“It looks like Riley is very happy about the win,” Byron added. “Any words?”
“I am so proud of her. She’s worked hard to get here and I look forward to seeing her win the final competition.” Riley kissed her.
Parker’s eyes widened. She loved his enthusiasm, but he’d just said without hesitation that she’d win.
“Here we go. If the Super Bowl champ says it, then shall it be. Our favorite quarterback has the utmost faith in his girlfriend.”
The crowd cheered.
“And we have another special announcement. We’re making the final even more special this year. They’ll be held in two weeks on the Ambrosian Islands in the Caribbean.”
She didn’t see that coming.
She started down the lane with Riley. She received high fives from some of the team members and their families. Someone reached out and touched her arm. She looked over to see Jax, Sunny, and the rest of their elitist in-crowd. It didn’t matter that Sunny and two of the others hadn’t made it this far. They still attended anyway for the publicity. Jax motioned for her to come over and when she did, she was pulled into a selfie with the group.
“One sec!” She held up a finger before they could snap the shot, then dashed and grabbed Melissa, who was standing with Todd and her family on the sidelines, and returned for the pic. She could tell Sunny wasn’t thrilled about Melissa being with them. But Parker didn’t care since Sunny always seemed to be looking for the next photo op, determined to create the illusion she had some kind of friendship with Parker. Not to mention the way Sunny looked at Riley. Parker wanted to wipe that phony smile off Sunny’s face. After the photo was taken, Parker gave Melissa another congratulatory hug, and she kept moving toward the family.
They were all cheering so loudly they drowned out the rest of the spectators. Everyone was there, and it felt great to see them. Front and center were her mom and Sam. She was surprised when her mom leaned in and gave her one of those big, comforting hugs she remembered from her childhood.
“Great job, P.J.!” Her mom kissed her on the cheek.
“Thanks!”
Sam hugged her too. “Yeah, Half-Pint. You did it.”
J.J., who was holding up Deacon so he could see, gave her a peck on the cheek too. “I knew you’d blow through that course.”
“Congrats!” Avery joined the group. “How soon can you leave? We have reservations at a restaurant so we can start celebrating!”
“Cool.” She paused. “Do you mind if I invite Melissa and her family?”
“Sure,” Avery replied. “The more, the merrier.”
“Parker! Look over here!” Bridgette yelled with her cell phone in her hand.
They all huddled together for another photo.
“Just give me a couple of minutes, and I’ll be ready to go.” She felt a tug on her hand. It was Mackenzie.
“You were amazing, Parker.”
“Thank you, Little Bruiser.” Parker knelt down to Mackenzie’s eye-level.
Mackenzie smiled. “Mom says you’re smart, strong, and have a lot of spunk. I want to be just like you and Avery.” Mackenzie smiled.
“You know you’re an inspiration to me too. You already have a lot of spunk and so much more.” Parker tapped her nose. “I think spunk runs in our family.”
“I love you, Parker.” Mackenzie lunged at her.
“I love you too, kiddo.” Parker held back the tears and embraced her. “Want to split a brownie sundae after dinner?”
“Yay!” Mackenzie went back behind the barrier to her mom. Parker looked at Morgan and put her hands over her heart.
She leaned into Riley when she felt his strong arm around her shoulders. “Winning this contest doesn’t mean squat anymore,” she told him. “Mackenzie just said she wants to be just like me.”
“She has good taste.” He kissed her on the top of her head. “You ready to go?”
“Not yet. I want to talk to Jen and Wes. Someone cut on that rope.”
“Yeah.” Riley’s jaw ticked. “Let’s go have a chat with Jen and Wes.”
“Sam, I have to talk to one of the producers. We’ll meet everyone at the restaurant.”
“OK. I’ll spread the word.”
Parker and Riley gave Melissa the address to the restaurant, then roved the back lot looking for Jen and Wes. The crew was already beginning to wrap up their equipment and break down the obstacle sets.
“She’s usually flitting around here all night. I haven’t seen her for at least an hour,” Parker grumbled. She stopped a member of the setup staff. “Hey, Max. Have you seen Jen or Wes?”
“She was in the command center trailer next to the obstacles reviewing the tapes. We’ve implemented a double sign off system after every part has been inspected to avoid those accidents.”
“It didn’t work. Someone tampered with one of the hanging ropes.”
“Are you sure?” Max pulled out his cell phone and opened his text app. “We got the all-clear text just before the show started.”
Parker looked at the screen. It was a text from Jen saying she’d inspected everything and for them to finish up. “Where is the command center trailer?”
“Just keep following this path, and you can’t miss it.”
Riley tapped on the door.
“Come in!”
“Jen.”
“Parker! You were great out there. Congrats on advancing. My money’s on you.”
“Thanks,” Parker said. “We still have a problem.”
“What’s up?” Jen asked.
“The rope that fell during my performance was frayed on purpose, and the safety net collapsed. If I’d fallen, I would’ve taken a hard thud on the mats without the net acting as a spring to soften the blow.” Parker folded her arms across her chest.
“Damn it.” Jen sank down on a stool next to the console. “I was still hoping this was just a run of bad luck.”
“Someone wants just enough to happen to shut down this production,” Parker said. “I don’t know if I was the intended target, but a less agile athlete would have certainly hit those mats and probably cracked a rib or broke a limb.”
Riley seethed. “This is beyond staged accidents. You have an enemy of this show who’s unraveling.”
“I don’t know.” Jen shook her head as she dialed Wes. “Wes, it’s Jen. Get over to the command center. That rope during Parker’s run was rigged. I think it’s time we called the police too.”
“Call the detective who took the report at the banquet,” Parker asserted. “It’s not his jurisdiction, but he can inform whoever arrives on this scene that the cases may be connected.”
Within a half hour, the rest of the staff and the police were on the scene. After giving their statements, Parker and Riley headed to the restaurant. Too distracted to drive, she let him driver her Corvette. She barely noticed when they’d arrived and parked.
“What’s wrong?”
“I’m just wondering what this person has cooked up for the finale,” she replied.
“I don’t want to think about it.” He gripped the steering wheel. “I want you to leave the show. Things are getting too dangerous. My gut tells me this isn’t over.”
She caressed his hand. “But you know I can’t.”
“Damn it, Parker.” He squeezed her hand. “This is ratcheting up. At the very least you would have cracked a few ribs if you’d plopped on the mat without the spring-back from the tension in the net. Need I go on? Why do you have to solve this?”
“Because I don’t appreciate someone trying to cause me bodily harm, and I’m a little pissed about being one step behind this creep. And, I don’t know, maybe this is a tactic to scare off the top contenders. The only reason it’s been escalating is because the show’s turned a blind eye to it probably for insurance and TV ratings reasons. It’s not a good look when your stars are getting hurt. I’ll be fine. Because I know you’ll have my back.” She caressed his cheek. “Remember that time we got drunk and pinky swore we’d
back each other up no matter what?”
“I do. But it was right after my stalker, and I never thought anything dangerous would happen again.”
“Sweetie. You know my family. We attract crap like this.” She giggled. “I promise after this I won’t go looking for trouble.”
“I’d like to believe that.” He kissed her hand. “What am I going to do with you?”
“Love me and exercise a lot of patience.” She smiled.
Riley rounded the car and opened the door for Parker. Her mood lightened when they entered the restaurant and everyone began clapping for her. She’d put the mystery out of her mind for a couple of hours. Right now she wanted to celebrate with her family and friends.
Chapter Nine
Parker looked around the room, hoping she wasn’t forgetting anything. Tomorrow she’d be headed to the Ambrosian Islands to prepare for the final competition. The packet they’d sent over had tons of information in it. There would be a jam-packed itinerary as soon as she landed. There would be plenty of schmoozing with the show staff, other contestants and the sponsors of the show. Jen had told her this was the time when opportunities arose for people to segue into stardom. At least one champion had scored a short-lived reality show. And a few, like Abel, had parlayed the exposure into the fitness arena.
She wasn’t there to get any deals. She wanted to see the competition to the end. She’d started this competition as a lark, but now it had taken on meaning in her life. She’d tested her physical and mental mettle. She’d made a new friend in Melissa. She loved that she was an inspiration to Mackenzie.
There was also another reason she wanted to see it through. It was hard not to take it personally that someone had tried to hurt her. She didn’t believe she was the intended target. The randomness of the accidents was a matter of who was unfortunate enough to be around when the obstacle failed.
The producers had a new problem on their hands too. Someone had leaked what was going on to the press, and there was a news story about to break about the things going on with the show. So she anticipated the atmosphere being at a fever pitch with everyone waiting for the other shoe to drop. She had no intention of letting anything else escape her. It was pissing her off that someone was one step ahead of her. It would give her great satisfaction to catch the idiot who was behind the sabotage.
The producers weren’t the only ones on edge. Riley had been plenty tense since the last show. He’d be joining her on the island, and she hoped to distract him with some fun. Maybe lie out on a beach, get some sun, and build a sand castle with him when they weren’t on the hunt for a psycho with a mysterious endgame. She’d informed Carmichael and Rafe, who’d immediately contacted the police officers investigating the incident at the hotel to see if they had any leads.
She looked in her bathroom for her curling iron. It wasn’t there.
“Av, have you seen my big curling iron?” Parker yelled out.
“No,” Avery yelled back. “Try Bridgette’s room.”
Parker went into Bridgette’s bedroom. The curling iron was on her vanity. She resisted the urge to snoop, pivoted, and headed back to her own room.
“Got it!” She opened her top dresser drawer and retrieved her birth control pills. She may have still been thinking about Derek Jr.’s heavenly scent, but she didn’t want any kids right now.
“I thought I’d try my hand at cooking tonight. You up for it?”
“Sure. I’ll help. I could use the break.” Parker picked up her laptop. “But instead of cooking something, why don’t we eat some of the cake left over from your engagement party?”
“I like the sound of that.” Avery giggled. “Cake and wine.”
“The perfect meal. I have to bring the laptop. I want to check my emails.”
Parker sat on a stool with her laptop while Avery got out the cake. She opened her laptop and started tapping away. She checked emails, looked up the weather on the island, then went to her social media accounts. She began to scroll the page of well-wishers. Everyone was jazzed about her being in the finale.
“I must say how impressed I am with Bridgette. I hate to keep making a big deal about it, but she’s been great.”
“Bridgette just needs something to occupy her mind.” Avery cut a healthy chunk of cake and put it on a plate.
“I know, right? Where is she by the way?” Parker hopped off the stool and retrieved a bottle of wine and the electric corkscrew remover.
“She went on a date.” Avery got two glasses out of the cupboard. “She told me beforehand, and I didn’t have to badger her about where she was going. He picked her up and everything.”
“You mean you didn’t get the ‘you’re invading my privacy’ speech?” Parker poured the wine into the glasses and sat back down.
“Not this time.”
“Good. I don’t like that whole ‘meeting up thing’ for a date, unless you intend to ditch him early anyway. If you want to spend time with me, I want door-to-door service.”
“The downside to her evening was that Riley and Wyatt had to meet him.”
“I missed that?” Parker looked up from the screen. “Damn. That must have been entertaining.”
“It was. I know Bridgette didn’t grow up with the rest of us, but it’s standard operating procedure in our family to meet the date. He gets a veiled threat of violence from a family member that if anything happens to you, he’ll get dipped in boiling water. Then they go out and have a good time.”
“She’ll come around when she sees that we do it because we care. If I watch one more true crime story about a woman who went out with friends and was never seen again, I think I’ll punch a hole in the television.”
“We live in dangerous times. But then again, when was it ever a good time to be a woman?” Avery lamented.
“I’m sure the day will come soon.”
“Did you remember to pack all of your necessities?”
“Yes. Bathing suits, sun block, birth control. I even threw in a bikini I bought this afternoon.” Parker laughed. “As soon as my contractual obligations are over, Riley and I are hitting the beach.”
“Good. But don’t give him a heart attack with the bikini.” Avery chuckled.
“Well, I go into cardiac arrest every time I see him in a pair of swim trunks hanging low on his hips.”
“Well, you two are hard-body types. I think it’s nice you two have so much in common. Even though your athleticism turns into a contest most of the time. I think it’s great you share being physical and have a sense of adventure.”
“Who knew we’d be so compatible?” Parker sipped her wine.
Avery raised her hand. “I knew it the second you bickered that it was a match made in heaven.”
“Know it all.” Parker stuck her tongue out at her.
“Do you remember what Aunt Morgan said the other night about us having babies?” Avery forked a piece of cake into her mouth.
“Yes. I woke up screaming that night. I told Riley I dreamed I was being chased by a giant hotdog.”
“Are you ready for that? For babies I mean?”
“No.” Parker put her fork down. “I like my life the way it is. I’m not ready for that kind of responsibility yet. Don’t get me wrong, holding Derek Jr. made me feel all warm and cuddly inside. And I love all of the kids. But I like that Riley and I are still getting to know each other.”
“I feel the same way. Wyatt and I have plenty of time for that. But I am happy we’re getting married.” Avery fingered her engagement ring. “He’s the one. I know with all my heart that he’s the man I’m meant to be with for the rest of my life.”
Parker smiled. “I think it’s nice you can be so sure.”
“You’re not sure about Riley?” Avery furrowed her eyebrows.
“I don’t know.”
“What don’t you know?” Avery pressed.
“I want more with him, but sometimes I feel like he deserves more.”
“Huh?”
“Sometime
s I feel like he needs someone more sophisticated who wants to be in the limelight. I spend most of my time dodging cameras. Let’s face it, on my best days I’m blue jeans and a T-shirt. He’s Riley Sloane. Sexy, sought-after football player.”
“So? Riley’s not the kind of guy to play around. He wouldn’t do that to you. He doesn’t care about how you dress. And believe me, you saved him from becoming a full-fledged media whore. He needed substance in his life. He needed someone to challenge him mentally. To help him focus on his priorities. You give him those things.”
“I suppose so.” Parker sipped her wine. “We’re both competitive but in a fun way. He knows when to push, but he backs off when he feels I’m too raw to deal with whatever is going on. He can be funny, but he can be serious too. To tell you the truth, I’ve never felt this way about a person.”
“It takes a lot to be vulnerable. I was scared to be in a relationship with Wyatt. I had virtually no experience with men. I thought he’d see me as naïve and uptight.”
“Uptight women don’t get into bar fights with chicks who keep hitting on their men.” Parker bit back a smile. Avery’s twenty-first birthday was an event the family still talked about. She’d duked it out at the Bright Star with a girl who’d tormented her and ended up in jail. The family had been freaking out. It was an awesome initiation into adulthood for her friend.
“Uncle Seth never lets me live that down.” Avery rolled her eyes. “I did realize how important Wyatt was to me. We decided to give in to the feelings we had after that. It was an incredible turning point for us.”
“You are very lucky. He’s handsome, smart, funny, kind, and generous.”
“Can you imagine I’m going to marry that man?” Avery wrinkled her nose.
“Yes, I can.” Parker smiled. “It’s just the beginning for the two of you. I wish you all the happiness in the world.”
“I couldn’t imagine my life without him. I am so happy I decided to go to college in Texas. It changed my life. I met you. We did make an unlikely pair of roommates. But look how well we turned out.”
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