Chapter Twenty-Two
“Please don’t embarrass me,” I pled with my parents as they were double-timing it toward the soccer field.
I had to intercept them before they made it to Miles and Henry, who had arrived earlier with Chloe and me.
Miles thought it didn’t make sense for us to take two vehicles this morning.
The stares and wicked grins I had received from Emma and Sawyer and even Gwendolyn when we arrived this morning were more than obvious.
I think Gwendolyn was considering husband number four or five by the way she kept ogling Miles.
With all that said, I didn’t need my parents giving him the third degree.
They were intrigued that Miles and I had a close enough relationship already to where he was coming to Chloe’s game.
Not only that, Mom was eager to give him her book report of Silent Stones.
I so badly wanted to yank that spiral-bound report out of her hands.
She must have known, as she had a killer grip on it.
Mom patted my cheek. “Honey, we would never embarrass you on purpose.”
“It’s the accidental embarrassment I’m worried about.”
Dad chuckled.
Mom waved at Emma, who was doing warmups with the girls. They would need it this morning. It was cool enough to see your breath.
“Is she feeling better?” Mom asked me.
“She seems to be this morning.”
Mom set her sights on Miles and Henry at the park near the soccer field and picked up her pace.
Miles was letting Henry run around the park, hoping to get some of his wiggles out before the game started.
Even in his “trousers,” Henry looked too proper.
Miles insisted that Henry needed slacks, not denim.
He said Sophie would roll over in her grave if he went from breeches to denim.
Henry’s short double-breasted wool coat made him look like a fifty-year-old man. But the cutest fifty-year-old.
As we approached, Henry saw us and ran to me as fast as his little legs would go. Gosh, I loved that kid. Miles followed him, looking like he was walking at a fashion show in his own wool jacket with a scarf around his neck. His dark curls rustled in the light breeze.
“Wow,” Mom commented next to me. “He’s something.”
Dad, who was still a handsome guy even though he definitely had the dad body and thinning gray hair going on, gave Mom a pointed stare.
Mom gave Dad a side hug. “Russ, we’ve been married for almost forty years, I was only making an observation.”
“I would appreciate if you only observed me from now on,” Dad replied, making Mom and me laugh.
I bent down to pick up the boy who owned my heart.
“I slided and swinged,” Henry reported.
I kissed his nose, pink from the cold. “Are you ready to watch Chloe play soccer?”
“Yes!” He threw a fist up in the air. “GO CO-EE!”
Miles was upon us. He grinned at me before standing right next to me.
I told him my parents were eager to meet him and to prepare himself for anything.
I never knew what to expect when it came to my mom.
I mean, the woman had taken the time to write what looked like at least a twenty-page book report.
She seriously needed a job or some more hobbies.
The way Miles and I were facing my parents had a meet-the-boyfriend vibe going on.
My first instinct was to step away from him, but I knew that would hurt his feelings, which was the last thing I wanted to do.
Day after day, Miles was chipping away my defenses.
This morning was the perfect example. He’d made Chloe what he called his game-day protein shake.
Then, on the drive in, he went over strategy with her.
He had no idea how much that meant to me, especially considering her father was in town and hadn’t bothered to try and make contact again.
But I did hear from Emma that he was spotted with Kylie at a local bar in Carrington Cove.
I swore, if Chloe and I ran into them together and that was his first contact with her in years, the gloves might come off.
I’d done my best over the years not to bad-mouth him in front of her, but in that case, I might not be able to restrain myself.
Enough ruminating over my ex, it was time to make awkward introductions.
“Mom and Dad, this is Miles Wickham. Miles these are my parents, Russ and Cindy Parker.”
“I’m Henry.” Henry didn’t want to be left out even though my parents were already well acquainted with him.
We all chuckled at Henry before Miles shook my parents’ hands. “It is a pleasure to meet you both.”
Mom wasted no time and handed him her report before she looped her arm through his. “I read Silent Stones. Beautiful job, but I made some notes you may want to consider for the sequel.”
I wanted to do a face-palm. “Mom.”
“What, honey?” she asked innocently.
“You should really find some seats in the bleachers before all the good spots are taken,” I forcefully recommended.
“Good thinking,” Mom responded. “Miles you can sit next to me and we can discuss your intriguing book.”
“I’d be delighted.” Miles winked at me. “Let me just wish Chloe a good game. Save me a seat, Cindy.”
My mother blushed. My father narrowed his eyes at his wife before taking her hand and pulling her toward the bleachers. “Take your time,” he told Miles.
Miles walked with me and Henry toward the field.
“Are you trying to break up my parents?” I teased.
“As lovely as your mother is, she is a bit old for my taste.”
“I wouldn’t mention that to her. And let me apologize for any critiques she throws your way.”
Miles looked down at the report he had in his hand. Mom had gone as far as making a cover with fancy lettering and his book cover front and center on it. “I look forward to reading her analysis.”
“Sure you do.”
“I’m in earnest.”
Henry saw Chloe and he jumped out of my arms and ran straight for her. All her teammates immediately stopped whatever they were doing and fawned over the little man yelling, “CO-EE! CO-EE! Come slide with me.”
Chloe picked him up and spun him around.
Miles and I both beamed at the scene.
Miles moved closer to me. “Sophie would have adored you and Chloe.”
Yep, that scent of his was still intoxicating the crap out of me.
I had to compose myself before I answered.
“I wish we had gotten to know her.” The more I worked on the picture of her and Henry, the more I felt connected to her.
In an odd way, I felt like she was my champion, beckoning me on with Henry and Miles.
“Me too,” Miles replied.
It was then I noticed Shelby, Ryder, Jenna, Brad, and Elliott all walking toward the bleachers. My mom was already waving them over. I cringed. It wasn’t that they had never come to a game before, but I knew they were coming because I told them Miles would be here.
“Um . . .” I hated switching the conversation’s direction, but he had to be warned.
“All my friends just showed up and they’re sitting with my parents.
Please let me apologize again for anything ridiculous any of them might say.
Especially watch out for Shelby. The Southern Belle believes everyone deserves a Disney fairytale ending, so she might .
. . you know, never mind.” I just realized I was implying that I talked to my friends about him, which obviously I did, but he didn’t need to know that.
“She thinks we deserve one.” Miles correctly guessed.
“Yes.” I tugged on my ponytail. “But don’t worry. I’ve told them all that it isn’t going to happen.” I felt like I was digging myself in deeper. This was probably why I was never emotionally intimate with someone. I was a blustering idiot. “I need to go help Emma,” I said, flustered.
“Aspen.” He tugged on the sleeve of my jacket.
I looked up and faced him eye-to-eye, which wasn’t my brightest idea. Between his cologne and the soft expression in his eyes, my heart was zinging all over the place. Why after all these years of rebuffing men did my heart come alive for the one man it should have remained dormant for?
Miles leaned in. “Please don’t apologize. It is natural for people to assume that I would have a hard time resisting the beautiful nanny. And they would be right.”
I was suddenly feeling lightheaded and flushed. “They are? I mean, you think I’m beautiful?” I closed my eyes and cringed. “I mean I’m not beautiful. Seriously, I need to go.”
“Aspen, please look at me.”
I peeked one eye open like a child to see a bemused smile on Miles’s face.
“I wish you wouldn’t be embarrassed around me.”
Both my eyes popped open. “I don’t see that happening.”
“Well, in that case,” he leaned down and whispered in my ear, “you are beautiful, but for your own good, I will resist you.” He walked away to wish Chloe luck and take Henry from her before I could respond.
My body was in shock from the massive shivers Miles just sent down my spine. When my body and mind came to, all they could think about was what did he mean by for my own good?
Emma was to me in no time, shaking her head, stunned. “What was that all about? A good luck kiss?”
“Will you keep your voice down? He didn’t kiss me.
Is that what it looked like?” I looked up into the bleachers to find all my friends and my parents gawking at me with expressions varying from disbelief to downright awe.
Shelby even had her hands to her mouth like she was keeping herself from bursting into a song.
Crap! That’s exactly what that probably looked like.
I didn’t have time to dispel any misconceptions before Miles got to them.
All I could do was turn back and face Emma.
“Looks like you’ll be amending that contract after all.” She wagged her brows.
“You’re wrong. He was just telling me that’s exactly what won’t be happening.”
Emma’s forehead scrunched. “You’re lying. Both of your bodies were screaming, ‘Forget the contract!’”
“I’m not lying.” I jogged over to our bench to grab my clipboard. It was almost time for the game to start. Time for me to focus on anything but my boss.
Emma was going to make that difficult. She followed me, slowly. Growing twins was no easy task. She took the clipboard from me and tilted her head to study me. “What is going on between you two? And don’t say nothing, because the heat between you is palpable.”
“I know,” I whispered.
Emma’s eyes popped at my admission. “If you know, then what’s the issue?”
“Em, we have kids and we work together. That makes any situation complicated. Besides, I don’t even know my own heart right now. It’s experiencing some difficult growing pains. And I’m pretty sure he left a girlfriend in London.”
“Well, I would hate to be his girlfriend. No man should look at another woman the way he looks at you if he’s taken.”
“I don’t know if they are still together, but I get the feeling that they’re not done, if that makes sense.”
Emma’s lips pursed. “I suppose it does, but that doesn’t mean something won’t happen between the two of you.”
I rested my hand on Emma’s arm. “Em, he’s promised me it won’t, and so far, he’s been a man of his word.” I’d finally gotten what I’d always hoped for, a man of his word. Why then, did I hope he would go against it?