She sighed and got in the passenger side of Parker’s Range Rover. She buckled the seatbelt and synced up her phone as Parker pulled out of the driveway. Beth always played DJ while Parker navigated. They’d been on some pretty epic road trips in their day, but Beth was having a hard time feeling excited about the long boring drive to Tybee Island while her boyfriend was on a bus heading in a different direction.
“Buck up, buttercup,” Parker called.
“I’m sorry,” Beth muttered. “I really appreciate you coming with me. I’ll pull it together, I promise.”
Parker smiled as he changed lanes. “I think I might have something to help with that.”
“What’s that?”
“Look in the snack bag in the backseat.”
Beth twisted around to root through the bag of snacks she’d packed. Right away the brown paper bag on top caught her attention. It hadn’t been there when she’d brought it out to the car. She picked it up and the words on the front made her eyes light up. “You didn’t!” she exclaimed.
“I did.”
“When did you have time to go to Weirdough’s?” she asked digging into the bag of donuts. They were still warm and Beth’s mouth was already watering when the scent of cinnamon buttery goodness wafted through the car.
“I went early this morning.”
“Oh my God, you are seriously the best, Parker. I haven’t had these since . . .”
“The beach road trip when you were ten?”
“Yes! How do you remember every little detail like that?”
“It’s a gift and a curse,” he teased. “That and they were the only things that cured your car sickness.”
“Hey I don’t get car sick anymore,” Beth protested.
“I’m not taking any chances.”
“Well I’m glad you didn’t.”
“I know,” Parker said. “Plus, I sorta was hoping you’d share.”
Beth beamed and fed Parker a cinnamon glazed donut. He took a big bite and got glaze on his chin and crumbs all over his shirt. Beth laughed harder and swiped the glaze off his chin, licking her finger. “You’re a mess.”
“That makes two of us.”
Beth grinned at him, her heart swelling. It was a phrase they’d said to each other since they were kids. There was just something special in the camaraderie of being completely yourself with someone else. Even though Beth had grown up in a house full of siblings, it was always Parker who made her feel less alone.
“I haven’t heard that in a while,” Beth commented.
“It has been a while,” Parker replied.
“I’ve missed this. Being us.”
“Me too.”
Beth took another bite of donut and savored the happy memories it gave her of time spent with Parker and her family. She was grinning from ear-to-ear by the time she gave him another bite. “Weirdoughs was a great surprise, Park. Thank you.”
“Do I know you or what?”
He really did. A strange realization dawned on Beth. Parker truly did know her. And every day he found sweet little ways like this to prove it. So why didn’t Jared?
It shouldn’t matter that Parker had years of knowledge on him. Jared had six months of being her boyfriend, but sometimes it felt like he didn’t know anything about her. And in that moment, Beth didn’t feel so bad that she was spending her spring break with Parker. At least she knew she’d always look back on it with good memories, just like everything she did with Parker. He never let her down and Beth was starting to see the value in that.
Parker
Parker had a hard time keeping his joy bottled up. Especially when Beth kept swiping donut glaze from his chin and licking it off her fingers. He was positive he’d never seen her do anything sexier. For once, he was glad Jared was such a cocky idiot. It was Jared’s foolishness that had gifted Parker a whole uninterrupted week with Beth. And he didn’t feel even a tad bit guilty. It was about time things got back to normal. Parker and Beth—P and B. Parker smiled to himself. He’d always liked P and B better without the J.
19
Beth
Beth woke up as they were pulling down a familiar road lined with huge live oaks. It was dark and the spotlights illuminating the trees made long shadows stretch across the car. They pulled up to the ancient iron gate and Beth’s heart sank as she took in the words scrolled in the ironwork—Bellemora. They couldn’t be here already, could they?
Beth glanced at the clock. It was just after midnight. They’d arrived as projected. The road trip hadn’t taken nearly as long as she’d hoped. As usual, time with Parker flew by. They’d played every road trip game under the sun. The alphabet game, the license plate game, billboard bingo, would you rather, music trivia, the movie game, cow versus sheep—a game she and Parker had made up when they were kids where players had to flip a coin to see whether they got cows or sheep. Heads were cows, tails sheep. Then they counted the cow or sheep farms they passed. Whoever had the most won. There were always more cow farms.
After they ran out of games to play, Beth turned on her Broadway musical playlist and they sang show tunes. Beth exhausted herself acting out all the parts of Chicago. She must’ve fallen asleep shortly after that because they were now in Georgia.
As the gates creaked open, Beth rubbed the sleep from her eyes. “Parker, why didn’t you wake me up? We were supposed to switch drivers again in North Carolina.”
Parker shrugged. “You looked so comfy.”
“You must be exhausted.”
“Nope,” he said holding up an empty energy drink.
She laughed. “Somebody’s gonna be up all night.”
“You know what that means . . .” he said with a twinkle in his eyes.
Beth snorted. “No way. We cannot toilet paper the live oaks again. My mom will kill us.”
Parker pretended to pout, but Beth could see the corners of his lips hitch into that smirk she loved so much. “Oh well, board games it is.”
“I could do with some Scrabble,” Beth admitted.
“You’re on. I’ll unload the car, you go sort out the rooms.”
“Deal,” Beth replied as they parked under the old carriage porch.
Walking inside her family’s old estate was like being transported back in time. Nostalgia washed over Beth with the weight of the thick Georgia humidity as she walked up to the front desk. The Bellemora estate had been converted into a posh boutique hotel before Beth was born. She’d grown up spending summers vacationing there with her mother’s side of the family. When Beth’s nana was still alive, she’d lived on the property. One whole wing of the massive white plantation style house was reserved for family only, while the other half was upgraded and run as a hotel.
Beth hadn’t been back to Bellemora in years. After Nana passed it was too sad. But Beth did have plenty of good memories there. Collecting sea shells on the beach, getting ice cream at Seaside Sweets, dinners at Tybee Social Club, playing hide-and-go-seek in the halls of Bellemora at night, riding bikes around the golf course, attempting to learn to surf, choreographing dance routines with her sisters and talent shows with Parker.
As Beth thought back to all her good memories of summers past at Bellemora she realized Parker had been a part of all of them.
“Can I help you?” the receptionist asked pulling Beth from her reminiscence.
“Yes, Beth Bennett. I’m here for my sister’s wedding.”
“Yes, of course. Welcome back, Miss Bennett. I’ll be right back with your key.”
“Keys,” Beth corrected. “I’m checking in for Parker Reed as well.”
The receptionist frowned. “I only have one reservation for you, Miss Bennett.”
“Oh.” Weird. Beth’s mother knew Parker was coming. “Well you can put him in any of the rooms in our family’s wing.”
The woman’s pretty face pinched again as she prepared to deliver more bad news. “I’m afraid your family’s wing is full, and with such short notice we have no vacancies on the hotel side.
”
No vacancies? Seriously? Beth sighed. “I guess that’s what happens when you plan a wedding in a week.”
“I’m sorry for the inconvenience, Miss Bennett,” the receptionist added with a sympathetic smile.
“It’s okay,” Beth muttered taking the old-fashioned skeleton key.
Back outside, Parker tipped the bellhop who’d loaded their things onto a luggage cart and was just handing the car keys off to a valet.
“So, do you want the good news or the bad news?” Beth asked.
Parkers smile faltered.
Beth knew he’d pick good news. He always did. He’d once told her he couldn’t enjoy the good news if he heard the bad news first.
“Good news,” Parker said.
“We’re bunking together.”
His smile returned ten fold. “What’s the bad news?”
“We’re bunking together.”
Parker waved her off like she was crazy. “I think you need a refresher on good news, bad news scenarios,” he said, dismissing the bellhop and pushing the cart into the lobby himself.
“Really? You’re not mad we have to share a room?” Beth asked as they took the elevator to the second floor.
“Of course not. It’s not like we haven’t done it before.”
“Yeah but . . .”
“But what?”
“I don’t know. We were kids back then. Now we’re used to having our privacy, and what if you snore?”
Parker laughed. “I don’t snore.”
“How would you know?”
“I think we can manage,” Parker said smirking at her as he pushed the cart down the hall to their room.
Beth unlocked the door and led the way inside. She was about to say, ‘If you say so,’ but the lone king sized bed stole the words from her mouth.
Parker
Beth stopped short and Parker almost ran into the back of her with the luggage cart. “What’s wrong?” he asked peering around the garment bags.
“Um, do you want the good news or bad news?” Beth asked again.
Parker pushed his way around the cart and into the room. He was about to make a sarcastic comment about banning Beth from anymore good news, bad news scenarios when he saw what had tripped her up. She was staring at the frilly monstrosity of a bed, and the fact that there was only one of them in the hotel suite.
This was too much. There was no way he could sleep in the same bed as Beth. Beads of sweat began forming on Parker’s brow. What if he was dreaming and pulled her into his arms in the middle of the night? What if he talked in his sleep and professed his undying love for her? Or what if she saw his involuntary morning salute and mistook it for something it wasn’t?
Parker’s mind was spiraling with anxiety when Beth glanced at him.
“Still think we can manage?” she asked.
What could he say? Sure, I’ve fantasized about this since I hit puberty? Parker swallowed his fear. “I can take the floor.”
“Oh my God, Park. I’m not gonna make you sleep on the floor. You’ve already agreed to come to a shotgun wedding for my hellish sister on your last spring break. If anyone’s sleeping on the floor, it’s me.”
“Then I guess no one’s sleeping on the floor,” he replied.
Beth sighed. “I’ll talk to my mom tomorrow. Maybe I can bunk with one of my sisters or something.”
Parker tried to force his smile to look natural and not terrified. “It’s fine, Beth. Friends can share a bed.”
But as Parker unloaded the luggage cart, a knot tightened in his chest. Friends could share a bed. But if he was being honest, Parker hadn’t thought of Beth as just a friend in a very long time.
20
Beth
Beth showered first. She hurried through her routine, feeling exposed with Parker on the other side of the bathroom door. It’s not a big deal, she told herself. You’ve shared a bed with Parker before. Hell, you used to take baths with him.
But Beth’s conscience wasn’t going to let her off the hook that easily. Yeah, but you were babies back then. Parker wasn’t one of the hottest guys you’ve ever seen almost naked. Does your boyfriend know about your tantalizing daydreams about Parker? How is your boyfriend by the way?
Shit!
Beth toweled off and quickly pulled on a nightgown. She was suddenly wishing she’d packed more modest sleepwear, but she’d already been packed for Colorado and hadn’t anticipated sharing a bed with anyone but Jared. Her thin satin nightgown had been purchased specifically for him. Caroline said he’d love it, so Beth had bought ten of them, in all different colors. The slippery fabric barely covered her ass. Luckily there was a wide band of lace around the bottom, but it still only skimmed her upper thighs. Thank God she’d thrown a robe in at the last second thinking it’d be cold walking around in a skimpy nightie in Aspen.
It certainly wasn’t cold in Georgia. Beth didn’t know if it was the balmy ocean air blowing in from the balcony or the fact that Parker was about to see her half naked, but her core temperature was definitely rising. Maybe she should’ve taken a cold shower?
Beth tied her pale blue robe tightly around her and quickly opened the bathroom door before she lost her nerve. “All yours,” she called, swiping her phone from the nightstand and scurrying past Parker. “I’m gonna call Jared on the balcony. Don’t wait up.”
Once on the balcony, Beth took a deep breath trying to steady her nerves. ‘Don’t wait up?’ Who says that? It’s not like Parker was going to be sprawled on the bed waiting to pounce on her when he got out of the shower. What the hell was wrong with her? It was Parker. They were P and B. They were platonic. There’d never been anything between them, even back when Beth had wished there could’ve been. She took another steadying breath. She adjusted her robe, cursing her lingerie. The damn clingy fabric had her all sexed up.
Beth glanced at the time on her phone. What time was it in Colorado? She did a quick calculation and decided to call Jared. He was better at answering calls then texts. Sometimes he went days before replying, claiming he misplaced his phone or the battery was dead.
The phone rang a few times then went to voicemail. Beth frowned. Jared never checked his voicemail. She disconnected the call and sent him a quick text.
Hey babe, just got to the hotel. Wanted to say night and I hope you’re having fun. Miss you. xoxo - Beth
Now what? Beth was hoping to get Jared on the phone to kill some time. Now she’d have to go back into the bedroom and face Parker. Maybe she could just slip into bed before he got out of the shower and pretend to be asleep? Ugh! She needed to get a grip.
She couldn’t do that to Parker. He was sacrificing his spring break to be an amazing best friend. Beth needed to shape up. She could lock away her feelings for a few days. Besides, she hadn’t let herself have feelings for Parker since she started dating Jared. Beth was honestly confused why her crush had resurfaced so suddenly. Maybe it was the nostalgia of being back at Bellemora. Or perhaps she was getting swept away with the romance of the wedding.
Beth frowned and tugged at the hem of her scandalously short nightie. Most likely the problem was that she was wearing the damn lingerie that had been meant for the first time she had sex.
She sighed and looked out over the sprawling grounds. The moon was nearly full and the sky was speckled with stars—way more stars than she ever saw in Boston. The sea breeze caressed her wet hair. Beth inhaled the salty scent in the air. She could just make out the sound of the waves crashing in the distance. No wonder she felt swept away. She’d never been to Bellemora as nearly an adult. She felt like she was in ‘Gone with the Wind’.
The notion was unsettling. Things hadn’t worked out so well for Scarlett O’Hara. Beth was hoping her story would be better. She wanted to avoid drama this week, not incite it. But as she looked around the romantic setting of her suite, she had a sneaking suspicion she’d be more likely to follow in Scarlett’s fateful footsteps. It would certainly be easier to set Georgia ablaze than to kee
p herself from falling for the boy she was sharing a room with. Especially when that boy was Parker.
Parker
Parker toweled off and slipped on his pinstriped pajama pants. He’d forgotten how humid it was in Georgia. He tossed his t-shirt back into his suitcase. He wouldn’t be needing that tonight. He knew there was air-conditioning in their room, but it seemed like it couldn’t keep up with the humid air that hung over Tybee Island. Bellemora was just past the South Carolina border in an area of Georgia referred to as the low country. Everything around them was flat and swampy, and the weight of the thick air made Parker wonder how the moss-covered live oaks could grow so tall blanketed in such heaviness.
One summer when Parker was at Bellemora with Beth and her family, the air-conditioning unit in his room failed. He’d felt like he was suffocating lying in his bed and resorted to sleeping in his underwear on the balcony. He could get away with such things as a ten year old. But now . . . not so much. He sent up a silent prayer to avoid such occurrences this trip and walked over to check the temperature control on the wall but Beth’s moonlit silhouette stopped him in his tracks. Good God she was beautiful.
The moonlight illuminated her slim figure, casting a milky glow over her pale satin robe. Her blonde hair danced as the salty air kissed it into golden waves as soft as the gentle surf breaking just on the other side of the dunes. Parker had the sudden urge to take a photo of her like that. Instead he stared at her a moment longer, locking the stunning image away with all the others he’d compiled over the years.
Sometimes they were the only things that kept him going. The memories of times they’d shared together. It felt pathetic when he thought of it that way. But he’d rather have loved Beth from afar, than never felt such powerful love at all.
Parker joined Beth on the balcony. She startled at his presence like she’d been lost in thought.
The Stand-In Boyfriend Page 10
