Chapter 34
CHAPTER 34
PARKER
“So, how is living with our resident Tall, Dark, and Broody?” Ciara leaned forward, chin in hands. “He’s certainly been keeping you to himself these past several weeks.” The waggle of her eyebrows made it very clear how she imagined he’d been keeping me occupied. And, well, she wasn’t entirely wrong, even if that wasn’t precisely why I hadn’t seen as much of the girls lately.
“Alex hasn’t been bringing home daily reports?”
“What he deems worthy of reporting and what I’d expect from you are not the same thing.”
I pursed my lips and sipped at my Coke while surreptitiously slipping a chip beneath the table for Falkor, who nipped it neatly from my fingers. “A girl doesn’t kiss and tell.”
Beside me, Jade snorted. “Honey, those fair cheeks of yours tell plenty.”
“They imply plenty,” Skye corrected. “But they don’t give all the juicy details.”
“ I’m not giving all the juicy details.”
“But you admit there are juicy details,” Pippa pointed out.
I fixed her with a look. “Do you want to share all the intimate specifics of your love life with Zeke?”
“We did hear about that save a horse, ride a cowboy T-shirt,” Skye said.
Pippa immediately sank down in her chair as we all began to laugh.
I plucked another chip off my plate and bit in. “I’m not going into specifics. But I will say that it’s going well, and we’re very happy. I love having all the one-on-one time with him.” It was true. Even if I did occasionally feel the slightest bit stifled by the current security restrictions.
I was never truly alone these days. Callum or Jade or one of the guys was always with me, even though nothing had happened in all these weeks. I didn’t know how long they intended to keep it up before the threat was declared… well, not a threat. But I definitely couldn’t complain. Not when I was living with a man I loved, one who loved me. Not when my best friend was here in Scotland with me, embarking on this new life and risking hers to make sure I got to keep it.
“One-on-one time with men who are trained to focus like the Royal Marines is definitely worth appreciating,” Ciara sighed.
I lifted my glass to her in a toast of solidarity.
“I hate you both,” Saoirse said mildly.
“Hey, there’s still one more available,” I pointed out.
“Not if he were the last man on earth.”
“So you keep saying.” Ciara fixed her with a significant look before turning back to me. “But seriously, you’ve been so good for Callum. He’s lightened up so much these past few months. The other locals aren’t afraid to speak to him anymore. And Alex said he’s even started joking with clients.”
“Finn is still freaking out about all the smiling he’s doing, so I think Callum’s doing it more just to mess with him.” Jade paused. “Or maybe he’s just imagining Parker naked.”
“Jade!” Heat rushed to my cheeks, but I grinned and lowered my voice. “Both those things could be true.”
Another gale of laughter overtook the table.
Jade straightened. “Oh, hey, I need to go grab something from my flat.”
I hadn’t quite finished my lunch, but I automatically pushed back the plate.
Jade pushed the plate back to me. “No, no. You stay put. I’ll be back in just a bit, and then we’ll head back to work.”
She gave me a look that said Sit. I know you’re just coming off a flare. She wasn’t wrong. I’d overdone it on the paddle boarding trip. Courtesy of Callum’s ministrations, I hadn’t been fully down for the count, but I wasn’t back to a hundred percent either, so I gratefully relaxed into my chair. “I’ll be here, and I’ve got lunch.”
“Appreciate it.”
We all watched her weave through the tables.
“She settling in okay?” Skye asked.
“Yeah. And it worked out well that she’s basically taking over my lease now that I’ve moved in with Callum. Easy on all fronts.”
“It must be so great having one of your besties make the move with you.”
I still felt a twinge of guilt at that, but Jade had insisted she was good with it. “It really is. I’m lucky to have her here. And I’m so grateful y’all all brought her into the fold.”
“Of course we did. We’ve all had the experience of being the new person in town,” Ciara said.
Pippa arched a brow. “You know everyone here from growing up.”
“I never said I was new here .”
“Oh Christ, is that the time?” Saoirse pushed back from the table, tossing some bills down. “I’ve got to get going, too. There’s a whole herd’s worth of vaccinations on my docket this afternoon over in Braemore. Ta, my loves.”
We all waved as she practically sprinted out of the pub.
Ciara folded her arms. “Speaking of new or not so new, can we talk about Saoirse? She’s resisted getting involved with anyone since she got here, acting like being in Glenlaig is temporary, but it’s so clear she’s going to take over her grandda’s practice. I think she needs a man.”
“ Does she need a man?” I asked. “Or is that you're happily in love and want everyone to be equally happy and in love talking?”
“To be clear, I’m not saying she needs a relationship or a man to complete her, but I think she could benefit from some company that wasn’t of the battery-powered variety.”
Skye angled her head in concession of the point. “You want to play matchmaker?”
“She always wants to play matchmaker,” Pippa pointed out.
“It’s a small village. We have to get our entertainment somewhere. Now, who do we think likely candidates could be?”
Over the next fifteen minutes, we discussed options. I privately wondered whether there could be some kind of sparks with Finn, as she bristled like a scalded cat any time he came up, and it was feeling more than a little like the lady doth protest too much. But I didn’t bring him up as a viable candidate. Mostly because I wasn’t sure I wanted Ciara taking that bit between her teeth, and I had no idea how Finley might feel about the idea. By the time we’d finished our plates and the lunch hour was drawing to a close, we hadn’t settled on anyone we all thought Saoirse would really go for.
Ciara shoved back from the table. “I’ve got to get back to the castle. We’ve got a client meeting with a new bride this afternoon, and I dinna want to be late.”
“I need to get going, too. Zoom meeting with the home office,” Skye said.
“And I need to get back to my coding,” Pippa announced.
I needed to get back to work, too, but Jade still wasn’t back from running over to the flat. The girls and I exchanged hugs, and I waved them off. Then it was just me and the dwindling crowd at The Stag’s Head. What was taking Jade so long? She hadn’t said what she needed. Maybe she’d gotten stuck on a phone call or something. Should I walk over to check on her? It was only a block. Neither she nor Callum had let me go anywhere alone since all this started, but surely I’d be fine in the middle of the village in broad daylight.
Even as I was trying to decide what to do, my phone vibrated with a text.
Jade
Hey, this is taking longer than I expected. Head on back to work without me.
Parker
Are you sure? Is there something I can help with?
The reply dots started bouncing.
Jade
No, everything’s fine. It’s been quiet. Go ahead and walk.
I hadn’t planned to walk this afternoon, but my flare had lightened up considerably and the movement would probably do me good. Plus, I didn’t want to pass up this opportunity for a little bit of normal. I missed my routine of walking to work to and from my flat. I’d lost out on that since I’d moved in with Callum. Laying down cash for my and Jade’s portion of the bill, I waved to Zo and stepped out onto the high street.
The day was cloudy and a little cool. I couldn’t get over highs in early July being in the sixties. Not that I was complaining. I decided to take a slightly different route back to the office. My usual one down the high street would take me past all the businesses I frequented and would most likely result in a lot of stops to visit. I didn’t have the energy to make it all the way back to the office if I stopped moving. Just across from Village Chippy, I cut over a block to the first residential street. The quiet, tree-lined drive was lovely. Cozy. The sort of place where I imagined neighbors knew and looked out for each other.
Callum’s house was so remote. It was lovely, and we’d put some effort into starting to clean up the garden. But there were no neighbors nearby. I understood that had been entirely deliberate on his part when he’d bought the place. No matter how much happier he might be with me, I didn’t see him ever moving to a place that could be considered a neighborhood. He liked his privacy too much. God forbid somebody pop over to borrow a cup of sugar.
I was so amused by the mental image of that I didn’t immediately register the sound of a vehicle approaching. Falkor tensed as tires crunched on asphalt, far too close for comfort. A white van screeched to a halt. The side door slid open with a heavy thunk and multiple sets of rough hands grabbed for me before I even understood what was happening.
My gentle, people-loving dog erupted into a frenzy of snarls and snapping teeth as he fought to protect me. I thrashed and bucked, trying to twist free of my captors’ grips. The sharp yelp of pain and sudden cessation of growling had my heart seizing in my chest.
“Falkor!” I twisted and jerked harder, despite the screaming protest of my body. I had to see what they’d done to him. “Let go of me!”
I kicked out, connecting with something solid. A reverberation of pain shot up my own leg even as one of the men grunted. Small victories. But it wasn’t enough. There were too many. Three? Maybe four? They hauled me into the van. The stale air inside reeked of cigarettes and unwashed bodies. I sucked in a breath to scream, but a rough hand pressed hard against my face, muffling the sound, and I felt the prick of a needle in my neck.
No, no, no...
My last coherent thought was of Falkor’s silence as darkness washed over me, dragging me under.