by Claire Adams
“Hey. What ended up happening with your insurance company?” I asked softly, praying I wouldn’t disturb our good time.
She glanced back, stealing my heart. “They blamed it on faulty wiring and closed the case down. I know I should have given them my theory, but honestly, I just want Rachel out of our lives. I hope you understand.”
I didn’t, but it was irrelevant. “And they took care of the lien on the building?”
“Yep. Now, hush about it.” She smiled and turned around, gaining herself a pop on the butt for her cheekiness. Her laughter caused my heart to lighten. Rachel had fucked Sienna over good, but maybe the last laugh was with my girl. She’d come out winning on all fronts, from what I could tell. That’s all that mattered either way.
Sienna was right about Tony dragging. We found him sitting on a bench outside of the building, sucking in deep breaths of air. When he saw us coming out of the woods, he stood up as if he’d been impatiently waiting for us for hours. His skin was red and splotchy, and it wasn’t from the paint.
For once, Sienna didn’t take the opportunity to mess with him. We’d both been in a great mood since we got together last week. Our normal cynical jokes didn’t seem as funny sometimes when we were blissfully happy. It was almost as if she wanted to share her happiness with others, including Tony.
And I didn’t mind keeping things light. I had a feeling she was still hurting on the inside from the fire that destroyed her diner. I had a seedling plan to fix that part of her life, but I needed some more time to execute it.
Without anywhere for us to go, we’d planned an entire day at the paintball arena. So we ate at the little cafeteria, taking a much-needed break. I tried not to wince as I felt the bruises from the previous games forming under my skin. Sienna would never let it go if I complained.
We ordered a tray of hot dogs, chicken tenders, burgers, and fries to split among the three of us. When Tony returned, the tray was overflowing. To anyone else, it might seem like a lot of food, but all three of us were voracious eaters. I was sure there wouldn’t be a single fry left uneaten.
We filled our plates and dug in. I hadn’t realized how hungry I was until I finished all the food on my plate in about five minutes flat. Tony had the same idea, and we both refilled at the same time.
“Don’t get me wrong,” Tony said with a mouth filled with hot dog, “this food is good, but I really miss your cooking, Sienna.” He gave me a look, which meant it was my turn.
We’d been trying to get Sienna to talk about the diner for the past week, but every time we did, she changed the subject. The fire investigator had been unable to determine the cause of the fire and defaulted to blaming the wiring as the cause, which put us in limbo. I still thought she blamed Rachel, but I didn’t want to bring up the past. That was over for us. We needed to move forward as a couple. We couldn’t do that with the most important piece of her life missing.
And I still had a hard time believing Rachel would do something like that. Sienna had seen Rachel at a low moment, but I’d seen her lose it worse over a pair of shoes. And as much as I wanted to ease Sienna’s mind, I knew going down that path was a slippery slope that I wasn’t willing to cross right now. If ever.
Sienna needed time to get over this. Once her head was cleared, we’d be able to move past it together.
“You can always come over and I’ll cook for you,” she said, staring at her burger.
“I think it was more than about just the food,” I said. “I know it was like your home. And that’s not easy to let go of.”
Her eyes lifted and she looked from Tony to me. “Guys, I know what you’re doing. And I’m fine. It was an unfortunate accident. And I have to move on from it as much as you do. With the insurance money, we both can live for months until we figure out what to do next.”
“Don’t you want to rebuild?” Tony asked. “I can always help with whatever you need.”
Sienna sighed. “There isn’t enough to do everything.”
She shot me a look that said “keep your mouth shut” and I pressed my lips together. She didn’t want any financial help from me even though, as she’d said before, I could have afforded it.
“What did you want to do instead?” Tony asked. “You want to get another job?”
She shrugged. “Something in the industry. Though I’m not sure about having a boss. It’s been so long since I’ve had one.”
“I’d like to get one that’s not such a pain in the ass,” Tony said. Then he dodged a french fry that Sienna threw at his head.
“Everything will work out eventually,” she said with a smile.
I sensed the sadness under the smile, but I also could tell from her eyes that she didn’t want to talk about it anymore. She’d probably downplay the whole situation for the rest of her life. Which was why I had to work on my plan as soon as possible. I had all the time in the world now, without my company to run. And I needed a project, or else I would go insane with boredom. I hoped I’d be able to get it done before Sienna got tired of not working, too.
We finished up with lunch and sat at the table for some time, talking about the good times at the diner. Sienna and Tony had a lot of stories, and some of them I’d never heard before. Their laughter and happy tears at the memories gave me an even bigger resolve about my plan.
“All right,” Sienna said, clapping her hands together. “Let’s get out of these nostalgic memories and get back on the field. I’m ready to kick your asses again.”
“Can I be on your team this time?” Tony asked. “I’d like to win for once.”
“Hey!” I jeered. “You’re the weak link.”
“Like hell I am!”
“If your shoulders were normal-sized then you wouldn’t keep giving away our position.”
Tony opened his mouth in mock horror. “I can show you what these shoulders can do in a fist fight.”
I laughed and Sienna rolled her eyes. “Okay, guys, let’s get out your dueling pistols and settle this on the field.”
Throughout the next four matches, Sienna managed to win them all. We were in the fifth match when Tony and I made a strategic plan to split up completely. It was the only consistent thing we were doing the entire time, and we had to get her. I didn’t have that need to take her down as much as I wanted to earlier that day. Now, I didn’t care who took her down as long as someone did. We had to win, or I’d never hear the end of it.
We were fifteen minutes into the game when I heard shots being fired from behind me. I sneaked over and stood behind a tree. I poked my head out and saw Sienna dancing after taking down Tony.
This was my chance! I took a breath and then raced off toward her, careful to stay on the balls of my feet so she didn’t hear me coming. She turned slowly when I was inches from her.
She let out a scream when I tackled her to the ground. Our guns went flying away from us.
“Gotcha!”
She let out a whoosh of air and groaned in pain. I knew I didn’t hit her that hard and this was the only advantage I had all day.
She wriggled under me. “Get off me. You’re so heavy!”
“That’s not what you said last night,” I whispered into her ear.
She laughed and tried to move me.
Her efforts were weak, and when I dropped my mouth to hers, she stopped moving. That little moan of hers that always turned me on burst from her lips.
“Ugh, gross!” Tony called.
Sienna smiled against my lips and I deepened the kiss. I didn’t care what anyone said about us: I was a man in love.
“Parker,” she said when we came up for air.
“Hmm?” I could have stayed there all day with her. I found that I had that feeling whenever we were together. Even though we were covered in leaves, dirt, and god knows what else, as long as she was there, I was content.
“We should go,” she said. “And we can finish this at home.”
Never in my life had I jumped up from the ground so quickly.
&
nbsp; Chapter Thirty-Four
Sienna
I rolled over and bumped into something solid and hard next to me. I smiled as I opened my eyes. Even though it was dark, I could picture Parker’s facial features as he slept beside me. I still wasn’t used to having someone else in bed with me. It was a new and welcome difference in my life. Unlike the unwelcome one that led me to not having a job and an unsteady financial future.
I tried not to think of the diner. It was a thorn in my side that twisted even more each time I thought about it.
Parker stirred next to me. I wondered if I woke him with my thoughts. He seemed to sense my discomfort every time I thought about the diner. Which was why we were perfect for each other. With our friendship over the years, we had developed some strange psychic connection.
His arm slipped around my waist. “What time is it?”
“Does it matter?” I asked, turning around so he could spoon me. I loved the feel of him pushed up against me. It was as if I was made to fit next to him.
He chuckled. “Not really.”
Neither of us had to do much on any given day since we were both unemployed. But Parker was by choice. “Must be nice to be retired at such an early age.”
Parker yawned. “It does feel nice not to have to check my phone every two minutes.”
“But you do, anyway,” I said, laughing.
“Force of habit,” he said, chuckling against my ear.
Just then, his phone vibrated on the side table. But he didn’t move.
“Are you going to get that?” I asked.
“I already know what it is,” he said, nibbling on my ear.
“What is it?” I asked.
“It’s my weekly transfer of funds. I opted for a weekly payout versus a lump sum. Overall, it gives me the most return for the company. I don’t want to bore you with the details.”
“Good, because I was bored after ‘transfer of funds.’”
He pinched my side and I giggled.
“I do think you need to find a new hobby, though,” I said. “You’re home way too much. It’s not good for your genius brain.”
“I think ‘genius’ is a stretch. I was lucky to come up with a good idea.”
I scoffed. “Yeah, okay, Mr. Modest.”
“Maybe I could open my own paintball place,” he said. “I could make a rule banning all boastful dancing.”
I grinned. “Then I wouldn’t be allowed to come.”
“Exactly.”
In the comfort of Parker’s arms, I managed to drift back to sleep until my alarm went off on my phone.
I woke with a jolt, enough to scare him awake too. “Time to get up,” I said, wriggling out of his arms. “We have an important date this morning.”
“Give me a minute,” he said, stretching his arms over his head.
“Are you showering this morning?”
“Are you?”
“Yes,” I said with a smile.
He hopped out of bed and scooped me into his arms. “Then I am, too.”
We were right on time arriving at Harriet’s house, promptly at eight.
When she answered the door, she had a big smile on her face. “I could set a clock to you two. Come in, come in.”
I gave her a hug and Parker kissed her cheek in greeting. Parker got a better reaction from her than I did.
We’d been coming to her house for several days now so I could make breakfast for her. With Kenneth and the diner gone, we both had huge holes in our hearts and it was the only solution that worked for the moment. I’d missed seeing her each morning, so when I proposed the idea, she was thrilled with it. She did insist that I send her a list of groceries so she could pick them up for me. There was no arguing with her, so I complied as part of the compromise.
I didn’t mind the upgrade in the ingredients. She loved to shop local farmer’s markets and always found the freshest items. When I ordered from the wholesaler, sometimes it was hit or miss. The fresher ingredients made better food. And cooking for only three people gave me the opportunity to really dig deep into my recipes and perfect them. In the back of my mind, I did want to open up another diner, eventually. But at the moment, I’d have to settle with getting a job. Even though I’d been dragging my feet. I didn’t rely on Parker at all for money; I never did that before, and I didn’t plan on starting to just because we were a couple. I had a good grasp on how long I’d be able to go until I had to get a job. Four months, tops, was my deadline.
Parker chatted with Harriet all the way into the kitchen. The two of them sat down at the table and I went to the refrigerator to get the ingredients for my famous french toast with eggs and bacon.
“It’s so nice to have both of you here,” Harriet said. “Granted, it's for a tragic reason.”
My shoulders tensed and I was happy I wasn’t looking at her. Parker always said I wore my heart on my face. I felt the familiar tug at the corners of my lips as I did when anyone mentioned the diner. Harriet was sharp for her age. If she caught a whiff of any heightened emotion, she’d pounce. I loved her to death, but I didn’t want to discuss my life at the moment.
I reached for the stainless steel bowl from the cabinet and moved over to my place by the sink. I tried not to make a mess like I would have in my own kitchen. She had enough to worry about than cleaning up my egg shells.
“Harriet, can I get you some tea?” Parker asked.
He knew he wielded the charm to change the subject.
“I would love a cup,” Harriet said. “Sienna, do you ever plan on opening another place?”
Parker’s charm didn’t get us far today, I supposed.
I cracked a few eggs into the bowl and started to whisk. “It would be nice in the future. But honestly, I don’t think it’s in the cards for me right now.”
“I’m sure Parker can help,” Harriet said. “You do know that he has a lot of money.”
I swallowed. “I like to do things on my own.”
Parker smiled at me while filling up the kettle. “And I’d never get in the way of that. This girl can be a real beast when she’s upset.”
I pointed my whisk at him. “Watch it.”
Parker put the tea kettle on the stovetop and held his hands up in surrender.
“Besides,” I said, getting back to beating the eggs. “I like coming over to make breakfast for you.”
“And while I appreciate that, I think you should get back on the horse. I need to leave the house sometimes and the trip over to the diner was the highlight of my day.”
“Seeing you is the highlight of mine,” I said. “I suppose I’ll have to consider it.” I didn’t like lying to Harriet, but at least giving her a better answer would keep her questions about the diner at bay.
“Good,” she said, clasping her hands in front of her.
Parker turned on the stovetop then kissed me on the cheek while reaching into the cabinet above me to get three mugs.
“You two remind me so much of Kenneth and me,” Harriet said.
Parker plucked three tea bags from the container next to the refrigerator. “How so?”
“You’re so happy with each other, now that you were able to come to grips with your feelings.”
“Is that what happened with you two?” I asked. I started to remove the slices of bacon from the package and laid them out on a sheet pan. I preferred to bake the bacon in Harriet’s house since the process tended to be messy on the stovetop. I’d had the luxury of commercial equipment at the diner with big fans and plenty of space to spread out. Yet another thing on the long list of things I missed about the place.
“Oh, yes,” Harriet said. “The roles were slightly reversed, but when Ken started to pursue me, I was with another man at the time. I’d waited a long time for Ken to show interest in me. I always thought we were just friends.”
“Hm, does that sound familiar?” Parker asked me.
I smirked. “So, what happened after that?”
“I apologized deeply to John, the ma
n I was dating, and went right over to Ken’s house and asked him out.”
“Really?” Parker asked.
A sly smile danced across her lips. “At that point, I was so excited that he wanted me back that didn’t care much for social customs. We got married later that year.”
“And that wasn’t too fast?” Parker asked.
“We already knew everything about each other. There was no point in waiting.”
I glanced at Parker, who was grinning. I didn’t expect him to ask me to marry him anytime soon. But I did sometimes wonder what he’d do. Would he make it flashy like he did for Rachel? Or something that was more personalized for us? I never thought of what I’d want it to be like. I supposed if someone knew me well enough, he’d make it memorable for me.
“Where did you get married?” Parker asked.
“It was a big church wedding with a reception at a local Knights of Columbus. We didn’t have a lot of money at the time, but our parents helped. They got along so well together; it was a happy day for everyone.”
I turned on the other burner and placed a pad of butter on the pan before heating it up. “That sounds really nice.”
The kettle whistled and Parker started to fill the cups with water. “Tell us another story.”
Harriet jumped at the chance to talk about Kenneth. I loved the way her eyes lit up when she did.
I looked over at Parker, who was enamored by her next story. I hoped that we would grow old together like Harriet and Kenneth did. It was all I ever wanted.
Later that morning, after we ate and Parker and I cleaned up Harriet’s kitchen, we headed down to the pier. There was a little festival going on and the day was perfect with a cloudless blue sky above us. I liked checking out the local vendors.
“Are you okay?” Parker asked me after I wandered out of one of the tents.
“I’m fine, why?”
“You seemed a little…annoyed when Harriet asked about the diner.”
Not this again.