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Going into the kitchen, she poured the remaining tea that was now cold down the drain and washed the cup. Pouring herself a small amount of wine, she took it into the bathroom and ran water into the large bathtub. She needed something to ease the tension in her shoulders and back. Lighting a couple of candles, she undressed and climbed into the water. She immediately relaxed as her problems seemed to evaporate.
Not quite…
Her mind naturally wandered to the kiss she and Raven had shared. Kissing him had seemed right. Felt right.
The cowboy had seemed to occupy her thoughts lately. She needed to stop thinking of him and focus on Bonnie’s Bluebonnets. Easier said than done when she was fascinated with him. Loved hearing him talk because he didn’t much, yet when he did one knew it was important.
Her groan echoed off the sides of the tub.
Business demanded her attention.
First, she’d create a website for Bonnie. That was a necessity. Businesses needed a face online. And financial stability. A loan was out of the question.
Parker lifted her hand and watched drops of water drip off her fingers.
How does a business raise money?
Raven didn’t think she understood how things were done in these parts, but she did. She grasped the idea of home.
She leaned her head back and stared at the ceiling. Home was as important as family. She missed her parents.
So, then why hadn’t she spoken to them much in weeks…actually since the divorce?
Parker had thought a lot about what Raven had said to her yesterday. In her marriage, she’d dropped the ball, ignoring all the signs of a loveless marriage. When she and Gray had separated, she hadn’t wanted to divulge the news to her parents because Parker had always been driven to excel in everything she did. She didn’t want to be judged.
Her life wasn’t over. She could still have all the things she desired. Someone to love. Someone who loved her. A family. A home. Yet, she would need to make some tough choices. She understood what Raven had meant by that. He wasn’t saying that she’d have to give up her career and focus only on family, but she would have to realign her priorities. Gray had never been a priority, and she’d never been his. They never sat down together and planned for their marriage and what would make them both happy. Their relationship had been more like a business agreement.
She never wanted to live that way again.
Swiping away a tear from her cheek, she reminded herself that a person should grow from their past.
She needed to focus on the present.
Raven came to mind.
Wading her fingers through the water, she smiled. She wanted to get to know him better. Spend more time with him. She had a big crush and she liked feeling excited.
She wanted to seduce him.
Now she felt like a rusted tool that had been overlooked in the shed.
Parker reminded herself that she was very ambitious. She wasn’t an old tool—maybe a tool that needed a good polishing to find its shine.
Sinking down into the water, she came back up and wiped the water away from her face. She just needed to rewire her thoughts.
The water was starting to get cold and the shadows were moving in beyond the window. She leisurely used her toe to turn the hot knob to run more water. Hearing a noise outside of the bathroom, she shut the water off and listened.
Creak.
The noise came from the stairs.
“Hello?” she called out.
She was met with silence.
“Parker, you’re starting to hear things,” she whispered and went back to enjoying her bath.
Old houses made noises.
