Sophie's Playboy

by Natalie J. Damschroder

  After the second time they made love they did talk, about the show and Mare and the boys. Fall wasn't far away, and Parker asked if she wanted to take a weekend foliage trip to Vermont. It sounded like a commitment to her, albeit a small one, so she accepted easily.

  "How's business?" she asked at one point. "You're spending so much time at the station, your company must be suffering."

  Parker shrugged. "Joe is increasingly angry at me, but in truth he handles things extremely well on his own." He lifted a lock of Sophie's hair and watched it fall. "I wrapped up all my major deals, so it's just maintenance at this point."

  "Don't you miss it?"

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  "Nah. It was something to do." The smile he gave her made Sophie's heart flip. "Now I have something else to do."

  "Else? Not better?"

  "Well..."

  Sophie growled. "You'll pay for that one, mister."

  And she proceeded to make him pay.

  * * * *

  They made breakfast together the next morning, pancakes and bacon and fruit salad. Sophie liked the domesticity, but was careful not to create symbolism where there was only circumstance.

  "I checked my messages while you were in with Timmy last night," she said, licking bacon crumbs off her fingers.

  "Jake and Kira, my sister, have tickets to Bon Jovi tonight.

  They were supposed to go with my other sister, Brianna, but Brie and her friend backed out, so they have two extra tickets. Wanna go?"

  "Why'd Brianna back out? She still in LA?"

  Sophie grimaced. "No, she's going white water rafting tomorrow. She's still on this restless adventure kick." She watched Parker serve himself some more pancakes. He spread butter, then poured maple syrup in a thin stream until it pooled on the plate. "You don't want to go," she finally said into the silence.

  "It's been a long time since I've been interested in loud music and screaming teenagers."

  Sophie laughed. "It's Bon Jovi. He's our generation, not the next's. It'll mostly be people like us."

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  He looked at her suspiciously. "Are you sure?"

  "There's a Simpson concert tonight, too. I'm sure."

  "Okay." He lifted her fingers and kissed them. "I trust you."

  Sophie fought smugness the rest of the day.

  * * * *

  Parker knew Sophie was a middle child who defied stereotype and wondered if her older sister did, too. He himself was a typical older child, an overachiever protective of his sibling. It didn't take long to confirm that Kira McKenna was the same way.

  "So, you're Sophie's playboy," she said, eyeing him speculatively while maintaining her hold on the hand he'd offered. If he and Sophie hadn't dealt with this already, he'd have felt a sharp spurt of anger. As it was, he had to bite back irritation.

  "I'm Parker Cornwall. Whether I'm Sophie's is yet to be determined. The playboy part is pure myth."

  She fell into step with him as they walked from Sophie's condo to Kira's 4Runner. Jake, who'd given Parker the typical threatening hand squeeze, kept Sophie back a few paces, obviously to give his wife time to deal with Parker.

  "Not so pure, I think." Kira pointedly noted his Italian loafers and the Ralph Lauren polo he wore with khakis.

  "Myths and legends have to start somewhere."

  "I worked hard for every penny I earned. Some of it I made on the golf course. Some via the country club. All was earned honestly and with intent. None came from my father,"

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  he went on, liking the surprise on her face. "Except for the first thousand he loaned me and earned twelve percent interest on." He stopped next to the vehicle. "My intentions toward Sophie are mine alone, Kira, though I can appreciate your interest. I'll try not to hurt her. You'll have to be satisfied with that."

  He expected anger or at least a "hmph" and toss of the head. Instead, she grinned at him.

  "You'll do." She swung up into the driver's seat. "Come on, slowpokes."

  The drive to the concert took no time at all. The parking took an hour. Not used to being a passenger, Parker chafed at every minute in the truck. Luckily, the conversation was interesting, as Jake and Kira argued about how they'd gotten together after twenty-eight years of friendship.

  "Where's Joey tonight?" Sophie asked.

  "He's with my parents," Jake answered. "They don't get enough exercise so they volunteered to babysit." Kira laughed and Sophie shook her head.

  "That baby's all sweetheart. You guys don't know what you're talking about."

  Kira and Jake just laughed harder.

  "How old is he?" Parker asked.

  "Just over ten months," Kira said. "He's learning to walk, so we had a whole new level of babyproofing to do. Things we didn't even think he could see he managed to get his hands—

  and mouth—on."

  "I know what you mean," Parker said. "My nephews were hellions, too. Still are, sometimes. I used to walk around my 219

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  townhouse with a fistful of bandages because however close I was to them, it was never close enough."

  "I haven't seen your townhouse," Sophie murmured. She winked at Parker. "You'll have to ... show me sometime."

  Parker usually felt trapped at this point. When a woman he was dating wanted to be let into his sanctuary, it was time to slow things down. Way down. The one time he hadn't heeded his instinct had been a disaster. He'd only been dating the woman for a couple of weeks so when she offered to make him supper at his place after a long, hard negotiation at work, he thought it was safe to say yes. Within a week she was demanding a key and calling daily to check on his whereabouts.

  She was now married to an old college buddy of his, but Parker had learned his lesson. Bringing women home meant too much to them, and set them up for heartbreak when the relationship had to end. Hints like this usually gave him indigestion.

  But now, with Sophie angling for an invitation and providing one at the same time, all he felt was lust.

  He cleared his throat and looked out the window, relieved to see the parking attendant motioning Kira into a space.

  They climbed out of the truck and he managed to change the subject before Sophie could press him.

  They followed the crowd into the Tweeter Center and found their seats. Parker wasn't thrilled about the crowd, but Sophie was so exhilarated he couldn't sustain his irritation. She and Kira spent the half hour before the show reminiscing about their teenage years. Jake looked on indulgently, though 220

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  Parker figured he was keeping out of the conversation so Parker wouldn't feel left out.

  At one point Sophie teased Jake about some childhood event and he noogied her head. Laughing, Sophie smoothed her hair. "Jake has always been my big brother," she told Parker. "I have to tease him, and he has to punish me."

  Parker had never had that kind of relationship with his sister. He'd always worried too much about their parents hurting her to torment her himself.

  Finally, the concert started. Parker had to admit he enjoyed the music, especially when Sophie insisted he dance to a ballad. He could survive anything with Sophie in his arms. The crowd wasn't what he'd expected. All ages, from six to seventy, and much more well-behaved than he'd anticipated. He and Jake braved the lines to buy Sophie and Kira each a T-shirt and poster, then teased them about being teenyboppers.

  When the concert was over, the others chattered about Jon Bon Jovi's energy and what particular songs reminded them of. Parker listened, but had nothing to add to the conversation, because he barely remembered the old music.

  He didn't remember his childhood the way they remembered theirs. And he wondered whether their upbring
ings were too different. If they were too different.

  He was brooding when they arrived at Sophie's condo.

  Jake and Kira yawned, but insisted on heading back to Brook Hollow.

  "Kira can't be away from Joey that long," Jake said. His wife rolled her eyes.

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  "I would stay here in a heartbeat if I didn't think I'd be in the way." She winked at Parker. "Truth is, Jake hates to be more than ten feet from his son. He takes him to all his political events."

  "Did I tell you Jake is Brook Hollow's mayor?" Sophie laced her fingers through Parker's. "He's a real goody two shoes."

  As opposed to Parker the Playboy, who did everything for personal gain. He knew Sophie wasn't making comparisons, and Jake had never been more to her than a big brother. But for some reason Parker felt compelled to try to fit himself to some ideal. If Jake represented the kind of man the Macgregors wanted in their family, Parker didn't have a chance.

  "So, how about it?"

  He realized all three of them were staring at him. "Sorry, how about what?"

  "Sunday dinner at Mom and Dad's?"

  Sophie looked so hopeful he couldn't say no, though he doubted it would be anything like his family dinners.

  * * * *

  "So, what did you think of the concert?" Sophie asked after they'd waved off Jake and Kira and let the dog out.

  "It was decent."

  "Oh." Sophie watched Hippo through the sliding door.

  She'd been afraid he wasn't enjoying himself. "I thought it was great."

  Hippo trotted back in and she slid the door shut, then pulled the blinds across. She felt guilty for dragging him to 222

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  the concert when he hadn't been all that interested. Her feelings must have shown, because Parker looped his arms around her waist and kissed her forehead.

  "I liked it because you liked it. I liked seeing your face while you ran through all those memories."

  She sighed. "But you felt left out, didn't you?"

  He hesitated. "A little. But it's not your fault," he hastened to add. "I just had a different childhood."

  "What kind of childhood did you have that you didn't listen to Bon Jovi?"

  He blew out a breath. "Well, while you were hanging out at the town pool listening to music, I was likely learning about the stock market and making sure Mare attended her dance lessons. I had a Latin tutor and a French tutor, then Spanish and German, so I would be able to communicate with all of my potential business associates.

  "And when we were with Mother, it was opera and Broadway—she believed in diversity in our cultural exposure—

  and formal dinner parties so she could show off her children."

  Her heart ached for all he'd missed. Rock music and swingsets were nothing compared to being loved and accepted by your parents. She cupped his cheek. "That's so sad." Parker turned his head to kiss her palm. "You didn't have a chance to be a kid."

  "No, I did. I played baseball and went to school dances."

  "Yet no Bon Jovi."

  He gave her a wry smile. "Private school dances. We had to waltz." He laughed at her disgust. "It wasn't bad, Sophie.

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  weren't there to give it to us. We lived it basically on our own." He bent and kissed her. "Now, can we please go to bed?"

  She gazed at him for a moment, knowing he didn't need or want her pity, knowing she couldn't fix his past or even his present. All she could do was be his future, if he'd let her.

  She stretched up to return his kiss. "As you wish."

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  CHAPTER 14

  As you wish. Parker remembered hearing that somewhere.

  He tapped his pen and struggled to remember the reference.

  He barely heard a whisper of it in his head, but when he tried to grasp it, it disappeared.

  Frustrated, he tossed the pen on the desk. He'd come to the office on a Saturday planning to catch up on all the busywork that piled up during the week. Betty had even come in for a couple of hours, though he'd told her not to, and was trying to help him stay focused and organized.

  But all he could think about were Sophie's last words before words became unnecessary.

  "Last of the letters to sign, boss." Betty carried in a sheaf of paper an inch and a half thick.

  "How the hell did you finish those all so quickly?" She hadn't been at her desk longer than ten minutes. He grabbed his pen and started to sign.

  "I'm efficient." She shrugged and pulled the signed letters off the pile as he finished each one. "They were revisions.

  Quick."

  As you wish. The phrase rolled through his head again, like a neon announcement sign. He ground his teeth and scrawled the last two signatures.

  "Betty, help me out. 'As you wish.' Why do I know that phrase?"

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  "Ah. The Princess Bride." She picked up the last of the stack and his empty coffee mug. "I'm surprised. Not the kind of movie I'd expect you to be interested in."

  Now he remembered. "It's one of Mare's favorites." The hero in the story couldn't tell the princess he loved her, so he simply said, "As you wish" to her every order.

  The idea that Sophie could be doing the same thing stunned him. He knew she felt it. He could see it in her eyes when she looked at him, hear it in her cries when they made love. It showed in the little things she did for him, like cooking his bacon extra crisp or letting him read the business section of the paper first. But she didn't say it, which made him feel she knew him better than anyone ever had in his life.

  Was she pushing him toward the next step with that one gentle comment?

  "Parker."

  He realized he was staring blindly at Betty's elbow.

  "What?"

  "Is that all, or do you want me to watch you brood some more?"

  "I don't brood." He picked up his pen again—might as well tie the thing to his hand with a bungee cord—and tried to look professional. "Yes, that's all. You should go home."

  "Like I have anything better to do." She went out the door, still muttering, and closed it behind her.

  Parker put thoughts of love aside as best he could. He still had a business to run, and Sophie would wait. He was confident of that.

  His intercom buzzed. "Parker, Jason's on line one."

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  Parker grinned as he picked up the phone. "Jason, buddy.

  How the heck are you?"

  "Getting married, guy. Where've you been? You're supposed to be my best man."

  Parker searched his brain for the date of the wedding.

  October. They still had a way to go.

  "Don't you want me to be?"

  Jason made a disgusted sound. "I haven't seen you or heard from you in weeks. Not since you started doing that stupid radio show and making it with Sophie the Shark. What do you think?"

  Jason was right. Parker rarely went to the club anymore.

  He'd golfed only twice all summer, and one of those times was with Sophie. The woman had already changed his life.

  "I'm sorry, Jason. I guess I let ... things get in my way. I'll understand if you don't want me in the wedding party."

  "Hell, yeah, I want you in the wedding party. Darlene would have a fit if I kicked you off of it. She's got everything planned to a petal and will kill me if I make changes now. So, ya wanna golf tomorrow?"

  "Uh, well, I'm going to dinner with Sophie's family."

  "Geez. Fine. Blow me off again." But Jason's tone was jolly instead of annoyed. They settled on an early tee time on Tue
sday and hung up amiably.

  Parker wished all his relationships were so easy to handle.

  * * * *

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  wanting. Even knowing it was macho and immature, he wanted to demonstrate right off the bat that providing for their daughter wasn't one of them.

  Sophie didn't comment on the car. She relaxed into the drive and gave him a running commentary on the people he was going to meet. It was a larger group than he'd expected.

  "Dad is a plumber. He's big and blustery when he wants to be, and sometimes puts on this fake brogue. He's dependable as the sun and not very scary, though he might try to be."

  "Why?"

  She looked at him from the corner of her eye. "Well, I haven't brought a guy home since, well, since high school."

  Geez. "Well, let's not add any pressure, now."

  "Sorry. Mom is a whirlwind and loves everyone. Last year she kind of went berserk. Like her life was suddenly much too routine and dull. Maybe an empty nest backlash or something. Anyway, she went on a vacation on her own, then started clearing out the house of all our stuff, turned our rooms into a fitness center, an entertainment suite, and a guest bedroom. Took up all kinds of crazy hobbies. I think she's finally settling down, though she hasn't found her center yet."

  Parker wondered how much of Sophie's recent rebellion and transfer to the radio show was a residual effect of her mother's clean sweep. "Her center?"

  "Whatever fulfills her. For nearly thirty years it was her family. Now we don't need her, at least not in the same way.

  Anyway, she has too much energy and she'll force you to eat too much food."

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  Sophie adjusted her seatbelt so that it fell precisely between her breasts. Parker found his attention wandering as he admired the way it pressed her dress against her. He glanced from the road to her chest again. Her nipples had hardened. He looked up and saw her watching him.

  "You'd better not do stuff like that in my parent's house."

  His face burned and he realized he was flushing. "Sorry."

  Damn it. He was already acting like a teenager and they were only halfway to Brook Hollow.