Unfortunately, that all came to a crashing end when the board shot from beneath her feet and Sierra flew back into the ocean. Water went up her nose, choking her, and she stroked for the surface in a panic.
When she broke through, Parker was already in the water next to her, grabbing her shoulder and making sure she didn’t slip back beneath the wave.
“You did great.” His smile was so big, Sierra could almost believe she actually rode the wave instead of being dumped unceremoniously into the ocean.
“I fell off,” she protested. “That wasn’t great.” Her board had reached the end of the tether attached to her ankle and pulled her forward. “I have to get control of that before it pulls me under.”
Shrugging from Parker’s grasp, she swam to her board and clambered back on top of it.
Parker was once again right next to her. “You might have fallen off,” he said. “But you stood up. I didn’t think you’d do it at all this first time. I know you were afraid. I’m so proud of you.”
Bemused, a smile stretched Sierra’s lips and a bloom of pride swelled her heart. Never in her life had someone been proud of her simply for trying something. She either did it and succeeded, or could expect to be berated for her failures. It was sometimes hard to remember that Parker functioned nothing like her parents.
“Want to try again?” he asked.
More excited than before, Sierra nodded. “Let’s do this!”
* * *
A few hours later, Parker reluctantly called a halt to their practice. Sierra never managed to ride a wave back to shore, but she got better with each attempt. She could stay on the board for quite a while now before she fell off. A few more days of practice, she’d be a pro.
He’d never gone surfing with a date before. It was wonderful that Sierra had wanted to learn something that he enjoyed doing so much. Once she gained more skill, he’d take her out to ride the better waves off the beach near his parents’ house. For now, the water here was about to get rough so it was time to leave.
Sierra looked toward the beach, which was quite a ways from their current position. “That’s a long swim. Bet you wish I wasn’t here so you could surf back.”
“Don’t ever say I wouldn’t want you around.” He glowered at her until she nodded. “Good, we understand each other. Now, get on your board. We don’t have to be on our feet to ride the next wave. We’ll be to shore before you know it.”
She did as he asked, and then gave a happy shriek when the next wave passed under them and pushed them forward. It didn’t have the speed or power of the waves Parker usually rode, but her excitement and delight made the experience new and fresh. Then again, everything with her seemed better.
Once on shore, Parker grabbed his and Sierra’s boards, carrying them back to their towels and small pile of belongings. “Did you have fun?” He drove the boards into the sand until they stood on their own.
Sierra’s arms went around his neck and her wet body pressed against his. “Yes, but the best part was being with you. Thank you for teaching me today, about more than just surfing. It was nice to not have to be perfect, and it was even nicer being together.”
Life couldn’t be better than it was today. How did Parker end up deserving her? He couldn’t believe it. After the horrible way Vanessa treated him at the end of their relationship, Parker had actually feared there was no right woman for him. Obviously, he’d just been saved from a mistake with Vanessa in order to be ready for love when Sierra came along.
As a big bonus, for the first time in her life, someone was encouraging her and getting her to believe in herself. It made Parker feel good that he was the person able to do that for her. Her parents were absolute assholes, but Parker would happily spend the rest of his life helping to undo the damage they’d done—spend his life teaching her all about what real love was like.
As they dried out on their towels with the warm sun drying their backs, Parker stretched his hand toward her to stroke her arm. “Hey, I want to ask you something, but it’s okay if you say no.” Nerves tightened in his stomach. He couldn’t believe what he was about to do.
“What’s up?”
Parker gulped. This would never have been acceptable with Vanessa, and he worried slightly about her reaction. “My parents called me while I was out getting the surfboards this morning, and I’m supposed to go to a family dinner tonight.”
Sierra stared at him blankly, not indicating whether that sounded good or not.
Even though it felt like his mouth had suddenly been plunged into a desert with no moisture in sight, Parker forced himself to continue. “Do you want to be my date?”
“To a family dinner?” Her eyes slid away from his and a frown marked her face.
Parker drew his hand back, disappointment making his stomach twist. “It’s okay. Forget about it.”
“What if I don’t want to?”
He sighed and turned his head the other direction from hers, not wanting her to see that she’d upset him. “I told you, you don’t have to. I just thought I’d ask. I’ll tell them we’re not coming.”
“Parker!” She gave an exasperated-sounding sigh and her lips pressed into his shoulder in a brief kiss. “I meant what if I don’t want to forget you asked, not that I didn’t want to go to dinner.”
Turning back to face her, he realized he had to quit judging Sierra based on how Vanessa acted. Vanessa was the one to insist their relationship was kept quiet—probably because the resort’s guests would quit paying her for sex if they found out she was girlfriend to one of the owners. Sierra would never do anything like that. Once again, he was reminded how wrong his initial impression was. Sierra was nothing like Vanessa. He should stop expecting her to respond the same way.
“You’ll come?”
She winked. “Maybe after dinner if you work more magic.”
Chuckling, Parker grabbed her cheeks and pulled her face to his, kissing her deeply.
When they broke apart for air, Sierra bit her lip. “What if your other brothers and sister don’t like me? Quinn already thinks you should stay away from me.”
Parker shook his head. “Their opinions don’t matter, but stop worrying. Quinn thought he was protecting me, but that was before we knew much about you. They’re all going to love you.”
Chapter 17
Parker grinned across at Sierra as he parked his new solar-powered car in his parents’ long driveway—the car was part of a green energy project Quinn had started for the island last year. Before long, all cars on the island would be switched over.
Sierra didn’t seem too impressed by the car, but then, she’d seen a lot of luxury in her life. In fact, she’d been silent most of the drive.
“You okay?” he asked.
“Of course.” She laughed, though it sounded a bit forced. “I know I’ve been a bit off what with dealing with Cece and all these changes on this island, but trust me, I’m still strong as ever. Besides, I can handle a social gathering. This is what I was trained to do. It’s as easy as breathing.”
Of course it was. One of the many things Parker loved about Sierra was her strength. Well, that and the way she’d jumped him when she decided to move their relationship to the next level.
He hopped from the car and rounded to her side, opening the door.
Sierra accepted his hand and rose with a fluid, graceful movement. “What are you grinning like that about?”
He kissed her lightly on the cheek. “You.”
When he extended his arm to her, she readily took it and they headed toward the house.
“Am I that funny?” she asked, sounding somewhat offended.
“No, not funny. Enchanting is more the right word. You look beautiful, Red, and I’m so glad to have you on my arm.”
Her navy blue dress was as form-fitting as Parker could have wished, showing off her thin stomach and sexy chest. The skirt part flared out, somewhat distorting the view of her awesome ass, but Parker was okay with that. He didn’t want his b
rothers getting too much of an eyeful. They’d be too jealous of his good fortune as it was, especially once they got past her physical looks and realized what a great person she was.
“You’ve got that funny grin again,” she said.
“Can’t help it. I smile when I’m deliriously happy.” He stopped near the doorway, shifting to take Sierra’s hand. “Let me show you the view before we go inside.”
He led her along the wrap-around porch to the sitting area that faced the ocean. The waves here were much larger than the main beach, as he expected, and seagulls cried out to each other, competing with the crashing of the water.
Sierra let out a long sigh and leaned her head on his shoulder. “This is nice. They live far enough out, you could forget there are a ton of people just a short drive up the beach. It had to be great growing up here.”
“It was,” he agreed. “Probably the kind of childhood most people long for. I’ve been very blessed.”
Sierra stayed quiet, and Parker worried she might be comparing how dreadful her childhood was with how nice he’d had it. If things worked out the way he hoped they would and they stayed together for the long term, perhaps the remainder of her life could make up for the crappy start.
“I have land out here that’s been reserved for me,” he said, leaning his cheek against the top of her head and breathing in her floral scent. “That’s where I plan to raise my family one day.”
Her body tensed and she sucked in a hiss of air.
“What just happened?” he asked.
“I guess we should have talked about this before last night,” she said. “I’m not planning on having a big family. Is that something you have to have?”
Parker shrugged. “It doesn’t have to be large. I was thinking two or three kids, a beautiful wife who can surf even in these rough waters...” He winked at her. “...and maybe a dog or two.”
She placed her hand on his chest and pushed away from him, taking a step back until she leaned on the porch railing. “I could learn to surf and handle a dog, but I’m not sure about children.”
The rejection was like a bucket of cold water thrown in his face. The last few days had seemed so wonderful, it never occurred to him that Sierra might not want the same things out of life that he did.
Before he could respond, the side door to the house opened and Quinn, Larissa, and Sydney spilled out of it, laughing and talking loudly.
Sydney spotted him first and rushed over, wrapping him in a huge hug. “Hey there, bro. Feels like I haven’t seen you in forever.” She stuck her hand in Sierra’s direction. “And I guess you must be the new girl. Nice to meet you, Sierra. I’m Sydney, Parker’s annoying little sister.”
Sierra shook her hand and murmured, “Nice to meet you.”
Sydney’s blue eyes darted between Parker and Sierra, and she frowned. “Did I interrupt something?”
Leave it to Sydney to sense Parker’s tension. She’d always been able to tell when something was wrong with him. But he was actually happy she’d come out when she had—it kept him from having to respond to the bombshell Sierra just dropped.
He gave Sydney another hug. “You aren’t interrupting, Syd. Glad to see you made it back from New York safely. Everything going okay with the charity fund?”
“You run a charity?” Sierra asked, perking with interest. “That sounds rewarding.”
Sydney swiped her hand through the air. “Bah. Bunch of needy whiners this year. I swear, people used to be grateful for the money our family donates. Now, it’s never enough.”
“But you’re actually helping people,” Sierra persisted. “That must be special.”
“That’s true. It is a good job.” Sydney’s irritated glare softened and she gave a small laugh. “Definitely better than mucking out horse stalls, for sure.”
“I...” Sierra’s hand fluttered to her throat, seeming at a loss for words.
Parker groaned. There was no way Syd had heard that was Sierra’s job. She just got back to the island that morning, and that wasn’t the sort of thing she’d think to ask about his new date. Besides she wasn’t mean-hearted enough to make fun of someone like that, even if she had known.
Quinn walked up and slung his arm over Sydney’s shoulders. “You sure did it this time, sis. Always sticking your foot in your mouth clear up to the knee, aren’t you?”
Her light brown hair danced around her head when she whipped to face Quinn. “What in the hell are you talking about?”
Sierra cleared her throat. “I umm... I clean the horse stalls out every morning. Sometimes, though, I get to work with Star and Shadow when enough guests don’t come out to the stables to give them their exercise.”
Sydney’s mouth hung open, for once silenced.
Larissa stepped forward and grabbed Sierra’s elbow. “You’re doing a wonderful job with them, too. Sydney didn’t know about that.” Larissa guided Sierra toward the house. “Quinn and I have been so pleased since you took over the care of Star and Shadow. It’s such a relief not to worry anymore about them when we’re too busy to go riding.”
Thank God for Larissa. She was always a practical, pleasant lady.
As the women disappeared into the doorway, Parker punched his brother’s shoulder lightly. “I’m glad Larissa is so kind. She’ll help put Sierra back at ease. You did a good job picking your mate, Quinn. She’s a keeper.”
“Me, on the other hand,” Sydney shook her head, “you probably want to shoot. I really didn’t know, Park. No one told me your girlfriend was a stable girl. I heard she was super rich and here on vacation when Quinn said something a few weeks ago.”
“Things change fast,” Parker said. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll make sure Sierra knows you weren’t trying to be mean. Besides, I’m sure Larissa is already reassuring her of that fact. Now, let’s go catch up to them. I’m starving.”
“You’re in luck,” Quinn said. “Mom put out food for a taco bar, which I know is your favorite.”
“Plus, she made enough for an army.” Sydney’s elbow dug into Parker’s ribs and she grinned. “It should almost be enough for you.”
* * *
Sierra sat in the McCallister’s large dining room, twisting a cloth napkin in her lap beneath the table. She’d forced herself to eat a taco, but it had felt like she’d never get the entire thing down. Now it sat in a cold lump on her stomach.
Larissa had assured her that Sydney wasn’t taking a verbal swing with the crack about cleaning the stables. Parker had also pulled her aside while everyone was dishing up their plates to tell her Sydney just got back to the island that morning and had no clue what she had said. That she was a joker, trying to play around.
It didn’t matter and neither did her discomfort. Sierra had been around plenty of people who said rude things. She was used to uncomfortable dinners where everyone pretended to be happy while really they hated each other. She could handle this. It was just that her stomach didn’t want to cooperate. The truth was, she’d really wanted Parker’s family to like her.
Not to mention the whole baby thing. What was Parker thinking? He knew how her life had been. Why did he think she’d want to pass her parents’ genes on to a future generation. Subjecting them to her mothering style wouldn’t be fair. If she turned out anything like Cece, that wouldn’t be good for a child.
She couldn’t do that—she just couldn’t! How could Parker not understand?
He’d looked stricken when she told him, and Sierra worried that might be a deal breaker for a relationship with him. Which sucked, since she just let herself start to believe they had a future.
To her left, Parker’s younger brother, Brad, touched her arm. “Don’t you agree, Sierra?”
She blinked slowly and glanced around the table. Everyone stared at her, and she had no clue what the topic of discussion was. She shrugged, keeping her smile in place. “You know, I’m not really sure.”
“Well, I think Brad’s wrong.” Across the table Shane, the youngest of the f
ive McCallister children, brushed his too-long hair from his blue eyes. “I should be in charge of the restaurant entirely. I know my finances better than he does.”
Brad turned to her again, his dark eyes pleading. “You work with financials. You must agree that Shane needs to check in with me before making a big purchase like that. Tell him the truth. A business can’t work like that.”
Parker’s mom spread her hands out to either side from her position at the head of the table. “Boys, can’t this argument wait until later? This is Sierra’s first dinner with us.” Susan smiled warmly at her. “We don’t want her too afraid to come back.”
Quinn chuckled. “After the way you practically forced Larissa to date me at her first family dinner, I’d say Sierra has it easy if all she has to do is referee an argument about money.”
Larissa leaned over to kiss his cheek. “You’re just lucky I’m such a level-headed girl and decided to forgive all your little problems.”
The whole table laughed, giving Sierra the feeling that they all spent a lot of time together and loved it—arguments about financials and all. She was an intruder here, one that Parker probably wanted to ditch as soon as possible now that he knew she didn’t want kids.
As though he could read her thoughts, Parker’s hand covered hers beneath the white tablecloth and he squeezed gently. His mouth brushed against her ear. “You okay, Red? You seem upset.”
Turning a bright smile to him, Sierra shook her head. “I’m fine. Just a little overwhelmed.”
“I don’t blame you,” Brad said, overhearing. “We have that effect on people. Don’t worry, you’ll get used to us.”
Would she? Would Parker want her too?
Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, Sierra realized she had to stop thinking in those terms. This was her life to live, and she’d do what she wanted. Sure, she was developing strong feelings for Parker, but if they weren’t right for each other, that wasn’t the end of the world.
Diving Into Love (McCallister's Paradise Book 2) Page 14