Chapter Fifteen
PARKER WAS QUIET after their visit with Abe. She’d stopped crying when they were in the elevator, and now, as they waited for the valet, her eyes were hidden beneath her sunglasses. As much as Grayson wanted to know what she was thinking, he knew the best thing he could do was hold her and give her time to process everything she’d just been through. He was still working through his own thoughts about it. Who knew the old man had a big heart under that bitter demeanor?
He tipped the valet and opened the passenger door for Parker. She started to get in and then turned and threw her arms around his neck. He held her as she cried.
“It’s okay, baby. We’ll get through this.” Over her shoulder, he noticed a kid taking pictures of them with his cell phone. The same kid he’d seen standing outside the elevator when he and Parker were kissing.
“Get in the car, baby.” He guided her into her seat. His eyes remained on the kid, who was furiously typing on his phone. “Stay here. I’ll be right back.” He closed the car door and headed for the kid. The last thing Parker needed was a picture of her grief.
Standing before the scrawny teenager, Grayson was breathing fire and working hard to douse the flames. He was just a kid after all, probably paid a hefty sum for the last photo and dreaming of all the video games he could buy with his loot. Grayson held out his hand.
The kid’s thumbs stopped moving over his phone. He lifted his eyes to Grayson’s hand and up his arm. Grayson took great pleasure in knowing his size alone should intimidate the kid into giving him what he wanted. The scruffy-haired kid shoved his phone in his pocket.
“How much?” Grayson had a hard time keeping his anger out of his voice.
“What?” His eyes darted away from Grayson.
Grayson stepped closer. He hated to intimidate the kid, and he’d never touch him, but a little fear went a long way. And for Parker, there was nothing he wouldn’t do. “How much do you want for that picture?”
The kid swallowed so hard his eyes squinted.
“How much?” Grayson repeated.
The teen took a step back. “They gave me five hundred for the last picture. Said they’d give me more if I got her with another guy. I figured they’d pay the same for another of you two.”
“Did you post this one anywhere yet?”
He shook his head.
“Fifteen hundred, here and now, to never take her picture again—but I get your SIM card.”
“But—”
“Take the deal, or I track down your parents and you deal with the consequences.” Grayson held out his hand, and the boy hesitated. His eyes shifted to the car, where Parker was watching, glasses still in place. He knew the boy was calculating how many more pictures he could take and sell—and probably also how fast he could run—so Grayson went for the kid’s heart.
“She’s a person, not just a celebrity, and every picture you sell makes her life ten times harder. Do you really want that on your conscience? Don’t you have better things to do with your time?”
The kid looked up at him, then down at his phone.
“Didn’t your parents ever tell you it’s not how much money you have, but how you earn it that counts?” Grayson must have heard that a million times from his father, and he’d taken it to heart. Cheating, lying, scamming—none of that was in his repertoire.
The boy looked up and said with an attitude annoyingly fitting for his age, “My dad’s a lawyer. Maybe his father never taught him.” He took the SIM card out of his phone, smacked it into Grayson’s hand, and looked at Parker again. “Keep your stupid money.”
He took a step away, and Grayson grabbed his arm. The kid’s eyes widened with fear. Grayson pulled out his wallet and handed him five twenties. “For a new SIM card. Thank you. You’ve just made her life easier.”
The kid snagged the cash. “Whatever,” he said, and stalked away.
Grayson let out a heavy breath, feeling like he’d just helped Parker dodge a bullet, and returned to the car. How did she live like this?
“What was that about?” she asked.
He shook his head, reaching for her hand as he drove away from the resort. “Nothing. Are you okay?”
“Surprisingly, I think I am. Sad, you know, but I understand why Abe asked me not to come back. He’s right. I came there to try to put the feud between him and Bert to rest, and I got so much more. He’s cranky, and he’s probably been a jerk to a lot of people. But I don’t know. I guess I feel like he’s paid his dues. As he said, it was his cross to bear, but I could tell he feels bad about how his life unfolded. And that makes me really glad that I had a chance to connect with him. I feel like he’s in a better place emotionally than he was when we met him.”
She took off her sunglasses, and in her eyes Grayson saw it all—sadness, acceptance, and satisfaction.
“I think I’m in a better place, too,” she confessed. “Would you mind if we lived in your world for a while? Go see your dad as we’d planned and maybe stay at your place?”
“Whatever you’d like, sweetheart.” Grayson knew his simple cottage on a small private pond would pale in comparison to Parker’s bay-front home, but the thought of Parker there gave him a deep sense of pleasure. He wanted her in his life, and not just for a while.
LACROUX HARDWARE WAS located on a quiet side street, reminding Parker of a small-town film set. Trees sprouted up beside narrow sidewalks, their leafy branches reaching out like umbrellas, shading the glass storefronts from the hot sun. Planters overflowed with bright flowers, and wooden benches offered passersby a place to rest. A young family sat on one of those benches in front of a chocolate shop, dipping their hands into white bakery bags and popping goodies into their mouths. Across the street, a couple stood in front of a shoe store. The woman pointed inside while the man tried to pull her away. Parker had always loved spotting those types of shared moments. Moments that she imagined were forgettable for most but she’d always longed for.
“Ready to meet my old man?” Grayson leaned in for a kiss.
I have my own moments now.
“Yes.” She reached for Grayson’s hand. “Your dad’s a smart marketer.” She pointed to the storefront window display. “Putting plants in with the tools makes it feel less like a guys-only store.”
“Sky ran the store while Dad was in rehab, and she added those and some other homey touches.” He laughed under his breath and shook his head. “She even painted murals behind the shelves, because to Sky, everything is a canvas.”
“Including people’s bodies.”
“Exactly. She really brightened the place up. Dad had always worked alone, which I think fed into his drinking after we lost our mom. He hired a part-timer last year. Mira’s a single mother around Sky’s age, and I think the company’s been really good for him, too.”
As Grayson reached for the door, she reached for him. “Before we go in—you said you weren’t going to sit around and let me fall into a bottle, or something like that. I’m not a drinker, and I don’t want you to worry about that with me. I almost never drink. And I’ve never been drunk like that before. I have a glass or two of wine sometimes if I’m having dinner with friends, or with you, but candy and chocolate are my drugs of choice. That night…” She fished for the right explanation. “That night I couldn’t see a way out from under how much I missed Bert. It was definitely a rock-bottom moment. And that next day I couldn’t believe how much of the bottle I drank. It wasn’t like a three-day binge, or—”
“I know.” He kissed her softly. “You might not remember, but you spilled a good bit of the tequila. If you were a drinker, you’d have gone for it the very next morning, but you didn’t. Stop overthinking. I see who you are, and I like who I see.”
She craned to reach his lips, and he met her halfway in a long kiss that confirmed everything he said.
“Dude?” Pete came out of the store, a bell ringing behind him as the door swung closed. “I thought public displays were off the table?” He laughed as he reached for Parker and hugged her. “How’re you doing?”
She knew he was kidding about their kiss, but she liked kissing Grayson, and she didn’t want anyone to think otherwise. “I’m doing well, thanks. And public displays are not off the table.” A fluffy golden retriever pushed past him. Parker crouched to pet her and let the excited pup drench her with kisses. “Aw, hello. Who are you?”
“That’s Joey, Pete’s other daughter.” Grayson gave Pete a quick hug. “How’s Pop doing?”
“Good. Seems a little tired, but he’s on his feet a lot. Other than that, he’s solid as a rock.” Pete gave him a reassuring nod. “We’re just heading out. Haven’t seen you guys at Seaside. Come tomorrow for breakfast; we’ll catch up.”
Grayson looked at Parker. She loved that he checked with her before answering, though she wouldn’t have minded if he’d just accepted for the both of them.
“We’d love to.” The girls had been asking her to come over for breakfast, too. They’d had a great time on their outings. Earlier in the week they’d spent the day at the beach, and a few days ago they’d met for lunch and then gone to a library sale in Brewster. But she selfishly hadn’t wanted to give up her mornings alone with Grayson.
“All right.” Pete leashed Joey. “We’ll see you then. Pop’s in the office.”
As Pete walked away, Grayson asked, “You sure you’re up to going?”
“Yes. I love your friends, and you don’t have to worry. I’m not going to hole up, scarfing down candy and watching horror movies twenty-four seven. Abe will always be special, but he’s not Bert. I wish I could see him again, but I’m trying to respect his wishes.” She laced their fingers together and added, “Now, take me to meet the man who raised my amazing man.”
The bell above the door sounded as they walked into the store, and it suddenly hit her that she was meeting Grayson’s father, which was a big deal. An especially big deal for her since she’d never been in this position of meeting a boyfriend’s father before. Her first instinct was to slip into actress mode and make the best impression she could, but she stifled that urge.
“Hey, Grayson!” a pretty brunette called from behind the counter in the back of the store.
“How’s it going?” Grayson said as they walked down an aisle lined with cans of paint and brushes of varying sizes and color. “Mira, this is my girlfriend, Parker. Parker, this is Mira.”
“I think the whole town knows who you are. It’s great to meet you.” Mira had a wide, beautiful smile, olive skin, and a light spray of freckles across the bridge of her nose.
“You saw the picture?” She shouldn’t be shocked that everyone had seen their front-page smooch. Grayson’s siblings had teased them relentlessly, and the girls ended their jokes with, Wait! Let me get my camera!
“Saw it? Me and my friends drooled over it.” Mira gasped and waved a dismissive hand. “Oh, not like that. Not over Grayson. No offense, Grayson. You’re cute and all, but…”
“No offense taken,” he said with an amused grin.
“Whew!” Mira laughed. “What I meant was the passion searing off the page between you two was super hot and super cute. Totally drool worthy.”
She had an easy way about her that Parker instantly liked. “Thank you.”
“Neil’s been smiling about it for days.” Mira lowered her voice. “You can thank Sky for that.” The bell above the door sounded again. “Duty calls. Nice to meet you, Parker. Don’t be a stranger.” She hurried toward her customer.
“I love her,” Parker whispered as they headed to the office.
“Maybe I should grow my hair longer and paint on a few freckles.”
She laughed. When they came to his father’s office and she saw the picture from Us Weekly framed in the center of his desk, she nearly swallowed her tongue.
Neil looked up from the ledger he was working on, and when his lips curved up, it was easy to see where Grayson got his good looks. His father’s hair was lighter, and the strong angles of his face were softer but clearly similar. Her eyes returned to their front-page kiss, and her nerves came back to life. The frame sat beside a wedding picture of Grayson’s parents, and another of Pete and Jenna. His love for his children was inescapable. Pinned to the wall above his desk were pictures of Grayson and his siblings, from toddler to man and woman. Parker’s heart squeezed at how much love a few pictures could convey, and she felt honored to have her picture beside the others.
“Gray.” Neil pushed from the chair and embraced his son. He was a big man, though not as broad as Grayson.
“Hi, Pop.” Grayson reached for Parker with pride in his eyes, but before he could get a word out, his father’s arms engulfed her in a warm hug.
“Parker, it’s nice to meet you, sweetheart.” When he drew back, his smile still in place, his eyes moved between her and Grayson.
Sweetheart. She wondered if that’s what he’d called Grayson’s mother, and the thought made her feel even more special.
“It’s nice to meet you, too.”
“Pop?” Grayson picked up the framed picture of them kissing. “Seriously?”
“Your sister gave one to each of us.” He chuckled. “I guess she didn’t tell you.”
Parker stifled a giggle when she realized Sky and the girls hadn’t said anything to her either. Maybe Bella wasn’t the only prankster. Or maybe it wasn’t a prank at all. She smiled at the thought.
“Pete and Hunter have them?” Grayson’s eyes narrowed.
“Yup.” Neil said. “Matty, too. Sky said if we waited for you to give us pictures, we might not ever get any ’cause you’re too busy smooching.”
Grayson shook his head.
“Aw, son. Your sister loves ya. And apparently she and the boys are keen on Parker, too. Besides, I added in the ‘smooching’ part.” Neil’s eyes went serious, and he turned his attention to Parker. “Sky also told me that you don’t want any hullabaloo about being an actress. It’s nice that you’ve done so well for yourself, and I’m sure you’re a fine actress. But whether you’re an actress or selling newspapers on the street corner, what matters is who you are without all that other stuff mucking things up, like how you treat my boy. I hope you’re not just dating him for his good looks and wealth.” He winked. “Because neither one will get you very far.”
“Darn,” she teased. “I guess I’ll have to rethink my plans.”
Grayson smiled at that. “I was worried you weren’t feeling well today, Pop. Good to see you’re still as humorous as ever.”
“I’m fine, Gray. Just a little tired is all.” He sank back down to his chair and reached for his wedding picture. “Real life is now, and we don’t get to live these days again, so tired or not, I’m living it.”
Real life is now. The apple didn’t fall far from the tree, and that familial connection made her feel good all over.
Neil gazed compassionately at Parker. “Sky told me you lost your friend, and I’m sorry you had to go through that. Grayson knows what it’s like to lose someone you love, so you’re in good hands. But if you ever want to talk to an old man, my door’s always open.”
“Thank you,” she managed, touched by his kindness and by Sky’s thoughtfulness. She’d not only thought to tell her father not to make a big deal about her celebrity status, but also to tell him what Parker was going through. She imagined some people might find that intrusive, but to Parker, those were hallmarks of a caring friend.
“With the right people by your side”—Neil lifted his eyes to Grayson—“there’s nothing you can’t get through.”