He had growled at the three people arguing in their yard when he left her apartment. They finally retreated inside. It had to be Astrid bringing the protective urges out in him. Normally, unless someone was getting hurt, he would have just ignored them. But something about them being so close to her just made his hackles rise.
He knew these feelings were dangerous territory, but he didn’t seem to be able to control them. Just the idea of a single man living alone in the house above her made his hands fist.
But what made him any better than the rest of them? The first time he saw her, prancing around in her sexy Halloween costume, he had thought she would make a memorable one-night stand.
That was before he got to know her a little better though. That was before he knew she wasn’t just gorgeous, but smart and funny too. Yeah, he didn’t have a chance in hell with her.
She was more than just a one-night stand. She was someone you took home to meet your family. He now knew he could never be that man to her. All he could offer was a bar in debt, teenage brothers to raise, and very little in his overused bank account. Better to cut his losses now. Just lusting after someone didn’t make you right for them.
Reaching down, he started the Ramcharger. He couldn’t help the grin that spread across his face. It was impossible not to be pulled in by her energy though. A fiancée named Buffy and a tennis sweater? She couldn’t be further from the truth.
What was wrong with the name Parker anyway? It could be badass. His mother’s maiden name before she married his dad was Parker and that side of his family was just as tough as the Donnellys.
His mother died when he was eight from a ruptured aortic aneurysm having his little brothers. There had been no warning that anything was wrong until it burst. The doctors had to scramble to deliver Ronan after she was clinically dead. His dad had been faced with the death of his wife, an eight-year-old in mourning, and newborn twins in a matter of minutes.
Finn Donnelly was made of tougher stuff, fortunately. He never visibly tripped in his fight to raise his sons. He wasn’t perfect, but they never doubted how much he loved them. There had been offers of help from the family, but he had sent them all packing. He could raise his boys himself.
Parker was startled when he pulled up to the back of the bar. He guessed he had been so deep in thought that he didn’t even remember the drive back.
Walking in through the back door, he found his brothers dutifully scrubbing the tables. They had to be ready to open in a few hours.
“Did you get Astrid home?” Liam asked him.
“Yeah,” he mumbled, walking behind the bar.
“She just sent me a text saying she’ll pick us up at five thirty,” Liam added looking back over the text. “What? What did you do?” He had caught Parker’s look of surprise.
“I didn’t do anything,” he growled, scrubbing harder on the bar. He was surprised that she was still willing to show up after he had assumed he’d scared the shit out of her. He’d overstepped his bounds this morning.
“What did you say then?” Ronan asked, looking over at him. “Don’t ruin this for us. She’s the only woman that you’ve even noticed since Dad’s stroke. I like her. She’s nice.”
Ignoring them, Parker tossed the rag in the sink and turned to restock the bar. They were only fifteen, how could they ever understand the turmoil tearing through him when it came to Astrid?
“Oh Lord, Ro, he does have a thing for her. Shit, I owe you a five spot. You didn’t already declare your undying love, did you, and freak her out? Or did you whip out something that should have remained zipped up?” Liam moaned. Parker turned around to glare at them.
Liam’s newfound obsession with all things female was going to be the death of him. He could only slap him upside the head so many times before he risked brain damage. Though at this point, he wasn’t sure anyone would notice the difference.
“I do not have a thing for her,” he snapped.
“Then why do you look at her like she’s the second coming? You do every time she comes in here with Sam. Don’t fool yourself into thinking no one has noticed,” Ronan said.
Ronan had always been the quieter of the twins, more than happy to stay in Liam’s shadow. Much like their mother, he had an almost genius-level artistic ability. His sketches covered his side of their shared bedroom.
Liam, on the other hand, took after the Donnelly side of the family with his loud, overly charming manner. Parker knew if he could just keep some semblance of control over Liam, they were both destined to make a name for themselves in the world.
“I don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about,” Parker growled.
“Hey! Don’t jump Ro’s ass for stating the obvious just because you’re too stupid to admit it to yourself. When was the last time you let someone sleep in your bed so she wouldn’t get busted? Never.” Liam stared down Parker until he finally sat down. Damn, when did they get this observant?
“Sorry, Ro,” Parker said, running his hands through his hair. He sat sprawled in one of the chairs. He needed to get his shit together. Astrid had somehow managed to lodge just under his skin, making it hard to focus on anything but scratching that itch.
She was so far out of his league though that he needed to refocus on what was important. His family and this bar were the only things that could matter to him right now. No matter how amazing she had felt looking up at him with those big doe eyes when he pinned her against the wall, he had to keep his distance from now on.
“I think we’re going to go shoot hoops out back. Why don’t you go get some rest before you have to open?” Liam said, patting Parker on the shoulder as he walked by, motioning for Ronan to follow him.
Parker smacked Liam on the head.
“Oww, what was that for?”
