Chapter 36
Clover
Istopped short at seeing Parker leaning against the counter with his arms crossed when I went down to the kitchen the next morning, Logan and Avery on my heels. I’d been enjoying him sleeping elsewhere, but apparently that was over.
Logan bristled next to me. “I’m going to take care of some business. Let me know when you’re finished here.” He kissed my cheek before stealthily departing the room.
I was still mad at Parker, and apparently so was Logan, since he’d craftily avoided the interaction, but it looked like I was going to be forced into it.
Damn.
I glared at Avery for tricking me into being around Parker. I wanted to give him a chance for the sake of the others and the life we could build together, I really did. I had seen a softer side of Parker on our date, but I still had a good deal of anger simmering in my gut from his recent actions.
“What do you want?” I couldn’t hide the animosity in my voice, and frankly, I wasn’t trying to in the least. He was on thin fucking ice with me, and he knew it.
Parker sighed, pushing off the counter, and then—
Parker…got to his knees?
“What the fuck is happening?” I hissed at Avery.
“Your guess is as good as mine.”
“I told my mother about you,” Parker began. “She advised I beg, so…I may have been misguided in my motivations for the contract, and I want to apologize for that.”
Avery leaned in to whisper in my ear. “That means she ripped him a new one for being a dumbass.”
Okay, that made more sense now. I’d never met Parker’s mother, but I had a distinct appreciation for her in this moment.
“Misguided how?” My tongue felt like it was made of lead, but I managed to form the words. I liked Parker on his knees. He could use some humility, and he certainly looked pretty while getting it.
“I—” He swallowed hard. “It appears I was given false information in the past that incorrectly informed my perceptions of certain situations, which unfortunately impacted my behavior toward you in regards to the contract.”
Avery leaned to whisper again. “You can tell he’s nervous ’cause he went full business-speak.”
Good. He should be fucking nervous.
“I don’t expect forgiveness, and I’m not asking for it—not yet, anyway.
I wanted it to be clear that my apology is sincere, and while I can’t guarantee I won’t do something imbecilic in the future, I don’t want to ruin this opportunity for my pack.
” He sucked in a slow breath. “I know you’ve just come from your new suite. I may have done something as well.”
“If it’s another contract, I’ll be pushing you out of a third-floor window,” I commented dryly.
“I’ll help,” Hunter said from behind me.
The tops of Parker’s ears turned red as he shook his head. “No… I, uh… I think it’s best I show you.” He rose from his knees, cheeks flushing beet red like his ears.
Avery put his hand on the small of my back, leaning in. “Let’s give him the benefit of the doubt. If he’s a dick, he can sleep outside tonight.”
I snorted, almost wanting to snap back at Avery’s suggestion, to call him a traitor, but the sooner we could patch things up in the pack, the better, if only to ease my stress for the baby. If Parker was actually trying…
“Fine,” I sighed.
Avery stayed close as we followed Parker down the hallway, and I felt Hunter right behind me. Were we all suspicious of what Parker had planned?
We walked silently through the hallways, coming to a stop in front of another door, where Parker stopped and turned to face us.
“When I learned you were pregnant, I contacted our interior designer to set this up,” Parker explained as he opened the door. He waited, stepping to the side, and I slunk past him, peering around the new room.
My stomach dropped.
“A nursery?” I asked, slowly walking around the space, my heartbeat ticking up again.
It was… gray.
Everything was a shade of ash, and there wasn’t a single pop of color in the entire room. It was as if the baby was going to be playing and sleeping in a permanent rain cloud. “Did you hire Ebenezer Scrooge as the designer?”
“I—no. It was…never mind.”
Besides the lack of color, the room was objectively beautiful and clearly well-thought-out.
The changing table had a thick mat and plenty of storage underneath.
The bookcase was stocked, the crib looked sturdy but sleek, and the rocking chair was next to a little table with a lamp and enough space for whatever I might need handy—a book, glass of water, baby bottle, or breast pump.
It wasn’t inappropriate or useless, but it was… bleak.
“This is…” I trailed off, unable to find the words.
Parker stared at me intently, almost hopefully, and I didn’t know if I wanted to tell him how bad it was or pretend I liked it.
“Gray,” Hunter uttered, staring at the room in horror.
“Dude, are you allergic to color?” Avery burst into laughter, taking the heat off me.
“I think he was matching the room to his personality,” Hunter added with a chuckle of his own, and I fought back a laugh, covering my mouth with my hand.
Parker’s face flushed red, any hint of hope extinguished and replaced with immediate regret, which was actually nice to see, if I was honest. “I thought it was calming… You know, like a soothing color that wouldn’t overwhelm…ugh…”
Oh. He really tried, didn’t he? What a dummy. He’s so…
I sighed, noting the warmth behind my ribs.
Parker had tried to make something nice for the baby.
Sure, he got it wrong, but I had to admit that the action spoke to him caring more than he let on.
This was a step in the right direction, even if it was a tiny, baby step that landed us squarely in mausoleum territory.
Shaking my head, I padded over to him, resting a hand gently on his chest as I smiled up at him. “It is calming… It’s also a little soulless. Pastel colors are calming. Gray is… But thank you…for trying to do something nice for the baby.”
Parker’s eyes widened, as if he didn’t think I’d ever say thank you to him, and indeed, I had surprised myself with that one. He studied me for a moment, then his shoulders sagged and he nodded. “Interior design is different for a child’s room, I suppose.”
“Fuck, yes, it is. God, dude.” Avery shook his head, slapping a hand down on Parker’s shoulder. “We can repaint, though, yeah?”
Parker looked nervous, turning to me like he needed permission, so I gave him a nod, and he pulled out his phone. “I’ll call the designer.”
“We’ll do it ourselves. No designers.” I laid my hand on Parker’s wrist, stopping him from immediately messaging the person he’d gotten to do this space to begin with.
“A nursery needs to be put together with love, not efficiency. We don’t necessarily need to change everything.
Art on the walls, cute pillows and curtains—it all makes a huge difference to bring a nursery to life. ”
“Would you…help me choose some more appropriate things?” Parker’s brow furrowed as he looked to me for acceptance.
“All right.” I couldn’t help but smile, nodding back at him. “Nursery, take two.”
That evening, Parker spent hours on his laptop with me snacking next to him, looking up inspiration pictures for pastel nurseries, taking detailed notes, and making a million little lists. We didn’t talk much, except for him to get my approval, but it felt like an important first step.
Sometimes it really was the thought that counted.