by Lexie Davis
Both Parker and Aubree stared at Ms. Malloy’s beaming smile shining down on them. The short, older woman had a fluffy head of white hair that looked freshly curled from the beauty salon. Her blue flowered dress went past her knees and her white support shoes covered her feet. For the most part, she was one of the nicest people Parker knew. In her eighties, she had nothing better to do than plot and plan their wedding even though they couldn’t stand each other.
“Hi, Ms. Malloy. I’ve been doing just fine. How are you?” Aubree stood to hug the nosy woman. Parker licked his lips and swiped Aubree’s sweet tea. It was too early in the day for alcohol and he needed something stronger than water.
“Oh, I’m fine, dear.” She patted Aubree’s back. “Oh, honey, you’re going to look so good in the new wedding dress at Marjorie’s shop. It’s poofy like Cinderella’s ball gown.”
Parker held back a laugh mixed with a groan. “There’s no wedding, Ms. Malloy. Aubree is only visiting for a short time. We’re not getting married so no need for the church or flowers or the dress.”
He had to admit, Ms. Malloy looked heartbroken at his comment. “Oh, nonsense. You two are perfect for each other.” She looked toward Aubree for confirmation.
Aubree smiled. “Excuse him. He’s hungry and mean as a bear when he has an empty stomach.”
Parker watched with much enthusiasm as Aubree laid on the southern charm. She wanted to get married even less than he did. Arching an eyebrow, he waited for her to explain her way out of it.
“I’m afraid Parker was right about me not staying very long. I’m just visiting for a week. There won’t be enough time to really plan the wedding of my dreams.”
Ms. Malloy’s eyes lit up. “Oh, pfft. The girls and I can get everything together. We’ll have you married before you know it. Don’t you worry.” She reached out and gripped Aubree’s chin. “You’re such a pretty girl, Aubree. Parker, you’re getting a good girl. You’d better treat her right.”
Aubree smiled as the older woman walked away from them. She turned, her eyes wide as she took her seat. Parker chuckled and drank her tea.
“Well, dear, I guess we’re getting hitched. Good job at clearing that up.”
“Shut up.”
He chuckled. As if his life couldn’t be more complicated.
Chapter Two
The rumor mill had spread her impeding wedding around town by the time Aubree retrieved her car and drove home to her parents’ ranch house. Her father gave her that knowing look, throwing her back to when she was eighteen. Years ago, Parker had been making claims about taking her virginity and that tidbit of info got back to her father. He all but demanded a wedding and Parker nearly conceded.
“You’ve had a busy day.”
“You know me.” Aubree slung her purse on the dining table. “I like to keep busy.”
Her father folded the paper he’d been reading and sat it to the side. “So busy that you’re pregnant and getting married all within a day?”
Aubree choked. “Pregnant?”
Her father arched an eyebrow. “You should know better than to stir those old bats up.”
Aubree sighed. “How could I resist? I haven’t lived here in a while and it was too much fun when I was younger. Old habits die hard. It’s even more fun now.”
He shook his head. “What did he say?”
Parker Montgomery. The more she tried to resist him, the more she found herself attracted to him in all the wrong ways. He’d been the guy every girl wanted to date. He gave her very few reasons to hate him, which only made things more difficult when she wanted to push him away.
“Parker went along with it.” When her father arched an eyebrow, she shrugged. “I’m only here for a week. It’s easier to let them have their fun and leave us alone.”
“After all that fuss at the police station?”
She blew out a breath. “That was a misunderstanding.”
Her father folded his arms over his chest. “Kind of like that misunderstanding about you and him in the back of his car?”
She rolled her eyes. “I’m not talking about my sex life with you.”
“I wasn’t asking you to.” He reached for his paper again. “I’m just saying that whatever you think about him, you can’t do better. He’s … he’s a good guy. Smart. Funny. Loyal. Plus, he’s in love with you. He always has been.”
In love. Aubree went to the fridge to avoid talking about love with her father. It wasn’t fair. Everyone seemed to know what she should do better than herself. She grabbed a bottle of water and closed the refrigerator door.
“Aubree, just think about things before you ruin it again.”
Her ruin them. Yeah, that was new. Back when she’d been eighteen her parents couldn’t wait for her to get out of town. It was the only thing that would save her from the wild child life she’d been living. She saw moving to Dallas as freedom. Something about Prospect made the walls cave in on her. She felt claustrophobic and had anxiety. It made her itchy and on edge.
“Parker and I will never work, Daddy. Please let it go.”
Her mom rounded the corner and stopped suddenly. “Aubree Grace, what on earth are you doing here?” She reached out to her and pulled her in for a hug.
Aubree smiled and hugged her mother. “Oh, I just wanted to visit for a week. Daddy said it was okay.”
She smiled. “Of course it’s okay. I thought missing work meant you lost a lot of money though.”
She didn’t want to think about that. “It’s fine, Momma. Can I help you with anything?”
The phone rang, disrupting them as her mother turned to answer it. She waited, listening to her mother’s side of the conversation.
“She’s marrying Parker?” Her mother glanced over at her. “She said so herself?”
Aubree shook her head and waved a hand at her mother. The last thing she needed was her mother getting involved.
“Oh, uh huh. I see. Of course we can have the reception here. I just wasn’t aware of the impending wedding. That must be why Aubree is back in town.”
Aubree scoffed as her father laughed in the adjacent room. She knew talking to her mother would be a lost cause, so she decided to handle business with her father.
“Since mom is distracted…” Aubree sat next to him. “Care to tell me how you nearly lost the ranch?”
He stopped laughing and sat his paper aside. “Not now.”
She narrowed her eyes at her father. “You asked me for a hefty loan to save this place. I deserve to know what happened.”
He glanced back toward the kitchen. “We’ll talk after dinner.”
Aubree glanced toward the door as her mother entered the living room, a stunned look on her face. “That was Cindy. She said you and Parker were having a baby. That was why you needed to get married so soon. Is this true?”
Aubree’s father laughed. Her mother glanced between the two of them. “What is so funny?”
“Nobody is pregnant. Nobody is getting married.” Aubree shook her head. “And definitely not to Parker Montgomery.”
Her mother looked confused as Aubree bypassed her to enter the kitchen. There was no doubt in her mind Parker would eventually stop by and give her a tongue lashing over the being pregnant thing.
“You’re not pregnant?” her mother asked her.
“No, Momma.” Aubree went to the pantry for something to snack on. “I’m not.”
“But you’re pudgy.”
Aubree’s jaw dropped. “Momma!”
Her mother came in the kitchen and reached for a pan from beneath the stove. “The truth is the truth.”
Aubree glanced down at her stomach. Did she really look pregnant? Was that what sparked the rumor? The snack cakes in her hand probably weren’t helping her case much. She put them back and contemplated her situation.
The phone rang and her mother reached for it. Aubree chose that moment to escape to the bathroom so she could stare at herself in the mirror. She turned to the right and then to the left
. Huffing, she sucked in her stomach and smoothed her shirt down. Did she really look fat enough to be pregnant?
“So what exactly happened in that jail cell before Tom and I got there?” her father asked, chuckling from the doorway.
“You’re not funny.” Aubree shook her head. “And I’m not fat or pregnant.”
Her father wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “You know I love you no matter what.”
She hugged him. “Yeah.”
Now if she could just get rid of a few pounds to dispel the rumors, she’d be doing great.
After dinner the doorbell rang and Aubree went to answer it. When she saw Parker on the other side, she scoffed and stepped out on the porch, closing the door behind her. “What do you want?”
“I came to see the mother of my unborn child.” The vein that had protruded from his forehead at the diner was back, and Aubree didn’t want to provoke him even more.
“You heard about that?”
“Oh, the crazy old ladies are planning a baby shower as we speak.” He stared at her. “I don’t even know what to say to you.”
“That was not my fault.”
“No?” He rubbed his eyes. “I had a date tomorrow night and she canceled because I’m apparently having a baby with my old flame.”
“You had a date?” Aubree didn’t know why her heart sank, but she tried to ignore the feeling.
“Yeah, Aubree. I am a man. I do like women.” He leaned against the railing.
“Who are you dating?”
“Does it matter?” His blue eyes met hers. “You need to call them off. It was funny when it didn’t mean anything, but I’m not a teenager anymore. I don’t like you enough to even want to be around you much less anything else.”
She folded her arms over her chest. “I’m sorry.”
He gripped the railing on the porch in mock shock. “What did you say?”
She rolled her eyes. “I’m sorry. For everything. If you want me to give you five thousand dollars for the car, I will.”
“Wow.” He licked his lips. “You are apologizing to me and offering to pay me for the damage you did. Am I in the twilight zone?”
“I’m not a bad person, Parker. No matter what you think of me.” Aubree sat on the porch swing. The cooler night breeze felt nice after the hot summer days and it felt good to be surrounded by the outdoors again.
Parker walked over to her and sat in the swing beside her. “You are the most frustrating human being I know.”
“I haven’t done anything but apologize.”
He sat back as they swung. “So how did you wind up pregnant?”
Aubree chuckled. “After all that kinky stuff we did in the bedroom, how could I not?”
“Don’t egg it on.” He shook his head. “The last thing I need is the little old ladies making assumptions about my sex life. I still have to live here when you leave.”
Aubree propped her arm on the back of the swing, staring at him. He was no less handsome ten years later than he had been at eighteen. She liked that he had more facial hair. A smooth face made him look like a child. His shoulders filled the cotton button down he wore and the jeans weren’t meant to be tight, but hugged him in all the right places.
He finally looked over at her and arched an eyebrow. “No smart remark?”
She grinned. “A good orgasm will take care of all the tension you’ve got, you know.”
“Yeah?”
She nodded and stretched her legs out, draping them over his legs. He didn’t say anything as they swayed back and forth in the swing. They stayed like that for a while. She didn’t know why, but she could be herself with him. The good, the bad, and the ugly.
“Do you think I’m fat?”
Parker gripped her ankles, holding her feet to his lap. “You are a little chunkier than the last time I saw you.” He reached over to poke her stomach, and she batted his hand away. “Is that why they thought you were pregnant?”
“I’m not that fat.”
He grinned, staring ahead while he rubbed his thumbs in small circles around her ankles. She watched him a moment, taking in his demeanor. His shoulders slumped as he leaned back. His long legs pushed them back and forth in the swing. He still wore the same cowboy boots he had in high school.
“You haven’t changed much.”
“No?” He glanced over at her. “Most people would say I’ve changed a lot.”
“Most people don’t know you like I do.”
He nodded. “True.”
“Do you want me to talk to your date? Tell her I’m not pregnant. I’ll pee on a stick if I have to.”
“No.” He rubbed her ankles. “I don’t want you anywhere near her.”
Aubree tried not to be offended. “I don’t want to interfere with your love life.”
He snorted, not looking at her. “I can only handle one woman at a time and you take up more than enough of my energy.”
“I’m not that bad.”
He narrowed his eyes at her. “Not that bad? Do you not remember your high school years?”
“High school was a long time ago.”
He shifted slightly and Aubree pulled her legs toward her. “It was. Doesn’t mean you’ve changed though.” He pointed at her. “I’m watching you.”
“I’ve changed.”
“Maybe. You did apologize to me.” He stood and pulled his keys from his pocket. “Please do not spread anymore gossip. I don’t know what is left, but I’m sure I can’t take it.”
Aubree smiled, taking in the way his tight jeans sculpted his butt. “There could be a love triangle.”
“Yeah? With whom?”
Momentarily distracted, she struggled with understanding his question. He gave her a knowing grin and she rolled her eyes. “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe I’ve got a boyfriend.”
He chuckled. “God help the poor bastard if he comes to this town.”
“I’m surprised you didn’t say something about him being with me.” She stood and walked with him to the porch steps.
“Nah. You had your moments. You’re not all bad.”
She stood close enough to him to smell the faint scent of his cologne. His blue eyes stared into hers long enough to make her think he contemplated kissing her. She licked her lips nervously, wondering why she wanted him to.
“Behave yourself while you’re here.” He tapped her nose with his finger. “I have handcuffs and I know how to use them.”
She smiled as he went down the porch steps toward his truck. “Is that a threat or a promise?”
He turned slightly, grinning. His straight white teeth were a stark contrast to the stubble on his chin. His eyes lit up the longer he stared at her, and Aubree felt a fluttering in her stomach. Even after their rough reunion, she learned all she needed to know with that look from him.
After ten years, she still had feelings for Parker Montgomery.
Chapter Three
Having a beer on the front porch of his house had turned into one of Parker’s favorite pastimes. He sat back and stared at the older couples taking a stroll down the road, hand in hand. He needed to work on stripping the chipping paint coating his porch. He took in the peeling layers, wondering if it was lead-based and how much it’d cost him to fix. It would probably be a day’s work with a sander. Painting would take another day if the weather cooperated.
“Hey!”
Parker glanced toward the road and spotted Aubree coming toward him. She’d dressed in shorts and a bra top showing off her bare midriff. He swallowed the mouthful of beer and sat up.
“What on earth are you doing here?”
“I was running.”
He took in the chocolate glaze at the corner of her mouth. “To the bakery?”
“Shut up.” She wiped her mouth and walked up, taking in his crappy porch. “I’m trying to dispel those pregnancy rumors.”
He laughed. “Good luck with that.”
She peeled paint from one of the posts.
“Nobody told me you bought this place?”
“Yeah.” He sat up and grabbed a beer from the six pack he had next to him. “Here. This will dispel your rumors faster than eating donuts.”
She snorted. “Or provoke them into saying I’m a horrible mother.”
“They won’t say that.”
She took the beer and leaned against the railing. “Did you clear up the misunderstanding with your date?”
“Nope.” He stood and went to the far side of the porch where he’d left the sander. The less he talked to Aubree about Sophie, the best. “Probably doesn’t matter anyway.”
“You need help?”
He glanced over his shoulder and she pointed to the porch. She closed the distance between them and he took a deep breath. He could smell the faint scent of sweat on her body from her run. She reached for the sander.
“You’re offering to help me sand my porch?” He pressed his hand against her forehead. “Are you sick?”
“I know how to do it. I grew up on a ranch.”
He stepped back and watched her. She stood close to him and reached for the protective gear before turning the power tool on. He watched as she sanded the top layer of paint off the railing like a pro. Blowing out a breath, he stared at her in awe. She was different. The Aubree he knew would never get her hands dirty for a good cause. That Aubree had been a troublemaker. She was rebellious against anything and everything. Practically a handful to her parents and anyone else with any authority.
He moved away and grabbed a file sander to work on the rods. When he first saw her, he’d been mad. Ten years of waiting for that moment and it didn’t go how he’d planned. He’d liked the feel of her soft skin beneath his fingers. Liked how she knew what buttons to push and that she was bold enough to push them. He wanted to be mad at her, but she made it so damn hard to hate her.
He used the file to get out his aggression. For so many years, he’d thought about the life they could have had together. Doing something as domesticated as sanding his front porch together messed with his head.
