Beth

The ride back to Bellemora was excruciating. Parker gripped the wheel like he was trying to strangle it and he stared straight ahead, unblinking. He drove so slowly it made Beth’s skin crawl. She knew it was because of the rain, but neither of them spoke and the silence in the car was almost as deafening as the rain pounding down around them.

Beth knew this whole trip was a disaster from the start. She should’ve found some way out of Brenna’s wedding. Her sisters’ weddings were pure torture. It’s not that Beth didn’t love her sisters. She did. But when they were planning a wedding they all turned into the worst PMS versions of themselves and ordered Beth around like a servant instead of a sister. ‘Beth, help set up the tables and chairs. Beth, collect the linens. Beth, bring the DJ a drink.’

And once Beth learned to drive, it only got worse. ‘Beth, pick up your cousin from the airport. Beth, drive drunk Uncle Tommy back to the hotel.’

Her sisters’ weddings also meant enduring them bickering and trying to outdo each other. They each tried to top the last sister’s wedding and went to ridiculous lengths to achieve it. Brianne got married in Scotland. So Beatrice threw a destination wedding in Bermuda. Bianca had one hundred white doves at her ceremony, so Britton rode in on gorgeous white horse at hers.

It never stopped.

But the thing Beth hated most about her sisters’ weddings was the insensitive things they said to her. ‘You’ll have your day too, Bethy.’ Or, ‘You’re just a late bloomer. There’s still hope for you.’ And her all time least favorite, ‘One day you’ll find your prince.’

In Beth’s opinion, none of her sisters had found princes. They weren’t even frogs. More like toads.

Okay, that wasn’t exactly true. Her sisters’ husbands weren’t particularly foul. They seemed to treat her sisters well enough, but Beth always resented them just a bit for taking her sisters away from her. Beth would always love her sisters—craziness and all. And though they’d all married, Beth knew no man could ever replace the special bond of the Bennett sisters.

Beth occupied her mind on the ride back to Bellemora thinking about her brothers-in-law. There was Thomas, Bianca’s husband. He was possibly the dullest person on the planet. He was an accountant and Beth would rather stab her eyes out than try to carry on a conversation with him. Plus, he had really bad breath. It made Beth shudder to think of Bianca kissing him, but Bianca certainly didn’t mind. She was gaga for him.

Then there was Josh, Britton’s husband. Josh was a lawyer and always seemed to think that made him more important than everyone else. He liked to make a point of saying things like, ‘I’ve gotta take this important call.’ It just rubbed Beth the wrong way, yet Britton said no man had ever treated her better.

Brianne’s husband was Jaime. He was a wilderness guide in Scotland and was as cool as he sounded. Beth’s only problem with him was that he made her favorite sister move all the way to Scotland. Beth didn’t fault her for it. Jaime was a sweetheart and treated Brianne like a princess.

Beatrice was married to Graham, the surgeon. Graham was actually pretty cool. He was easy to talk to and had a great sense of humor, but he was never around much. He practically lived at the hospital, which was why Beatrice was always so overrun by her kids. But Beth knew Beatrice wouldn’t trade Graham and the kids for the world.

And soon, there would be Eric, the Marine. The jury was still out on Eric, but anyone who could make Brenna settle down earned a few points in Beth’s book.

Beth pondered how all of her sisters had ended up with such different spouses. She wouldn’t have put them together, but they each seemed undeniably happy. She wondered what it meant for her. None of her sisters’ relationships helped her figure out the question gnawing at her heart. Was Jared right for her, or Parker?

Beth certainly knew who fit best with her family. Her one saving grace when she was surrounded by her crazy family drama was that Beth had always had Parker by her side. He’d come to every wedding with her, and somehow kept her sane throughout them. He even managed to help her have fun, sneaking drinks from the bar and busting a move on the dance floor. But now that was ruined, and it was all her fault. Why the hell had she kissed him?

She wished she could claim heat stroke or insanity, but deep down Beth knew why she’d done it. It was partly because Jared was being an ass, and Parker was . . . well, Parker. He was kind and always there for her, and the things he said . . . it was everything she’d ever wanted to hear.

Beth couldn’t have stopped herself from kissing Parker if she’d wanted to. But even now, knowing how badly she’d wrecked things, she wouldn’t take it back. She’d always wanted to kiss him. But what surprised her was how much Parker seemed to want it too. And how right it all felt—up until the moment the sky opened up.

* * *

When they finally pulled up under the carriage porch at Bellemora a valet driver ran out to open Beth’s door, but she was already out of the car. She heard Parker call after her but she didn’t wait. She needed space. She needed time to think this all through. What she wanted more than anything was to take a shower and wash away everything that happened on the beach so she and Parker could go back to the way things were before.

Beth bounced on the balls of her feet as she punched the elevator button. “Come on,” she muttered.

Parker arrived before the elevator did, worry etched across his handsome face. “Didn’t you hear me calling you?”

“Yeah.”

“So you decided to ignore me?”

The hurt on his face was enough to make Beth want to curl up and die. “No, I just . . . I don’t know. I just need some space to figure this out.”

“Beth, let’s figure it out together,” he pleaded.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

The elevator doors dinged open and Parker followed Beth inside. At the last minute a member of the hotel staff joined them. Beth and Parker endured the ride to their floor in awkward silence, but as soon as they were back in their room Parker picked up right where they’d left off. “Why won’t you talk to me?”

“You know why,” she whisper-hissed, starting to pace the stuffy room.

Parker followed. “No, I really don’t.”

“Parker! This is a problem,” Beth said gesturing between them.

“Fine, then talk to me about it so we can figure it out.”

Beth whirled on him. “I can’t talk to you when the problem is you.”

Parker stopped in his tracks. “But we always talk to each other.”

“I know,” she whispered. “That’s what makes this so hard.”

Parker took her hands. His own were trembling. “Beth, it’s not hard. Just talk to me like you always do. I need to know what you’re thinking or I think I might lose my mind. Why did you kiss me?”

She bit her lip. She couldn’t talk to him. How could she tell him how she felt when she wasn’t even sure herself? On one hand kissing him had felt so incredibly right, so perfect. On the other, she had a boyfriend in Aspen, who up until a few minutes ago she had also thought was right for her. But after kissing Parker . . . everything was different

But did it really matter? Parker was leaving for Cornell in a few short months. And more importantly, he didn’t love her like that. Did he?

“Beth,” he begged. “Please don’t shut me out.”

“Parker I’m sorry. I never should’ve kissed you. I don’t know what happened. If I could take it back I would.”

“Don’t say that.”

“It’s true.” It wasn’t. But Beth was desperately trying to make herself believe it was. “I shouldn’t have kissed you. I’m trying to apologize.”

“Well, I don’t accept it!” he bellowed. “I don’t want you to take it back. Not one second of it.”

Beth blinked. She’d never heard Parker yell like that before. “What?”

“Do you know how long I’ve wanted to kiss you?”

Her heart skipped. “Parker—”

“No,” he said putting a hand up to stop her. “Maybe you need a minute to think this over, but I don’t. I know exactly how I feel about you, Beth. I love you. You’re everything I’ve ever wanted. It’s always been you.”

She blinked at him dumbfounded. He couldn’t be saying what she thought he was saying. Beth’s thoughts bounced back to the Fourth of July, to Parker answering Brenna’s intrusive questions about why he never brought any girls around. ‘There’s only one girl for me.’ That’s what he’d said. Could he have meant her?

Beth’s body trembled. Her heart was beating too fast. She could hear her pulse pounding in her ears and her knees were weak. She quickly sat down on the bed and put her head in her hands.

Parker took a few steadying breaths and collected himself. He put his hand on Beth’s shoulder for a moment. “I’m sorry,” he said softly. “I didn’t mean to yell, but please don’t take it back.”

Beth didn’t respond. What could she say? That she’d always loved him too? She had a boyfriend! This wasn’t supposed to be happening.

When she didn’t respond, Parker sighed. “I’ll give you some space if that’s what you want.”

She nodded.

“I guess I’ll see you at dinner.” And then Parker grabbed his duffle bag and stormed out of the room leaving Beth stunned and alone.