As we faced each other, I felt my heart pound hard. The last thing I wanted to do was ruin my friendship with Trevor.
“Amelia?” he asked with a half grin.
My heart dropped. “How did you know?”
He huffed. “Dude, you don’t think I notice the way you hold your breath when she walks into the room? Or the way you stare at her with those fucking puppy dog eyes? Same goes for her. When she doesn’t think anyone is paying attention, she can’t keep her eyes off of you.”
I broke our eye contact. “I wasn’t looking for anything, Trevor. And you know I would never do anything to hurt you or your family.”
Reaching over, he squeezed my shoulder. “Wade, I trust you. You don’t think it crossed my mind if you came to work for us that you and Amelia might have an attraction? I’m not fucking stupid.”
I grinned. “She is beautiful.”
“Fuck yeah, she is. She’s also been hurt. I think she guards her heart pretty tightly. The only thing I’m going to ask is that you don’t push her. If it happens…like you said earlier….it happens. Just don’t rush her, dude.”
My pulse raced as I stared at my best friend. How in the hell did I ever luck out with him?
“You do know you saved my life, Trevor, right? I would never do anything to ruin our friendship, and I sure as hell would never do anything to hurt Amelia.”
He nodded. “That’s all I needed to hear.”
I swallowed hard. “I have your permission to ask her out?”
“Oh hell, dude. Let me school you on the Parker women. They don’t need their brothers’ permission to do shit, even though we like to pretend they do. They’re stubborn. Fireballs that love to have as much fun as their brothers do. Outlaws who have both been known to cause trouble. I love my sisters, but I pray for the man who can wrangle in their hearts.”
He laughed and shook his head like he was thinking. “Just ask my daddy. He fought like hell for my mama.” His eyes lifted and met mine. “You ready for a fight, Wade?”
The corners of my mouth rose into a full-blown smile. “I’ve always been one for a challenge.”
“Good,” he said with a chuckle. “Challenge is what you’re gonna have with Amelia Parker.”
I stood at the kitchen sink and stared out the back window. Wade and Trevor were pressure washing the pool deck for the party the boys were throwing to welcome Waylynn home.
Waylynn walked up next to me. “You do realize you’ve been holding that same plate for five minutes.”
I jumped. Glancing at the dish, I replied, “No, I haven’t.”
My sister laughed. “You like him. Why can’t you just admit it?”
After a quick glance over my shoulder to our mother and Aunt Vi, I glared at Waylynn. “Hush your mouth. If Mama even thinks I’m interested, she’ll be trying to push us together. I want to see how things go naturally.”
Her brows lifted. “You really do like him?”
My cheeks heated. “I don’t know. Maybe.”
Grabbing the plate, Waylynn dropped it back into the soapy water and spoke loudly. “I just remembered I need your help with something, Meli. Now. It’s a letter. I need your writing expertise.”
She dragged me out of the kitchen while Aunt Vi called out, “We need to go shopping, girls!”
“Okay, Aunt Vi!” Waylynn called back. She pulled me into Steed’s office and shut the door.
“Spill it.”
I stared at her. “Spill what?”
Waylynn lifted her finger and waved it back and forth. “Oh, no, don’t play innocent with me. You said you like him. Spill it.”
I let out a nervous laugh. “There’s nothing to spill. I’m attracted to him. Have you not seen him?”
Her brows lifted. “Oh, honey, I’ve seen him. I’ve seen the way he looks at you and you look at him. Ever since that day you spent with him, and you’ve been walking around in a damn bubble.”
“I have not been in a bubble!” I said, my hands landing on my hips.
Waylynn looked at me with a really look on her face.
“Fine! He wanted me to read Pride and Prejudice to him! What guy wants that? And have you seen how he is with Chloe? Or how he helped Steed make the crib for Paxton as a surprise? What about his voice?”
My hands clutched at my chest as I sat in the loveseat in Steed’s office. “Oh. My. Gawd. His voice when he sings.”
I groaned and dropped my head back against the cushion.
“Why are you groaning?” Waylynn asked.
My eyes squeezed. “I can’t let him into my heart for so many reasons.”
“Name one.”
Lifting my head, I turned to her. “Trevor being the main one. He’s Wade’s best friend.”
Waylynn half shrugged. “So what? When did you ever let that stop you? You’ve dated plenty of guys who went to school with Trevor.”
“This is different. Trevor and Wade are close. Brother close. They probably have a bro code, or some shit like that.”
She rolled her eyes. “Okay, what other reason do you have for not going after that fine piece of cowboy?”
“He’s got a broken heart! I mean he lost his family and his girlfriend up and left him. I don’t think he’s looking for a relationship.”
“Have you asked him?”
I laughed half-heartedly. “Why in the hell would I ask him that?”
“Because you want him.”
My head jerked back. “I don’t want him.”
“You don’t?”
“No.”
“You’re not the least bit curious about how big his cock is or what it would feel like inside you?”
“What in the hell did I walk in on?” Steed asked, standing at the door, his face white as a ghost.
I jumped up. “Nothing.”
Waylynn, of course, wasn’t about to let it go. “Amelia likes a guy.”
Steed smiled as he headed into the room. “Oh, yeah? Wade?”
I had been walking toward the door to leave when I stopped. “What?”
“Is it Wade?”
My eyes shot to Waylynn. She made a face like she didn’t have anything to do with Steed’s knowledge.
“Why would you think it’s Wade?” I asked.
Steed walked to his desk and before he had a chance to say anything, Chloe came rushing in.
“Daddy! I need a giraffe!”
Stopping what he was doing, Steed stared down at Chloe. “What?”
I turned to Waylynn and said, “That’s another thing. He watches April!”
She smirked and rolled her eyes. “A match made in damn heaven.”
“Chloe, why in the world do you think you need a giraffe?”
“Wade loves them, Daddy. He’s watching one now, waiting for her to have a baby. We watched her eat her breakfast this morning and he told me all about them and how we need to protect them. Cause they are going to stink if we don’t take care of them!”
“Oh, Jesus. I think my ovaries just exploded,” Waylynn whispered as I covered my mouth to hide my chuckle at Chloe’s faux pas.
“Extinct, pumpkin. Not stink.”
Chloe stared at Steed, and my heart grew bigger for her, if that was even possible.
“Okay, well, can I get one?”
Steed chuckled. “No, pumpkin. You’ve got your goat you need to watch over.”
I almost died when I saw her hands go to her hips.
“Oh, larwd,” Waylynn giggled. “Here comes the Parker in her.”
“Then I’m going to go talk to granddaddy about a giraffe. He’ll get me one.”
The look on Steed’s face was priceless. “Have at it. Good luck with that.”
Spinning on her heels, Chloe marched out of Steed’s office.
Waylynn leaned on his desk. “You, my dear brother, are in a shitload of trouble.”
He rolled his eyes and groaned. “Tell me about it. Thank God the next one is a boy.”
I walked into the living room and came to a sto
p. My eyes landed on the coffee table. It was loaded with popcorn, licorice, Mike and Ikes, and fresh-cut fruit. Glancing at the TV, I smiled when I saw the screen.
Pride and Prejudice.
“Hey.”
I turned to see Wade with a small cooler.
“Hey, back at you. What’s going on?”
He set the cooler on the floor, opened it and pulled out a bottle of Bud Light.
“Did you get my invite?”
My stomach fluttered exactly like it had ten minutes ago when a note was slipped under my bedroom door.
“What are you up to, cowboy?”
He smiled, and my knees wobbled. “I figured if I can’t get you to read me the rest of the book, we need to watch it. I remember you said it had to be the one with Keira Knightley. So, I bought it off of Amazon.”
I wanted to look around for cameras. Men like this didn’t exist. How could his girlfriend have left him? He was amazing, caring, and so damn thoughtful.
“This is perfect!” I said as I made my way to the oversized leather sofa.
Wade sat down, leaving a buffer between us. “I wasn’t sure what type of snacks you liked.”
My eyes scanned the table again. A strange emotion rushed through my body, and I fought not to look at him. If I did, I was positive I would throw my arms around him.
“I’ve never had anyone go to this much trouble to watch a movie with me,” I said, struggling to keep my voice even.
Wade took my hand and squeezed it. “This was fun, Amelia. Not trouble. I think one of my favorite things is to see your smile. It makes me happy. So, the more I make you smile, the better it is for me.”
My entire body trembled. I wanted to tell him I loved his smile. His laugh. His kind heart. Instead, I looked away.
I wanted to let Wade in, but I was positive my heart wouldn’t survive if he broke it.
“Popcorn and M&M’s. That’s usually what I like.”
He dropped my hand and laughed. “Chocolate and salt. I’ll remember for next time.”
When he reached for the remote, I peeked at him. He didn’t seem the least bit phased I hadn’t responded to what he said.
I chewed on my lower lip for the first ten minutes of the movie. It was killing me to think I might have hurt his feelings by not responding. Or he only wanted to be friends, and I was reading into everything…
After another ten minutes, I pulled my legs up and tried to relax. Wade asked a question every now and then, and before I knew it, I was leaning against him, my head on his shoulder and my hand resting on his chest. I fought like hell to keep my eyes open.
Slowly drifting to sleep, I smiled slightly. I’d never felt so at peace as I did in that moment.
When Wade’s arm wrapped around me, pulling me close, I let sleep take over.
“How do I look?” Waylynn asked.
I pulled my gaze from the window. My sister was wearing a blue dress that fell just below her knees.
“You look beautiful in my boots.”
Waylynn grinned at my favorite pair of Ropers on her feet. “They’re so comfy, Meli. Please.”
How could anyone say no to those pleading eyes? Sighing like it was a big deal, I waved my hand. “Fine. Just don’t scuff them.”
With a small jump and clap, Waylynn headed into her bathroom. “Are you gonna get ready?” she called out.
Looking down at the dress I had on, I frowned. “What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?”
Her head popped out from around the corner. “It looks like a sack on you.”
I snarled. “Gosh, thanks.”
“It’s my welcome back party, Meli. You know our brothers invited everyone. Do you really want to wear something that doesn’t show off your killer body?”
Turning my gaze back to the window, I looked down at my brothers and Wade setting things up for the party. A few months ago, I would have been dressing sexier and sticking a few condoms in my purse just in case. Now I wasn’t sure how to read my emotions. Maybe it was this book I was writing. Or the perfect evening I had spent with Wade watching movies.
I closed my eyes and took in a deep breath. I needed to have fun. To let loose and stop worrying about every little thing Wade Adams did or said.
“Did you hear? The foreman’s house is finished,” Waylynn called out from her bedroom.
My eyes snapped open. “Really? Wade will be happy to have his own space.”
Waylynn walked past me to her closet. “Yep. I overheard him telling Trevor he felt like he was wearing out his welcome by staying in the main house.”
Guilt washed over me as I thought about the last two days. When I woke up the other night, wrapped up in Wade’s arms on the sofa, I freaked. We had both fallen asleep and I had never slept so well in my life. I had rushed away from Wade and avoided him ever since.
I stood and followed her into the closet. “He shouldn’t feel that way.”
Waylynn looked at me. “I also him heard him telling Trevor he thought it was time to maybe start dating.”
A weight landed on my chest, and I gasped for a breath.
Handing over a green dress, Waylynn looked in my eyes. “Looks like he took the hint of you ignoring him the last two days.”
My mouth fell open, but nothing came out.
“Wear this. It will make your eyes and hair stand out.”
And like that, she walked away, leaving me in her closet with a feeling of dread so overwhelming I felt sick to my stomach.
A few pieces of curly hair fell from my bun. Waylynn was right. The green dress brought out the red in my hair and my blue eyes made for a bright contrast.
As I walked down the stairs, I saw my parents carrying two bags. Chloe walked a few steps behind them.
“Where are y’all going?” I asked.
My father turned and said, “We are taking Ms. Chloe to the Marriott resort for a couple of days.”
I laughed. “You don’t want to stay for Trevor’s welcome home party for Waylynn?”
“No, sweetheart, I think we’ll be skipping this one.”
I kissed my father on the cheek. “Probably a good thing.”
He rolled his eyes as my mother touched the side of my cheek.
“Oh, Amelia. You look stunning.”
“You look like a princess!” Chloe said.
Leaning over, I kissed her on the forehead. “I’ll miss you, Chloe. Maybe we can spend a couple days together when you get back? There’s a carnival coming to town!”
Chloe jumped and cried out, “Yes! I love carnivals, Aunt Meli!”
Laughing, I ruffled her hair and looked back at my parents. “I promise things won’t get rowdy.”
My father stared like I was on drugs. “You do know this is Trevor throwing a party. And now that you’re all old enough to drink… Please make sure no one drives afterward.”
“I promise, we’ll keep everyone safe, Daddy. Paxton and I will be on watch.”
He smiled and kissed me on the cheek. “I love you, Amelia. Have fun.”
“Have fun, darling,” my mother added.
With a wave, I watched the three of them leave. I headed to the kitchen, listening to the music the DJ was spinning. The party had started an hour ago, and I was kind of surprised my parents lasted that long.
The second I stepped out the back door, I was transported to Trevor’s parties back in the day, the ones that I would sneak into. Things changed after we all came back from college. Sure, we had fun at Cord’s Place, but none of my brothers had thrown an infamous Parker party since I’d turned twenty-one.
“I’m the One” came on and I watched as mostly everyone danced on the makeshift floor. I searched for each of my brothers. Trevor was dancing with a girl I recognized from high school. She had been two years ahead of me but I couldn’t, for the life of me, remember her name.
When I spotted Cord, I rolled my eyes. He was dancing with two girls at once. Steed and Paxton were sitting off in the corner, lost in each other and totally ignori
ng everyone else. Tripp was standing with a few guys from his class in high school, probably talking politics.
I couldn't see Mitchell anywhere. I was positive he had taken today off from work.
As I made my way through the crowd, I smiled and said hello to everyone. Up at the bar Cord had set up, I grinned at one of Cord’s bartenders.
“Hey, Neil!” I shouted over the music.
“Hey there, Amelia! Want a drink?”
I shook my head. “Just a Diet Coke, if you’ve got it.”
He grinned. “I’ve got it. You should be the one getting toasted, you know? The youngest and all. Not the responsible one.”
Laughing, I took the can and shrugged. “I promised my parents I would keep everything in check.”
He lifted his chin. “Ahh, the parental promise. No wonder Trevor was avoiding his father.”
This time I laughed harder. “Probably!”
“Have fun!” Neil said.
“I will, but hey, Neil, try not to let people get too toasted.”
He gave me a thumbs up. “We have a three-drink rule. Cord put it in place.”
I grinned. “That makes me feel loads better.”
Neil winked. “Your brother is smart enough to know the risks. They’ve even hired someone to make sure that no alcohol is being brought in.”
“Wow. Sure is different from the parties they used to throw in the south pasture!”
This time we both chuckled, and I headed over to the two love birds, Steed and Paxton. I stopped short when I saw Wade talking with Debi Hamilton. Ugh. I couldn’t stand her. She and I graduated the same year. She did everything in high school. Played every sport, slept with all the guys in our class except for my ex, Ryan. Of course, for all I knew, they could have slept together.
I made my way past them, trying not to listen. Or maybe trying to listen.
“You have a beautiful voice, Wade,” Debi purred.
“Well, singing is fun. My true passion is the land. Ranching and farming.”
“But you could make millions with a voice like that.”
I snarled and drank my soda.
“One thing I’ve learned in life is money doesn’t make you happy. Filling your heart with the things that bring out a smile creates true happiness.” His words from the other night hit me square in the chest. I couldn’t help but notice how somber he sounded.