25. Chapter 25
Chapter twenty-five
Laiken
We walk quietly back to the cabin, neither of us feeling the urge to speak. A lot has already been said. A lot that I still need to wrap my brain around. Which will have to wait because I need to get Trace and relieve Ari.
My eyes are trained on the gravel when I feel Parker’s warm palm on the small of my back.
“You need a ride to your car?” he asks.
I guess in the chaos of last night, it got left at the Mayson Jar. I glance up, my heart skipping a beat at the look in his eyes.
“Yeah.” I tug the blanket tighter. “I can get Ivy to—”
“I’ll take you,” he interjects.
When I don’t answer immediately, he grins. “Or I can drop you off at Micky’s. You know, so you can finish what y’all started.”
I roll my eyes. “That was the worst. He’s a nice guy, but you couldn’t pay me enough to sit through another discussion about plumbing priorities.”
Parker shakes his head. “Can’t say I’m not happy it was the worst.” He scrubs a hand over his hair with a sheepish look. “It ate me up to watch you with him all night.”
“Don’t like the taste of your own medicine?” I quip but flinch the second the words pass my lips.
A shadow passes over his eyes. “You have no idea how sorry I am. How much I wish I could take back.”
I reach out to squeeze his forearm. “I know.”
Because I do. It’s written all over his handsome face.
The noise of the screen door has us both turning. Maddox steps out onto the porch with his eyes narrowed.
“Hey, Mads.” I remove my hand, then head his way with Parker on my heels.
“Morning.” His eyes bounce between us, but I ignore it.
“Parker is giving me a ride to pick up my car,” I say before sliding in to give him a side hug.
“Is he?” Maddox hugs me, while apparently shooting Parker a warning glare.
“You can stand down, Maddox. It’s just a ride,” Parker mumbles.
“It’s never just a ride,” he mutters back but presses a quick kiss to my hair. “You good?” he asks as he peers down at me.
Am I? Not really. I could punch Jet Jackson in the genitalia right about now.
“Yeah. I will be,” I answer honestly.
Once I grab my purse and collect Trace from Cooper and Dakota’s house, we meet Parker at his truck.
The same truck we rode in on our first date.
I figured he would have traded it in by now.
Bought some fancy Chevy. Part of me hopes he kept it for the memories.
Trace climbs in the back, his smile the size of Texas when he realizes Parker is sitting in the driver’s seat.
“Parker, my man.” He holds out his fist for the usual bro bump.
I chuckle. “You spend way too much time with your uncle.”
Parker grins, giving Trace his fist before he tells him to buckle up. Trace plops down, his cowboy hat slightly off-kilter.
“Y’all hungry?” Parker asks before he shifts the truck in drive.
“Starving!” Trace groans. “Dakota made some black toast. I didn’t eat it, but I politely told her it was gross.” He smiles with pride. “Because I’m a gentleman.”
I pinch the bridge of my nose, making a mental note to send Dakota an apology text.
“Then I better feed y’all. I know your mom gets hangry,” Parker says before shooting me a wink.
“I do not,” I scoff.
“You do, Mom. Maybe you need a Snickers. I heard those help,” Trace chimes in helpfully.
“Thanks, buddy. I’ll keep that in mind.”
Five minutes later, we pull into the Mayson Jar parking lot, and for a moment, this feels right. Just the three of us.