Defying Gravity

by Kendra C. Highley

  Parker skidded to halt next to them, grinning. “How was it?”

  “Phenomenal,” Shawn said, giving him a fist bump. “You’re ready.”

  “Zoey?” he asked. “What did you think?”

  “Phenomenal.” She swallowed hard, forcing herself to think, to breathe, to focus. He’d called it a hobby. Whittling was a hobby—what Parker was doing was art. She couldn’t wrap her brain around this. “You’re amazing, Park. I mean it.”

  “Thanks.” He stared at his feet, but like Balthazar earlier, the tips of his ears turned pink, and it was adorable. Luke would’ve given her the “you know it, baby,” smirk, and said something suggestive about his “talents.” But Parker couldn’t even bring himself to look at her when she praised him, like he was embarrassed by it.

  “We better go,” Zoey said. If she stayed here another minute, she’d forget all about her vow to step back and figure out why she was feeling so out of control. Right now it felt like the snow was melting at her feet. What else didn’t she know about him? “You still need to shop, and we won’t have time tomorrow.”

  “Shop?” Shawn wrinkled her nose. “People do that?”

  Zoey let out a shaky laugh. “When they don’t want to be disowned by their Moms on Christmas morning, sure.”

  “Ah, then yes, he needs to get to it.” Shawn picked up her board. “See you tomorrow.”

  She headed back to the park, The Guys in tow. Zoey watched her go. “She’s something else.”

  “She is.” He touched her hand. “Zoey, about earlier…”

  She turned away as tears welled up on her lashes again. Too. Much. Crying. Too much feeling, too. Her heart would split down the middle, it was so full. “Let’s not talk about it. Luke was wrong to play a joke on you like that. I didn’t know. If I did, I would’ve waited for you.”

  Parker watched the boarders running the course. Maybe he realized she didn’t want him to see her cry. “It’s fine. I’m sorry I was upset. I was mad at Luke, not you.”

  “I know.” She shook off her frown, determined to keep things from getting weirder than they already were. “There’s a boutique I want you to see. It has perfect stuff for your mom.”

  Okay, a truce then. “Perfect for a guy with…” He checked the banking app on his phone. “A hundred and fifty-nine dollars?”

  “Do you need to get everyone a gift with that budget?”

  “Just Mom and Dad. I’m giving Luke coal.”

  She laughed. “What about me?”

  He paused, but admitted, “I already have your gift.”

  Oh.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Parker

  Was that a blush? Was she blushing? Yes, her cheeks were definitely pink, and she wouldn’t look at him when he opened her car door. Good sign, right? He took a little breath before climbing into the Range Rover. He shouldn’t get his hopes up. For all he knew, Zoey was simply relieved they were okay again.

  But that blush…

  They drove downtown in silence. Every topic he thought of starting sounded stupid in his head, which was weird, because they never had a problem finding things to talk about before, including epic bouts of would you rather: Would you rather French kiss your math teacher, or eat a live slug?

  Slug won, every single time.

  He couldn’t help wondering if their friendship would survive this experiment—whether it evolved into something more between them, or she got together with Luke. Although, the fact that she left Two Creeks—and Luke, the bastard—to find him was encouraging for sure.

  “Wait! Stop here.” Zoey pointed at a little store with lots of floral print fabric in the window. “This is it.”

  “Are you sure?” Just looking at the script sign over the door made him feel like he had hives. “And do I really have to go in there, or can I just give you my card?”

  “Wuss.” She undid her seatbelt. “You’re going in there.”

  He groaned and put the Land Rover in park. “If you ask me to hold your purse, I’m out.”

  “No purse holding, promise.”

  A little bell tinkled when they pushed the door open. And the smell… God, it was like someone had smashed a bottle of rose perfume in a grandma’s closet. Even the floor was girly—a squishy lilac carpet that made him feel like he was tiptoeing. Just to retrieve his man card, he stomped on it with his boots until Zoey gave him the stink eye.

  A tiny gray haired lady came out from the back of the shop. “Oh, my. Hello, dears. What can I help you with?” She winked at Parker and he twitched. “Something for the girlfriend, I suppose?”

  “Ah, uh…no.” God, how he wished he could say yes to that question. “Um, something for my mom?”

  Damn it, that sounded like a question. Why did it sound like a question? This place was dissolving his brain.

  “Oh, well.” The shop lady’s tone was somewhat disapproving, like she believed a) Zoey was his girlfriend and b) he’d forgotten to buy her a gift. Neither of which was true. Yet. “Yes, we have many lovely—”

  “This,” Zoey said firmly, holding up a soft wool scarf. It was pale beige with gold thread shot through it. “He wants this.”

  “Yeah,” he said, kind of awed. How did she do that? Was shopping her super power? “It’s perfect. Mom will love it.”

  She nodded. “Of course she will. She has impeccable taste.” With a somewhat superior glance at the shop lady, she added, “As do I.”

  Parker bit the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing as the shop lady rang up the gift, looking a little sour. Probably because Zoey picked out something on the first try, and it wasn’t a gazillion dollar sale.

  Once they escaped, he sucked in a big lungful of snow-chilled air and let his head drop back so he could stretch his neck.

  “That bad, huh?” Zoey said.

  Her eyes were sparkling—someone was having a good time torturing him with shopping. “Tell me we’re going into an electronics or ski shop next?”

  “That depends.” She grinned. “Where do they sell coal?”

  He laughed. “No idea. But Dad said something about wanting new earbuds to wear while he was skiing.”

  “Then let’s go.”

  An hour later, they had the earbuds, along with a knit cap Zoey said would bring out Dad’s eyes—he had no intention of explaining that to his father—and a snow-bunny calendar as a gag gift for Luke. As if he needed more snow bunnies in his life, but whatever.

  The snow had started again when they went outside. The sidewalks were busy, but everyone was smiling and happy, and no one more than Zoey. The holidays brought out the best in people, especially her. He couldn’t wait to give her the silver charm bracelet he’d bought for her back in August, after seeing her gush over Mom’s last summer. He’d bought three charms for it, too: a snowboard, a graduation cap, and a little heart with their initials on it. Sappy? Hell, yes, but desperate times made for desperate guys. If she let him, he planned to keep buying her charms until the bracelet was full.

  Which meant he’d need a reason to buy her a birthday and Christmas present for the next six or seven years. Optimism was his middle name.

  “So we’re opening gifts Christmas Eve, right?” she asked. “Because my parents are still all about family only on Christmas Day.”

  “Yeah. We’re going on our morning run up to Snowmass, then we’re doing gifts and playing games after dinner at our place.” He made a face. “I told Mom no more charades after last year.”

  Zoey threw back her head, laughing. It didn’t subside until she wiped tears from her cheeks. “Hey, it’s not my fault I thought you were miming a porno instead of that rodeo movie.”

  Parker flushed and looked away. “It was supposed to be a bull ride.”

  She touched his arm. “It was some kind of ride.”

  Some kind of ride. That sounded like a porn title. And now all he could think about was skin, mainly hers. But there were a few things still standing in the way—namely his brother. “So what’s going on
with you and Luke? He was holding your hand earlier.”

  That wasn’t against the rules of the agreement, right? Flat out asking? Because he really wanted to know.

  “I’m not sure,” she said.

  Wondering if he was about to rip out his own heart and stomp on it, he asked, “Tell me about it.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  Zoey

  Parker looked so serious, like he really wanted to know what she was thinking. He was probably the only person other than Paige who did. But how could she talk to him about this? Especially when her own heart was such a tangle?

  I’m not sure, she’d said. And she meant it. Luke was definitely flirting, and maybe interested. That’s why she was so pissed off at Two Creeks. She wasn’t jealous exactly, but she’d felt dismissed. Like his interest in her could only hold so long before it caught on someone else—particularly a someone with double-Ds. But when he looked at her, she felt like the only girl in the room. Could she cure him of his relationship ADD, or would it be impossible?

  They were walking down the snow-covered sidewalk toward Parker’s car, and her feet felt heavy with each step. Nothing was going as planned this week. Luke was at best intrigued, but that was all so far, and she had no idea what she needed to do to really get through to him. Deep down, she feared he only saw her looks, despite knowing her forever…or maybe because he’d known her forever. Worse, the sight of Parker on his snowboard had set off fireworks in her brain, and she kept flashing back to their almost kiss in the sleigh. He was her best friend…but she was completely confused now.

  Why couldn’t this be easy?

  Parker cleared his throat and she realized he’d been waiting for an answer. “It’s probably nothing. You know how Luke is.”

  “I do.”

  On a whim, she stood on tiptoe and kissed Parker on the cheek. “Thank you.”

  His eyes were guarded, cautious. “For what?”

  She smiled. “Being you.”

  “I am kind of awesome.” His smile came slowly, but when it did, it took over his entire face. Did he have any idea how cute he was? Probably not, since his brother hogged the attention.

  “Now, now, cocky is Luke’s thing.” She checked her watch. “Almost dinner time. You need to get a good night’s sleep, too. Tomorrow’s a big day.”

  “We’ll see.” He sounded doubtful, and the smile disappeared.

  She started walking briskly toward the car. “No. It will be. You’re good, Parker. It’s time for you to take a big step out of Luke’s shadow and win this thing. Show him, and everyone else, that there’s more than one snowboarding king in the Madison household.”

  “Will you cheer for me?”

  The question was soft, uncertain. “Loudly. And obnoxiously. I’ll make up stupid cheers for you.”

  He nodded slowly. “Okay, then. This could work.”

  She squeezed his arm. “It will. I believe it.”

  That night, after dinner and a good long text with Paige, Zoey lay on her stomach, reading. Another thing she couldn’t admit at school: she was addicted to romance novels—the sappier, the better. HEAs were the only way to go in life. So what if she hadn’t figured out how to get there herself? She had to believe she would, because the alternative was depressing.

  Still, she hadn’t faced the force of her feelings from this afternoon, or last night. It was so much to process, and she didn’t want to burden Parker with any questions until the competition was over. Especially since she wasn’t entirely sure what she wanted: her best friend as more, or her longtime crush forever?

  Luke was safe—she wouldn’t be risking an amazing friendship searching for something that might not even be there. Did she take a risk for a potentially big reward? Or did she keep doing what she was doing by going after Luke, and keep her friendship intact? Because if she made a move and Parker freaked out, they’d never get past it. Never.

  God, working this out was going to take a while.

  The light in the window across the way went on. Parker was in his room. Zoey glanced up, then gulped.

  Holy. Shit.

  Parker had forgotten to close his blinds. And he was wearing a towel. Only a towel. Their houses were close enough together that she could see his hair was damp from a shower. So was…the rest of him. Oh, Jesus.

  Her entire body flushed white-hot. No, no, she really shouldn’t be gawking like this. It was invasion of privacy. Except—she’d seen him in swimsuits their entire lives, so what was the problem?

  The problem was that the towel was coming off any second.

  Her will power wasn’t working all that well, though, especially after the last few days, and she didn’t think she could look away if she tried. Her curiosity was way too strong right now.

  The other problem was those abs. And his shoulders. God almighty—had he been lifting? He wasn’t as solid as Luke, but everything was well defined. He’d gone from lean to shredded since July. Like, paid-to-model-underwear shredded. Her mind snagged on the way his biceps flexed when he reached for something on his dresser.

  Parker looked up suddenly, meeting her wide-eyed stare. For a minute, neither of them moved, then he laughed, sauntered to the window, and put a hand on the towel.

  Zoey’s breath froze in her lungs. Oh, God, oh, God, he was going to take it off. She put a hand over her eyes, but spread her fingers apart so she could peek. Still laughing, Parker loosened the towel. It started sliding off, showing that spot on a guy’s hip that made smart girls do stupid, stupid things…

  Then the blinds snapped shut.

  She fell on her bed, giggling, arms wrapped around her aching middle. He’d done a half-Magic Mike in her window. Seriously, all he needed was a cowboy hat and slinky music, and women would pay serious money for that kind of show. What kind of best friend did a strip-tease for you?

  She sat up suddenly. That was a really good question.

  What kind of best friend did that?

  Did he…could he…?

  He’d almost kissed her last night. Today, he’d chewed out his brother for taking her to Snowmass without him. He’d introduced her to his friends—friends who said they knew all about her.

  This was adding up to something way too big for her to process on her own. Because if she was right, she had the answers she needed.

  She fumbled for her phone. Parker hadn’t texted her, presumably to let his actions speak for themselves. It was just as well—she needed her other best friend right now.

  Z: You there?

  P: Yep. Making cookies with Ben’s mom.

  Zoey sighed in appreciation. Ben’s mother owned a small bakery and her cookies were divine. Like honest-to-God-blessed-by-angels good. Save some for me?

  P: We’ll leave you a fresh batch as a welcome home…and a thanks for the key.

  Z: Fair deal. Um, can we talk? Like, can I call?

  P: Sure, give me a sec.

  Zoey went to close her own blinds, not sure she could look Parker in the eye for the next few hours, then paced until her phone rang.

  “Zoey? You okay?”

  Paige sounded worried, probably because she’d asked to talk live instead of texting. Zoey hadn’t meant to scare her, but she did need her best friend’s advice. “I’m…okay. But I need your help deciphering something.”

  “Like what?”

  Zoey took a deep breath, and finally told Paige about her life in Aspen. She admitted that she loved it here, told her about the snowboarding and, most importantly, confessed her feelings about the boys next door.

  Paige listened quietly for a while, finally interrupting with, “So you were in love with the older brother, but now you think you have feelings for the younger one, too? Parker?”

  It sounded so simple, the way Paige said it. And a little shallow. If Zoey hated anything, it was feeling shallow, since most people assumed she was. “I don’t think what I feel for Luke is love, exactly. Puppy love, maybe. A severe crush. Hell, it might’ve been pure lust.” She put her head i
n her hand. “Okay, okay, it was probably the last one.”

  Paige laughed. “I’m going to need pictures to figure this out, you know.” After Zoey texted her a photo of both brothers on the mountain, Paige whistled. “Hot damn. I think I understand the dilemma here.”

  “I know, I know. But, Parker, though…he’s my very best guy friend. I don’t want to risk our friendship—I’d be devastated if it didn’t work out and I lost that. Most of my best memories have been with him. We’ve been a team since we were toddlers. I didn’t even see it coming. The feeling hit out of nowhere. We went on a sleigh ride, and I suddenly wanted him to kiss me. Maybe it was the setting, but I don’t think it was, because I can’t get him out of my mind. He’s really fun to be with, too. And he takes care of me.”

  “That doesn’t sound so awful to me.” Paige’s tone was suspicious. “Why did you call me in a panic?”

  “Um…” Zoey rolled her eyes at how tongue-tied she was. She normally said exactly what she meant, even if she did filter her words a little at school. “Our bedrooms are directly across from each other…the windows, too. His light came on, and there he was, wearing nothing but a towel. I about died.”

  “But you didn’t close your eyes, did you?” Paige asked with sly understanding. “You looked.”

  “I totally looked. And he, uh, caught me watching and pretended to take off the towel, then snapped the blinds closed. Girl, I was gawking, and I was so busted.”

  “Why does this sound familiar?” Paige started to laugh. “Oh, yeah. I seem to remember Ben stripping off his shirt to wash a car to impress you.”

  “Hey!” Ben called, nearby. “I was trying to impress you.”

  Paige giggled harder. “And he sure did.”

  Zoey snorted. “I remember thinking your jaw was going to fall off.”

  “Speaking of Ben, I’m pretty sure he wants to say hi. He’s lurking.”

  “I’m waiting patiently,” Ben said, closer now.

  “Put him on,” Zoey said.