“Reba,” he said softly. “I’m sorry. Look at me.”
Her gaze was downcast, and she was still sobbing in hiccups. “No. I don’t want you to look at me.”
Ah hell! “Reba, sweetheart, it’s okay. Look at me.”
Slowly, she lifted her face and his gaze caught hers. Shit. Big, fat tears were hanging onto her lower lids, and all he wanted to do was kiss them away.
Can’t do that, McKenna.
“I’m a mess. I’m a swollen, bloated, tear-faced mess. I really don’t want you to look at me.”
He reached for the clean handkerchief in his pocket. “Here.” He carefully dabbed the cloth underneath both her eyes. “Now yes, that was a lot of ugly crying, but it sure doesn’t make you any less pretty. Gosh, Reba, I didn’t mean to go and get you that upset.”
She shook her head. “No, it’s not you. It’s just everything.” She sniffled and glanced off.
“Want to talk about it?”
She must have because she started in immediately. “It’s me, Parker. It’s all of this stuff. Things were going so well until yesterday, and now I have this,” she raised her left arm with the splint, “and how am I supposed to type and blog and edit when I can’t even move my fingers…and what about this!” She pointed to her eye. “I have a big job thing coming up, and I will be on camera and all of this crap,” she waved both her arms, “is going to get in my way!”
“That was one big damn sentence, honey. I’m not sure if I got it all but—”
“Never mind!”
He nodded. “Okay. No worries.” He patted at her eyes again and then handed her the handkerchief. “Here. Let me take a closer look at you.”
It was the first time he’d looked deep into her eyes. He wanted to look at her bruising and the bump a little closer, but as he carefully brushed back her hair, he got lost in that one big glistening emerald eye, shimmering with a few unshed tears.
“You are beautiful, you know,” he told her. “Even with this.” He grazed a thumb beneath her left eye, trailing the edge of the bruise. He loved the look of her porcelain skin and the smattering of small reddish freckles over her nose. He didn’t know too many women who still had their freckles into adulthood. It was mighty cute.
He grinned. “I don’t know what camera thing you have, but I bet some big Jackie-O sunglasses would hide this shiner slick as a button, and you’d look pretty sexy wearing them.”
Reba physically gulped. “Wha— What?”
He stepped back. “I’m sorry. I think the words in my head escaped my mouth and obviously, I need to get more control on that.”
She nodded. “Kind of like when I said I wanted to kiss you last night?”
Parker shoved his hands in his pockets. “Yes. Like that.”
Reba continued, glancing to her lap. “We said we were going to forget about that, right?”
He nodded. “We did.”
Silence fell between them for a few long, tortuous seconds.
“Okay, that’s good, because with this eye thing going on, I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t want to kiss me again anyway.”
Closing his eyes, Parker exhaled. Long. It didn’t matter if her entire face was purple, he still wanted to kiss those pink, pouty lips of hers.
“Parker?”
He stepped forward. “Yes?”
Slowly, her face lifted and once again, she turned those sparkling emeralds up on him. He reined in control for a brief moment and then leaned forward to cradle her face in his hands, angling her mouth toward his, and kissed her.
Her lips were dewy-sweet and soft as a calf’s ear. He nibbled and caressed their plumpness, her touch sending a wicked spiral of desire straight through him, her honey taste revving up his libido to a higher gear. Her sighs slipping through her parted breaths and landing on his mouth were nearly his undoing.
He pulled back, slightly. “Reba…” he whispered. “I’m sorry. I….”
She put two fingers on his lips. “Shh. Kiss me again, cowboy,” she told him. “Don’t stop.”
And he didn’t.
Chapter Seven
Sunday morning
Parker had managed to avoid his stepmother for the entire day after his father’s funeral. Not deliberately, of course. Mostly by happenstance. He’d had a full day, what with keeping Reba awake the night before, the meeting with Tom, and then the emergency trip back to Livingston—he’d been hopping every minute with very little time to spare.
Avoiding Liz and the rest of the family was not going to be an option today. She’d called not long after he’d dropped Reba off at her cabin last night and requested they all spend some time together in the morning. Sunday morning breakfasts at the new house generally were the rule of thumb, so why was Liz making a special effort to make sure they were all there tomorrow?
He agreed it was necessary. It would give them time to talk and process the past couple of weeks and the funeral and to speculate a bit about what comes next. Of course, some things couldn’t be dealt with until the details of the will were disclosed later next week.
Then, there was the part about all of the siblings and Liz getting along. He reminded himself of the talk he’d had with Tom. Spending time with them today would be a good thing.
Even though he’d rather finagle some time with Reba.
Reba. Her face had saturated his dreams last night. He liked the way her name rolled around in his head and off his tongue when he said it aloud. He imagined saying her name on a whisper in her ear, when he was making love to her….
Down boy. Don’t go there so early in the morning.
Her kisses were intoxicating. He had left her last evening with a sweet, lingering kiss on her lips and a promise to call her. She’d gone inside with a small wave and a smile and a semi-confused look on her face.
Probably not unlike the look that was on his face.
Things were moving too quickly between them, and that likely was not a good thing. He had a lot on his plate this next week or so, and with the future of the ranch on the line, how could he even think about starting a relationship? Plus, he’d not had a moment to let the grief surrounding his father’s death settle in, never mind trying to deal with it.
He shouldn’t have kissed her so much. But standing there in the open door of the cab, looking into her sad face and wiping away her tears, all he could think about was he wanted to be the person to make her tears go away. To hold her and kiss her until she felt beautiful again. To be the man taking her out to dinner. Not Mike.
He just couldn’t stop kissing her.
Jealous. Yes. The green-eyed monster had reared its head the moment Mike said he’d wanted to ask her out. What was Parker supposed to do with that information, anyway? Be happy for him?
He didn’t know. And that’s why he’d gotten all pissy and silent in the car. And made her cry. What an ass.
But when he’d kissed her… All he could feel was he wanted to make things better, keep her safe, protect her from—everything. Make her his. Claim her for his own with each and every kiss. He wanted her to remember those kisses in case Mike did call. Hell, he needed to just tell Mike the truth.
He’d lied. It was more than casual for him. More than just friendly neighbors.
Those feelings surprised him. He’d not experienced this strong of an emotional attraction toward a woman in a long time. Maybe never. Physical too. No doubt Reba Morris was a sexy, interesting woman. A strong and capable woman, too—but there was a part of her, he was pretty darned certain, who needed and wanted a man to take over from time to time. She’d probably go screaming and kicking, but for some damn crazy reason, he wanted to be that man to drag her into his world.
And yes, he would save her and protect her and take care of her, whether she knew she wanted it or not. The thought made him smile and chuckle.
The ringing of his phone brought him out of his contemplation. He reached for the device rattling on his desk. “Yes.”
Brody. “Hey, man. Just wanted y
ou to know that we’re all down here for breakfast. You joining us?”
Yeah. Might as well get this started. “I’m on my way,” he responded. “Ten minutes.”
Parker pushed the button to end the call and turned to stare out the window. He’d grown up in this house. His father had given it to him when he and Liz built the new house. Surely James McKenna wouldn’t jerk his home out from under him. Would he?
He didn’t think so. Likely, he was worrying about nothing.
****
“I understand there is a meeting with Tom on Friday.” Liz wasted no time. She caught his eye the second he stepped over the threshold and held his gaze. Hell, she was likely as nervous about all of this as he was. He thought about Tom’s message and decided to cut her some slack. The large great room was the family gathering spot, and it seemed everyone was already there.
“Yes, ma’am. Two o’clock in Tom’s office. I can drive us both if that works best for you.”
“I suspect I should drive myself. I have a few other errands to run while in town. But thank you, Parker.”
He nodded. “Not a problem, Liz. Let me know if you change your mind.”
She smiled and handed him a coffee cup. Parker took it. One thing for certain, this family couldn’t function without buckets of black coffee first thing in the morning.
He stared at the cup for a moment. His dad never started his day without half a pot of coffee.
A breakfast buffet had been set up in the kitchen area. For years anyone who was on the ranch gathered at the new house on Sunday morning for breakfast. There would be an empty seat at the table from now on.
Parker stuffed that feeling deeper inside him and concentrated on the food. Everyone else had already filled their plates and were sitting at the large dining table. Parker went straight to the coffee pot, poured himself a cup, and then moved to the table to claim a seat.
“Mornin’ everyone.”
“Mornin’,” came the chorus of voices in response.
Callie and Murphy sat to his left. Murphy had worked and lived at McKenna Ranch since he was seventeen, but only recently convinced Callie he was the one she needed in her life—and he’d been right under her nose the entire time. It was great to have his little sister back from New York permanently and even better to know she and Murphy would soon marry and live on the ranch.
At least he hoped that’s what would happen. That all depended on the next week or so.
Brody and Stef were also present, along with their daughter Livy. Stef had grown up on the ranch, too, and now managed the dude ranch’s fly-fishing business. It was good to see them happy and together. That relationship had been rocky from the start, with the reconciliation a long time coming. For their sakes and Livy’s, he was glad they were on their way to a happy life together.
And then there was Mercer, his half sister. He wondered how she was holding up. She’d been awfully close their daddy, who had spoiled her rotten simply because she was the youngest. Nevertheless, she’d grown into a fine young woman, ready to head out into the world.
He just hoped not too far away. He’d prefer to have all of his siblings close by, if possible. They needed each other. Especially now.
The hot cup of coffee marking his spot, Parker ambled toward the food. Detached. No spouse or girlfriend. Mercer was still young, and no doubt she’d find a man to tame her one of these days. And he was damned happy for Callie and Brody.
That left him, the oldest of the crew and single. How had that happened, and at thirty-five, how had he let life slip by so quickly without finding a wife?
Work. Ranching. That was part of it.
Plus there had never been a woman who captured his interest, or his heart, long enough to take hold.
Could Reba do that?
His plate filled, he headed back to the table, where a lively conversation was happening about which sibling was their father’s favorite. It was all in fun, of course, because they all knew James McKenna really didn’t have a favorite—although each sibling was making a mighty strong case for themselves.
Liz laughed, listening to them banter, and Parker watched her face. She was still young. He imagined a man would come along one day and sweep her off her feet. And then where would the ranch be?
Hell, had his father thought about that.
Suddenly, the fork of eggs he’d brought to his mouth didn’t seem so appetizing. His stomach turned at the thought of another man horning in on what was his and his sisters’. But how could he stop that from happening?
Get a grip, McKenna. Just wait until you know the facts before going off all half-cocked.
“How’s Reba?”
Callie’s question pulled him back into the conversation. “I haven’t spoken with her this morning, but I assume she’s fine.”
Mercer reached for a piece of toast on a platter. “I heard it’s a broken elbow. Ouch.”
“Yes. She’s in a splint for a couple of days until she can get to a bone doc.”
“Ugh. I bet that gets in the way.”
“I’m sure it does.” He pushed his plate away, not hungry. “And an inconvenience. She was worried about a blog post and some sort of editing… Not sure how she could do it. Something about work. I have no clue what kind of work she does.”
And he needed to find that out. He just wanted to know more about her.
He glanced to Callie, who shrugged. “Maybe I’ll see if she needs some help. Blogging and posting and all that sort of thing are up my alley.”
Parker smiled at his sister. “I’m sure she’d appreciate it, but that woman is damned stubborn. I’ll bet you a dollar she won’t take you up on your offer.”
Callie smiled sweetly and picked up her cell phone. “I’ll take that bet, Brother.” She started scrolling for a number and then pushed.
“What are you doing?”
Callie put up one finger and mouthed the word Wait.
Parker waited. Hell.
“Reba? Hi! It’s Callie McKenna. I’m just checking in to see how you are doing and if there is anything you need. We are all having breakfast over here and just wondered.”
She paused and looked into Parker’s eyes as she listened. “Oh, that’s great. I’m glad you are feeling better and that you finally got a good night’s sleep.” Callie gave a thumbs-up to Parker. “Are you drinking your water, and did you eat?”
Parker glanced off, feeling a little like a voyeur to the conversation yet hanging on to every word.
“Good,” Callie continued. “Oh yes, Parker is here too. Yes, I believe he got rested up.” Callie listened for another minute. “I’ll be sure to tell him.”
Callie flashed a grin and another thumbs-up his way. Parker looked to the faces around the table, his cheeks heating up in embarrassment.
“Reba, you sound so much better than you did yesterday. I’m glad.” Callie picked at a cuticle, listening. “Umhmm. Yes. Of course.” Another pause. “I see. Oh Reba, yesterday you said you had a lot of work to do. I’m not sure what you do, but can I help with that? I need to put my degree to work or I’ll get rusty.”
She laughed then, and Parker heard Reba’s giggle come through from the other end. Reba and Callie had become good friends?
“Excellent! I can definitely help you with that. I’ll see you Tuesday morning then. Bye, Reba!”
Callie clicked off the phone and laid it face down on the table. Slowly, she turned a smug face toward Parker. “That will be one dollar please.”
Parker rolled his eyes, reached for his wallet, and held out a dollar bill.
Grinning, Callie said, “She’s not so stubborn.”
“She sure the hell is with me!”
Still smiling, Callie rose and snatched the bill out of his fingers. “Then that’s your issue, big Brother. Stubborn is as stubborn does.” Callie headed off to the kitchen with her plate.
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“Figure it out,” she called over her shoulder.
“Parker,” Liz said, “there are little ears here. Watch your mouth.” She nodded toward Livy.
“Sorry. Heck. What the heck…”
Mercer punched him from his right. “I think big Brother has a crush on our new neighbor.”
“I don’t do crushes, remember? We’ve already been down this road. Stop.”
He rose, picking up his own plate to take to the kitchen.
“Parker, you haven’t eaten. Are you okay?”
That came from Liz. He glanced her way. “I’m fine. Just not real hungry right now. I’ll cover it and save for later.”
Liz waved him off. “Oh goodness, no. There is enough food there to feed an army. Just get a fresh plate when you’re ready.” She paused as he headed for the kitchen area. “But I do want to talk to all of you, so come back and get a seat once you are finished there.”
Callie nudged his shoulder playfully as she headed back to the table. “Oh, and by the way, Reba wanted me to tell you thanks again for everything you have done for her and that she’s made arrangements for the insurance company to come and look at her SUV tomorrow. She said she hopes that will be okay with you. She wants to get it taken care of as soon as possible.”
“She needn’t worry about that.”
“I think she just needs to take care of business.”
I want to take care of business and it has nothing to do with her truck. Dammit, where is my brain? Stop thinking about her kisses and focus on something else. Like perhaps what Liz wants to talk about.
The squeeze hit his gut. Taking a deep breath, he scraped his plate, rinsed it, and left it in the sink. Before he sat back down again, he topped off his coffee. Finally, he settled in and waited.
Liz began. “Kids, as you all found out a few days ago, your father had been ill before he fell off the horse, although he never told any of you. He knew his time was short, and he started to make plans.”
Unforgettable Heroes II Boxed Set Page 23