with the extras he’d requested for her car.
Parker’s cell phone pinged. She looked at her phone. “It’s a text from Aubrey. She says she’s having a great time with Bridgette and for you not to worry.”
“Who’s worried?”
“You looked like she was going off to join the military when she said she’d made plans with Bridgette.”
“OK. It was a knee-jerk reaction. But I thought when my sister came to town to see me, I’d actually see her.”
“She’s getting busier. I’m just glad she and Bridgette hit it off. Aubrey could be a good influence on her.”
They pulled into the driveway where most of the family was waiting for them. It seemed a little odd they wouldn’t be in the house or in the backyard.
“What’s going on?” Parker squinted. “Deke has that plotting look on his face.”
“Only one way to find out.” Riley got out of his sports car, rounded the back, and opened the door for Parker.
Dani Carson put her hands on her hips. “Look what the cat dragged in.”
She was tall, just like her daughters, and had long brunette hair that she almost always kept in a ponytail. Once a tough prosecutor who dedicated her career to putting bad guys away, she now spent her days spending time with her grandkids and being part of their town’s council.
“We’re not that late, Mom.” Parker looked at her watch. “I don’t recall you saying there would be a pre-cookout meeting in the driveway. Here’s the fruit salad. It has everything. Watermelon, honeydew, and cantaloupe.”
“Thank you, P.J.” Dani took the bowl and gave her a kiss on the cheek, then turned to Riley and gave him peck too. “Hey, handsome.”
“Hi, Dani.” Riley kissed her back on the cheek.
“Where’s Sam and Leigh?”
“They’re in the back with the kids,” Dani replied.
“Riley, glad you’re here,” Deke said. “You’re coming with us.”
The men ventured forward. Riley bit back a smile when Parker instinctively stood in front of him.
“Where are you taking him?” Parker folded her arms across her chest.
“What are you going to do to stop me? Run me over with a car?” Deke raised an eyebrow. “It’s how you’ve been doing all your crime-solving these days.”
“Have any good sound bites this week?” Parker countered. “I didn’t know Rangers provided commentary when they made their arrests.”
Solomon smirked. “Hold your horses, Half-Pint, we’re not kidnapping your boyfriend. He’s going to the hardware store with us. The grill died.”
“Oh.” She squinted. “Try to get something with a decent-sized propane tank.”
“I was thinking of a grill pit. I’m tired of gas grilling.” Dani waved a hand. “The boys are going to build one.”
“Dani liked the barbecue pit at the ranch so much, she wanted one.” J.J. held up blueprints. “Tyler drew a nice schematic of a good-size pit. I think we can knock this thing out in one day.”
“But we will get her another gas grill too as a backup for those days she doesn’t feel like building a fire,” Deke added.
The pit the Blakes built for Sunday cooking was enormous and was fitting for a lodge or a social club. It could grill fifty whole chickens, one hundred racks of ribs, and a host of other meats and vegetables.
“But we’re burning daylight,” Rafe added. “We can get this thing finished if we move it.”
“If it’s OK with you, we’d like to get going.” Deke folded his arms across his chest.
Riley rubbed his hands together. “An impromptu grill pit. I like it.”
“Wait!” Parker held up her hand. “Before you leave, I might as well tell you my news. That way you can get the comments out of your system by the time you come back.”
Riley put his hand on her back. It was better that she get it over with. She looked like she would burst.
Deke frowned. “Are you pregnant? I need to factor that into our plans because it will take longer to get back from the store on account of these woods I’m going to show Riley.”
“Exactly.” Solomon scowled. “Riley, do you know what a shotgun wedding is?”
“No!” Riley said. “She’s not pregnant.”
“Let her finish,” Dani said.
“I am not pregnant.” Parker rolled her eyes. “Although, if I were, your reaction is antiquated to say the least, and we’ll talk about that later.”
“Who’s pregnant?” Sam said as she and Leigh rounded the house, coming from the backyard. “You and Riley are pregnant?”
“Congrats.” Leigh beamed. “I called it. I knew you two would have a baby before Avery and Wyatt.”
Rafe shook his head at Leigh.
“Really Sam? You heard that all the way from the back of the house? Where are my nephews? Who’s watch
ing them while you hone in on this conversation?”
“Please.” Sam waved a hand. “Jack’s old enough to babysit.”
Riley looked at the boisterous clan as everyone became louder. The Carsons often talked to each other like this, hence creating a lot of misunderstandings. Each one of them loved to assert their opinions but didn’t fully listen to the other. The saving grace was by the end of high octane discussions like this, they’d all forget it happened. Mom Dani said it made for lively chatter at the dinner table. Which would be amusing and fanciful if all of them didn’t also carry guns.
Riley cleared his throat loudly. “Everyone. Can you please give Parker a chance to tell her news?”
They finally quieted down.
“I auditioned for that show Ultimate Champion when they were looking for people at the mall, and I got a spot,” Parker announced. “It’s already taped, and it’s going to air on Monday night.”
Solomon’s facial features relaxed. “I like that show.”
“Yeah. Me too.” Deke rubbed his chin. “I come over and watch it with Momma sometimes.”
“The boys love it too,” J.J. said. “It will be great to cheer for someone in the family.”
“It’s one of our favorite shows,” Leigh chimed in. “Well, right after the Bigfoot Files.”
“That’s great.” Dani beamed. “I’m sure you ran circles around the other contestants. The Carsons are a naturally athletic group of people.”
Parker smiled. “I think I did well and I’ll tell everyone about it over lunch.”
“Right. Let’s go men.” Deke headed to one of the trucks.
Riley gave her a look. “See? I told you they would be supportive.”
“Watch yourself. They got pretty riled up when they thought we were having a baby.” She giggled. “Can you imagine us married in a shotgun wedding with a kid on the way?”
“Yeah. Imagine that.” Riley kissed her, then hopped into Deke’s truck.
Riley watched as Parker went inside with the ladies. The smile on Parker’s face meant she was finally relaxing after a morning of fearing getting made fun of by her siblings. He’d come to the conclusion that most of her anxiety about being the baby in the family was left over internalized childhood trauma. Losing her dad had had a profound effect on her that manifested in different ways. Sam even alluded to him one time, saying that their father dying during Parker’s formative years had left her sister feeling incomplete in a way. The more he paid attention, the more he could see it.
Like her determined spirit. She pushed ahead even when a more cautious approach would be better. Like storming off to get that stolen jersey and risking her life and losing her car. Or cornering that guy who’d been dodging child support for over a year in that fast-food restaurant. Things turned out OK, but a little patience could have saved her from putting herself in harm’s way. She always argued that her siblings wouldn’t have waited for back up, but he didn’t buy that either. She had something to prove, and he was terrified she’d end up gravely injured trying to make that point. Or worse.
Deke’s gruff voice brought him out of his brooding thoughts.
“You don’t know how happy I am that I don’t have to dump your lifeless body somewhere in the woods.” Deke stared at him in the rearview mirror.
“Me too.” Riley tugged on his shirt collar. “You know Parker and I have been good, really good. Aside from that flirting-with-danger thing she likes to do.”
“It’s family flaw.” J.J. sighed. “Samantha Jane still has the same affliction, but she doesn’t see as much action these days. Well, when she isn’t getting into bar fights with Rafe.”
Everyone in the truck cab looked at Rafe.
“That was a one-off.” Rafe protested. “I went to Tennessee to settle things with Leigh’s ex. I didn’t intend to get into a bar fight.”
“Really?” Riley mused. “When Parker called me from the plane, she seemed really excited about going to kick that guy’s ass.”
“Things got away from us quickly. If it’s any consolation, those ladies can hold their own.”
“Yeah, Dad used to say kicking ass was in the Carson DNA,” Solomon said with pride in his voice.
“I’ll forgive you for that road trip,” J.J. added. “You were just protecting your woman and the most important thing is that you got the creep out of Leigh’s life.”
“Leigh’s not so bad herself. She was on-duty at the Bright Star when this guy tried to flirt with her and touch her butt when she delivered his drinks to the table, and she used this move on him that would have made Bruce Lee proud.”
“When was this?” Rafe’s head whipped around. “She didn’t tell me about this.”
Oops. He guessed Leigh hadn’t told him about it. Parker was going to have to tell him which stories he shouldn’t repeat. When Leigh recounted the story to Parker while at the apartment last week, it seemed harmless enough, and she was proud of being able to handle herself. “I think it was a couple of weeks ago. She reacted before Cal or any of the staff could get to the table and grab him by the short hairs. She had backup but didn’t need it.”
“She’s been taking Sam’s self-defense classes.” Rafe tapped lightly on the window. “And she carries a stun gun in her purse.”
“Leigh is gorgeous,” Solomon said. “It’s only natural she’d get hit on a lot. Someone hitting on her at the Bright Star is the dumbest move in the world. But you should be happy she can deal with some rowdy cowboy.”
“You should see Dani Carson get riled up. She decked someone at a council meeting one time.” Solomon laughed. “Dad had to do a lot of long talking to smooth that over.”
“Samantha Jane and I have a deal,” J.J. said. “She comes home to her family in one piece every night, and I try to keep my lectures to a minimum. I don’t like it, but I for one sleep a little better knowing that.”
“Let’s face it,” Deke said. “The women in our lives are strong and able. I don’t like the idea of Parker facing down some lunatic, but she’s been stubborn all her life.”
“All you have to do is let Parker know that part of being in a relationship is coming home in one piece every night. I had to promise the same thing to Leigh. The Ultimate Champion show may be a great way to get some of that restless energy out of her system.” Rafe gave him a warm smile that morphed into a mischievous chin. “Did you tell the guys about the present you got for Parker?”
“I got her a new car. She doesn’t know about it. When it’s finished being custom-fitted with a few extras I hope will help protect her, I’m going to give it to her.”
Everyone went silent.
“That certainly is brave of you. She might kick your butt for buying her a car.” Deke looked at him in the rearview mirror.
“That’s a strong possibility. But I won’t apologize for wanting to do something nice for her. I have a right to give her a gift that would make her happy.”
“What kind of car did you get her?”
“Corvette.”
Solomon whistled. “If she doesn’t want it, you can give it to me.”
“The specs on that car came across my desk,” Rafe said. “You’ve outfitted that car so well with security features even Parker would have a hard time destroying it.”
“You think she’ll like it? I know it’s not Blue Steel, but it’s a nice car. She’s always saying she doesn’t like fancy things.” Riley wanted to gauge the temperature in the truck. These guys would know if she’d be receptive to his gift.
“I think she’ll appreciate that you cared enough to go through the trouble,” J.J. assured him. “A Corvette is just her speed.”
Solomon smiled at him. “It’s a nice surprise. She’ll be happy about it.”
The chatter in the truck turned to the supplies they were picking up at the hardware store, and Riley turned back to his thoughts and to what J.J. had said. Riley worried because he wanted a future with Parker. He intended on talking to her about how he wanted to spend the rest of
his life with her, in whatever capacity that meant. But her ironic, amused response about them being married with kids wasn’t encouraging. What did she want? Was it too soon? He’d never felt this deeply for anyone before, so this was all new for him.
Funny, the idea of marriage and kids didn’t seem that ridiculous to him.
* * *
Parker looked out the kitchen window over at her mother’s garden. The vegetables were coming in nicely, and she'd added a few things.
“P.J. can you put on the tea kettle?”
“Sure, Mom.” Parker checked the level of water in the kettle, then turned on the burner.
“I thought Aubrey was coming with you.”
“She and Bridgette are hanging out, and frankly, Riley could use the reprieve.”
“What’s going on?”
“Aubrey’s cutting her visit short to meet up with Theo in Tennessee. Needless to say, Riley’s about pop a blood vessel. He doesn’t like the idea of her having a boyfriend.”
“Poor dear. I know his pain.” Dani shook her head.
“What pain?”
“When you realize the person you love is a grown up. I hope he doesn’t push too hard.”
“Me too.” Parker put her hands on her hips. “I’m hungry. What are we going to eat if we can’t fire up the grill? This fruit salad isn’t going to cut it.”
“We can order out.” Dani went into the drawer and pulled out a handful of takeout menus. “What do you think the boys will want to eat?”
“The big boys or the little boys?” Parker asked.
“Does it really matter? The little ones eat almost as much as the big ones.”
Sam came into the kitchen with photo albums in her arms.
“Oh no.” Parker wrinkled her nose as Sam spread them out on the table. “What possessed you to dig up old albums?”
Sam put her hands on her hips. “I need some photos for the Blake family tree project. It’s a labor of love, but I have some spare time and thought I’d get back to it.”
“You found them.” Dani clapped. “How on earth did you dig these out of that storage room?”
“Jack, Gabe, and Deacon are like bloodhounds. They’re showing excellent signs of being good investigators.” Sam laughed. “I told them to look through the boxes for the film reels too.”
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