I had to show her that.
She’d wanted me once. I could make her want me again.
When I was finally able to find my balls again, I got out of my truck and headed for the front door, bracing myself for the hard eyes and death glares I knew she would be throwing my way, much to the ignorance of everyone else.
Knowing I never needed to knock at this house, I let myself in and was blasted with the scent of Diane’s cinnamon candles. That’s the smell of home . The living room was empty and though I could hear low voices in different parts of the house, I couldn’t see anyone.
“Hey, where is everyone?”
Two seconds later, Diane came fluttering out of the kitchen in her apron with that smile she always had for me on her face. “Parker! It’s so good to see you, dear!”
I wrapped my arms tightly around my adopted mother, squeezing as I carefully balanced the dish I held in the other hand. “Good to see you, too.” I extended the food out to her. “Hashbrown-potato casserole from Mickie. She said just warm it up in the oven and you’re good to go.”
“Oh, that sweetheart. She didn’t need to do that.” But she took the dish from me as Gwen came out of the kitchen.
Clay’s girlfriend was gorgeous and he should be damn proud. I really wasn’t sure how he had handled that mess with her ex. Personally, I didn’t know how I would feel or what I would do if some asshole had put his hands on Kinley like that. When she was in high school, I’d beaten the shit out of some prick just for spreading rumors about her.
Clay had gotten through the ordeal without killing the guy, though. Barely.
I think he had more control than I would have.
“Hey, Parker,” she said, leaning up on her toes to kiss me on the cheek.
“Hey, beautiful.”
“Back off my girl, Cruz,” came Clay’s voice from the hallway, “and go get your own.”
Working on it.
But surprise! It’s your sister.
“Just seeing if she’d gotten bored of you yet,” I said, smiling and giving him a quick hug. “I think there’s still hope for me.”
Clay rolled his eyes and punched me lightly on the shoulder, and I could see Gwen blush out of the corner of my eye.
“Just because you’re a famous ball player, don’t think I won’t mess up that pretty face.”
I put my hands up in surrender. “You can’t touch the merchandise, man.” I pointed at my face. “This is the moneymaker.”
Again, he rolled his eyes but smiled.
“Di, we need another plunger!”
I looked around, waiting for an explanation, and everybody’s faces were expressionless. Diane caught my gaze. “He’s re-modeling the bathroom,” she deadpanned.
Well, that explained it.
Knowing that it probably looked like a warzone in there, I decided to wait to say hi to Sam until he didn’t have a wrench or hammer in his hands.
And I couldn’t help but notice that one particular person wasn’t in the room. I was hesitant, but not asking about her would have been weird of me.
“Where’s Kinley?”
“Oh, she ran to the store for some marshmallows,” Diane replied. “I could have sworn I had another bag. And Sam will have a fit if he doesn’t have his sweet potatoes.”
At least she wasn’t upstairs in her room, avoiding me. Yet.
That was when headlights from the driveway shone through the front windows. “That should be her now,” Gwen said, looking out the window.
Okay, here we go.
Slow and easy. Like old friends.
Old friends who used to make out.
Not helpful.
The door opened behind me, so I turned around and there she was.
That perfectly slim yet curvy body, that long chocolate-brown hair with caramel highlights, those sparkling green eyes that I could stare into all day, every day, that bow-shaped mouth and full lips—my favorite of her physical characteristics—that felt like paradise when they touched mine.
That frozen expression on her face as she looked at me that sent me crashing back to reality and reminding me exactly what we were to each
She’d wanted me once. I could make her want me again.
When I was finally able to find my balls again, I got out of my truck and headed for the front door, bracing myself for the hard eyes and death glares I knew she would be throwing my way, much to the ignorance of everyone else.
Knowing I never needed to knock at this house, I let myself in and was blasted with the scent of Diane’s cinnamon candles. That’s the smell of home . The living room was empty and though I could hear low voices in different parts of the house, I couldn’t see anyone.
“Hey, where is everyone?”
Two seconds later, Diane came fluttering out of the kitchen in her apron with that smile she always had for me on her face. “Parker! It’s so good to see you, dear!”
I wrapped my arms tightly around my adopted mother, squeezing as I carefully balanced the dish I held in the other hand. “Good to see you, too.” I extended the food out to her. “Hashbrown-potato casserole from Mickie. She said just warm it up in the oven and you’re good to go.”
“Oh, that sweetheart. She didn’t need to do that.” But she took the dish from me as Gwen came out of the kitchen.
Clay’s girlfriend was gorgeous and he should be damn proud. I really wasn’t sure how he had handled that mess with her ex. Personally, I didn’t know how I would feel or what I would do if some asshole had put his hands on Kinley like that. When she was in high school, I’d beaten the shit out of some prick just for spreading rumors about her.
Clay had gotten through the ordeal without killing the guy, though. Barely.
I think he had more control than I would have.
“Hey, Parker,” she said, leaning up on her toes to kiss me on the cheek.
“Hey, beautiful.”
“Back off my girl, Cruz,” came Clay’s voice from the hallway, “and go get your own.”
Working on it.
But surprise! It’s your sister.
“Just seeing if she’d gotten bored of you yet,” I said, smiling and giving him a quick hug. “I think there’s still hope for me.”
Clay rolled his eyes and punched me lightly on the shoulder, and I could see Gwen blush out of the corner of my eye.
“Just because you’re a famous ball player, don’t think I won’t mess up that pretty face.”
I put my hands up in surrender. “You can’t touch the merchandise, man.” I pointed at my face. “This is the moneymaker.”
Again, he rolled his eyes but smiled.
“Di, we need another plunger!”
I looked around, waiting for an explanation, and everybody’s faces were expressionless. Diane caught my gaze. “He’s re-modeling the bathroom,” she deadpanned.
Well, that explained it.
Knowing that it probably looked like a warzone in there, I decided to wait to say hi to Sam until he didn’t have a wrench or hammer in his hands.
And I couldn’t help but notice that one particular person wasn’t in the room. I was hesitant, but not asking about her would have been weird of me.
“Where’s Kinley?”
“Oh, she ran to the store for some marshmallows,” Diane replied. “I could have sworn I had another bag. And Sam will have a fit if he doesn’t have his sweet potatoes.”
At least she wasn’t upstairs in her room, avoiding me. Yet.
That was when headlights from the driveway shone through the front windows. “That should be her now,” Gwen said, looking out the window.
Okay, here we go.
Slow and easy. Like old friends.
Old friends who used to make out.
Not helpful.
The door opened behind me, so I turned around and there she was.
That perfectly slim yet curvy body, that long chocolate-brown hair with caramel highlights, those sparkling green eyes that I could stare into all day, every day, that bow-shaped mouth and full lips—my favorite of her physical characteristics—that felt like paradise when they touched mine.
That frozen expression on her face as she looked at me that sent me crashing back to reality and reminding me exactly what we were to each
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