Love Again

  Shaking my head, I replied, “Not into that kind of thing.”

  “Yeah, I guess you never were. You’re still not hung up on Liz, are you?”

  “Liz?” I asked with a laugh. “Hell no.”

  Liz was the girl I had thought might be the one. We had dated for a few years. I was ready to take it to the next step…at the same time that she was ready to date other people. It was clear we had two very different ideas about where the relationship was going.

  “You back with Bethany, then?”

  “No. I knew bringing her to the party was a bad idea, but I needed a date.”

  Cord nodded. “Nothing there? Y’all not rekindling the spark?”

  I laughed. “Again, hell no. Bethany only cares about two things in life. Her and her clothes. And shoes. And make-up.”

  “That’s four things, bro.”

  “Yeah, well, bottom line is Bethany only cares about Bethany and who would be the perfect guy to bow down to her and shower her with gifts.”

  Roaring with laughter, Cord said, “Damn. I always knew she was superficial. I never did understand what you saw in her, Jon.”

  “Neither did I. She wasn’t even good in bed.”

  “Well, there must be someone back home because you didn’t even look at a chick this weekend.”

  I stared at him. My head was screaming to tell him. I couldn’t take it. I couldn’t lie to him any more.

  “Cord, let me ask you something.”

  “Okay, ask away.”

  “What would you do if I told you I was falling for Waylynn?”

  Cord’s smile faded, and he looked away for a brief moment before turning back. “Are you?”

  I glanced down for a few seconds to gather the strength to answer.

  “I am.”

  His jaw tightened. Okay, maybe I should have told him when I had a place to escape to…not strapped in at thirty-thousand feet in the air while sitting next to him.

  Smart going, Turner.

  “How long?”

  “If I’m being honest, the moment I met her in the dance studio for our first consultation.”

  I couldn’t help but notice his hands balling up.

  “Were you the one fucking her when old lady Hopkins walked into the studio? And don’t you dare lie to me, Turner.”

  No longer able to look into his eyes, I turned away.

  “You asshole. I swear to God if I wasn’t on a plane right now I’d kick your ass. That’s my sister!”

  “I know who the hell she is, Cord,” I whispered. “I’m sorry if you feel like I betrayed you.”

  “Betrayed me? You slept with my sister! My sister who happens to be a lot older than you!”

  “Her age has nothing to do with this.”

  “You’re goddamn right. She’s my sister!” Cord shouted. It didn’t take the flight attendant long to come over to us.

  Her eyes bounced between the two of us. “Gentlemen, do we have a problem here?”

  “I need to move my seat before I kill this prick.”

  Her eyes widened in shock.

  “I sort of just told him I slept with his sister,” I said with a half shrug.

  “I see. Well, there is an empty seat in first class, why don’t you take it, sir,” the flight attendant said to me.

  “Wait! Why does he get the first-class seat? He slept with my sister! There are rules against this sort of thing.”

  She frowned and leaned closer to Cord. “There are also rules for threatening to murder someone on an airplane. And there are rules for when you sleep with a woman and sneak out in the middle of the night.”

  Cord looked harder at the flight attendant. “Have we?” He pointed between the two of them.

  Nodding, she replied in the same hushed tone. “On your last trip to Vegas, Cord Parker.”

  Cord closed his eyes and mumbled, “Ah, hell, I thought you looked familiar.”

  Motioning for me to head to first class, she got one last jab in as she placed her mouth against Cord’s ear. I didn’t hear what she said, but Cord’s face turned white as a ghost. When I looked back, he shot me a go-to-hell look.

  “You can take a seat here, sir,” the flight attendant said when she caught up with me in the first class cabin. “I’ll get your carry-on in a moment. Would you like something to drink?”

  I smiled. “Um, no thanks. I appreciate you breaking that up, and I’m really sorry about the whole one-night stand thing with Cord.”

  She smirked. “I wouldn’t tell him this, but he was worth it.” And with a wink, she headed up the galley.

  * * *

  Cord, Dustin, and Tom made their way to my truck. I was guessing Cord was cursing himself for not driving.

  Dustin hit me on the shoulder, “Dude, he’s ready to tear your head off.”

  Tom laughed his ass off as Cord opened the back door and threw his bag in. “What, now you don’t want to sit in the front, Parker?”

  “Fuck you, Tom. It wasn’t your sister he screwed.”

  The hour and a half drive back to Oak Springs felt like an eight-hour drive. I dropped Dustin and Tom off first and then took Cord back to his place. When I pulled up, I got out of the truck and followed him to the back stairs.

  “You keep following me, Turner, and I can’t promise you won’t be facing a gun at the top of the stairs.”

  I sighed and kept going. “Will you just talk to me, Cord? Please.”

  After unlocking his door, he pushed it open. “You have ten minutes, and after that, I’m fucking beating your ass.”

  “What if I finish in five? Do I get a five-minute head start?”

  He narrowed his brows. “If it only takes you five fucking minutes to explain why you went around my back and slept with my sister, then no. I still get to kick your ass.”

  I raised my hands. “Fair enough.”

  Following Cord into his place, I waited for him to tell me to start. He walked into the kitchen, reached into the refrigerator and grabbed two beers. “Your time has already started, asshat.”

  “Well, hell, you could have told me I was on the clock.”

  “You’re wasting more time.”

  Reaching for the beer, I nodded. “Right.”

  I took a long drink, let out a gust of air, and sat on the sofa.

  “It was wrong to approach your sister without telling you how I felt about her. At the same time, though, we’re all adults here, Cord. You can’t keep your sister from being with someone.”

  He grunted.

  “The attraction was clearly mutual, and I fought it. Honestly, I did. But your sister is so damn amazing. She’s smart and funny and that mouth makes me laugh every single day.”

  A slight smile appeared on his face before he went back to a stony expression.

  “She’s determined to have everything exactly the way she wants it, and there is something incredibly sexy about that. She’s happy in her own skin. Do you have any idea how freaking refreshing that is in a woman?”

  He raised his brows and took a drink of his beer.

  “When I’m around her, I feel like I can’t get enough of her smile or laugh. I follow her like the seasons follow one another. I felt something the first time her eyes captured mine. I don’t know how to explain it, Cord. I feel something I’ve never in my life felt before. She’s been pushing me away, telling me it won’t work because of our age difference, and small town gossip…and because of you. But I’m not buying it, and I’m telling you right now, I’m not walking away if she gives us a chance. To hell what you or anyone in town thinks. Waylynn is going to have to tell me to leave her alone. No one else.”

  Cord sat in silence for a few minutes as he let my words sink in. I knew Cord Parker. He was my closest friend, and if anyone would treat his sister right, he knew it was me.

  “When you say you’re falling for her, do you mean you’re falling in love with her?”

  “I don’t know. I know I’ve never felt like this before. Every second of the day I’
m awake, she consumes my thoughts.”

  He chuckled. “Sounds like a Parker woman.”

  “I would never hurt her, Cord. You know that’s true.”

  With a nod, he replied, “I do. And I know if my sister was going to fall for someone, I sure as hell would rather it be you than some fucker from New York who ends up taking all her dreams away from her.”

  “Jack didn’t take her dreams away, Cord. He wasn’t the right guy to make them come true. I am.”

  Leaning forward, Cord’s arms rested on his knees. “You think you’re the guy who can make my sister happy?”

  “I’d sure as hell like to have a shot. I care about her, and I want to see where this could go, but I can’t do that unless she knows you gave me your blessing.”

  He finished his beer and set it on the table. Standing, he took a few deep breaths in and out before looking at me.

  I stood and faced him, eye to eye.

  “I want you to know I’m pissed you went behind my back and slept with my sister.”

  “Oh, trust me, that’s been fully noted.”

  He shot me a dirty look. “And I want you to promise right now, gentleman to gentleman, best friend to best friend, that you will not hurt my sister.”

  “I promise you, Cord.”

  Nodding, he shook his head. “You know I still have to beat your ass.”

  “You can try.”

  “And I’m gonna have to tell my brothers, and you may want to avoid Tripp. He and Waylynn are close, and I’m pretty sure he’s gonna wanna rip your dick off and shove it down your throat.”

  “I’d imagine he’d have to find someone to do that for him. You know, the whole keeping his name clean and all that shit.”

  Cord nodded and pointed to me. “That’s right. The whole mayor thing.”

  “Yep.”

  Slapping his hands together, we walked closer to each other.

  “Do I get to pick where the first shot goes?”

  Laughing, Cord said, “This isn’t you making a move on the hot chick first or losing at a bet. I get first call.”

  My hands lifted. “You’re going for my face, aren’t you?”

  I braced myself as Cord smiled, his fist coming at me.

  Chapter Seven

  Waylynn

  I pulled up in the parking lot of Lane’s Grill. It was new to Oak Springs and had only been open a few weeks. Jonathon had overseen the remodeling of the place and wanted to try it out.

  “Waylynn Parker? Is that you?”

  Glancing at the side entrance, I smiled when I saw Laney Sanderson. “Oh, my gosh, Laney! How are you?”

  She ran over and pulled me into her arms.

  “I thought you were in Chicago!” I said.

  “And I thought you were in New York City!”

  We both laughed.

  “Turns out I was married to a cheating bastard who recently got his twenty-year-old girlfriend pregnant. So, I moved home and am opening a dance studio.”

  “Gurl, I raise your cheating bastard with a cheating bastard whom I found out already has two kids under the age of five from one whore, and has knocked up the latest girlfriend…with twins. I moved back home and opened up Lane’s Grill.”

  My mouth hung open. “You win that hand!” Turning, I looked at the old historic barn and it hit me. “Lane’s Grill. How stupid of me not to put two and two together. Laney! You opened your own restaurant!”

  She nodded with excitement. “After years of managing restaurants in Chicago, I decided it was time to follow the dream. Once I found out the jerk was cheating, I packed up the kids and we headed home. Mom and Dad are helping, of course. I couldn’t do it without them. They’re happy just to have me and the kids here in Texas.”

  I couldn’t hold back a big smile for my old high school best friend. “Chris and Jessica, how old are they now?”

  “Six.”

  “Wow! Time is flying by. I hate that we lost touch like we did.”

  Laney shrugged. “It happens, right? But what are the odds we would both end up back here in Oak Springs?”

  “As divorcees!” I added.

  Her smile faded a bit. “Did y’all end up having any kids of your own?”

  “No. Turns out that was a blessing, though. I was able to have a clean cut from the man.”

  Laney grumbled. “I had to fight to get full custody and move away. He tried every trick in the book, but in the end, the judge agreed with me.”

  We stood for a few moments in silence. It had been years since we’d seen each other. Both of us had dreams we wanted to pursue, and the fact that we were standing in Oak Springs hit me hard.

  “Well, I better get inside. I’m meeting my…um…ahh…contractor. He actually did the remodel of your restaurant.”

  “Jonathon Turner?” Laney asked.

  “Yes. He suggested we come here for dinner. I’m glad he did. It was so nice seeing you again, Laney.”

  She wrapped me in for a hug. “You, too, Waylynn. Let’s plan a night out to catch up and not talk about the damn exes.”

  I handed her my phone, and she handed me hers. After we exchanged numbers, she led me into the restaurant. The inside was beautiful. Rustic, to match the outside. The original wood beams were left exposed, and a giant floor-to-ceiling fireplace had been added with an iron sign above it that read,

  Lane’s Grill

  “Did y’all have reservations, Waylynn?”

  “Yes, they’re under my name.”

  The hostess smiled as she grabbed two menus. “Please, follow me.”

  I followed the hostess toward the fireplace. A table was set for two right next to the crackling fire. It was incredibly romantic for a business dinner.

  I looked around and saw people I knew. A few nodded and said hello, to which I replied. It was a godsend that our little table was set back from prying ears.

  “Would you like a glass of wine? We carry all Texas wines.”

  “Any pinot grigio, please.”

  She smiled. “Grape Creek Vineyards has the best. Glass or bottle?”

  I glanced around again. One or two people were still watching me. Then I caught sight of Jonathon. I was positive my eyes nearly popped out of my head at his black eye and swollen lip.

  “Oh, Lord. Better make it a bottle.”

  “Yes, ma’am. I’ll let your server know.”

  She turned to leave and ran right into Jonathon. That caused enough commotion to make everyone look yet again. All I wanted to do was slide down in my chair and hide, especially when the good-looking bastard had the nerve to kiss me on the cheek! I was so shocked to see his beaten-up face, I didn’t even bother to pull away.

  “Christ Almighty, Jonathon! What happened to your face?”

  He reached for the water and took a long drink. “Well, I’m afraid that story is going to make you mad, so why don’t we save it for last.”

  I narrowed my eyes. He and his friends had probably gotten into a fight in Vegas. Men.

  “Well, you look simply awful.”

  “Thanks, Waylynn.”

  Leaning closer, I whispered, “You know what I mean. You look like something the dog dragged in. Why didn’t you cancel dinner? Everyone is staring at us.”

  He picked up the menu and glanced around. “No one is staring at us, but if you keep making a fuss, they will.”

  With a huff, I grabbed the menu. My gaze kept drifting over his face. A strange pain in my chest hit me each time. All I wanted to do was take him home and put a bag of peas on his eye. Isn’t that what you did for black eyes?

  “You need a bag of peas.”

  Jonathon looked at me. “I beg your pardon?”

  “For your eye.”

  He laughed and shook his head before he went back to the menu.

  “Why was that so funny?” I asked.

  A young lady appeared in front of us.

  “Good evening. My name is…” She paused. “Jonathon? What in the world happened?”

  The way s
he grabbed his chin and forced his head up told me they knew each other.

  “Hey there, Evie. I’m fine, can you please let go of my face?”

  A spark of jealousy raced through my veins. Who in the hell was Evie? And where in the hell did this jealousy bullshit come from?

  The waitress let go of him. “Mom is going to crap her pants when she finds out you were in a fight.”

  “Mom?” I asked.

  Evie turned to me, a huge smile spread over her face. “Waylynn?”

  My eyes widened. “Do we know each other?”

  The girl practically jumped. “Oh, my gawd! It’s so great to finally meet you!”

  I turned my focus on Jonathon, who sat there with a stupid smile. I looked back at Evie. “Um, it’s a pleasure meeting you, but I’m afraid you have me at a disadvantage. I didn’t realize Jonathon had a younger sister.”

  Evie laughed. “There’re six of us.”

  “Six?”

  How in the hell did I not know he came from a big family?

  “Jonathon is the oldest. Then there is me, I’m twenty-two, then Hollie, she’s eighteen. Dalton is ten, Hope is eight, and Rip is the baby. He’s six. Well, about to be seven.”

  “Wow!” I said with a laugh. “I didn’t know you had so many siblings.”

  “Blended family!” Evie said. “Our father died when we were younger, and mom married Rip senior. Dalton is from Rip’s first marriage, and Hope and Rip are from this marriage.”

  Jonathon cleared his throat. “Now that you’ve filled Waylynn in on the family history, can we get some drinks?”

  Another waitress brought over the bottle of wine.

  “I went ahead and ordered some wine,” I mumbled as I waited for the girl to open the shit up so I could down a glass.

  “Do y’all know what you want to eat or should I give you a few minutes?”

  When the waitress handed me the sample of wine, I downed it. She tried to hide her chuckle but failed. “Yep, it’s good. Now pour me a big glass.”

  “I think we need a few minutes, Evie,” Jonathon said.

  “Sure! No problem. I’ll leave you lovebirds alone.”

  I choked on the wine as Evie spun walked to another table. Setting the glass down, I glared at Jonathon. “What in the hell was that?”