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“Fuck, he’s right,” Jack whispered.
“Well, let’s give it some more time. If she finds out we’re snooping into her past, shell never trust us,” Mike said.
Danny exhaled as he watched Marlena go over to a table with one woman and three men. She seemed fine with them. Hell, she was even laughing. As he watched her hand over a bill to three women, she was just as friendly. Then she headed toward the Dawn brothers again and she looked on guard. Her shoulders straightened, she didn’t come too close to the table, and she seemed on edge. There was something there and he wanted to know what. He liked her. Hell, he could see a whole future with Marlena and with him, Jack, and Mike taking care of her. What was she hiding? He really wanted to find out.
* * * *
Marlena finished her shift and headed out the back door of the diner. She needed to meet Parker by the hardware store in town. She got into her small beat-up Subaru that had seen better days and drove down the street to be closer. He was going to guide her in buying the right products for her to refinish the cabinets in the cottage.
Roy and Regan knew him well and had recommended talking to him about her plans so he could guide her. He came into the diner every week on Wednesdays and Fridays. They talked several times and then she finally asked him for his help. He was more than willing to help her. He was very nice and close to her age.
As she parked the Jeep she saw him standing there by his pickup truck waiting for her. He was a nice-looking guy and as she met him he leaned forward to kiss her cheek, shocking her. She wasn’t attracted to him. She thought about Mike, Danny, and Jack and then wondered why. They weren’t her boyfriends. They weren’t even her friends although they seemed to be trying to get her to spend time with them.
“So, what do we need to do first?” she asked him and he smiled.
“You’re so excited about this project. You have no idea how hard it’s going to be. I think you’ll be calling me for some help.”
“No I won’t. I told you I wanted to do this on my own. It’s one of my many personal challenges,” she told him as he held the door to the hardware store open and the owners greeted them.
She was trying to think about what she wanted the cabinets to look like and how intricate of details she could add, but Parker was right. This was harder than she thought. He helped her pick out the materials she would need as well as the stains, the topcoats, and some books. She’d already researched a lot at the library in town.
“I think you should take Parker’s offer to help you get started, Marlena. You don’t want to spend all this time and money and then have it come out all wrong,” Mr. Phillips, who owned the hardware store, said.
She thought about it a moment and chewed her bottom lip. She didn’t want to send the wrong messages to Parker. He was nice, but she hadn’t expected him to greet her the way he had.
“I suppose so, but we should straighten a few things out first,” she said as Parker’s eyes lit up and he grabbed the first box of items to put into her car.
She waved good-bye and said thank you to Mr. Phillips as she carried out another box and Parker held the door open for her with his hip as he carried the heavier one.
They got to her car and she opened the trunk as they placed things inside.
“So, I can follow you home now, and we could figure out where to start and where to place the doors and things we need to refinish and stain. That way we can get started tomorrow. You get off at five again, right?” he asked.
She felt her heart racing. She wanted to ensure that he knew she wasn’t interested in him in anything other than as a friend but as she went to bring that subject up, she heard Mike’s voice. She turned around and there he stood, Mike in his deputy uniform, looking pissed off and in complete command. Her pussy actually spasmed with desire. Her heart raced and she knew she was done for. She liked Mike. Hell, she lusted for him and his brothers but she couldn’t risk it all. She just couldn’t.
“Good afternoon, Deputy Spencer. How are you?” Parker asked as he reached his hand out to shake Mike’s. Mike shook his hand and then looked at Marlena.
“Looks like someone is planning on doing a project. What’s with all that stuff?” he asked.
“I’m going to help Marlena refinish her cabinets in her kitchen. It’s kind of tricky if you never did it before and she needs some guidance,” Parker said but held her gaze, looking her over and smiling softly. She knew he liked her. This was so bad.
“Well, not the whole project, just to get started,” she added, and Parker had a look of disappointment flash across his face and then it disappeared.
“We’ll see. Refinishing work is hard. You work a lot of hours. It will be my pleasure to help you,” he said.
Mike stepped closer to her.
He reached out and caressed a strand of her hair from her cheek.
“You should take it easy until those blisters heal. I want to get a look at them, maybe come over now and apply some ointment before rebandaging it,” he said then gently brushed his thumb along her chin.
She glanced at Parker, who looked angry and insulted.
“I told you I’ll be fine and can take care of it myself.”
“I know you did, baby, but Danny, Jack, and I want to make sure our girl is well taken care of.”
“Your girl?” Parker asked.
