“Fine. Guess what? I spoke to the owners of La Paris Patisserie in downtown Chicago and they want to hire you as soon as possible. It’s such a prestigious opportunity. Think of the doors that would open for you after time there,” he said, obviously very pleased with himself.
Parker didn’t know Chicago pastry shops well but he assumed this was a premiere one. He also knew Emily had no desire to move back to Illinois, reunite with this jerk, or bake anything other than what she was doing now. None of this, Rex was willing to accept.
“You don’t listen.” Taking Parker by surprise, Emily had walked up to Rex and begun poking him in the chest, in time with each word, making her point. “We’re over, Rex. I live here now. I love it here. I love baking muffins and wearing sweats and yoga pants. I like pulling my hair into a messy bun–” which she’d done at some point and Parker hadn’t noticed but she looked sexy. “I love my life without you in it!” she yelled at him.
Parker wanted to applaud her but refrained. No point in riling up Rex any more than he already was, if the red stains on his cheeks were any indication of his fury.
“You don’t know what you’re missing out on,” he said, reaching for her.
Before she could even step out of the way, Parker was there, gripping the man’s wrist in his stronger grasp. “You don’t touch her. Ever.”
He glared at Parker, looking ready to throw a punch, but being smart, the man thought better of it, wrenched his hand back, and stepped away.
He turned to Emily. “I’m offering you the world. You really are going to regret turning me down.”
She grew pale but she drew her shoulders back and met his gaze, making Parker proud. “Not a chance in hell. Now get out.” She held on to her bravery as Rex glared, turned, and stormed out of the house, slamming the door behind him.
Her shoulders caved but Parker clapped, something he’d been wanting to do as he watched her handle Rex. “You told him, baby. Good job.”
“Do you think that’s the end of it? That he got the message?”
Parker gave it some thought. “I wish I knew. I think you should let your lawyer know he would have grabbed you if I wasn’t here. Let him know there was an imminent threat. But he didn’t hit you or try to. He reached for you. I doubt it’s enough to get you a restraining order but anything you document could only help if you need it in the future.”
She agreed, walked over to the phone, and called Harper’s brother, Gary, her attorney in the divorce, spoke to him for a while, and hung up, facing Parker. “You’re right. I need to be able to tell the court that Rex hurt or threatened to hurt me.” She shivered at that and he reached out, pulling her close. “If I’m not in imminent danger of further threats or abuse if the order isn’t issued, there’s nothing more we can do.”
He held her tight. “I can get a bodyguard–”
“No. He’s not a threat. He’s like a little boy who is upset he didn’t get his way. I just want to forget about him. Put it all behind me. Maybe now he won’t be back.” She wriggled out of Parker’s embrace. “I’m fine. I’m not going to let Rex get to me.” She walked back to her computer and sat down, pressed a few keys, and waited for the screen to boot up again.
Well, okay then, Parker thought. If she wanted to move on, they’d move on. “What are you working on?” he asked.
Her eyes opened wide, her expressive face totally showing him he’d caught her unprepared on that question. “Umm, I’m going to start looking at wallpaper.” She lied.
He shrugged. “Guess you’re accepting the inn is happening and your father is running it?”
Her cheeks flushed. “I’m going to make sure he has enough help that he doesn’t run himself ragged, that’s what I’m going to do,” she muttered. “But to answer your question, yes. I’ve accepted it.”
He couldn’t help but grin. “For the record, I think it’s the right thing to do. This place makes your father happy. So what if it reminds him of your mother’s dream? He gets enjoyment out of fulfilling it.” He rolled his shoulders. “It’s beautiful if you ask me.”
“What is?” She turned, her arm on the back of the kitchen chair as she faced where he sat on the sofa in the great room.
“A love like theirs,” he said wistfully, knowing that he’d found it here in Colorado. With Emily.
The notion should shock him but he’d been building toward this deep relationship from the start. He’d never been hit so hard or fast by a woman, her impact on him had been that strong. Hell, she’d kept him here although he’d never let on it was because of her. She’d have run far and fast. She’d needed time to get to know him. To trust him. To see he wasn’t the city boy she’d first pegged him as, not in a bad way, at any rate. And he hoped that now she knew him as well and as deep as he knew her.
As he thought about his feelings, his heart, the one she owned, pounded hard and fast in his chest. This wasn’t an easy revelation for him to come to or accept, and not just because they lived on opposite sides of the country. What had love shown him within his family?
Ethan had given Mandy everything he could of himself and she’d betrayed him. His father went through women like others went through Kleenex. But his mother had loved his father, a little voice reminded him. And had she lived, who knew what kind of marriage they would have had. He didn’t have bad memories of his dad from his early years. Had he been so devastated by losing the love of his life that he’d ruined what had come after for his children?
Parker would never know. He’d never sit down and have that kind of conversation with Alexander Knight. He wasn’t the type of man for that. Not now, anyway.
But these feelings inside Parker for Emily were clear. Protective, warm, loving.
Dammit.
“I know exactly what you mean,” she said, bringing him back to thoughts of her parents’ marriage and the love they’d shared. “My father loved my mother and he loves to be surrounded by things she loved.” Emily sighed, her soft gaze on Parker’s.
And for a brief second, her heart was in her eyes before she shuttered the look and buried herself in the computer screen again. Because what could she do? She knew the facts as well as he did. She lived here, had roots here. She wasn’t a city girl. She’d tried it and it hadn’t worked out for her, and he had a hunch, although it had much to do with Rex, she wouldn’t want to try Manhattan.
And he wouldn’t ask her to.
Which left him exactly where he’d started.
Nowhere.
* * *
“Dammit, apparently when they’re turning you down, it doesn’t take a bank long at all to make a decision!” Harper called out as she stormed into the inn a few days later.
Parker’s eyes opened wide.
James’ did as well.
Emily glared at her friend, who glanced around at the full house and winced. “Oops. I’m so sorry, Em. I didn’t even think, I was just so upset.”
A small shrug belied how obviously upset Emily was. Her entire expression had fallen. Both she and Harper looked beside themselves.
“Tell me what’s going on,” Parker said, his gaze more on Emily’s than Harper’s. “I’ve known for days you were hiding something, so out with it.”
Harper looked to Emily for belated permission and she nodded. She went on to explain about the offer her landlord had gotten from a big corporation to buy the land that housed both the coffee shop and the empty space next store, along with his offer to buy her out of her lease.
“So we thought, let’s at least try to fulfill our dream before it all goes up in smoke.”
“That’s the same company who recently made me an offer here,” James said. “It’s like they want to take over the town.” He shook his head. “That’s not something we can allow.” He pounded his hand on the table, his anger evident.
“Did they say why they turned us down?” Emily asked.
Harper nodded. “I’m overextended and you–”
“Have no credit. Got it.”
&
nbsp; Parker’s heart broke for her.
“I should go,” Harper said, regret in her tone. “I’m really sorry again, Em.”
“It’s not your fault.” She hugged her friend. “I’ll call you later. Don’t agree to let him buy you out of your lease. One step a time, all right?”
Parker rose to his feet. “We’ll get this worked out,” he assured Harper. “And when we’re ready for real discussion, we’ll all sit down and–”
“No!” Emily jumped up from her seat on the couch, going from accepting to panicked in a heartbeat. “This is exactly what I didn’t want to happen.”
“She’ll call you,” he promised Harper.
No sooner had Emily’s friend walked out than James rose to his feet. “I’m going to watch some television in my room,” he said, disappearing obviously so they could be alone to talk.
Emily turned to face him. She was wearing a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt, the front cut into a low vee, and he couldn’t tear his gaze from the cleavage he’d tasted so thoroughly last night. They’d spent every night since they’d been home from their trip in his bed, gathering up every minute of time together they could without discussing the obvious ticking clock.
Parker waited until James was upstairs before turning his attention back to the situation at hand. He strode over to the sofa. “Sit.”
Frowning, she did as he said.
He settled in beside her, easing in close. He wasn’t about to give her any wiggle room, physically or otherwise, then picked up her hand in his. “We never discussed money,” he said quietly.
Her face contorted in horror. “Because it’s none of my business what you have.”
He couldn’t stop the grin that followed. “And that is one of the things I love about you, Emily Stevens.”
* * *
At Parker’s words, Emily’s mouth opened in shock.
Placing his hand beneath her chin, he closed it again. “You can’t be surprised.
She swallowed hard and it wasn’t easy. She had no moisture left in her mouth. “I can be floored that you said it out loud.”
He groaned, tipping his head and leaning it against hers.
“What I feel and what I can ultimately do about it are two very different things. And that’s why I don’t even want you to say the words back.”
But they were there, threatening to spill out. Of course she loved him. If it was possible, she’d loved him on sight, even when she’d thought she hated him. She couldn’t even list the reasons but she tried. He was everything she hadn’t known she was looking for. Her kind, protective, loving, generous city boy. She should be happy.
But the meaning behind all of his words caused her heart to race in panic. Yes, she knew he’d leave … eventually. And she knew eventually was becoming sooner rather than later. But she wasn’t ready. She loved him, too.
“But that’s not what we’re discussing now.”
Good, she thought, her heart rate slowing. A reprieve. She needed one along with time to catch her breath. This amazing man loved her and that was something she’d always have … even if she couldn’t have him. She glanced down and realized she’d been gripping his hand in hers.
She nodded in understanding. The more painful talk would come soon enough.
“Back to the bank loan. Look at the lengths you went to in order to hide the fact that you tried to get a bank loan from me. I admire your pride and determination to go it alone but–”
She glanced away. “I’m not going to be your charity case, Parker. You can’t support my whole family.”
He drew in a deep breath. “My family is … well, let’s just say that buying the real estate out at whatever price the corporation offered isn’t a problem. That would remove all temptation from the landlord and let you rent for market price.”
“With you as my landlord.” She bit down on her lower lip.
“I know how you feel about it but I can’t think of another way to make sure Harper keeps her shop. The new landlord is going to make her life difficult if she stays because he clearly wants to gut and build. So he’ll make it as hard as he can for her to stay without crossing the line of being illegal.”
“Oh my God. I didn’t even think of that. Harper said it would be hard to have a new landlord but…”
“Listen, all Harper will be doing is paying me. I’ll hire a company out here to keep the place in working order so you’re not having issues or problems. As for the joint business, I’ll float you two a small-business loan. You give me a business plan … show me what you have in mind, what you need financially, and we’ll go from there.”
Tears filled her eyes. “I didn’t want to have to do this but … I don’t know how to thank you. I fought Dad on the inn, Harper on the business … I think I was just afraid of relying on a man for my happiness.”
She threw her arms around his neck and he pulled her against him, burying his face in her fragrant hair. Yeah, his dick hardened and he wanted her, but he’d made her happy and that meant so much more to him than sex.
As she ran off to call Harper, Parker leaned back against the couch and groaned. He’d funded the renovation on the inn and now he was going to make an offer on a piece of land/shopping center in Montlake, Colorado. He hadn’t intended to tie himself to the town but that was exactly what he’d done.
But the strongest of the roots he’d be leaving here was his heart.
* * *
For Parker, the next few days were filled with meeting Harper’s landlord, calling Parker’s money manager to transfer funds and liquidate enough money to handle the transaction to purchase the land, his lawyer to begin working on a sales contract, and helping Emily and Harper construct a business plan for their addition and construction to turn both shops into one.
The landlord, who was a longtime resident of the town, had been relieved by Parker’s blunt approach, letting the landlord know Parker wanted only to save the integrity of the town and the shops that existed here. The man hadn’t wanted to sell but he’d been unable to find a way to turn down the amount of money the corporation had offered when it would enable him and his wife to live comfortably for the rest of their lives. Parker’s solution solved his problem.
As for Emily, once she’d wrapped her head around the fact that her plans were actually happening, she had thrown herself into the project one hundred percent. He enjoyed working with the women, seeing their enthusiasm, and offering his help and guidance where he could.
Knight Time Industries offered smart homes and offices, and he could offer them smart light switches and thermostats and generally give them state-of-the-art equipment for little to no extra cost, just because he wanted to. They also discussed green technology and he’d see what could be incorporated in the older building. Emily and Harper were enthralled by the notion. Sure, it was excessive in a small town with a small business but why not start somewhere? Besides, he wanted Emily to have the best and he could give it to her.
He was busier than he’d been since arriving in town and he liked the energy he felt along with the sense of accomplishment he experienced in getting things done.
* * *
Emily was alone at the inn. Parker had gone out for a walk and she’d passed on joining him. Her dad was out for lunch with a friend, a break he’d earned after supervising so many workmen and areas of the inn. They had a new boiler, AC unit, roof, and now he wanted to renovate the kitchen and redo the rooms. He left it to her to pick out the appliances, countertops, and cabinetry because those items were in her wheelhouse – his words – and the budget she’d been given was more than generous, enabling her to buy top-of-th-line everything.
She couldn’t get over how Parker had basically funded the entire thing… She would repay the money if it killed her but she’d never be able to express her gratitude in any way that would show what it meant to her, the fact that he’d saved her family’s legacy and allowed her to achieve her ultimate dream.
She glanced at the wallpaper books open on
the table, trying to decide on how to handle the rooms. Did she go with unique paper in each or a theme for the overall inn? Or did she give it up and hire a decorator as Parker had suggested when she’d worried she didn’t have the eye for the task?
A knock sounded at the front door, which was unusual in and of itself. Everyone in town knew to just walk in during the day. Even Rex just showed up at will.
She rose to her feet and walked toward the door. “Come in!” she called out just as the door pushed in and an unfamiliar man stepped inside.
He wore a rumpled suit that indicated he’d been traveling for a while to get here, with a trench coat hanging from his arm. He had long, scraggly dark hair, blue eyes that reminded her of someone, she couldn’t place who, and a scruffy beard. All in all, he was a handsome, if angry-looking, man.
“Can I help you?” she asked.
“I’m looking for my brother. Parker Knight.”
Oh, wow. From what Parker had told her, Sebastian was the fun, easygoing brother, which meant this had to be Ethan. The perpetual grump, according to Parker.
“Hello, welcome. I’m Emily Stevens.” She held out her hand.
“Ethan Knight.” He shook it, his steady gaze assessing her from head to toe. He was definitely measuring her worth and she was uncomfortable.
“Parker went for a walk but if you come in, he should be back soon. Here. Let me hang up your jacket.” She reached for his trench coat.
He let her take it and she hung it in the front hall closet. “Welcome to the Ruby Rose Inn.” She smiled.
He didn’t.
“It’s named after my mom,” she said, rambling in the wake of his silence. “Umm, can I get you something to drink? Iced tea? Soda? Water?”
“Water is fine, thank you.”
He followed her into the kitchen and took in the array of books spread open on the table.
“I’m sorry. I’ll clean up so you can sit comfortably. I wasn’t expecting company.”
“So this place doesn’t have any guests at the moment?” he asked, looking around.
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