Her eyes followed his to the neon red OPEN sign blinking through the gathering darkness. “Sure.”
Parker got Happy set up with a blanket in the front seat and then escorted Chelsea inside. They both ordered a hot chocolate.
When Chelsea got hers, she cupped it in her hands. “I’m ready for spring. I’ve had enough of this cold weather.”
“Me, too.” Parker took a sip of his drink. The rich liquid warmed him almost instantly. “They have some good hot chocolate here. I’ll have to remember this place.”
Chelsea nodded her agreement. “So, what made you decide to take Happy to the hospital to visit kids in the first place?”
Parker set his cup down on the table and ran his fingernail along the edge of the cup sleeve. “When I was hospitalized after my accident, I wasn’t positive about much of anything.” That was an understatement. Early on, he’d been depressed. His career was over, but it hadn’t totally sunk in yet. The pain of the injuries were so severe that at times, all he wanted to do was sleep, only to be assaulted by dreams of the accident itself.
Chelsea was watching him closely, as though his thoughts could be seen on his face. He sat up straighter. “One day, a guy came through with his German shepherd. He was some kind of therapy dog and I guess they didn’t normally do hospital visits. But they’d decided to that day. Seeing that dog… well, it put me in a better mood than I had been in a long time.” He’d mindlessly peeled at the cup sleeve until he finally pulled it off the cup completely. “When I got out of the hospital, I decided that was something I wanted to do. I’d had Happy for a couple of years, and I knew he’d be great with this kind of thing. So we went through a series of classes. We’ve been going for about seven months now.” He shrugged, his ears growing warm as he shared his story.
“It’s great you’re doing this. What drew you to the kids?” Chelsea had set her cup down, too, and kept her hands clasped together with her chin resting on them.
Parker hesitated to answer the question. But the softness in her eyes changed his mind. “They don’t judge. Not like adults. They ask me about my scars all the time, but then, once they hear what happened, that’s the end of it. I find it refreshing.”
Chelsea nodded slowly. “That makes sense. It hurts when people don’t see us for who we really are.”
There was no doubting the sadness in her eyes. “Are things still not going well with your parents?”
She gave a half shrug. “I don’t know why it always surprises me. You’d think I’d be used to it by now. You were right, though. My parents never knew me.” She took a long drink. “I’ve always been their daughter and Laurie’s sister. Never Chelsea. I’m not even sure I know who I really am.”
“Well, I do.” Parker reached across the table and cradled her hand in his. Not even the hot drink had warmed her skin after being outside. He covered it with his other hand. “You, Chelsea Blake, are a beautiful, intelligent woman. You never give up, no matter how many obstacles get in your way. You were willing to fly in the face of what your parents expected of you in order to find your own direction in this world.” She was blushing furiously now, but he wasn’t done. “And you were able to single-handedly drag a grumpy man out of his misery with a broken bottle of tea and your stubbornness.”
Chelsea laughed then and covered her face with her hands. Her eyes brimmed with tears as she shook her head. “You’re something else.”
“Oh? A good something, or a bad something?” He hiked one eyebrow at her.
“Good.” She peeked at him from beneath her lashes.
Someone else came into the coffee shop, bringing with him a blast of cool air. As much as Parker didn’t want his time with Chelsea to end, he kept in mind the area of town she lived in. It was nearly dark, and he’d rather she got home sooner than later.
Chelsea sighed and reached for her coat, apparently realizing the same thing.
Parker escorted her to her car and held the door open. Chelsea started the engine and cranked the heat up all the way. Instead of retreating, he waited, one hand on the roof of the car and the other on top of the door.
She turned toward him, lifting her chin. “Thanks for the hot chocolate.”
“You’re welcome.” He leaned down, his face inches from hers. “Chelsea?”
“Yeah?”
He placed a light kiss to the corner of her mouth. “I’ve missed you.”
“I’ve missed you, too, Parker.” Chelsea bit her lip.
It took all Parker had to give her some space, when what he wanted to do was hold her in his arms and kiss her until they were both breathless. “Good night. Be safe, okay?”
She nodded, closed the door, and eased out of the parking space.
Everything he told her in the coffee shop was true. But none of it mattered until she believed it herself. He prayed she would someday realize just how special she was.
Chapter Fifteen
Chelsea was relieved when her parents insisted they wanted to spend some one-on-one time with Laurie and her family over the weekend. She’d done a lot of replaying her Friday evening with Parker in her head. Seeing him there with Norman had given her even more insight into who he was. As each piece was added to the puzzle, she became more and more in awe of Parker. Of his strength after his accident and the sweet way he helped those kids in the hospital every week. That wall he had up when she first met him was slowly crumbling. And every new view she had of who he was inside only made her want to get to know him more.
Now it was Monday morning and she’d seen him briefly, just enough to wave on her way up to her office. She’d kept busy with a list of things he’d left for her to do. At four in the afternoon, her cell phone rang. She was shocked it was Mrs. Wilson over at the ranch house. “This is Chelsea. Can I help you?”
“Hi, Chelsea. This is Mrs. Wilson. Would you have time to stop by the house here in a few minutes? I wanted to talk to you about something.”
“Absolutely. I’ll be there at four fifteen.”
“Wonderful. See you then.”
The phone went quiet, and Chelsea continued to stare at the screen for several moments before putting the phone away. What on earth did Mrs. Wilson want to talk to her about? Was she not doing as good of a job as she thought she was? What if, with the awkwardness between she and Parker, they chose to let her go?
Blood rushed in her ears, and she fought the nausea building in her stomach. By the time she was walking up the steps to the front door of the ranch house, she’d convinced herself this was her last day of work. She’d just reached up to knock when the door swung open, startling her.
A woman a few years younger than Chelsea stopped short, a hand flying to her mouth. “Oh! I didn’t realize anyone was here. I was in too much of a hurry. My brother’s always teasing me about that.” She held a hand out. “I’m Kara Wilson.”
Realizing this was Parker’s sister, Chelsea shook her hand. “Hi. I’m Chelsea Blake — I work for Mrs. Wilson and Parker. I understand congratulations are in order.”
Kara beamed. “Yes, my fiancé and I are getting married on Saturday. I can hardly wait.” The dreamy look on her face would’ve relayed her excitement if the tone of her voice hadn’t already done so. “Do you have a meeting with Mom?”
“She asked me to come over.”
“In that case, come on in. I’ll show you to the sitting room. That’s where she sees all our guests. It’s one of her favorite rooms in the house.”
Chelsea recalled the gorgeous fireplace and could understand why Mrs. Wilson favored it. She followed Kara into the house. There was an obvious resemblance between the two siblings. Both had the same color of brown hair and hazel eyes. But where Parker was tall, Kara was probably closer to five foot two.
They entered the sitting room where Mrs. Wilson was waiting. Parker walked in from the opposite direction. The two of them stopped. Chelsea was more convinced than ever that they were firing her.
Kara looked back and forth between them, her brow
s drawn together in confusion. “Chelsea and I ran into each other. I thought I’d bring her in.”
Mrs. Wilson stood from the couch. “Of course. Thank you, Kara. Chelsea. Parker. Please, come have a seat.”
From the wary expression on Parker’s face, Mrs. Wilson had apparently called him to the meeting without telling him why. Chelsea chose a chair across from the couch while both mother and son sat on the couch itself.
Kara raised an eyebrow toward Parker. “I’ve got to run. Ben and I are going out to dinner. I’ll see you later. It was nice to meet you, Chelsea.”
“You, too.”
Once Kara had left the room, Mrs. Wilson cleared her throat. “Thanks for coming over, Chelsea. I wanted to inform you we’ve been thrilled with how well you’ve done here at Wilson Ranch. We’d like to offer you a permanent position if that’s something you’re interested in.”
Seriously?! Chelsea’s relief was so great, it took several heartbeats to realize she hadn’t yet responded to the offer. “I’d love to continue working for you here at the ranch, Mrs. Wilson. Thank you.”
“Wonderful!” Mrs. Wilson seemed genuinely pleased.
Would Parker be as happy about the decision? She tried not to flinch as she snuck a peek at him. The relief on his face spoke volumes. After the range of emotions and conversations they’d had over the last week, she hadn’t known what to expect. Between not losing her job and Parker being happy about that, it felt like Chelsea could finally breathe freely again. She could tell her parents she was no longer working for a temp agency, but had a full-time, permanent job. This was a big step in the right direction. She’d start saving and maybe get a place of her own instead of living above the studio. Her thoughts raced around each other. Thank you, God.
“Now that we have that settled, I wanted to speak with you about something else.” Mrs. Wilson pulled on the hem of her blouse to straighten it. “I’m glad you met Kara. She’s marrying Ben Price this Saturday, as you know.”
Chelsea nodded, not at all sure of where this was going. “It was great to meet her. I hope they’ll be happy together.” She looked to Parker, hoping for some clue. He offered a subtle shrug.
“Thank you. We are all excited about the event. Kara has dreamed of a large, traditional wedding for many years. It will take place at the O’Riley Country Club.”
“That’s a beautiful location.” Chelsea knew the press would be all over the event. The O’Riley Country Club was elite, and she could imagine a full-page spread in the Kitner Daily Times. Having what would normally be a somewhat intimate event being the focus of the town sounded intimidating. Definitely not Chelsea’s cup of tea.
Mrs. Wilson seemed pleased with her response. “Seeing as the wedding will be in the public eye and it’s Kara’s special day, it’s imperative that Parker bring a guest with him to the wedding. This will be his first big public appearance since everything happened last year. I thought the two of you might attend together.” She reached over and put a hand on Parker’s, whose eyes widened as apparently he comprehended where this conversation was going. “Son, you told me you didn’t want to go with a stranger. Since you and Chelsea have worked together for a while, I thought you might be more comfortable with this arrangement.” She turned her attention to Chelsea. “And we would pay you for your time. You’d receive double your normal hourly rate for a full eight hours that day, regardless of how long you’re at the wedding itself.”
Chelsea stared at Mrs. Wilson. Wait. What? Her employer wanted Chelsea to go to her daughter’s wedding with her son? There was no way on this planet she could’ve seen this coming. What was she supposed to say?
Parker spoke up from his spot on the couch. “Mom, I told you I didn’t need you to find someone to go with me. Kara insists it’s fine if I attend solo.”
Mrs. Wilson didn’t look convinced. “That may be. But you know the media will want to know what all you’ve been up to the last year. Things may have been quiet, but Kitner doesn’t forget its rodeo heroes. You’ll be questioned less if Chelsea comes along with you than if you show up solo.” She motioned to Chelsea. “If you’ve got plans for Saturday, we would certainly understand. But if not, would you consider attending with Parker?”
Plans? If she had any, it’d have to do with her parents. She’d rather stick a hot poker in her eye. But this? Parker was objecting to the suggestion. Was it because he wanted to go alone like he said, or because he’d rather not take her? How did Parker feel about the situation? He remained stoic, his emotions shuttered. How was she supposed to say no to this when Mrs. Wilson had just offered her permanent employment? “I don’t believe I have plans. But I don’t want to add any stress or awkwardness to the situation.”
“Nonsense.” Mrs. Wilson turned her attention to her son. “Parker?”
He opened his mouth to say something and then closed it again. He jumped to his feet and held his hands up in surrender. “You two decide what’s going on. Just let me know where to be and when.”
Parker excused himself as Mrs. Wilson went over some of the details with Chelsea. By the time everything was wrapped up, Chelsea’s head was swimming.
She was being paid to go to a wedding as Parker’s plus one. Talk about hitching awkward to a runaway bull and watching it disappear into the horizon. She still had no idea if Parker was happy she’d agreed to it, mad, or somewhere in between. This was absolute insanity.
~
Parker knew his mom well, but he hadn’t seen that coming. The meeting had run the gamut of emotions. First, the hope when Mom offered Chelsea a permanent position followed closely by fear that Chelsea might turn it down. When she’d agreed, Parker had been so relieved that he took a full minute after his mom made her suggestion to fully register what she’d said.
There was no one else he’d rather take to his sister’s wedding. And Chelsea had agreed. Except Mom was paying her to go. Had Chelsea agreed for the extra money or because she’d chosen to go with him?
Parker’s heart sank. What if Chelsea had felt obligated? That was the last thing he wanted. He’d rather go alone and face Mom’s disappointment than put Chelsea in a position like that.
He paced the driveway in front of the house until Chelsea came outside. She didn’t see him at first, but stopped the moment she spotted him.
Nervous, Parker put his hands in his pockets before taking them back out again. “Hey.”
“Hey.” She blew out a lungful of air. “I can honestly say that was one of the strangest meetings I’ve ever been to.” She laughed, but it was a nervous one. Her gaze kept moving from the bushes along the walk to the front door of the house and back to the driveway.
“I hope you know your job doesn’t hinge on whether or not you go to this wedding.” He wanted to pray that she’d agree to go anyway. But he stopped himself. God, I’m done trying to control things.
“I appreciate that.” There was a flicker of relief on her face that was quickly replaced with doubt. “But Mrs. Wilson asked me for the favor and I don’t mind.” She sucked in a breath. “Unless you’d rather I not. I’m sure you’d prefer to go to the wedding with someone else.” Her voice cracked and red painted her cheeks. She twisted some of her hair around an index finger. “Do you want me to back out? I don’t need the money. You say the word and I’ll go in there and let her know.”
Parker studied her face. Her eyes were like a mirror reflecting his own insecurity right back at him. “No, I don’t want you to back out.”
“Okay.” Chelsea turned and walked toward her car.
He rushed forward, catching her arm and turning her back to face him. “Thank you, Chelsea.” He moved his hand to her shoulder, gently squeezing it. “I was going to text you after I spoke with Mom. I got a call from Nurse Kay at the hospital. Norman is doing so much better than he was when we saw him on Friday. They said his improvements are amazing.”
“Really?” The grin on Chelsea’s face made her eyes light up. “I’m glad to hear that! Will you go back tonight
?”
He nodded. “How’s your nephew doing?”
“He’s great. He’s getting some chubby little legs. It’s cute.” Her expression had become so animated, it was contagious.
Parker visualized her holding the baby and that conjured up way too many images of a future together that he had no right to imagine. But the pangs of what could be hit him hard. “I’m glad he’s doing well.” He glanced at the front of the house and wanted to say more. But now wasn’t the time. He reached out to touch her cheek but pulled his hand back again. “I’ll see you at work tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow.” She tilted her head a little, some hair falling in front of one eye. “Hey, I know your mom wouldn’t have offered me the position if you hadn’t put in a good word for me. I appreciate it.”
“You’re welcome. You deserve it.”
~
Chelsea stood in front of her bed, the four fancy dresses she owned displayed across its surface. When she moved to Kitner, she’d gotten rid of almost everything she owned that spoke of her life in New York. But these four she’d kept, just in case. If someone had told her she’d need to wear one to a wedding that she’d be attending with her employer, she wouldn’t have believed a word of it. She needed help.
She picked up her cell phone and dialed Laurie’s number.
“Hey, Chelsea! What’s going on?”
“I have to pick an employee of the bride dress.”
“What?! Hold on a second.” There was shuffling in the background before Laurie came back onto the line. “What on earth are you talking about?”
“Mrs. Wilson hired me permanently.”
“That’s fantastic, Chelsea! It’s what you were hoping for.”
Chelsea walked back and forth in front of the dresses. “And now she’s paying me to go to her daughter’s wedding with Parker. I’m supposed to give her a sample of my dress tomorrow so she can make sure Parker’s suit matches it.” The tone of her voice increased with each passing word. “How do I get myself into these situations? What on earth am I supposed to do?”
Finding Joy (Love's Compass Book 5) Page 15
