Chapter two
Parker
Present Day
“So, how about dinner Saturday night?”
A woman I recognize from earlier this week rushes up to my car before I can even turn the ignition off.
“What?”
She giggles, tossing her hair over her shoulder. “Sorry. Good morning, Parker. You look extra sexy today with a fresh haircut. I’m Christy. We spoke yesterday and the day before, but who’s counting?” Another giggle escapes her lips. “So, dinner Saturday?”
I shake my head as I grab my bag from the front seat and step out, locking my car before heading toward the animal hospital. “I, uh…need to get to work.”
Christy scurries after me. “Of course. I just thought since I don’t have plans this weekend, we could finally go on our first date. You have to admit, our connection is pretty amazing, don’t you think?”
Our connection? This woman must be certifiable because I think I’ve said a total of ten words to her, but apparently, she is already planning our wedding.
Okay, let me back up.
In the last year, my single status has remained intact, just the way I like it.
Watching my two older brothers and my friend Grady fall in love over the past two years has only confirmed that I don’t want to end up in that situation again.
Luckily for them, they found women who didn’t make them question the sanctity of love and marriage, but the vulnerability, the trust, the work it takes to be the “best version” of yourself for someone else?
No thanks. My issues have been serving me well for the past four years, and I have no intention of changing that anytime soon.
But last spring, I became an unexpected chick magnet, and not in the sense you might think.
My brother Dallas and his wife, Willow, noticed a goose had laid some eggs on their property.
It didn’t surprise me since the gaggle of geese practically became pets after Willow moved into the house she inherited almost two years ago.
Willow became a little obsessive about them, texting me at all hours with “prenatal” concerns about the mom’s diet and how uncomfortable she looked while waiting for them to hatch.
So, the next time I was at their place, I humored her by giving the goose an “exam.” I got on the ground, talked to the geese, checked the nest, and dodged the hissing mom and dad, who clearly weren’t thrilled about my visit.
I explained to Willow that no, she didn’t need to worry about giving the goose a pregnancy pillow or calcium supplements and went over what they should do until the eggs hatched.
Apparently, she’d been recording the whole thing. She posted the video online with the caption: A man who takes care of animals…And he’s single, ladies ??
To make matters worse, I’d just come from the beach, so I was only wearing a pair of swim trunks.
Now, dodging overly eager women who want to take my last name as their own has become my daily routine.
You’d think the video would have died down quickly, but every time I went to check on the geese, she’d film me again.
I had no idea—it took me a while to figure out why random women started throwing themselves at me.
Now, it’s been months of this shit, and all my siblings think it’s a fucking riot.
Thanks a lot, Willow.
As I reach for the clinic’s door handle, Christy stops me with her hand on my shoulder. “Parker…”
Inhaling deeply, I turn around to face the woman, hoping that some directness will get through to her. “Christy, you seem lovely, but I’m not interested in dating right now.”
Her head rears back on her neck. “But I’m a catch.”
“I’m sure you are, but I’m just not available.”
Her hand drops from my shoulder as her entire demeanor changes, her eyes narrow, and if she could, I’m pretty sure she’d shoot laser beams at me. “God, you’re just like every other guy on the internet.”
“And how’s that?” I ask, not necessarily eager for her response, but curious, nonetheless.
“You put on a show for the camera and then turn out to be an asshole in real life.”
Shaking my head so I don’t say something to spur this woman on, I turn back to the door and enter the hospital just as three of the technicians scatter from their post at the front counter.
“Subtle, ladies.”
Cassandra smiles. “What level of crazy was that one?”
“On a scale from one to ten, probably a five.”
“That’s it? I saw her parked out there when I came in at six this morning.”
My eyes bug out of my head. “Okay, maybe closer to a seven or eight. She wanted to go out this Saturday.”
“Did she start planning your imaginary wedding too?” Kelly, our newest tech, interjects with a smile on her lips.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if she did, but I turned her down before she could tell me the colors of our napkins and place settings.”
“We have a problem.” All four of us spin to find Beth, our lead technician, striding out to the front of the office. Beth has been here since Dr. O’Neil’s father was still alive. She practically runs this practice now. Everyone knows you do not want to be on this woman’s bad side.
We follow her to the back and join the rest of the staff in a huddle.
“Dr. O’Neil fell at his house this morning,” she announces.
“What?” “Oh my god!” Several of the employees exclaim their shock at the same time. Seth and I lock eyes across the room, knowing exactly what this means for us.
In the past year, I’ve come to respect the man more as a doctor, but we’re never going to be grabbing beers together or painting each other’s finger nails—not that I do that with other men, but you get what I’m saying. We coexist for the sake of the practice, but that’s it.
“Is he all right?” I ask over the staff’s murmurs.
Beth nods at me. “Luckily, nothing’s broken, but he will be off duty for the rest of the week and part of next. So, that means we’re down a doctor.”
Robert has only been practicing a few days a week as it is, but on the days when he’s here, things definitely run more smoothly. This means that Seth and I are going to have to pick up the slack.
But that’s not the only thing on my mind.
Dr. O’Neil is only getting older. I think all of us are wondering how much longer he is going to push himself until he finally realizes it’s time to retire.
“Everyone needs to be on top of things this week and communicate effectively. No calling out unless absolutely necessary,” Beth says as everyone nods in agreement.
“I will be visiting Dr. O’Neil later tonight to check on him and bring him some paperwork.
” She slides a card out from under the stack of papers on her clipboard.
“I thought it would be nice if we all sign this card for him too, just so he knows we’re thinking of him. ”
The staff practically lunges at Beth with their pens poised while I head back to my office to look at the calendar and see what I can move around.
I usually take a long lunch on Thursdays at Catch & Release, my brother Dallas’s restaurant, but I’m not sure I’ll have time now, so I shoot off a text to him while I have a free minute.
Me: Not sure I’m gonna make it for lunch tomorrow. Dr. O’Neil fell this morning so we’re down a physician.
He responds almost immediately.
Dallas: That sucks. Is he okay?
Me: Apparently nothing is broken, but the man is getting up there in age. I hope he takes this as a sign to slow down.
Dallas: You think he might retire sooner than later?
Me: Ha…maybe. I’ll stop by and visit him this weekend and try to see where his head’s at.
Dallas: And convince him to leave the practice to you and not Doctor Brown Nose?
Me: In a roundabout way…yeah.
Dallas: Are you sure? You’re already married to your job. There’s more to life than work.
This is rich coming from my former Marine brother who owns his own business. Before Willow came into his life, he was a workaholic too. But love made him change his ways, which is another reason I’m glad I dodged that bullet. I’ve worked too hard to give up now.
Me: You found a good woman. Not all of us are as lucky. I’m just fine with my job as my wife.
Dallas: Does the animal hospital have devices that can suck your dick for you that I’m not aware of then? Or did you finally buy the breast pump you were trying on for size when we were shopping for baby shit with Grady?
Me: I’m going to tell Willow you only keep her around to suck your dick. She’ll love that.
Dallas: Don’t you fucking dare say that to my pregnant wife, asshole. She is very sensitive right now.
Dallas and Willow found out she was expecting soon after they got married last summer. She’s due this May, which is about three months away, and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed watching him walk on eggshells around his pregnant wife.
Me: Then stop telling me how to live my life.
Dallas: I’m just looking out for you since you’re too fucking stubborn to think about the future. It’s the curse of being the oldest brother.
Me: I do think about the future and I know I’m happiest alone.
Dallas: Fine. Text me tomorrow if you can make it in for lunch. You know the boys and I always enjoy your grumpy ass.
Dallas, Grady, and Penn, my other brother, love to ruffle my feathers at these lunches. But after Penn nearly choked me out one day because I was giving them shit about their relationships, I’ve learned there are lines you don’t cross—even with brothers.
Penn said it was because I was jealous, but that’s not it at all.
Would I have been married already if I hadn’t forced my fiancée to confront her demons?
Yes.
Would I be a lovesick man like my brothers, attached to a woman because she made my life better than it was before?
Maybe.
Or would I be a thirty-year-old divorcé who’s even more bitter after finding out that his wife was a lying, cheating alcoholic that cared more about booze than him?
I’m betting on that last one.
I toss my phone on my desk just as Beth comes into my office with a knock on the open door.
“Dr. Sheppard?”
“Yes?”