“Fine. So here’s the deal. I won’t tell you how to live your life and you’ll stop digging into and telling me how to live mine. Sound fair?”
“Touché.” Shoving his hands into his front pants pockets, Ethan turned to face him.
“Good. Now you should know I’ve decided to come back home with you. It’s time.”
Ethan cocked his head to one side. “I thought you loved this woman. How do you go from love to leaving in the span of one fuck session upstairs?”
Hands curling into fists, Parker glared at his brother. “I swear to God–”
Ethan chuckled and Parker shot him a dirty look. Then he sobered and went on. “It’s going to kill me to leave as it is. As Emily pointed out, the longer I stay, the harder saying goodbye will be.”
Ethan sat back down and leaned forward in his seat. “Bring her with you,” he said as if it were simple.
“I wish, but her roots are as deep here as the trees out there. Her father, her best friend, this inn, her new business. She loves all those things. I wouldn’t ask her to give them up for me.”
Ethan studied him. “Then for the first time in my life, I have no advice to give.”
Smiling wryly, Parker agreed with his brother’s assessment. “Me, neither. So I’m going to do the sensible thing and head home and figure out what I’m doing with my life.” The painful thing. The thing that was like ripping his heart from his chest. “We both know my life is in Manhattan. My family, my business … what would I do with myself out here? I’m sure as hell not going to teach skiing even if I did get back on the slopes,” he said. “And I can’t fathom not working for a living.”
Ethan groaned. “I’m sorry, man.”
“Me, too.” He took in his brother’s overall look for the first time and laughed. “I see you haven’t gotten a haircut.”
Ethan raised his finger in an F-you gesture.
This conversation finished, Parker went upstairs to pack and say goodbye.
* * *
Emily stood in the family room with Parker and Ethan. Her father had been shocked to discover Parker was leaving, but they’d said their goodbyes and profuse thank yous on both sides, James for all Parker had done since he’d arrived and Parker for her father’s hospitality.
A lump lodged in her throat and she was in a state of internal panic. Why had she told him to go home? They could have had more time … but she knew it would have been a mistake. More time to get used to him being in the house, to sleeping in his bed, to having him help her with her deliveries to town in the morning or sharing coffee together before they drove in.
He had to be getting bored with nothing to do but take walks, drive to town, or hang around the inn. No, she thought sadly, she’d done the right thing for them both.
And he knew it, too, or he’d never have agreed to go.
“Emily, I was hoping we could start over,” Ethan said, distracting her from her painful reality.
She glanced at the imposing man who had all but verbally ripped her to shreds earlier and had to remind herself he was Parker’s brother. He’d been his pseudo-parent and Parker loved him.
She assumed Parker had had a talk with Ethan earlier, and for Parker’s sake, she nodded. “Sure. That would be good.”
“I’m sorry. I was…” Ethan trailed off and Parker slammed him in the rib with his elbow.
“An utter and complete ass and I’m sorry,” Ethan said, coughing over his brother’s unsubtle and probably too hard jab.
“Thank you. I accept your apology. But for the future, you might want to work on your people skills,” she said, unable to hold back some of her feelings.
Beside her, Parker chuckled, and to her surprise, Ethan let out a loud laugh.
“Feisty. I can see the attraction and why you love her.” He paused. “I’ll go out to the car. Give you two a few minutes alone,” Ethan said.
He headed out to his rental car and Parker turned to face her.
“You’re going to kill me but I’m hiring a private investigator to look into Rex. I want to find something on the bastard that I can take to him and use to convince him to give you the divorce. And I’m getting someone to keep an eye on this place until we know you’re comfortable and feel safe from him and his uninvited appearances.”
Her eyes opened wide at his words. “You’re insane.”
He shook his head. “Don’t fight with me. It won’t help and you don’t want our goodbye to turn into an argument.” His grin said he knew he’d won this round.
She drew a deep breath and let it out, then decided agreement was simpler. “Fine. Thank you for looking out for me.”
She really would feel safer knowing there was someone around to make sure Rex didn’t get out of control. “But you can’t keep someone watching me indefinitely.”
He merely cocked an eyebrow and she bit down on her cheek. As agreed, she wouldn’t argue.
“Let’s see. What else?” he asked. “Your father promised to be careful and not cause you any extra worry about him. No more ladders.” He gestured toward the basement, where James had taken his fall.
She should have known Parker would leave no stone unturned in taking care of her despite the abruptness of his departure.
She slid her tongue over her dry lips, then said, “I’m having Harper write the checks to our landlord.” She half hiccupped, half laughed, which was all in an attempt to hold back a cry. She didn’t even want to write out his name, taunting her with what they couldn’t have.
Don’t cry. Don’t cry. Don’t cry. She repeated the mantra to herself over and over, not wanting to break down until he was gone. She didn’t want his last memory of her to be red eyes and a snotty nose.
He cupped her face in his hand and stared into her eyes. “This is the hardest fucking thing I’ve ever done and that’s saying something,” he said in a gruff voice, and she lost the battle, the tears she’d been holding back releasing, trickling down her cheeks.
“I’m going to miss you, city boy,” she whispered.
He treated her to a sad smile. “I want to say there’s text and phone and FaceTime–”
She shook her head. “I can’t be your friend, Parker. Because one day you’ll move on and it will break my heart.” Her throat burned holding back the bawling cry she wanted to have. “A clean break is much easier.” Easier was definitely the wrong word, but knowing he was moving on without her would kill her. She’d rather not know for sure.
He leaned down and pressed his mouth hard against hers, not deepening the kiss, just connecting their lips one last time. “Close your eyes,” he whispered against her mouth.
She did.
Then she felt the loss of his touch. His warmth. His presence. She heard the sound of the door closing softly behind him and only then did she fall to the floor and let the real hysterical tears fall.
* * *
Emily didn’t know how much time had passed when her father came to her side and helped her to her feet. It could have been five minutes or an hour. She had no idea, she just knew the sobs racking her body were real and endless and her throat felt raw.
Her dad sat with her on the sofa and let her cry it out until she was ready to pull herself together. “Thanks, Dad. I’m so lucky to have you.” She hugged him tight, his familiar scent giving her a sense of peace despite her pain.
“Honey, I’m fifty-eight going on fifty-nine. I’m not ancient. You have to stop seeing me the way your mother was when she was sick and dying, and start viewing me the way I really am. Now let’s focus on you. You love that man and you let him go?”
She pulled herself back and met his gaze. “His job and family are in New York.”
“Did you consider going with him?”
She blinked in surprise. “My life is here. You’re here. I have a business to put into motion … and he didn’t ask me.” Her heart pounded in her chest. “But he knows how much I love it here. This town, you, Harper, you’re all part of who I am. I couldn’t leave and go
back to a city.” She shook her head. “He knows me too well to ask.”
Her father frowned. “You young people–”
“Now you sound old.” She let out a laugh.
“I just mean that you young people don’t realize how important love is until sometimes it’s too late. I saw how you two looked at each other…”
“It’s done, Dad. Let’s not talk about it anymore, okay? I’ll take a day or two and then I’ll pull myself together. We have wallpaper to pick, carpet to choose, and a whole kitchen to design. Not to mention Harper and I are meeting with an architect on Monday.” But despite listing all she had to look forward to, the pain in the center of her chest remained.
Chapter Ten
A week after Parker’s departure, Emily was still miserable, but Harper, to her credit, ignored Emily’s moods, which made it easier to push forward. She immersed herself in work and she had plenty of it to keep her busy.
After a particularly trying day of arguing with places on how long the furniture she wanted for the rooms for the inn would take, she turned in to bed early. She and Harper were on hold until the architect finished the plans and they were approved. Then there would be the construction phase, so for now it was business as usual at Harper’s Coffee Shop soon to be Harper and Em’s Bake and Brew.
She was just about to fall asleep when the sound of the doorbell ringing startled her. She pulled on her sweats and shirt and headed downstairs. She was much more careful now about opening the door, even keeping it locked during the day, and she glanced through the peephole.
True to his word, Parker had hired a bodyguard firm and there was a day and night shift keeping an eye on Emily. She’d never really thought she would need it. Except as she looked out now, she saw the man who’d introduced himself as Dave, or night-shift guy, as she mentally called him, stood holding on to Rex by the collar as he rang the doorbell again.
Her stomach flipped as she opened the door. “Umm, hi?” she said at the same time Rex began to yell.
“Emily, tell this goon I’m your husband and to let me in!”
“Ma’am?” Dave, with his shaved head, broad shoulders, and big body, asked. “Is he your husband? He looks like the photograph we were given of the man to look out for. And I caught him sneaking around the house as if casing it. And when I met up with him by his car, I smelled gasoline. I think there are cans in the trunk.”
Emily blinked. “No, he’s not my husband, he’s my soon-to-be ex-husband.” And he was dressed all in black. Camouflage at night.
“Dammit, Emily, there’s no distinction. I love you. When are you going to come to your senses and come home with me?”
She folded her arms across her chest. A glance at the empty staircase told her her dad was still upstairs. Thank God for Ambien. “Are there gas cans in the trunk? Is that what he smells?” she asked Rex.
He looked away guiltily.
“Should I call the police?” her bodyguard asked.
“Yes, please.”
Dave immediately pulled out his cell phone and dialed 911, talking while Rex, whose eyes opened wide in horror, started to scream. “What? Emily, no. Don’t, please. I was just trying to convince you to come back to Chicago with me.”
“How? By burning down my house?” she said just as loudly.
“I thought if the inn burned, you’d have no choice but to turn back to me. I’d have helped your father rebuild. You’d be grateful to me and we could be together,” he said.
She knew he was insane. When she looked back, she’d been able to see the signs of narcissism and a Svengali complex, trying to mold her into his perfect woman. But she’d never pegged him as truly dangerous, having convinced herself the fall down the stairs was an accident. Now she wasn’t so sure. If she’d had the baby, he wouldn’t have had her all to himself.
The police finally arrived and cuffed a hysterical Rex. The noxious smell of gas gave them probable cause to search his vehicle for dangerous substances, and they found three full cans of gasoline. In the front of the car was a pile of lighters.
Thank God Parker had thought ahead to hire a bodyguard, and as soon as she thought of him, tears filled her eyes once more. Dammit. She was going to get through a day without crying. One day. Soon.
* * *
Parker stood in Ethan’s office, looking out the window at the Upper East Side of Manhattan. The sun was shining, people down below looked like tiny specks, ants rushing around to one place or another.
Ethan sat at his desk, tapping his favorite pen against a blotter.
Sebastian and his wife, Ashley, sat side-by-side on one corner of the leather sofa, cuddling like the lovebirds they were. Sierra and her husband, Ryder, did the same on the other side.
All eyes were on Parker, waiting for him to speak since he’d called this family meeting. The minute he had stepped foot on the private plane Ethan had chartered to go to Denver, Parker knew he’d made a mistake. Hell, he’d known as he kissed Emily goodbye, her salty tears mixed with her innate sweetness, that walking away was the wrong, worst thing he could do.
But the plane took off and soon he’d been in the air, alone with his thoughts for a solid five-plus hours. And during that time, he’d come to some pretty heavy conclusions.
“Is someone going to tell us why we’re here?” Sebastian asked.
“Patience, young grasshopper,” Ashley said and chuckled. Apparently they’d been watching old movies.
“I needed to talk to everyone. I have news.”
Ethan didn’t know for sure what Parker was going to say, but of everyone here, he’d seen Parker firsthand after leaving Emily behind. He had to know what was coming. But he sat behind his desk, his expression giving nothing away.
“Parker met a girl in Colorado,” Sebastian announced.
“What am I? A lovesick teenager? I met a woman there. And her father. And I got involved in their business…” He shook his head, trying to get back on track. “I fell in love,” he finally said, summing up the only thing that mattered.
“And then the dumb ass left her behind.” This from Ethan, who finally opened his mouth. He was still an asshole. His dealings with Emily hadn’t taught him anything at all.
Everyone whispered amongst themselves. Or rather the two couples whispered. Ethan sat in silence.
“I’m going back.”
“Another vacation? To see her?” Ashley asked, sounding pleased for him.
“Umm, no. I’m moving to Colorado. For good.” His words came with the force of a bomb dropping. Shocked silence followed.
At first no one said a word.
And then the questions overlapped each other. Parker whistled to shut them all up. “Here’s the deal.” He figured he was covering everyone’s questions. “The main thing holding me back all along was, what would I do there? I can’t sit around and I need to make a living. I refuse to live off of family money or money from this business if I’m not working it.”
Ethan looked at him in admiration, Sebastian in shock but a slow grin was spreading across his face. His younger brother was into romance these days, so he would support Parker one hundred percent. Ethan might not like the distance between them, but having seen Parker’s reaction to Ethan verbally hurting Emily, he knew where Parker’s heart lay. Ethan’s own heart might be broken and in shambles, but he still loved his siblings and wanted them to be happy.
“I’m happy for you,” Sebastian said.
“Me, too.” Sierra jumped up and gave him a hug. “But I’m going to miss you so much.”
Parker chuckled. “Same, sis, but you’ll come visit and we’ll come here.”
“When do we get to meet her?” Ashley asked.
“Well, Ethan already did and made one hell of an impression.” Parker’s voice darkened at the memory.
“Oh, Ethan,” Sierra said. “What did you do?” She wagged her finger at him.
“It was ugly,” Ethan admitted. “But we parted on good terms.”
Parker doubted she’
d forgotten how Ethan had spoken to her. Mending that relationship would take time. “Listen, I plan on going back there to convince her to marry me.” He patted the ring he’d personally chosen that now sat securely in his pocket.
Ashley and Sierra squealed their excitement and Parker grinned.
“Then I’ll bring her home to meet all of you. She’s already dealt with the scary one.” He jerked a finger over his shoulder to Ethan. “The rest of you are a piece of cake.” He grinned. “Speaking of cake, Emily is a baker.”
“Oh, yum. That’s going to be fun at family gatherings,” Ashley said and Parker chuckled.
He just hoped Emily hadn’t given up on him. It had only been a week, but he’d left her. Her biggest fear had been losing those she loved and he’d put her in that very position.
“Parker, you didn’t say what you’re going to be doing out there workwise,” Sebastian said, interrupting his train of thought.
“Aah.” He leaned against Ethan’s desk. “While I was there, I ran into a guy I knew from my skiing days. Caleb Benson. He owns a ski shop that’s also a sports retail store. He’s looking to expand into other areas of Colorado, to start. But he didn’t have the capital or someone to run it with. I gave him a call. I’m going to work with him, see if I like it, and if so, we’re going into partnership.”
“Awesome. That’s right up your alley!” Sebastian rose and walked over, slapping him on the back. “Good for you. You never belonged here behind a desk.” He paused, then said, “Can I ask you a question?”
“Go for it.”
“Did you ski again while you were out there?”
Parker shook his head, but he’d come to realize how ridiculous those fears of getting back on the slopes really were. “I think I associated the skiing with Rina, the car accident and her death. Since I’ve been back in New York, missing Colorado and Emily, I took care of some loose ends from those days.”
He’d visited the Londons and told Elana and George that their emotional blackmail was over. They’d been upset but they also realized they’d taken advantage of Parker and there was nothing they could hold over him to get him to pay. He was free of the past, only his good memories of Rina remaining.
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