Chapter four #2
When I walk back into Catch & Release a few hours later, the restaurant is starkly different than before.
There’s a line of people out the door waiting to be seated, every table and booth is filled, the bar has not one empty stool, and servers are hustling to deliver food and drinks.
Nautical décor is everywhere, with fishing nets hanging from the corners and metal anchors adorning the wood-paneled walls.
There are anchors everywhere, actually. Must be a thing in this town I missed the first time I visited.
I’ve read about small towns and I’ve certainly watched my fair share of Hallmark movies, but nothing could have prepared me for what it feels like to actually be here right in the middle of quaint, small-town reality.
Dallas sees me from his spot behind the bar and heads over, his smile welcoming despite how we met earlier. “Cashlynn, good to see you again.”
I hike my purse up higher on my shoulder, smirking at him. “Are you sure about that?”
He chuckles. “Well, you certainly took us all by surprise this afternoon, but I have a feeling this will all work out for the best.”
“That’s pretty optimistic of you, but I’m glad someone feels that way.”
He motions for me to follow him. “Parker is waiting in the back. I’ll show you the way.”
When I texted Parker to arrange when and where to meet, he suggested coming back to the scene of the crime—well, one of them, at least. Since it’s his brother’s place, he assured me he’d put us somewhere we could speak candidly and privately to sort out the mess I dragged Parker into.
Dallas leads me to a back room, secluded from the bustling restaurant. “We use this room for staff meetings and large parties, but you two have it all to yourselves tonight,” he says as we step inside.
Parker’s alone in a booth in the far corner, staring at his glass, fingers trailing through the condensation. His glasses are perched high on his nose, and his gaze is intense and pensive, his mind clearly miles away.
God, he’s so hot, in a nerdy-doctor-with-muscles kind of way.
That rush I felt when I met him on the plane comes back to me now that my heart isn’t running a freaking marathon along with my mind like it was when I was racing to find my dad earlier.
His light brown hair is cut short and tousled messily on top. He’s wearing a solid black T-shirt that clings to his biceps and the muscles that I know he’s hiding underneath. He’s got on a pair of snug jeans and a pair of brown boots that make him look way more rugged than he did earlier.
He looked so different at the clinic, in a burgundy button-down, gray slacks, and his white lab coat. My dad insists the staff always look the part—sharp, professional, and ready to tackle anything.
It’s adorable how seriously my father takes his job, and after hearing his stories over the years that included the man I owe an explanation to, I know that Parker is very much the same.
Yet another detail I have to admit to this man tonight.
“I’ll leave you two to it.” Dallas gives us a nod and disappears, leaving me standing there, waiting for Parker to acknowledge me. But his eyes remain locked on his glass.
“Hey.” I should have thought of something more clever than that, but honestly, I’m at a loss for words right now.
Funny. You had no problem coming up with all kinds of words out of thin air earlier, Cashlynn.
Parker doesn’t look up as he speaks. “How the hell did I not know that you were Dr. O’Neil’s daughter? I thought her name was June.”
“Okay, so we’re jumping right in then…” I slide into the side of the booth opposite him.
That makes his eyes lift, at least. “Forgive me for skipping pleasantries, Cashlynn, but you can’t imagine what my mind is like right now.”
Sighing, I slide my purse off my shoulder and place it on the seat beside me before reaching for the glass of water that I’m assuming is for me. I take a sip and then draw in a deep breath. “You’re right. I owe you an explanation.”
“You think?” His jaw flexes as he leans back, crossing his arms, and I’m suddenly hit with the memory of that night—of the way he looked when he pressed me against the wall, his eyes dark with need.
God, that night feels like a lifetime ago.
“Your name,” he says coolly. “Let’s start there.”
“My name is Cashlynn O’Neil, but my father calls me June Bug. Always has.”
“And why’s that?”
I debate how much he needs to know, but at this point, what do I have to lose?
“My parents were obsessed with Johnny Cash and June Carter. Dad wanted to name me June, but my mom came up with Cashlynn, so he went along with it but insisted my middle name be June. He’s called me June Bug for as long as I can remember. ” I shrug.
Parker shakes his head. “You never told me your last name that night.”
My entire body breaks out in goosebumps from the memory, along with a twinge of regret. “I know.”
“Why?”
I sigh, holding his gaze. “Because I thought you’d figure it out.”
He narrows his eyes. “That you were Robert’s daughter?” I nod, waiting for his brain to catch up. When it does, his eyes widen and he leans in, eyes narrowing. “You knew who I was?”
I lower my eyes to the table and nod. “Yeah. As soon as you mentioned you were from Carrington Cove, I put two and two together. My dad talks about you all the time. That’s when I realized I couldn’t tell you who I was.”
He leans his head to the side. “Why?”
A heavy sigh leaves my lips as I shrug again, but I don’t break eye contact.
“Honestly? I’m not sure. Maybe I was scared you’d treat me differently.
Maybe I figured you already had preconceived notions about me from things my father has said.
Or…maybe I just wanted a moment where I wasn’t Robert O’Neil’s daughter and there wasn’t this pressure on me to be the person he expects me to be.
The person I’ve become accustomed to portraying. ”
His face softens a bit, and suddenly I feel extremely naked. When I was actually naked with this man, I didn’t stumble at all. He made me feel wanted, alive, like I could be myself and he didn’t judge me at all for it.
And the sex. Fuck, it was so intense, so hot, so effortless, and just what I needed. He just saw me. That night, I got to just be me, and I can’t remember the last time I felt that free.
Honestly, I’m not even sure who I am anymore, but that’s what I’m trying to figure out.
“I can understand that,” he says, startling me out of my thoughts.
“Really?”
Parker blows out a breath, gaze still narrowed on me. “Let’s just say I understand feeling the need to be who everyone wants you to be, and when you aren’t, they treat you differently.”
“Exactly.”
But then he shakes his head, and I brace myself, watching as the warmth drains from his face. “That said, I can’t be your fiancé, Cashlynn.”
I try not to let my disappointment show. This isn’t his problem to figure out. “Why not?”
“Because I’m not the marrying kind.”
That surprises me. “That’s cryptic. Forgive me, but the man I met on the plane was thoughtful, genuine, helpful, and comforted me when I was freaking out…all qualities that any woman would be lucky to find in a husband.”
He scoffs. “Yeah, well, not everyone is destined for marriage.”
I cross my arms over my chest. “So that was all an act on the plane?”
Our eyes lock. “Not at all.”
“Then what are you saying? I’m sorry, but I’m confused.”
He pushes his hand through his hair. “I can’t be your fiancé, okay? That’s all you need to know.”
The pain of defeat rises in my chest, but before I count myself out, I decide to try my backup tactic. I didn’t want to have to resort to coercion, but desperate times... “You know, I’m not the only one with something to gain from this ruse.”
His right brow lifts. “What do you mean?” I watch his forearms flex and my body starts to heat up, remembering what his entire body looked like naked, the way every part of him flexed when my mouth was around his cock.
Focus, Cashlynn. That night cannot be a memory we revisit while we’re here.
“I saw your videos,” I blurt out.
His entire face falls and he leans over the table, burying his hands in his hair. “Fuck. I hate the internet.”
“Yeah, well, it seems you’re quite popular with the ladies now, aren’t you?” The number of times women post videos of themselves ogling this man is insane, but I definitely understand the appeal.
He lifts his head and glares at me. “What are you getting at?”
“Beth has told me about your visitors to the animal hospital and how these women are relentless.” I begin to draw circles on the table in front of me. “If you were getting married, that would make them back off.”
He sits up again, crossing his arms. “Nice try.”
I hold my hands up defensively. “I’m not speaking lies here, am I?” I can practically see the wheels turning in his brain, so I press on. “Not to mention, when I was talking to my father earlier, I brought up retirement. You’re in the running to take over the practice, right?”
He smirks as he leans back. “I underestimated you, Cashlynn O’Neil.”
“Most people do, but that’s why I had to have a plan when I came back here, Parker.”
“I imagined you did when you blurted out that we were engaged. That doesn’t seem like something you’d come up with on the fly.”
“Please don’t think that I don’t know how crazy this sounds and that I don’t know what I’m asking from you.
I do. But you don’t know my dad like I do, how judgmental he can be, and how quickly he can overreact.
I needed something to give me time to plan this big life change before springing it on him, and this is what I came up with.
” I shrug. “Was it the best idea? Well, that’s still to be determined. ”
His eyebrows draw together. “But why me? Why an engagement?”