International Guy: Volume 4

by Carlan, Audrey

  “Well, that sounds rather vague. Care to explain that one for me?”

  “I have agreed to marry Gabriel.” Her voice is direct and matter-of-fact.

  My heart starts to pound, and I stand up to pace, a smile slipping over my lips. “Really?”

  “Oui. You were right. In the past few months that he has been back home, I have thought of nothing else. It has positively plagued me, the fact that I so easily tossed him away out of fear. The other night, I sat him down to a romantic candlelit dinner for two and asked him if he could have one thing in all the world, what would it be. And you know what he said?”

  I grin wide. “I’ll bet I can guess,” I say with a teasing tone.

  She continues without allowing me the benefit of guessing or playing with her any further.

  “He said he would like nothing more in the world than to make me his wife and the woman who becomes the mother to his children one day.”

  “Go, Gabe!” I woot, and chuckle, mentally fist-bumping the guy.

  “Hmm, yes. Well, I looked right into his eyes, and . . .”

  “And . . .” I swallow, my mouth suddenly dry, dying to know what she said. Sophie can be a wild card sometimes. “Don’t leave me hanging.”

  “I am not hanging you. Why would I do that?”

  “SoSo . . . ,” I growl. “What did you say to Gabe?”

  “I asked him if he had an engagement ring,” she says, as serious as a heart attack.

  Not being able to help it, I tip back my head and laugh until my gut hurts. “And what did he say?”

  “It is not what he said, mon cher. It is what he did. He promptly got up from the middle of our dinner, disappeared into the room that he uses as his study, came back with a velvet box, and got down on one knee.”

  “Smooth moves, Gabe. I’m proud of the guy. Taking charge and advantage of the situation to get what he wants.”

  “Mmm,” she hums noncommittally.

  “Did he score?”

  “This is not a game, darling. This is my future.”

  “Sophie!” I roll my eyes, exasperated with her. “Did you or did you not accept his proposal?”

  “Mon cher, that is the very reason for my call.”

  “I swear to God . . .” I groan loudly, wanting her to hear my exasperation all the way to France.

  She laughs in my ear. “I accepted. We have received a date for September. I will expect you and Skyler in attendance.”

  “Fuck yeah. We’ll be there with bells on, baby!”

  “Bells? Why would you wear bells? That makes no sense. I want you to wear a bespoke suit that I will have my stylist design for you, as you will be standing as my sole official witness.”

  Punch.

  Straight. To. The. Gut.

  I clear my throat. “Sophie, are you asking me to be your maid of honor or man of honor?”

  “The Americans have weird sayings for this. We do not have that same thing here, and Gabriel and I will not be doing a religious ceremony. We will have the marriage at the town hall, where you and Gabriel’s brother will be the official witnesses to our commitment. Though Skyler may sit in if she chooses. Later that evening we will have a small but lavish affair in the Buddha-Bar.”

  The Buddha-Bar. Where Sophie got her head out of her ass and took a chance on the love of a good man. Excellent.

  “That sounds perfect. You shoot me the details, and I will be there. Sky will be filming, but if she can get a break at all, she’ll be there too. I’ll make sure the guys have the time set aside in their calendars for the reception.”

  “Magnifique! Now, tell me about you. I have been troubled by the hardships you and your mate have undergone. Has everything settled down now that there are no further threats and the people are exposed?”

  I nod even though she can’t see it. “Yeah, we’re all trying to find our new normal. Bo’s still working the pub for Pops full-time. Royce does their books and finances. I trade off weekends with Bo so he can have some time off, but he does the bulk of the work there. Though Baylee is a huge help.”

  “Baylee?”

  “Our waitress slash bartender slash jack-of-all-trades. She’s been a godsend to all of us. Works hard. Is never late. Stays out of trouble. I know for a fact when Pops eventually makes it back after he’s through with physical therapy, he’ll keep her on.”

  “That’s lovely. And Bogart? How is the scoundrel?”

  I grin knowing what she’s really asking. “Same ol’, same ol’. Chasing skirt and always on the go.”

  “One day his frivolity is going to catch up to him,” she warns.

  “Don’t I know it! I’ve warned him myself, but he’s dead set on getting the most out of life and everyone in it.”

  The memory of Bo telling Sky and me that he slept with Baylee flashes through my mind. I cringe. For the love of all things holy, I hope he didn’t fuck that situation up. She could be a really great addition to my Pops’s staff if he doesn’t screw it up. Still, it’s my job to trust him even when his judgment is jaded.

  “Especially those of the female variety.” Sophie clucks her tongue.

  I chuckle. “Exactly.”

  “And Royce?”

  “Doing well. Still, there’s that push-pull between him and Kendra and the past they share, but mostly I’m just waiting to see what happens. I truly believe those two are meant to be together. It’s just a matter of time.”

  “And you and your Skyler?”

  “What about me and Sky?”

  “Are you going to settle down?”

  “SoSo, I’m living with the woman. Bought a house with her. Share a bed every night with her. Not sure I could be more settled.”

  “Does your dear one feel the same as you?”

  I narrow my gaze and focus on the view again. “What are you talking about?”

  “Mon cher, a woman like her does not buy a house with a man, rescue dogs, move to his state, and take a job in her field that’s in the area unless she has an ulterior motive.”

  The idea that Sky has some type of nefarious plan or motive of any kind when it comes to us burns me up inside. “Sky’s not like that, Sophie. She’d never fuck me over.”

  Sophie tuts. “You are missing my point. Have you not talked about marriage and children? The future and what that looks like for the two of you?”

  Oh. I see. She’s getting married, so now she wants to know when I am.

  What is it with engaged people?

  I swear, the second Wendy got engaged she was all over us guys to settle down too. Hell, my mom started in on me the second I told her Sky and I were buying a home together. She thought that was absolutely insane to do without having a marriage certificate to back up such a large commitment.

  I inhale full and deep and let it out slowly. “We’ve talked a little about the future. We both want to get married and have children. It’s just . . . with everything that happened this year, I need to know she’s mentally ready to take on the rest of our lives together, not just physically or as a default to the bad shit we’ve survived. Marrying her will be one of the best decisions of my life. It needs to be right.”

  “Does that mean you want to marry her?” Sophie pushes.

  “Yeah, of course. I can’t imagine my life without her. I just need to know she’s okay in every way that matters. I can’t be selfish in this decision or take advantage of her. I want my girl to be of sound mind and free of any negativity from the shit brought upon us before we go down that road.”

  “Maybe in order for her to be free, she needs something even more beautiful to hang on to?” Sophie suggests.

  Her words run through my head. Could that be an option? Would asking for her hand be the final thing that heals the wounds my girl has sustained?

  I shake my head and rake my fingers through my hair. “I don’t know, Sophie; I’ll think about it. Thank you for bringing it up, and I am honored to be your witness when you marry Gabe. He’s a good guy, and he worships the ground you walk
on.”

  “I know, mon cher. It is going to be wonderful. I shall have my assistant email you the details. It was good speaking with you. Take care of yourself and your mate.”

  “You know I will.”

  “Oui. Send my love to the guys.”

  “I can do that too.”

  “Je t’aime. Au revoir.”

  “Love you too. Bye, Sophie.”

  I press the “End” button on my cell phone, put it in my pocket, and place my hands on my hips.

  Sophie is taking the plunge.

  Why the hell am I waiting on the sidelines?

  My mind is still going over the call I had with Sophie yesterday as I flip through the contract Kendra approved for the next client. I’ve been avoiding travel the last couple of months, wanting to be home for Skyler, my father, and Nate as the lot of them healed physically and/or mentally. Nate’s recovery was miraculous. The dude is a goddamned stud and proves it daily. He completed his physical therapy in record time and is already watching Skyler’s back when she visits the studio people and has her sessions with Rick to run through lines. And with Rachel on the lookout, even if Nate isn’t in peak condition, I know they have my girl covered.

  Unfortunately my father hasn’t fared as well. Therapy has been tedious and painful. Being in your fifties and getting both of your legs and hips crushed by a car is not an easy injury to heal from. The docs think he’ll be in therapy for a good year. He’s already in the beginning of month three, and he’s just now in a wheelchair able to put pressure on his hip replacements. The legs haven’t gotten much work, but the casts are off. Now it’s all about learning to stand again. Then one foot in front of the other. It will be a while before he’s behind the bar again.

  I glance across the desk at Bo as he flips through the information Annie gave us once Kendra approved it as a solid contract.

  Kendra lays out the deal. “Nothing to write home about on this one, guys. It’s pretty straightforward. You have been requested for the TV show Mix and Match. You will help the couples get ready for the show and work with the production team to make everything run smoothly. You will also sit in the judging booth on the first episode to help the contestant choose her best match. They are paying through the nose for us, and I hate to say why, but it’s because of the scandal involving Skyler and Tracey, plus Parker’s involvement. Hell, the whole team’s involvement.”

  I shake my head, and Royce’s lips twist into a snarl. “Fuck this. We don’t need the money if it’s going to get us more questionable press.”

  “Technically no, but the projections the team made for the next two years will be severely affected if we don’t take it. We took a lot of hits to the budget the last few months by not working much while things settled down,” Kendra counters.

  Bo shrugs. “We’ll find another way to make it up.”

  “It’s a million dollars out the door,” Kendra adds softly.

  Royce’s gaze flicks to hers, and his snarl turns into a scowl.

  “Holy shit, that’s a lot of cash, but at what price?” Bo adds.

  She holds her hands up. “Hey, hey, I get it. I don’t want any more press either.”

  “I’m assuming you already ran this by Skyler’s new publicist?” I purse my lips and focus on Annie, who’s sitting primly in a chair off to the side taking notes. Her blonde hair, parted in the center, is hanging down in front of her face. One thing I noticed after she returned to the office is that she doesn’t often look me in the eye. She’s also not dressing much like Skyler anymore. It seems Annie’s personal style is actually really plain, simple dresses or sweater-and-slacks combos. I can’t say I appreciate her style the way I look forward to seeing what Wendy is wearing each day, but it’s nice to see that she’s finding herself.

  “Yes, Parker. Ms. Black is the one who brought the contract to us. She personally suggested the job for us. Apparently, the producer is a friend of hers.” She licks her lips as her eyes meet mine for a scant moment before she looks away and focuses on the wall.

  “Thank you, Annie.” I turn my chair so I’m facing Bo and Kendra, who are sitting in front of my desk, and Royce, who’s leaning against the wall near the window. “Are we game for this project?”

  Royce rubs at his bottom lip with his thumb. “The question is, are you prepared to leave, brother? You’ve been leery, and if you need more time, we could turn down the job. Family first. We always agreed on that.”

  I sigh and place my elbows to my desk, my fingers steepled. “I need to break the chain. Sky needs to be able to be alone again. Traveling is part of what we do in this role.”

  Royce nods. “I’m with you all the way. Whatever we gotta do.”

  “I can’t go, guys. The bar,” Bo says.

  I suck against the back of my front teeth. “I can’t ask you to stay. You go. I can work the bar—”

  “Um, excuse me, guys,” Annie interjects. “The contract said no deal if Parker is not on the project in person.”

  “Fuck me!” I sneer.

  “Dude, it’s cool. I got the bar covered. Kendra, you’ve got IG with Annie, right, ladies?” Bo glances at Annie, who nods, and then at Kendra.

  “Absolutely.”

  “They said it should be really quick. A week at most,” Annie adds, her voice only two steps up from a whisper.

  “I gotta talk to Sky about this. Make sure she really is good, but she does need to get back to normal. The studio visits and running lines is helping. Her therapy is going awesome. She seems really happy and back to my life-loving girlfriend. This would be good for the two of us. Still, I want to run it past her. If she’s okay with it, Roy, go ahead and sign the contract. I’ll let you know in a few minutes, yeah?”

  Roy nods, pushes off the wall, and moves to my door. Bo eases out of the chair beside Kendra.

  “Gotta get the restaurant ready and open the doors for Baylee.”

  “Give her a key,” I suggest.

  “You think Pops would be cool with that?” Bo queries.

  “Hell if I know, but what I do know is that you’re gonna have to be able to come and go from here to there, and you need to be able to trust someone. The cook has a key already. Give Baylee one and test it out. If she was gonna steal or do damage, she’d have done it already, and Roy says the books are tight. Neither of you has had an off register yet.”

  Bo grins. “I always like it tight, man.” He waggles his eyebrows.

  “You’re a pig,” Kendra fires off.

  “Fuckin’ hell. Get outta here.” I laugh and point at the door the ladies are headed for.

  As Bo is walking to the door, I call out, “Hey, Bo . . .”

  He turns around and holds on to the handle that he just pulled open for Kendra and Annie.

  “I just wanna say thanks, man. For holding down the fort at the bar, being here for me, for all of us. You’re rock steady. I appreciate you. I’ve got nothing but gratitude, brother.”

  He smiles wide. “I’ll remember that for when I fuck up huge and you have to bail my ass out.”

  “No questions asked. You need me. I’m always gonna be there.”

  “Word,” he says with a chin lift, and walks his motorcycle-booted feet out the door, a hand up in the air with two fingers in a peace symbol.

  I take a deep breath and pick up my phone.

  It rings a second before the most beautiful voice in the world answers, “Hey, honey . . .”

  “Hi, Peaches, got a minute?”

  “For you, always.”

  I grin and turn around in my chair, opening my lap and snapping my fingers.

  Zeus looks at me from his perch on the arm of the couch. He slowly licks a paw and stares at me with that bored-to-tears look cats have mastered. I snap again and pat my leg. He lifts his head and tilts it to the side, assessing if he wants to move from the arm to my lap or not.

  “This LA job coming up . . . Annie says your publicist referred us.”

  Her voice dips to a cautionary tone. “Yeah
, is that a problem?”

  “No, I was just wondering if she really thinks me being a part of a dating TV show is good press for you. I don’t want to see the tabloids suggesting that I’m trying to replace you or something stupid.” I rub at the back of my neck, trying to ease the tension formed by the idea.

  She laughs heartily. “I think since the press now knows what we’ve been through, they’ve actually been really kind lately. A lot of the news has been related to hero worship over you and what you’re willing to do to keep me safe.”

  I smile but know there was a lot more to it and a lot of other more-qualified people involved in figuring out what Tracey was up to, not to mention the stalker issue with Benny.

  “The last thing I want to do is make anything uncomfortable for you, Sky. And this job, it’s going to take me and Roy to LA for at least a week. That means it’s the first time you’ll be alone since it all went down. I need to know that you’re okay with that and feel safe.”

  “In our home with Rach and Nate living in the side house? Our giant overprotective dogs? I’ll be fine. You have nothing to worry about. I’m good, I swear! I want you to do this. I’m actually doing a two-minute interview promo spot for the producer to use in advertising the show. I’ll be saying something about my boyfriend being part of the team and involved, but viewers will have to watch in order to find out how.” She giggles, and the sound seeps straight through my chest, easing the nervousness I had at the suggestion of having to leave her.

  Finally Zeus leaps off the arm of the couch, extends his entire body in this awesome stretch that would feel so good to me right now, and then comes over. He meanders through my legs, rubbing his fur against my shins until he’s done, and jumps up into my lap, spins in a circle, and settles down across both of my thighs. Once he’s situated, I finagle my fingers into the soft tufts of his fur. Instantly my cat purrs loudly. His presence eases me the same way Sky’s happy voice does.

  “So, you’re totally cool with this job? No concerns whatsoever,” I reiterate, just to be certain.

  “Absolutely. Honey, I know I’ve been really needy when it comes to you and your attention, but it’s only because I lost a lot. You, your family, our friends are my whole world now, and Parker, you’re at the tippy-top of that list. I’m good, and frankly, I think it’s time. We need a little space to miss each other.”