19. Parker Cain
19
PARKER CAIN
“Hello?” Declan’s slightly confused voice rang out through the house from the foyer. My heart skipped, and an electric frisson of excitement skimmed along my arms. Declan was home from work right on time.
I scooped up Joy from her bouncy chair and plopped her on my hip. “Ready to see Da-Declan?” I caught myself at the last second and replayed in my mind what I’d almost blurted out. Had I almost called Declan Daddy ? Good grief, I was losing my fucking mind.
Clearing my expression from that frightening slipup, I hurried to the foyer, where Declan was searching for the missing Franks. His home assistant was always there to greet him first thing and give an update on the home before taking the car Declan had driven to the garage. A grin teased my lips as I imagined how that daily update had grown since Joy and I had come to live there.
“Welcome home,” I greeted as soon as Declan spotted me. Joy squealed and shouted. She stretched out both arms and leaned her upper body toward Declan as if she meant to fly to him.
“Thank you,” he murmured as he took Joy from my arms and snuggled her close. He pressed the softest kiss to Joy’s cheek and then captured my mouth in a brief but thorough kiss. “How was your day?”
“Good. Busy. But good. How was work?”
Those full lips that refused to grow into a smile actually twitched in a smirk. “You remember the financial cliff we were facing while you were at Courtland?”
“Yeah. The company had to make up its revenue shortfall by a certain date or you had to look at cutbacks and layoffs, right? But the deadline’s not until the end of the third quarter, right? You’ve still a full month left.”
“Byron’s proposal on how to raise revenue across the company worked out spectacularly. We’ve made up the missing revenue, and we’re on course to have one of our best years in the past ten.”
“Holy shit!” I jumped away from Declan and grabbed my head with both hands. “That’s so amazing! Congrats!” I wrapped him up in a tight hug and stole another kiss. While he’d been dealing with my insanity over the past month, I knew he’d also been worried about Courtland Enterprises’ financial situation. I might have been a temporary contract worker at Courtland, but I’d been in the finance department. Countless reports from all the divisions had crossed my desk, and I’d talked with other members of the department. I’d seen exactly how dire the situation was. “Is the company going to do something for Byron? A bonus check or something? I get why they fired him, but it was his idea that saved the company.”
Declan caught the hand I’d started waving in his face and pulled me close, cuddling my tall frame to the other side of him. Joy was watching me like I was an entertaining lunatic, her wide blue eyes taking in all my antics. Declan kissed my chin. “Yes, he’s receiving a nice bonus. However, he’s asked that we donate his bonus to a charity.”
“Such as the one he’s currently the COO of? ”
“That is one of them. His bonus is being split across three charities at his request.”
A scoff broke from the back of my throat. “Sebastian is a lucky man; I hope he realizes that.”
“He does.” Declan pressed a kiss to my jaw before he whispered. “And so am I.”
“Ridiculous,” I mumbled as the tips of my ears burned. When the hell had this man turned into such a sweet talker? Thankfully, Joy provided an excellent distraction. She shouted as if she couldn’t stand not being the center of attention.
Declan released me to tickle the little girl’s stomach. “Where’s Franks?”
“I gave him and Chef Donovan the night off.” Declan’s eyes widened slightly, and I pushed forward. “I wanted to give you a gift to say thank you for everything you’ve done for me and Joy.”
Declan shook his head. “You don’t have to do that.”
“I do! Really, I do. You’ve been so amazing. Especially since we were technically friends when all this started…” My voice drifted off as my thoughts grew more awkward.
My lover’s hand dropped to my hip and squeezed. “Maybe I had ulterior motives. Namely, I wanted to date you, and it would have been much harder to accomplish that if you had to spend all your time working, taking care of Joy, and finding a suitable place to live.”
“Whatever. The point is, I wanted to give you something to show my appreciation, and that’s hard to do because you’re so rich.” I narrowed my eyes on Declan, giving him a very pointed look as if it were a bad thing he was so financially well-off. “So, tonight, I cooked dinner for us. Afterward, we will have the big reveal for the front parlor mural.”
“And maybe something extra after Joy goes to bed?” Declan asked with a note of hope entering his voice.
“Maybe.”
Okay, it was going to happen. I could never say no to this sexy man. With the smallest touch, my toes were already curling in my shoes.
I snatched Joy from his arms and took a step back. “You go change out of that suit while I check on dinner.”
While Declan went up to his room to change into something more casual, I hurried off to the kitchen with Joy. I slipped her into her high chair and checked the vegetables in the oven. The steaks were still warm on the skillet, and I’d put the rolls in a bowl as Declan came home. It had been well over a month since I’d last cooked, and I was rusty. Even on the nights that Chef Donovan was off, the man left all the food prepared and in the fridge, waiting for us with reheating instructions.
An incredibly short time later, a hand gripped my hip as Declan peered around my shoulder.
“Smells great,” he murmured.
“Well, I’m no Chef Donovan, but I know how to cook a few things.”
“Anything I can do to help?”
It was on the tip of my tongue to say that I had it under control—which I did—but I also liked the idea of Declan helping me with our dinner. “Could you grab Joy’s food out of the pantry? Chef Donovan said he prepared some new jars for her, and Little Miss has been shouting for the past few minutes that I’m late delivering her meal.”
Declan gave a soft hum as he stepped behind me to get Joy’s food. At the same time, I finished plating both of our steaks along with some roasted fingerling potatoes and green beans. Rather than setting us up in the grand dining room, I opted for the breakfast nook because it was cozy.
With Joy between us, we took turns feeding the baby while we ate. To my shock, Declan ate every bit as if he were starving and even went back for a second serving of potatoes. I might have eaten two rolls, because there were days where you needed more carbs. Thank God I’d started using Declan’s gym daily. I was still far off from my usual level of fitness, but I’d stopped the slide into full dad bod. It wasn’t just to keep Declan interested in me. This girl was steadily becoming more mobile. I needed to be in shape if I was going to keep up with her.
“I think you’re going to need to teach me,” Declan declared as he put down his utensils.
“Teach you? To cook? Why? You’ve got Donovan,” I demanded, chuckling. But my laughing stopped when the image of Declan in an apron and nothing else danced through my mind. Maybe there was something to this that I wasn’t thinking through properly.
“What if Donovan got sick? He’s also due for a vacation. It’s irresponsible to eat out for that length of time.”
“ Hmmm …maybe.” He raised a good point. Of course, it was possible to eat out and eat healthy at the same time if you put in some effort. Typically, I didn’t if I couldn’t be bothered to cook for myself. “I will teach you what I know if you teach me your secrets.”
Declan’s eyes widened slightly, and he sat up straighter as his right hand tightened into a fist. “My secrets?”
“Yes. How is it you can get Joy to eat everything you put in front of her, but she likes to fight me on the vegetables?”
Oh, that evil smirk. I knew without him saying a word that he was so damn proud that Joy completely listened to him at mealtimes. My cutie would turn her nose up and spit out her broccoli each time I fed it to her, but for Declan, she gobbled them like they were chocolate cake.
“I’ll see what I can do,” Declan hedged.
“Ha!” I scooped up our plates as I rose from my chair. “For that, you get to clean up Little Miss and check her diaper while I tackle the kitchen.” There was no way in hell I was leaving a mess for Chef Donovan and Franks to discover. I felt lucky that he’d allowed me to use his kitchen at all. This was Chef Donovan’s domain, and he was ready to rain hell on anyone who invaded it.
“I think I got the better end of that deal,” Declan stated as he wiped Joy’s face off with her bib and lifted her from her high chair. Before I could turn to the sink, Declan leaned in close and kissed my neck. “Thank you for a wonderful meal.”
A flush stole through me and goose bumps swept along my arms. This all felt so good. So comfortable. So…right. I was twenty-seven and until recently, living a very freewheeling life. I hadn’t been worried about settling down and creating a family. But this moment soaked into my soul like water into the parched earth baked by the endless summer heat. I hadn’t expected to love this so much.
Declan slipped away with my daughter, and I cleaned up the disaster area I made of the kitchen. As he returned with a clean child in his arms, I was pushing the Start button on the dishwasher.
“Are you ready for the grand reveal?” I asked as I took Joy into my arms. I didn’t miss the fact that Declan seemed reluctant to let her go.
“The parlor is ready? I thought it would take another week.”
“Well, Joy is back in daycare a few days a week, and that really helped to free up some time for me.”
Declan stopped walking and turned, his brow deeply furrowed and his frown a heavy slash across his face. “Do you need more help? Is Franks not?—”
“Whoa!” I held up a hand, stopping those words right there. “Franks is not a babysitter or a nanny. While I don’t mind him and Donovan babysitting occasionally for date night, it is not his responsibility to care for Joy during the day. He has plenty of other things he needs to get done for you.” I paused and narrowed my eyes at him, making sure that he was listening to what I was saying .
“Okay.” The word was low and mumbled. So fucking grudging it was adorable.
“Plus, daycare is good for Joy. She needs to socialize with other people and children her own age.”
“But she’s so young.”
“Do you honestly think she can’t tell the difference between you and me? Or me and Franks? Of course she can. It’s good for her. Educational. Besides, Molly went through a lot of time, research, and effort to find the right daycare. I won’t toss that aside after she secured a spot there for her daughter.”
Declan’s frame still had yet to relax as he stared at Joy tugging on my hair. “And you think she likes it there?”
“Yes. She doesn’t fight when I hand her over and the only time they reported her fussy was during a bad teething day.”
His big hand cupped her head, and she leaned into his touch as she gazed up at him. A giant toothless grin spread across her face and drool dribbled down her chin. Such a happy child, and she adored Declan so much. Something about his large, quiet presence always left her smiling. Did he feel safe? Comforting? Maybe both.
“Okay. Sorry.”
“Nothing to apologize for. You worry about her, and that makes me happy.”
“I worry about both of you.”
“Well, no more worries. Come see what I’ve done,” I said, switching gears to continue marching through the hall to the foyer and the front parlor, which still had a big white sheet draped across the doorway. “I’ll let you do the honors.”
Declan stepped up and grabbed two handfuls of the sheet. He carefully pulled until the tape securing it to the wall gave way and it drifted to the floor.
“Oh…wow…” Declan breathed as he stepped into the room. I dragged my feet, following at a much slower pace so he could have time to take in all of the room .
The walls were a variety of greens with hints of brown and gold, creating the feel of being inside a sunny meadow in summer. With Franks’s help, I’d swapped some furniture from other places in the house so that this room had only a white wingback chair and a simple white sofa set by a wooden coffee table that resembled a tree stump. I’d even removed the curtains from the three floor-to-ceiling windows that looked out on the lawn, adding to the feeling of being outside. Interior design was not my forte, but it all seemed to work well with the mural that covered all four walls and the ceiling.
“This is beautiful. Even more impressive than I could have imagined.”
Heat surged through my chest, and I moved closer. “I’m so glad you like it.”
“Love it. I love it,” he corrected. He spun to me, his expression intense. “Could you paint my home office next?”
“Really?” I gasped. I had thought to tackle another little used room that was out of the way.
“Yes. I love this, but I’m never in here. I can’t enjoy it every day. Paint my office next. I’m in there all the time. It’s important that I can look up and see your art.”
“Well, I’ve got something to help with that.” I strolled to an easel that was covered in a white sheet. With Declan’s help, I carefully lifted the sheet away to reveal a painting I’d sneaked in each morning prior to working on the mural.
“What that…” Declan whispered as he stumbled back a couple of steps.
I smiled at it. Portraits weren’t my thing, and I didn’t much care for painting such a small size. I liked giant abstract creations that filled an entire wall. But for Declan, I was willing to make an exception.
“How?” Declan still couldn’t bring himself to speak higher than a whisper.
“I texted Byron and asked if he had any photos of Rome and Pierce. I knew I could steal something off the Courtland Enterprises’ website for Sebastian. He actually sent me a picture he took of you four standing at the bar in Sebastian’s house months ago.”
The painting wasn’t an exact replica. The background was faded and watery, as if it were little more than a dream, while the four men in suits remained in sharp focus. Declan stood between Sebastian and Rome. The one thing I changed from the photo was I gave Declan a tiny smirk instead of his usual stone-cold glare, as if he had a secret only he knew.
Declan stepped forward and carefully picked up the painting. He carried it to the chair and sat heavily, his eyes moving slowly over the image as if he were trying to soak in every detail.
“Parker.” His voice was low and rough, as if he were choked with emotions. “This is…I…I don’t know what to say. It’s perfect. Thank you.”
“I wanted to give you something to say thank you for all you’ve done for Joy and me.”
Declan shook his head, but didn’t raise his eyes from the painting in his hands. “You would have figured it out. You didn’t need me.”
It was on the tip of my tongue to say that I couldn’t imagine a time when I wouldn’t need him, but I pushed down those words, trying to keep it light. “Maybe, but you made it easy for me. You gave us a safe place to figure things out. That means the world to me.” My sweet lover lifted his head, and I stole a sweet kiss. “Thank you.”
Declan swallowed hard as he walked across the room to return the painting to its spot on the easel. Even then, he seemed reluctant to walk away from it. “You got the picture from Byron? Have you shown him?”
“Nope. Franks and Donovan saw a little as I worked on it, but you’re the first to see the finished product.”
The most wicked grin I had ever seen spread across Declan’s lips. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out his phone. Turning his phone horizontal and vertical, shifting here and there, he snapped several pictures, trying to get it just right. When he finally had one he liked, I watched over his shoulder as he sent it as a text to Sebastian, Rome, and Pierce.
I huffed. “Bragging?”
“Wait,” he murmured.
We didn’t have to wait long. Sebastian was the first. He didn’t text. He called.
With a smirk at me, he answered the call and put it on speaker.
“Parker did that?” Sebastian demanded before Declan could even say a word.
“Yes.”
“I want one. Can you ask him to paint one for me? I’ll pay! I’ll pay a million bucks for a painting exactly like that.”
A smug look filled Declan’s face as he lifted the phone to his lips while it still lay flat across his palm. “No.” And then he ended the call.
I had started laughing, but I choked on it. He’d offered to pay a million dollars for a painting. A million freaking bucks.
“He wasn’t serious, was he?” I wheezed, trying to suck in oxygen again.
“Yes, he was.”
My brain went blank. A million dollars. For one of my paintings. A commission for a single painting. A million dollars.
These rich people were fucking insane.
Declan walked over to me and plucked Joy out of my nearly dead arms. He kissed my jaw as my mouth continued to hang open. “I don’t mind you painting a portrait of us for him. You can do a painting for each of my friends. They will all want one. I just ask that you don’t do that scene. That one is mine.”
“Oh…um…yeah. Of course.” My brain was still trying to reboot after that ridiculous offer .
Declan began to leave but stopped as he reached the doorway and turned to me. His expression was darkly serious. “And you will charge each of them a million dollars per painting. Sebastian set the price, and I’m holding him to it.”
I followed, still in a daze.
These rich people…they were all a little crazy, but I liked their crazy. Was this what it was like when Sandro Botticelli had landed the patronage of the Medici during the Renaissance?