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That’s always been Parker’s superpower. No matter how aggravating it was that he wasn’t around, somehow, he made you feel bad for him, anyway.
His skin is a deep tan from spending long hours at sea, a reminder that he has always chosen life out there above everything else.
I nod. “You missed a good time.”
He nudges my ribs. “Thanks for rubbing it in.”
“Autumn took a lot of pictures.”
The mention of her name makes him give me a sideways glance. “So, you two have been tight for a long time, right?”
Do not ask me to hook you up with Autumn, I say to myself.
“Uh, yeah, why?”
“And she’s single now.”
I clench my jaw thinking about him wanting her.
“Mm, hmm. How’s the charter business?” I ask.
“Going great. That’s part of why I’m never here. Everyone in the family does stuff on the weekends, but I’m stuck working, taking people out on the boats.” Another shrug.
“I never really thought about that being a factor in why you were never around.”
He chuckles. “Yeah?”
“I just figured you hated us.”
He laughs hard, then teases, “Well, I mean, that’s a little of it—
I elbow his ribs. “Jerk.”
“Butthead.”
“You know that it doesn’t have to be that way,” I point out. “You could accept some of the family’s money.”
“No, I can’t,” he says and looks away.
Parker has always been stubborn. He has always listened to the beat of his own drum. Or maybe he just thinks that he is better than us.
Even though he laughs again, I know he’s just playing. When we were kids and Sawyer, and Brooks, and I played soldier in the yard, Parker studied zydeco music or ran around trying to catch butterflies and worms. There was one month where all he ate was celery and peanut butter. Another when all he spoke was American Sign Language, which no one else spoke. I understood Sawyer and Brooks, but I never understood Parker.
But he is family, and that’s the important thing, or so our mother always told us. She said Parker was the youngest and we had to watch out for him even though he hasn’t needed anyone to watch out for him since he was a toddler. He was the best sailor of all of us, even though sailing is in all of our blood, but it was Parker who started his own charter business. That’s what he does now. He lives entirely on what he makes and doesn’t take a penny from the Cargill group, not even the trust fund that was established in his name.
“You still seeing the Evans’ daughter? What was her name again? Jaqueline?”
“Jocelyn. And no, we broke up.”
I try not to gulp audibly. The Evans are a prominent family, heavily involved in local politics. I had been worried when they dated. If he broke her heart, they might cause us some real headaches. “And do the Evans hate us now?”
He chuckles. “I should hope not. I introduced her to her husband.”
“How’d that happen?”
“Things weren’t going well between us for a while, and then I met her perfect guy on one of my fishing trips. Found out he was single, and when we got back into port, I called her up and said, ‘Joss, there’s a guy I want you to meet.’”
My eyes narrow on him. “And that was it?”
