Page 53 of The Problem with Playboys

“Exactly. I had hoped a piece of jewelry could say what I hadn’t been able to. And I was relieved you didn’t go into a panic that night. Really relieved.”

“And then yesterday morning, everything blew up.”

“Right. And here we are. Standing in a hospital waiting room. And neither of us have had enough sleep and I know that I smell like I really need a shower.”

Chloe laughed. “You can go back to your apartment and get cleaned up if you want to.” She turned back to glance at her mom’s room. “I need to stay until we at least get a word on when she’s going to be discharged.”

“I don’t want to leave you, Chloe. I’d feel a lot better about things if we could walk out of here together.”

“Really?”

“Really.” He cleared his throat. “I have one request, though.”

“What’s that?”

“I’d like to meet your mom.”

Her face lit up. “Yes. Of course. That’s probably a good idea. Plus, she’s going to want to know that we made up. Lucky for you, she’s had enough time to put on her makeup. Her boyfriend is coming to visit soon, but she would’ve refused to meet you if she didn’t have it on, so this works out well.”

“Sounds like fate to me.”

Chloe smiled from ear to ear. “Let’s go with that. Come on.”

Holding his hand, she led him out of the waiting area and down to her mom’s room. The short trip was a near out-of-body experience for Parker. Surely the lack of sleep was contributing to his delirium, but he also knew that he was simply happier than he’d ever been in his whole life. For a moment, he thought about his mom, and how he wished she’d been able to meet Chloe. That wasn’t possible, but he would relish taking her to his father’s house out on Long Island, finally introducing her to his dad, and of course JoJo, who would surely be eager to give her stamp of approval.

Chloe knocked at the door, then they stepped inside. Ahead was Eliza Burnett, the spitting image of her daughter. Parker instantly knew that they were going to get along just fine. He loved her daughter. That had to count for a whole lot.

“Why, hello,” her mom said, sitting up in bed.

“Mom, I want you to meet Parker,” Chloe said as they stepped closer to her mother’s bedside. She turned to him and looked up into his eyes before she said what came next. “The man I’m never letting go of again.”