Chapter 24
PARKER
“What’s this for?” Beck asked as I handed him a hundred bucks.
“Sunday. Tonight. Whatever. Add it to the kitty.”
“Tonight?” Mason leaned against the kitchen counter. “You staying at her place?”
“Hopefully,” I said. “I can argue Sunday didn’t count, but tonight will. And I honestly don’t give a shit what you two assholes have to say about it.”
Mason threw up his hands. “Not casting stones here.”
“I am.” Beck pocketed the cash. “You stay the night, things happen.”
“Maybe I don’t care.” As soon as the words came out of my mouth, I realized how true they were. I didn’t care. Not with Delaney. If my choices were keeping her at arm’s length or risk getting close, I’d be picking door number two.
“Maybe you should.”
It was Beck’s tone that got me. He was rarely serious. About anything.
He shrugged. “Just sayin’… you remember the reason we took it? New relationships cloud the true story. Not one of us with parents who weren’t devastated in some way because of their significant other. And they all started out”—he waved his arm to Mason—“like him. Or you, from the looks of it.”
Mason opened his mouth to argue with him, but I stopped him. Arguing with Beck was useless. Forget about the fact that, before meeting Delaney, I’d have agreed with him. Wholeheartedly. “In other news, I signed up for a log cabin building workshop in Rochester next weekend.”
“Oh, yeah?” Mason took a swig of beer, side-eying Beck but playing along with me. “What are you thinking?”
“That it could be a good niche. I wouldn’t be directly competing with Rich, and the margins are high on log cabin homes. The big question is the market in our area.”
“Who gives a shit about Rich?” Beck asked. “He’s a dickhead anyway.”
“Maybe,” I agreed. “But he’s still the biggest construction game in town.”
Mason pulled out his phone, looking at it. Putting his beer down, he pushed himself away from the counter. “Guest is locked out.” He rolled his eyes. “Be right back.”
There were spare keys to all the rooms hidden in various places, but that was exactly why changing the doors to keypads was Parker’s next job.
The fact that Mason’s dad had never had a problem with getting broken into, despite the fact that the hidden keys weren’t a huge secret around town, was shocking.
“Log cabin construction.” Beck put the last of the taco dinner leftovers in the fridge. “Interesting. Do you need a special permit for that?”
“No,” I said. “But a portfolio wouldn’t hurt. That’ll probably be the biggest issue. I may have an idea on how to tackle that too.”
“Do tell.”
“Yes, do tell,” Pia said as she and Delaney came back into the kitchen. Hopefully that would ensure no more talk about the pact. Remembering the exact discussion that had led to it gave me a queasy feeling in my stomach. “What are we telling?”
“Boring stuff,” I said.
“Parker’s finally thinking to pull the trigger on his own business, niching down into log cabin home construction,” Beck said.
Pia smiled. “I may have heard something about that already.”
As usual, Delaney was smiling. The term “sunny disposition” was invented for her.
“Oh, yeah?” I asked, looking at Delaney. “Are you the culprit here?”
“Maybe,” she said cheekily.
“What else do you ladies talk about, I wonder?”
“I can guarantee it’s not the same thing as you boys.” Pia turned to Delaney. “I’ve overheard more of their discussions living here than I care to admit.”
“First of all”—Beck closed the dishwasher—“men, not boys. Second of all”—he appeared genuinely confused—“you all don’t talk about sex?”
Delaney pressed her lips tight together, trying not to laugh.
“Of course we do. I was talking about the other 80 percent of your conversations.” Pia looked at me. “Aka, sports.”
“But you do talk about sex? Among your own kind?” Beck asked.
The brother/sister rapport between Pia and Beck was unique.
“Our own kind? We are women, Beck. Not an entirely different species.”
He snorted. “I’m not sure about that one.”
“What has you so confused?” I asked. Beck’s face scrunched up in mock concentration.
He really was one of a kind. I could somewhat see why every female in Cedar Falls lost their mind over him.
Besides being good-looking, he was endearing, in an airheaded, surfer dude kind of way.
At least, that was how he presented. Very few people knew that he was anything but.
If I had to put money on it, I’d put his IQ above even Cole’s, although no one who had met both of them would ever believe it.
Beck was mostly show. The guy masked a lot of shit he never wanted to talk about.
Since I hadn’t stared at her in all of about the last two minutes, I peeked over at Delaney.
Sitting at the kitchen island sipping her margarita, she was listening to Beck and Pia.
What would she do if I walked up to her, pushed her hair to the side and kissed her neck?
All night I wanted to touch her so badly, but I didn’t know if she was ready for public displays of affection in front of friends.
Despite Crystal Peak, there was a hesitancy about her still that most likely related back to the ex.
I got it, not wanting to jump in with both feet.
On the other hand, staying away from her wasn’t an option for me.
She looked over.
I lifted the margarita glass to my lips, made sure neither Pia nor Beck were looking, and stuck my tongue out, just slightly. Twisting the glass to where salt still remained, I licked it off and then took a sip.
Delaney swallowed. Shifted on her stool.
Smiling, liking this game, I put my drink on the counter and pulled out my phone.
Hi there, cupcake.
I watched as she pulled her phone out of the back pocket of her jeans.
Hi there, yourself.
Having a good time?
I am. Are you?
Yes.
I looked up. She did the same. The others didn’t seem to notice us thanks to their ongoing conversation.
Although, I can think of something better than tacos and margaritas.
While she read my text and typed a response, I picked up my drink, took a sip, and pretended to care about what the others were saying. In truth, I wasn’t hearing any of their conversation. The prospect of leaving here, imminently, with Delaney, overrode all other thoughts.
I put the drink back down and glanced at her response.
What could possibly be better than tacos and margaritas?
I wasn’t certain if Delaney liked her texts dirty too, but I was about to find out.
You. Specifically you pinned beneath me as I lick your nipples the way I just did that salt.
Thankfully, I didn’t need to wait long for her reaction. The second she finished reading my text, her head snapped up.
“Are you two seriously texting each other?”
Leave it to Beck to be discreet.
“Don’t know what gave you that idea,” I said, taking a sip of my drink.
“Leave them alone.” Pia swatted Beck’s shoulder.
Mason grinned. “I think you two make a cute couple,” he said.
Sometimes, I like the “old” Mason. The grumpier one that didn’t talk as much, pre-Pia. The one that didn’t use the word “cute.” This one was foreign to me.
“Oh, so now that you’re out of the pact, you’re trying to recruit members of the ‘anti-bachelor pact’?” Beck frowned.
“There’s no such thing,” I said dryly.
“Whatever. Traitors,” he mumbled under his breath.
“Now Beck,” Pia said, as if speaking to a child. “You can’t possibly wish for Mason and me not to have met.”
“Obviously not. You’re the best thing that ever happened to him,” he said, in a moment of rare Beck sincerity. “There’s always an exception to the rule.”
“Awww.” Pia pretended to sooth the shoulder she’d swatted as Mason rolled his eyes.
With the others distracted, I finished my drink and picked my phone back up.
Speaking of me ravishing that incredible body of yours…
Delaney looked down at her phone, then back up at me. I nodded toward the door. In response, she downed the rest of her drink.
I laughed loud enough for the others to stop talking and look my way. Coughing, in a poor attempt at recovery, I managed, “Thirsty?”
“Extremely.” Delaney was about to crack up but somehow held it together. “And a little tired, to be honest.”
“Must be something in the air. I’m feeling a little…” I hesitated. Summoned a straight face and finished. “Sleepy, too.”
“Sure. Something is in the air, alright,” Pia teased.
“It’s been real,” I said, heading toward Delaney. “But I’m walking her home.”
“Thank you so much,” she said. “I’m so glad to have finally made a Taco Tuesday.”
“Anytime.” Pia gave her a kiss on the cheek. “Thanks for the wine.”
“My pleasure. See you, Mason. Beck.”
After goodbyes, I grabbed our coats by the door, more than ready to finally get a chance to touch Delaney, when she stopped me.
“Before we go…”
I waited, staring at her lips, not able to stand it any longer. Reaching for her, I closed the distance between us, pulling her toward me. Our mouths met as if we’d been kissing each other forever. Fitting perfectly together, only the thought of getting her home made me stop. Catch a breath.
“Yes, cupcake?”
She smiled. “I was thinking, since you have to work early tomorrow, that maybe… maybe you’d want to grab… I don’t know. A toothbrush. Work clothes. Maybe leave from my place?”
Hell, yeah. “Are you asking me to stay the night?”
“I guess I am.”
Without answering, I bolted from the foyer toward the stairs. “Be right back,” I said, heading toward my bedroom and putting together an overnight bag in record time.
Did I care if Delaney saw how glad I was she asked?
No.
Was I going to play bullshit cat and mouse games with her?
Also no.
Was it a good idea to spend the night with her after we just did so two days ago?
Another no.
But sometimes, you just had to say “fuck it” and follow your gut… for better or worse.