AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Oh, I know you do. You’re not gonna quit. You’re gonna have to do your poking and prodding inside, though, because I gotta start cooking.”
He heads for the door, and I follow with Queenie in my arms. Though it’s tough, I do my best not to take even one peek at Parker’s cute caboose… but I’ll admit that my best is not perfect.
Maybe Carly is right to worry about me.
Being here with him is trouble, and I’m old enough and wise enough to know better. Right about now, I should be putting my guard up.
Way, way up.
We’re talking, Great Wall of China style.
When Parker holds the door for me, I grit my teeth and walk through.
Chapter10
Parker
I don’t have anything to hide.
Gemma can ask me all the questions she wants.
I’m going to tell her as much of the truth as I can, without veering into gossip territory. Other people’s business isn’t mine to share, so I have to keep certain things quiet.
I will do my best to give her straight answers.
Whether she believes me or not is up to her.
All I really care about is that it feels so good and right to be here in the kitchen with her, with the smells of garlic and ginger all around us, and a candle flickering on the counter top. Cooking her favorite food. Listening to her type. Hearing her laugh now and then, when I make a dumb joke.
It feels good—even though I know it won’t last.
I slide a pile of ginger off the knife’s edge and glance over my shoulder toward the counter, where she’s perched primly with her white MacBook out in front of her.
Her fingers are poised over the keys. “So, that means you started at the tennis center four years and… let’s see…” She pauses to do some mental calculations, “Eight months ago. For simplicity's sake, I’m just going to round eight months to a year and call that five years, total. Sound good to you?”
“You’re the math wiz. Whatever you want.”
The keyboard clicks as she types. “I know you’re not into this, but thank you for at least humoring me.”
“I know you. You won’t give up.” I drizzle a second round of oil over the chopped veggies, garlic, and ginger that I’ve piled into the wok and add a sprinkle of soy sauce.
“Not until I at least get you out on a couple dates,” she says. “Is—um… is Veronica going to be upset if you go out with other people?”
“Nope. Definitely not.”
“Wow. Keeping it casual,” she mutters unhappily. “Good for you guys.”
I grin down at the veggies. It’s sort of fun, getting a rise out of her. “That’s how we do it up here in the sticks,” I tease.
“Gross. I don’t need to know your weird country dating rules, Parker.”
“You’re the one asking about my love life.”
“Yes, specific questions. Like—okay, here we go. I need a real answer for this. Why, exactly, did you get fired from the tennis center? Annie sort of filled me in about your break-in. How Glenn caught you. But I’d like to hear it from you.”
“I entered the building after hours, through a window. Guess I wasn’t supposed to be there. Funny how uppity business owners get about that kind of thing.”
“I don’t know if there’s anythingfunnyabout getting fired for breaking into a place and almost getting sent to jail. Okay, so what were you doing there?”
