Parker (14 page)

Shrugging, Callie said, “Maybe not. But
perhaps it’s a place to start.”

Maybe Callie was right. “Okay. I’ll bring the
macaroni and cheese.”

“Do you want him to know you are coming?”

“Oh hell, I don’t know. What do you
think?”

Callie cocked her head to one side. “Just
leave it up to me. If the timing and mood feels right, I will. If
it doesn’t, I won’t. I don’t think you need to know either
way.”

Nodding, she agreed. “I like your plan.”

Callie smiled.

****

The Fourth of July

McKenna Lake and Lodge

“So who is the redhead?”

Parker looked up from the table he was
helping his cousin Gage set up, and nearly dropped his end in the
process. He followed Gage’s line of vision and saw her
immediately.

Reba.

Shit.
His heart kicked into a
gallop.

“That’s Reba Morris,” he told his cousin.
“Lives in the old Crandall cabin. And she’s hands off.”

Gage arched a brow. “She’s yours? When did
that happen?”

Parker straightened the table, gave it a good
shimmy-shake to make sure it was level and sturdy, and straightened
his body. There would be desserts on this table in no time.

He glanced at his cousin. Gage was still
watching Reba walk across the parking lot. What the hell was she
doing here?

“No, she’s not mine,” he replied.

A wicked smile spread over Gage’s face. “So
tell me more.”

“I’m telling you, hands off. She’s not the
kind of woman you usually date.”

Snickering, Gage turned to him. “You know I
don’t date.”

“I know. And what you do? She’s not
interested. I guarantee it.”

Gage’s taste in women and his alternative
sexual lifestyle was something Parker knew about, but not something
he agreed with. Gage was a Dom, and his encounters with women were
always scheduled, planned, and vetted well in advance. There was no
shortage of women who would take him up on his type of sexual
deviancy.

But Parker wanted none of that. And Reba was
not the kind of woman who would want that, either.

Or was she? Hell, he didn’t know. After all,
she had told him what they shared was just sex. Nothing more. “On
second thought, she might like you.”

Gage studied him for a moment. “Naw. You’ve
practically worked yourself into a sweat over it. I think there is
more to this woman and you than meets the eye.”

He swiped at his brow. “It’s hot, and that
table was heavy.”

“Yeah, right.”

Parker ignored him and kept looking at Reba.
“I didn’t know she was coming.”

“That clinches it. I’m hands off. You’re a
goner.”

True. Over the past three weeks, the hurt was
getting easier to handle, especially now that there had been some
distance since the night they made love. But he hadn’t gotten over
it. Not by a long shot.

Parker looked at Gage. “I don’t understand
women.”

Gage threw back his head and laughed. “That’s
your problem. You’re trying to understand them. You need to flip it
and worry about controlling them. Once you do that, they are like
putty in your hands.”

Parker wasn’t so sure. “I don’t want to
control her.”

“Then what do you want?”

Good question. What did he want? “Well, for
starters, it would be nice if I could just talk to her.”

Again, Gage laughed. “Well, let me tell you
something, cousin, it’s likely not going to happen unless you make
it happen. And if that’s not controlling the situation, I don’t
know what is. Go down there and talk to her. Make it happen. If you
fail, you fail. But you might not.”

Parker shook his head. “Why in the hell do I
feel like such an adolescent?”

“Because you care about her. I can see that
in your eyes. And you don’t want to screw it up.”

Eyeing his cousin, Parker said, “You’re
smarter about these things than I realized.”

“Not really,” Gage replied. “I avoid these
situations like the plague. This is why I have the kinds of
relationships I do. I don’t want the drama, and I keep it out of my
sex life. But you? If you want her, you might have to eat the drama
for breakfast. It’s up to you.”

Eat the drama for breakfast. I can do
that.

“But you better hurry up. Looks like some
other hound dog is sniffing around your woman.”

Parker found Reba again in the growing crowd.
Mike Attaway strolled toward her and took the casserole dish she
was carrying out of her hands. She smiled at Mike, said something,
and then followed him to the table. He placed the dish with the
others and turned into her, his hand running down her arm, from
shoulder to elbow.

Reba laughed and touched his arm.

“Son of a bitch.”

****

As she exited her new SUV, Reba glanced about
the area, located where the crowd was gathering, and figured that
was where she needed to take her dish. She perused her
surroundings, taking in the guest lodge, the stable and barns
situated behind it, and the lake to the south.

She was late but still gave herself kudos
that she had actually made it. If she’d been much later, she should
have brought dessert, rather than a side dish.

The lake was huge and picturesque. She looked
forward to seeing the sunset behind it, and then later, the
fireworks over it. It wouldn’t be long before dusk set in. Glad she
brought her camera, she reminded herself to get it out of the truck
so she could take pictures for her blog.

But first, it was time to get this mac and
cheese dish to the right place.

Carrying it toward the tables, she picked her
way through the crowd, nodding occasionally to people who looked
familiar. She noticed Callie a ways off, talking with her
stepmother, but Reba kept heading toward her destination.

She wasn’t looking out of the corner of her
eye, or anything, for Parker. Not at all.

Of course not.

“Reba? Is that you?”

Mike Attaway jogged toward her and then took
the dish out of her hands. “Oh, thank you, Mike! My arm was getting
a little tired.” She smiled and followed him to the table.

“Not a problem!”

“I really appreciate it,” she told him. “All
that cheese, the dish was getting heavy.”

“It’s really good to see you, Reba.”

“You too.”

“How is that elbow?” He touched her upper arm
and let his fingers trail to her elbow.

Reba stepped back a little, breaking the
connection. She didn’t want to give Mike any ideas. “Dr. Cooper
says it should be good as new in a couple of weeks. Still a little
pain when I twist it this way or that, but overall, much
better.”

Mike grinned and placed his hand at the small
of her back. “Have you eaten? You can grab a plate over there. Or…”
he paused then, looking into her face, “are you waiting for
Parker?”

Well, yes. And no. She let that
back-and-forth dialog play out in her head for a minute.

“No, Mike. I haven’t talked with him
lately.”

Mike arched a brow. “Really? It was my
understanding that you two were an item. I mean, when Parker called
the day after that little incident in the parking lot, I was sure
you two would be joined at the hip and married within a month.”

Reba laughed nervously and angled away,
touching his arm in an attempt to put distance between them. “Oh,
no. Seriously. No.”

Mike’s smile broadened. “So there is hope for
me yet?”

A shadow fell between them, and Reba looked
to her left, where the silhouette of a tall man wearing a cowboy
hat blocked the setting sun. She put her hand to her forehead to
shield her eyes. “Parker?”

“Mike, I hate to break it to you, brother,
but there is no hope for you.”

Reba glanced to Mike who stepped back, hands
out. “I got it. I have no desire to get into an argument with you,
Parker. I’m heading for the cheesecake now.”

Mike left, and Parker just stood there. The
angle of the sun was blinding her. “That was a quick exit. Is he
frightened of you?”

Parker grinned. “He knows I can put him in a
wrestling hold pretty damned fast.”

She arched a brow. “You would do that?”

“Only if I needed to.”

“And why might you need to?”

“Only if he’s trying to make a move on my
woman.”

Reba’s heart tripped and stumbled inside her
chest.
His woman
. Did she dare hope?

She wished she could really see the look on
his face when he’d said that, grasped his arm and said, “Parker,
this sun is a killer. Can we talk? Somewhere where I can actually
see your face?”

He stepped away from the sun, and Reba turned
her back to it. “Yes.”

“That’s better.”

But Parker obviously had other ideas. He took
her by the hand to lead her away.

“Where are we going?” she asked.

“You’ll see.”

Chapter
Fifteen

Parker led her through the barn to the last
stall and opened the door. “Ever ridden in one of these?”

Reba gave him a glance and then peeked around
the door. “What is it?”

“It’s my dad’s utility vehicle. It’s called a
Gator. You know, made by John Deere.”

Reba stepped in the stall. “No, I’ve never
ridden in one. It looks like a cross between a golf cart and a
four-wheeler.”

Parker laughed. “Sort of. You get in on this
side.” He steadied her with his hand on her good elbow. “Let’s go
for a ride.”

“Okay.”

He needed to get Reba away from the crowd,
out of reach of any distractions. He might only have one chance,
and he had to make it work. This was the best way to win her
over—get her alone and make a connection. Somehow.

Before he settled himself in the driver’s
seat, he grabbed a blanket off the wall, checked under his seat for
a flashlight, and double-checked his boot for his pistol. He didn’t
expect any trouble with the wolves tonight—the fireworks noise
would keep them away, most likely—but he wasn’t about to take any
chances. Besides, they were only a short ride from the lodge.

He smiled as he turned the key in the
ignition and shoved the gearshift into drive. “Seatbelts,” he said,
glancing her way. “Safety first.”

She nodded. “Yes, sir. And I hope you don’t
have to cut me out of this one.”

“You and me both. Let’s go.”

He revved the engine, and they rolled into
the barn center aisle, out the back door, and up the trail, heading
toward his favorite lookout.

Years ago, James McKenna had decided to get
into a little logging, and the ridge above the lake had been
cleared. Most of it had grown up again, but there was a section
they kept clear, just for times like these—when a cowboy needed to
get away and look over his land.

And that’s exactly what he wanted to do
tonight, only he wanted Reba with him.

They didn’t talk for several minutes while
they climbed, and by the time he topped the ridge and backed the
Gator around to overlook the lake, dusk was fully settling in.

“Wait here,” he told her. He got out and took
the blanket with him, rounded the back of the vehicle, lowered the
tailgate, and spread the blanket over the bed. Then, he stepped to
the passenger side and took Reba’s hand, helping her out of her
seat.

“I hope you don’t mind,” he told her, “but
I’ve reserved us the prime seats in the house for the fireworks
show.”

Reba smiled and held his gaze. He smiled
back.

“I am honored, sir.”

He led her to the back of the vehicle. “Let
me help you up.” He guided her backside toward the tailgate, placed
his hands on her waist, and peered into her eyes. “Ready?
Jump.”

She did, and he lifted her onto the gate. Now
her eyes were level with his, and he definitely wasn’t ready to
take his hands off her. “I’d love to kiss you right now,” he said
on a breath, “but I’m not sure you want me to.”

Reba’s gaze played over his face. “A small,
quick one won’t hurt. Will it?”

His heart swelled, and Parker stepped closer.
One hand moved to circle her back, the other cupped her cheek. His
thumb grazed over her cheekbone. “Your bruises are gone now.” She
was beautiful.

“Yes. Finally.”

Reba licked her lips.

Parker moved in for the kiss, her mouth
heavenly pressed against his. “Just one”
kiss,
“small,”
kiss, kiss
, “quick one,” he said.

Reba breathed against his mouth, her eyes
closed. “That was three.”

“Who’s counting?”

“Not me,” she countered.

He leaned his forehead against hers. “Reba,
we need to talk. I’m hopelessly lost.”

She nodded against him. “I know. Me too.”

“And up until now I’ve been too stubborn to
admit it.”

“Ditto.”

Pulling away, he said, “I’m going to sit next
to you, and we’re going to figure this thing out. Okay?”

“Yes. I want that too.”

“Good.”

Parker set the flashlight between them, the
beam pointing out. There was enough light so they then could see
each other’s faces.

Reba glanced to her lap. “Parker, there is
really something important I need to tell you.”

“I know.”

She shook her head. “No, what I need to tell
you, you have no idea. First, I want to apologize. I was…” Parker
waited. She seemed to be struggling with her words. “I lied. I was
wrong. What I said was insensitive and hurtful, and I…”

“Shh.” He raked a thumb over her lower lip.
“We both didn’t handle things well.”

Her voice rose. “I regret that I didn’t even
respond when you told me you were falling in love with me!”

Parker grinned. “I thought you responded
quite nicely.”

“Really?” She laughed. “Parker, it wasn’t
just about the sex. It was more. I felt it, and I know you did too.
But it scared me. It wasn’t part of my plan.

“You see when my husband, Jack, got sick, he
made me promise him something. I promised him that I would pursue
my dreams. I cared for him for so long, and I put him first every
single day to make his last days on earth as pleasant and
comfortable as possible. It was all I did for over two years. And
he knew it and appreciated it. So, he made me promise that when he
was gone, I would spend time just on me. And that is what I set out
to do here in Montana.”