The Last Man She Expected

by Michelle Major

  She blinked, trying to get a handle on her tumbling emotions. “It’s fine. I’m sure Anna will want you there, just like Evie.”

  “What about you?” he asked, placing a hand low on her back.

  “Sure,” she said, the word coming out in a squeak. “We’ll all have fun together.”

  He gave her a funny look. “We’ll all have fun,” he repeated.

  “Mommy?” Evie entered the kitchen wearing her butterfly pajamas.

  Mara took a quick step away from Parker. “You’re ready for bed,” she said, moving toward her daughter. “What a big girl.”

  “Can Parker read to me?” Evie asked softly, dropping her gaze to the floor.

  Lungs squeezing almost painfully, Mara glanced at Parker, who nodded. “Sure, sweetie. That’s nice of you to ask.”

  “It sure is.” Parker came forward. “Do I get to use different voices?”

  “What kind of voices?” Evie asked, sounding intrigued.

  “Well,” he said, deepening his tone. “Are there any grizzly bears in your stories? This is exactly how a bear sounds in my mind.”

  The girl laughed as Mara tried to calm the panic gripping her chest. No one besides Mara or Aunt Nanci had ever read Evie a bedtime story. “You and Parker pick out a book in your room. I’ll be up after I finish cleaning down here.”

  Evie grabbed his hand, then led him up the stairs as she chattered about her favorite books and one in particular that included a bear.

  Apparently Mara wasn’t the only one who’d fallen for the man. She pressed her palms to the counter and leaned forward, drawing in a few calming breaths.

  Yes, they’d had an agreement about the parameters of their relationship, but he seemed as interested in a deeper connection as she was. Sometimes life gave a person what they didn’t even realize they needed.

  Mara needed Parker.

  It was different than anything she’d ever felt. She’d fallen in love with him, but not once did she worry about losing herself or the person she wanted to become. As strange as it was, Parker brought out the best in her. With his quiet support, she’d discovered a strength she hadn’t known she possessed.

  He had to feel it, too.

  She’d give it time. Seattle wasn’t far, but the city felt like a different world compared to Starlight. She had no intention of letting go of her life in the small town, so they could take it slow.

  Words like I love you would have to wait. Better to hold back and see how things unfolded after the Founder’s Day weekend events.

  She straightened the kitchen and wiped down the counters before heading upstairs.

  Parker’s voice could be clearly heard as he gave an enthusiastic reading of one of Evie’s favorite picture books. Mara had never anticipated she’d be willing to let someone in her life again so soon, but Parker made it easy. She tamped down the thread of worry that this was all too easy and joined the two of them in Evie’s bedroom.

  “He does funny voices, Mommy,” Evie announced as Parker closed the book, her eyes dancing with joy.

  “So I hear.” Mara pulled down the covers on the bed and her daughter climbed in, grabbing her favorite stuffed teddy bear as she did.

  “Good night, Evie,” Parker said as he smiled down at her. “Sweet dreams.”

  “’Night,” the girl said.

  Parker left the room and Mara finished their bedtime routine, saying prayers and cuddling for a few minutes while Mara gently tickled her daughter’s arm.

  “Is Daddy ever going to visit?” Evie asked as Mara turned off the lamp on the nightstand.

  “I don’t know, sweetie,” Mara said honestly and then added, “Your daddy is always busy with work but I bet he misses you a ton.” The lie made her throat raw, but what else could she tell her daughter? No child deserved to hear that their father didn’t care a bit about their existence.

  Evie seemed to accept the answer, and Mara tucked her in with a kiss. She made her way downstairs slowly, trailing a hand over the wood bannister.

  “You’ve got a great kid,” Parker said when she walked into the family room. He sat on the edge of the sofa, elbows propped on his knees. Somehow seeing him there made all the emotions she’d kept a tight rein on for the past two years bubble up and threaten to burst like a fissure in a dam under pressure for too long.

  She swiped at her cheeks and forced a smile. “She’s the best.”

  “What’s wrong?” Parker was on his feet in an instant, but when he would have gathered her close, she held out her hands. She couldn’t let herself depend on him that way, not until she felt more certain about their status.

  “It’s nothing.”

  “You’re crying.”

  “Only a little,” she said with a laugh. “Evie asked about her dad. I think it’s because you’ve been so great with her. Paul wasn’t an involved father before we split up, and I don’t think Evie remembers the specifics. It was all she knew. Now she wants more.”

  “But she’s seen how Josh is with Anna.” Parker ran a hand through his hair, the idea that he’d caused upset for Evie clearly not sitting well with him. “She has other friends with great dads. It’s not as if she has no example.”

  “You’re different,” Mara explained. “You care about her, not her friends.”

  “Of course I do. She’s an amazing kid.”

  “Unfortunately, that fact doesn’t seem to matter to her own father.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  Mara couldn’t help but wrap her arms around his waist. “You didn’t do anything wrong. I’m glad she’s bonded with you. It’s important for her to have men she can trust in her life.”

  Parker seemed more distressed than she was, and it only made her heart melt even more. He pulled her against him, resting his chin on the top of her head. “But this is also why we set limits for being together, so no one, especially Evie, gets hurt in the end.”

  This was her chance, Mara thought. A perfect opening to mention the idea of their time together continuing. She swallowed, heart hammering in her chest at the risk she was about to take. No risk, no reward, her father used to say. Of course, he’d been referring to meeting the high expectations he set for his family, but the adage fit this situation, as well.

  “I’ve got to go into the city for a couple of days,” he said before she mustered her courage to speak. “I’ll be back by the weekend.”

  “Oh.” She tamped down her disappointment. She knew his life remained in Seattle, so why did it feel like a betrayal for him to return to it?

  His arms tightened around her. “I’m taking off first thing tomorrow morning. What do you think about me spending the night? I don’t want to let you go quite yet.”

  “Yes.” Mara couldn’t resist the opportunity to spend the night in his arms. This would be the first time he’d stayed the entire night with her. Before now, they had stolen moments or a few late nights together that had ended with him leaving in the wee hours. “But you’ll need to be gone by the time Evie wakes up.”

  “Understood,” he said and kissed her until she felt dizzy. “Let’s watch a movie.”

  Mara felt her mouth drop open. “That seems a little...” She waved a hand in the air, not sure how to express what she was thinking.

  “Boring?” he asked with a laugh.

  “Normal,” she corrected.

  “Normal is underrated.” He took her hand and led her to the couch. “Now that I know we’ve got all night, I just want to hang out with you. Netflix and chill or whatever the current term is.”

  “That means have sex.” She dropped onto the sofa next to him, snuggling in when he draped an arm over her shoulder.

  “We’ll get there,” Parker said with a gentle kiss to the side of her head. He grabbed the remote from the armrest and flipped on the television. “Offensive humor or action adventure?”
/>   “My vote is for superhero,” she said with a grin.

  “A woman after my own heart.” He called up the latest movie in a popular comic book franchise, and they settled in to watch.

  Mara tilted her head to study him as the opening credits rolled.

  “What?” he asked.

  “You’re a cuddler,” she said, not bothering to hide her shock.

  He scoffed even as one side of his mouth kicked up. “Maybe.”

  “What have you done with the real Parker Johnson?”

  “He’s tied up in the basement. I’m like a mastermind villain with my own nefarious agenda.”

  “I like agenda.”

  After kissing her again, he gave her a playful push back against the couch cushions. “Pay attention, sweetheart. You’ll miss the important details of the story.”

  Mara turned her attention to the movie, but she couldn’t help her mind from wandering to the enigma that was Parker and how happy he made her.

  And when he clicked off the television as the end scene played and turned to pull her across his lap, that happiness morphed into pure joy. They feasted on each other for long minutes and then moved upstairs to her bedroom.

  Their lovemaking was tender and quiet, both due to Evie sleeping across the hall and because Mara knew that like her, Parker understood something more was happening between them. Something precious and special that she had to believe neither of them would take for granted.

  Chapter Twelve

  Mara walked into Main Street Perk the next afternoon, still on the high from spending the previous night wrapped in Parker’s arms. He’d been gone when she awoke, but he’d left a freshly brewed pot of coffee waiting for her in the kitchen. If a man who made coffee wasn’t a keeper...

  Nope.

  Mara shook her head. She’d told herself she wasn’t going to get too far down the road of imagining a future with him, at least not until after Founder’s Day and the mill grand opening.

  One of her aunt’s close friends was babysitting Evie after school so Mara didn’t have to bring her into the shop. Normally Evie liked spending time in the coffee shop’s cozy kitchen or coloring at one of the café tables. But between her work on the logistics for the craft fair and managing Perk, it felt to Mara like she’d been dragging her daughter all over town recently.

  She mentally flicked away the guilt that tried to claw its way into her consciousness. Evie was happy right now. Mara was happy being this busy. She’d forgotten how she thrived on productivity and a packed schedule.

  After checking in with the staff behind the counter, she headed for her aunt’s office. Nanci had called yesterday to report that everything was going well with Renee and the pregnancy. They were due to induce her cousin in the next few days, and Nanci planned to spend another three weeks in Texas once the baby was born.

  She missed her aunt’s maternal presence in her life but had started looking for an apartment to rent after Nanci returned home. Mara could never repay her aunt for helping her make a new start, but it was time Mara and Evie had a place of their own. This was her life, and she needed to really claim it.

  One of the regular customers, Grady Underwood, called out a greeting, saying he missed her mochas. She smiled and walked over to his table, then spent a few minutes making small talk about the food trucks she’d booked for Founder’s Day. The conversation was a bit forced, but he didn’t seem to mind.

  In recent weeks, many of the walls Mara erected around herself had begun to fragment. It wasn’t just with Parker. Taking a more active role in managing the coffee shop and being a part of the renovation of the mill made her feel like part of the community. It wasn’t easy for her to let down her guard. For years, she’d been so driven in relentless pursuit of the perfect life that she’d actually forgotten how it felt to simply live. Now she was learning to embrace the messiness and everything that went with it.

  A few other people said hello or asked about Nanci and Renee. Mara had just opened a spreadsheet in the shop’s accounting software when someone knocked on the partly open door.

  She glanced up to find a woman who looked vaguely familiar staring at her. The tall blonde appeared to be around Mara’s age but with a sleek bob and precise makeup that made Mara feel frumpy and old beyond her years.

  “Hi,” the woman said, waving nervously. “Do you remember me?”

  Mara frowned. “I feel like we’ve met before, but I apologize I can’t exactly remember where.”

  “In Seattle,” the woman answered. “I’m Aimee Reed.”

  The breath whooshed out of Mara’s lungs. “Paul’s new wife,” she murmured.

  Aimee nodded. “Our first anniversary is coming up at Christmas, so we won’t be official newlyweds anymore.”

  Mara couldn’t do anything but stare at the other woman. Her former husband’s wife was here in Starlight. She knew Paul had married his mistress, but she hadn’t seen either of them since the divorce was finalized.

  In fact, she’d only laid eyes on Aimee once. The day she’d left court, newly divorced and reeling from shame and guilt, she’d walked out into a typically misty day in Seattle to see her ex-husband embracing this woman. She and Aimee had locked eyes for the briefest of moments before Mara turned and walked away.

  “What do you want?” Mara asked, gripping the edge of the desk.

  Aimee stepped into the office, her perfume overpowering in the small space. “Do you have a few minutes to talk?”

  Mara wanted to say no. She should say no, but something in the other woman’s eyes stopped her.

  “Does Paul know you’re here?”

  Aimee shook her head. “I’m pregnant,” she blurted then burst into tears.

  Mara tried to process the words as she jumped up from the chair. She pulled Aimee into the office, then closed the door behind her. The way the gossip mill worked in a small town, news of a stranger crying in Perk would be all over the place in hours if Mara didn’t get Paul’s wife to settle.

  She ushered Aimee to the small side chair pushed into one corner and handed her a box of tissues from the bookshelf. It took a few minutes for the woman to calm down enough that the tears ebbed, leaving her red faced and clearly miserable as she stared at Mara.

  “I’m sorry,” Aimee mumbled. “I didn’t know who else to talk to.”

  “If you’re looking for someone to host a baby shower, I’m probably not your best bet.”

  “Of course not. I mean, I’d invite you if you wanted to come but—”

  “It was a joke.”

  “Oh, sure. Sorry,” Aimee repeated, looking both contrite and embarrassed.

  As much as she wanted to, Mara couldn’t muster any animosity for this woman. It would be like hating a kitten.

  She pressed two fingers to the side of her head. “Why are you here, Aimee?”

  “I’m afraid to tell Paul.”

  “It’s going to be a difficult secret to keep.”

  Aimee hiccupped and grabbed another handful of tissues. “I don’t want it to be a secret. I want him to be happy about it. I love him.”

  Mara’s stomach gave a lumbering roll as she thought about the first few weeks when she’d known about her pregnancy but before she told her husband. She’d also had visions of his joyous reaction but had been sorely disappointed at the lackluster reception her news received.

  “Maybe he will be,” she said, unable to offer much else.

  When Aimee’s face crumpled again, Mara realized there was more she could give the other woman. The whole truth, which she hadn’t even admitted to herself up until now.

  “Things were rough between Paul and me before I got pregnant. He wanted me to be a certain way, or I thought that’s what he wanted.” She shook her head. “It wasn’t working for either of us.”

  “Did you think a baby would help?” Aimee asked after blowing
her nose into the wad of tissues.

  “It wasn’t like that. My pregnancy was a surprise, but it made me happy. It also seemed to shine a spotlight on all the ways our marriage was already failing. If you and Paul are strong, this will be good news for both of you.” She said the words with as much enthusiasm as she could muster, trying to ignore the stab of doubt in her gut.

  She expected to feel more—anger, bitterness—but there was nothing except sympathy for this woman and her plight. Mara still hated that her ex wanted nothing to do with Evie, but she’d found a different kind of happiness, a bone-deep knowing she’d made the right choice.

  “I think we’re strong,” Aimee said, not sounding the least bit certain. “I want us to be strong. Paul had a horrible childhood, and I know that’s why he’s afraid of being a father. But if we can get past that...”

  Mara managed a smile. “I’m still not sure what this has to do with me.”

  “I saw an email last night,” Aimee explained. “He’s got an appointment today with his divorce attorney. I’m afraid he’s not going to give us a chance.”

  Mara’s stomach pitched. “You must be mistaken. He can’t be meeting with Parker.”

  Aimee nodded. “Parker Johnson,” she confirmed. “I met him once during your divorce proceedings. He was nice to me then, but from what Paul told me, he really went after you in court.”

  “Paul was the one who was out to get me.” She swallowed, her throat so dry she could barely get the words out. “Parker was just doing his job.”

  “It’s a dirty job.”

  Mara didn’t respond. If she thought about it too hard, it was still difficult to reconcile the man she’d come to know these past couple weeks with her previous opinion of him.

  “Why are you telling me all of this?” Mara’s stomach felt sick and she just wanted Aimee to leave so she could have some time to process the shock. “Do you want me to talk to Parker?”

  Aimee scrunched up her nose. “The lawyer?” She shook her head. “No, of course not. Why would you talk to him?” Before Mara could answer, the other woman continued, “I was hoping you could call Paul.”