Then her eyes fell on the framed poster hanging on the wall above her bed. Wyatt had given it to her the year before for Christmas. It was an autographed print of Cole in the middle of a pitch.
Even though she now knew that it hadn’t taken much effort for Wyatt to get the autograph, it was still her most prized possession. She thought it might kill her to have her father sleeping beneath Cole’s image for the next week. In fact, it really would.
Climbing up on her bed, she pulled the frame down. Then she carried it over to her closet and hid it as best as she could. She didn’t know whether her father had already been inside her room, but she didn’t care. It was none of his business why she’d taken the poster down.
She spent the next thirty minutes changing her sheets and gathering her essentials into an overnight bag that she could keep in the family room. She had no idea what her father’s daily routine consisted of, and she didn’t care enough to ask. After packing all of her toiletries, her pajamas, and an outfit for the next day, she made sure there wasn’t anything else in her room she didn’t want her father finding. There wasn’t. She couldn’t decide if she was grateful or sad about that.
Once her father and grandpa retired for the night, she gathered her bedding and headed to the sofa. She had just started tucking a flat sheet around the cushions when her cell phone rang.
Diving for the phone on the charger plugged into the wall, she read the Caller ID. Cole. Her mood instantly lifted as she clicked the accept button.
“Howdy,” she answered.
“Why are parents such a pain in the ass?” he replied.
A smile caught the corners of her mouth. “A more appropriate question has never been uttered.”
“Seriously. I got the full gamut today. I had to listen to my dad explain why he and my mom opted for lemon sherbet on the walls of the new home office—which used to be my room, by the way—instead of lemon ice. He couldn’t even explain why paint colors are named after things like sherbet.”
“One of life’s mysteries,” she commiserated as she finished tucking an edge of the sheet under a cushion.
“Right? Then it was all about why they wanted the nickel finish on the guest bathroom’s fixtures instead of the chrome. Do you want to know why?”
“I’m on the edge of my seat.”
“So was I. It’s because my Aunt Bertha—yes, I have an actual aunt named Bertha—doesn’t like to see her reflection warped on any surface. Who has that kind of hang-up, for the love of Pete?”
She held back a laugh. “Who’s Pete?”
“Don’t ask. Mom says it all the time. When I’m around her for more than an hour, I start sounding just like her. It’s mortifying.”
“Ah. Well, that kind of hang-up must be agonizing for poor Bertha. Think of all of the chrome in public restrooms.”
“The last thing I want to think about is Aunt Bertha in the bathroom.”
Now she did laugh. Then she clapped a hand over her mouth and looked down the hallway to the bedrooms. There was only darkness under her bedroom door, she was relieved to see.
“Then, once I did the obligatory tour, I had to endure the Mom Interview.”
She shifted the phone to the crook of her neck so she could use both hands to unfold the top sheet. “What’s a mom interview?”
“Not a mom interview. The Mom Interview. You know, the third-degree on steroids. Things like, how’s life? Who’re you seeing right now? When are you getting married? When can I expect grandbabies?”
“Oh,” she said, pausing for a moment as she placed the sheet on the sofa. “Sounds painful.”
“Tell me about it. At least I got to spend some time with Sam.”
She smiled as she turned to see where she’d placed her pillows and blanket. “That’s nice. Avery stopped by then?”
“Yeah. The kid gets bigger and bigger every time I see him.”
“He sounds sweet. Wyatt talks about him all the time.”
She moved to pick up her blanket, which she’d left on the end table, and smacked her toes on the coffee table. Issuing a loud curse, she stumbled and fell. Her phone went flying.
“Everly?”
She flushed with embarrassment when she heard Cole’s voice through the receiver. Picking up her phone, she said, “Sorry about that.”
“What in the world are you doing?”
“I’m making up the sofa, which will be my bed for at least the next week since my father decided to blow through town without any notice.”
Only when she was greeted with silence did she realize what had just happened. She’d shared something about her personal life with someone else without thinking twice about it. The realization had her standing next to the sofa clutching her pillows.
What did that mean?
“You know,” Cole said at last, “I have this guest room…”
That eased her tension a little. “So I’ve heard. Thanks, but I need to stay near my grandpa. It’s not like my father knows what to do to help him if anything happens.”
Even she heard the bitterness in her voice. Frowning, she plopped her pillows down and tossed the blanket onto the end of the sofa.
“Well, consider it an open invitation,” he said. “There’s plenty of room for Jake, too.”
The offer had her sinking onto the sofa. He hadn’t even batted an eye over inviting her grandpa to his home. It was enough to have her eyes burning with emotion.
“Listen,” he said, “it may not seem so at the moment, but I didn’t call to whine. I called to see if you might be interested in coming out to my photo shoot tomorrow.”
She blinked away the tears and cleared her throat. “Didn’t you say that there would be people you know at this thing?”
“There will be. I figured we’re already moving forward with being a couple as our cover story, so why not make it as genuine-looking as possible?”
His words left her feeling hollow. Well, what had she expected?
She looked again down the hallway toward her bedroom. Spending the day with Cole pretending to be his latest romantic interest would be better than being around here.
Glancing at the outfit she’d set aside for tomorrow, which she had assumed she’d be wearing around the house, she asked, “Is there a dress code?”
“Definitely not. I’ll even take you out for breakfast beforehand.”
It didn’t take her long to decide. “Where would you like to meet?”
Chapter 27
Cole insisted on picking Everly up the next morning. He told her that it would look strange to everyone at the shoot if they arrived in two different vehicles. The truth was, he just wanted her to ride with him.
He didn’t acknowledge the significance of that any more than he acknowledged the reason he’d called her at almost midnight just to hear her voice.
When he pulled up at her house before eight in the morning, she stepped out the side door before he’d even put the car into park. His heart rate sped up the moment he spotted her. A wide smile spread across his face. It was then that he finally conceded he was just fooling himself if he thought their relationship was strictly professional.
As she locked the door to the house behind her, he got out of the car and walked to the passenger side door. He waited until she approached.
“Good morning, Ms. Wallace,” he said.
“Good morning, Mr. Parker.”
He leaned down and brushed his lips against hers. She caught his gaze when he pulled back. Then her gloved hand grabbed the front of his leather jacket and pulled him back down.
Her lips touched his. Then her mouth parted. That had him reaching up to touch the side of her face as he sank into the kiss. His heart wanted to escape his chest. This—the feel and taste of Everly—was more potent than any amount of caffeine.
When they parted this time, he reached beside him and opened the car door. He could all too easily forget the time and miss his appointment with distractions as amazing as her kiss.
??
?Your chariot, my lady,” he said, giving her a bow and flourish with his hand.
“Thanks,” she said, moving past him to settle into the passenger seat. “Trying for French again?”
“It is—oh, never mind,” he said, rolling his eyes and closing the door. Was his French accent really that bad?
He got back behind the wheel and fastened his seatbelt. When he glanced at Everly, he realized her striking eyes were focused on him and she was smiling. Her smile could punch a hole through him, he thought.
“I have a confession to make,” he said.
“I’m all ears.”
“I asked you to come today because I wanted to spend time with you. That’s all.”
Surprised flickered in her gaze. Her smile brightened.
“Well, I accepted because I wanted to spend time with you. That’s all.”
“Glad to hear it.” And he really was.
He pulled out of her grandpa’s driveway and headed along the back streets of Atlanta toward breakfast. He’d decided on a diner he liked near Emory. It wasn’t too far from the studio where the photo shoot would take place.
“What kind of car is this?” she asked.
“A Maserati GranTurismo.”
“It sure is sweet,” she said. “I’ve never seen anything like it. I’ll bet this thing cost five times what I paid for Champ.”
He wagered just the repairs he’d recently had done fell into that range. “Um…”
“Sorry. I’m not trying to make you uncomfortable. When you’re used to wondering how you’re going to pay the next bill in the stack, you tend to give everything a monetary value.”
It was sad that she had to explain that to him, he thought. He’d never wanted for anything in his life. His parents had both worked successful careers that allowed them to provide well for their children. They’d set up trust funds for each child, money he’d invested when he turned twenty-one since he hadn’t needed it. By the time he was Everly’s age, he’d been a multi-millionaire. Not once had he ever wondered whether he could afford to pay a bill.
Hell, he’d never paid a bill. His accountant handled all of that.
“And I’m not making this sound any better,” she said over his thoughts. “Anyway, it’s a beautiful ride.”
“Thanks.” He pulled onto the expressway. “So, tell me about this job offer you mentioned.”
She did, and it wasn’t long before they arrived at the restaurant. They were seated right away since it was still early. Within minutes, they were sitting with steaming cups of coffee in front of them.
“I have a confession to make,” she said once the waitress left to place their orders.
“I’m all ears.”
She didn’t smile or meet his gaze, telling him that what she had to say wasn’t going to be fun to hear. He took a sip of his coffee as she studied the table.
“My grandpa told my father about us.”
His grip tightened on his coffee mug. “Told him what, exactly?”
“That I was working with you.” She looked up. “I’m so sorry, Cole. I never thought Pee Paw would do such a thing.”
He didn’t respond. He couldn’t.
“I told my father that you did hire me,” she said, “but I said it was to design a personal training program for pitchers. He believed me.”
He took another sip of coffee. At least she’d given her father a logical explanation for them having exchanged money for professional services. What a mess.
“Everly, I trusted you on this.” His voice was tight as he tried to calm his anger.
“I know. I’m sorry.” She took a deep breath. He saw genuine pain in her eyes. “My grandpa still clings to the illusion that his son cares about him. I think he told him about you as a way to get my father to show interest in him again.”
“If that’s true, you should have shown better judgment in sharing the truth with him.”
Her face was paler than he’d ever seen it. “You’re right. I can’t tell you how sorry I am. Hopefully the story I told my father will help. Since he knew that I spent the night at your house, I gave him our cover story.”
His temper lashed out. “So your father thinks we’re sleeping together?”
She flinched. “I never said that.”
“I’m sure it was implied.”
“Of course it wasn’t,” she said, her voice no more than a whisper. “We haven’t said as much to anyone else, have we?”
Only when he registered how much his accusation hurt her did his anger ease. He realized that he was reacting more harshly than the situation warranted. She couldn’t control what her grandfather did.
Still, he’d trusted her. In light of the feelings he recently realized that he’d developed for her, this came as a hard blow.
“I understand if you want to stop working with me,” she said, her tone level. “It’ll help ensure that your reputation remains intact. It would be the smart thing to do.”
She was doing it again. Putting distance between them…gearing herself up for the big goodbye. Did she think he wanted to cut her out of his life because of this?
He reached across the table to take her hand. When she met his gaze, he said, “That’s bullshit. I’m calling you out on that one, Everly. Give me more credit than that.”
Some color returned to her cheeks. “Okay.”
“Look, I know you didn’t intend for this to happen. I’d be lying if I didn’t say you caught me off-guard, though. I hope you’ll tell me about these things when they happen from now on.”
They both understood the significance of his phrasing as they looked at each other after his statement. It implied a future together in some form or fashion. He didn’t bother taking it back since he’d spoken what he felt.
“I will. I promise.”
He squeezed her hand. “Good. So we’ll work around this. Is it safe to say your father’s only sticking around because you’re supposedly dating me?”
She shrugged. “I really don’t know. I’ve only seen him twice since Aiden’s funeral. Each time was selfishly motivated. Why should this time be any different?”
Their food arrived before he could respond. He thought about what she had shared with him about her father over the past couple days. The guy sounded like a royal asshat. He wouldn’t be surprised if the guy hit him up for money or a favor when they met. He sure sounded like the type.
Then he realized that he’d just assumed he’d be meeting Everly’s father, like it was no big deal. He’d never met the parents of someone he dated. That was another indicator of how serious their relationship was getting. He’d only known Everly for a few weeks. How was this level of connection possible in such a short period of time?
He then considered that it was also the first time she’d talked frankly with him about her family. He knew she didn’t discuss such things with other people. She’d progressed beyond her usual personal protocols in their relationship, too. That fact made him feel a little less exposed and helped curb the last of his irritation over this curveball.
“Tell you what,” he said when they were alone again. “Let’s take this a day at a time, okay?”
She nodded and gave him a grateful smile. “One day at a time.”
Chapter 28
Everly did what she could not to gawk as Cole led her into the studio where he’d be having photos taken. She spotted six other professional athletes between the time they entered a lobby area and when they were escorted back through a series of hallways to what appeared to be a dressing room. It was all she could do not to fangirl out and embarrass herself and Cole.
“You’ll be getting ready here, Mr. Parker,” the harried-looking receptionist said. She waved her arms, making her impressive fake bosom nearly burst from her tight sweater. “Feel free to leave your coats and personal belongings here. I’ll ensure they’re not disturbed. Your dressing room is prepped with bottled water and soft drinks. You’ve been provided an assortment of snacks, but if you need anything else, p
lease don’t hesitate to ask.”
“Thank you, Candice,” Cole said as he removed his jacket and reached for Everly’s.
Everly would have been more impressed by his use of her name if the woman hadn’t been wearing a nametag. Candice turned to Cole with a look of surprise as he hung the coats on a garment rack. Everly guessed she didn’t have many people address her by name.
The receptionist smiled. It made her look ten years younger than her likely forty-something age. “You can call me Candy,” she said.
Of course he could. Everly barely withheld a snort of amusement.
“All right, Candy,” Cole said. He winked at Everly when Candy giggled in a girlish way.
“I’ll come and get you when Bastian is ready,” she said, reaching out and touching Cole’s bicep. “Don’t hesitate to reach out to me in the meantime if you need anything.” Then she turned to Everly. “Mrs. Parker, please come with me.”
“Oh, um—” Everly began.
“Not without a goodbye kiss,” Cole said with a grin.
Everly didn’t object when he pulled her close. She was still reeling over being referred to as Mrs. Parker. Why had that made her heart leap and her entire body feel lighter?
Still, that didn’t compare to Cole’s kiss. Dear Lord, she could stay in that room all day kissing him. As it was, she didn’t really register when they parted and he told her he’d be out soon. She sort of floated beside Candy until they reached a large, dark room with spotlights focused on several stages bearing props. People swarmed in every direction.
“You can wait here,” Candy said.
Her tone wasn’t rude, but she clearly lacked interest in seeing to Everly’s comfort. That was just fine with Everly.
“Thanks, Candy,” she replied. “I appreciate your time.”
Something in her tone had Candy tilting her head and giving her a second look before she walked away. “Is there anything I can get you?” she asked.
Smiling, Everly shook her head. “I’ll be fine, thanks. I know you’re busy.”