Sophie's Playboy (16 page)

by Natalie Damschroder

"You ladies getting along without picking me apart?" He slung an arm over Sophie's shoulder and tucked her against his side. A knowing look passed between the other women, and Sophie sighed. She'd never convince them there was no future for her and Parker now.

"Actually, we weren't talking about you at all."

"Talking about me, then?" Biff's deep voice came from behind them. "Why isn't my family mingling?"

Fawn held out a hand to Biff. She looked excited. "Let's tell them now, honey. I can't wait until everyone's gone. That's hours and hours."

Biff grumbled but looked proud as he settled next to Fawn on the bench. "Go ahead."

Fawn beamed. Sophie sensed what was coming and tried to move away. Parker tightened his hold and Fawn nodded at her. "You can stay, Sophie. It may affect you, too." She wrinkled her nose and looked, suddenly, like the dim young trophy wife Parker had described.

Fawn took a deep breath. "We're going to have a baby."

Shocked silence was clearly not what she expected. Sophie looked up at Parker, who looked resigned. Mare looked stunned. Fawn deflated quickly.

"You're not happy about that," she said quietly. Before her stepchildren could respond, Biff stood.

"Nonsense," he boomed. "They'll be thrilled. Just need to get used to the idea. Come along." He lifted Fawn by her upper arm. "The Gingrichs have to leave soon. We must speak with them before they go."

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Mare blew out a breath after they'd moved away. "Wow."

Parker didn't say anything. She looked up at him but he didn't move. "You knew?"

"I suspected. At the anniversary dinner you missed."

"I wonder how Dad feels about it."

"He can't be surprised. He knew when he married Fawn that she wanted kids. Serves him right for marrying a woman his daughter's age."

He abruptly stood and strode away. Sophie looked after him, wondering if she should follow, but he was immediately accosted by a Boston banker.

"Give him a minute," Mare advised quietly, "then take him to the gazebo." She nodded toward the empty building built near the edge of the lawn. "I think he could use your shoulder."

"What about you?"

"Oh, me." Mare scoffed. "I'm fine. I knew it would happen eventually. Took me a bit by surprise, but I'm kind of amused at having a sibling younger than my kids." She moved her shoulders. "Not the first time that's ever happened." She stood and lifted her drink, then pointed toward Parker. "See, he's moving in that direction. Go help him out." Her jaw hardened, then, and she looked at Sophie threateningly for the first time. "Just don't be the next one to hurt him."

Sophie raised her eyebrows and put her hand on her chest.

"Me?" She didn't have that kind of power.

"Yes, you. He
will
change for you, Sophie. Some people do.

Not people like my father or my ex, but people like Parker.

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With a core of goodness and love that hasn't had a target yet.

Now, go." She pushed Sophie toward the gazebo.

Sophie stared at the tall man ahead of her, at the uncharacteristic hunch of his shoulders and the anger in his stride. He
was
hurting.

She went.

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CHAPTER 9

Sophie stepped slowly across the sloping lawn. Anger grew in her chest. Why did Mare have to do that to her? Make her hope, even for a second, that a future with Parker was possible? She knew better. It would be a waste of time and emotion. She was too pragmatic to try.

But when she saw Parker leaning on the rail of the gazebo, staring not out at the rhythmic waves of the ocean but at the red and white geraniums planted around the base of the structure, her anger fled. His pain showed in the angle of his head, the slump of his shoulders. When she got nearer, she saw it in the tightness of his face, in his closed eyes and pressed mouth. She couldn't turn away.

"Parker." She came up the steps to his side. He didn't move. She slid her hand up his back to his shoulder. "Are you okay?"

He shifted, not obviously away from her, but enough so her hand slid away. "
I'm
fine. I'm an adult. It's that baby we should worry about."

"What do you mean?"

Parker pivoted away and started to pace. He seemed to be talking more to himself than to Sophie. "God damn him. He had to do it. Had to let Fawn have her way. Set up another innocent for heartache."

Sophie sat on the bench and watched Parker mutter. From what she'd learned from him and his stepmother, Parker's fear for the child getting hurt was well founded. She 149

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suspected that was something that drove Parker, the desire to avoid hurting anyone. It made a lot of things fit.

Unfortunately for her heart, it also made her....

"What are you afraid of," she asked abruptly to shut off her thoughts. "Why is it a bad thing that Fawn is pregnant?"

He stopped pacing. "You've met my father, right? I've told you about him. So why do you even have to ask?"

"I know what you fear for the baby. What about you?"

He blew out his breath and sat next to her. "I really don't matter, Sophie."

She blinked back tears and put her hand on top of his, watching as he threaded their fingers. "Is that what you learned from your childhood? That you don't matter?" Her heart ached at the longing in his eyes.

"That's not what I meant."

"But you do feel that way, don't you?" When he didn't respond, she said, "For what it's worth, Fawn has a very good handle on what your father is and what this baby is to him.

She'll be a good mother."

Parker stared up the hill toward the party. "She'll have to be. But it won't help."

Sophie chewed her lip for a moment, wondering if what she wanted to say would irrigate the wound or infect it. The last thing she wanted to do was make him feel worse. But it usually helped to face ... whatever. So she asked, "Do you worry more that this baby will grow up like you did or that it won't?"

He frowned at her. "What do you mean?"

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"What if your father has changed? What if he does right by this baby?" Sophie was afraid he would feel even more like he wasn't good enough for his father.

Parker didn't answer. She followed his gaze and saw Biff the Senior with his arm around yet another sexpot, while Fawn stood a few feet away, watching.

Sophie sighed. "Never mind."

After a few minutes of silence, Parker said, "I know what you were getting at, and it's a valid concern, but not for me. I don't want this kid to be hurt, that's all."

"Fear of pain is a common trait in your family," Sophie observed. "Handed down through the generations, it seems.

From both sides."

"Fawn's been talking about my grandfather."

She leaned against the cushioned back of the bench and crossed her ankles. "Yes, but it also seems clear that your mother left to avoid more pain, as well."

"Isn't that a common trait in the whole human race?" His tone was faintly sarcastic. "No one wants to be hurt."

"Sure. But there are different ways to handle that fear. Not everyone goes to extremes."

"I don't go to extremes." He interrupted her when she started to argue. "We're not on the air, Sophie. You don't have to play devil's advocate."

He was right. "I'm sorry." She leaned against his arm, resting her chin on his shoulder. "Parker, you grew up to be a wonderful man. You learned from your father's behavior and go out of your way to protect people. But you can't save 151

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everyone, you can't make up for everyone, and please, don't let it burn a hole in you so big no one can ever fill it back up."

She'd hit a nerve, she saw, when his eyes got suspiciously bright and his fingers tightened around hers. Once again she considered the depths this man hid. And wondered if it was too late, and the hole was already too big.

* * * *

Parker blinked and swallowed to get himself under control.

Breaking down in front of Sophie was not on his to-do list.

Breaking down anywhere was not on that list.

He stood, drawing Sophie up next to him, and turned so they faced each other. "Thanks," he said, his hands on her shoulders, and pulled her into a hug. "You're a good friend, Sophie."

"You're welcome," she whispered next to his ear.

He relaxed his hold and looked down at her. She looked so sweet, with her hair pulled back and her face full of concern instead of determination and argument. Her clear eyes searched his as if seeking reassurance that he was okay. His heart swelled and he lowered his head, closing his eyes to better drink in her scent, her taste, all of her.

Her mouth met his softly, tenderly, as if trying to soothe him. He accepted that for a moment, but he wanted this kiss to be about
them
, not about Biff and Fawn and the unnamed baby. He parted her lips with his and let the craving to fill that opening build. Sophie strained upward, nibbling his mouth, gripping his biceps. He waited a moment longer, then gave her what she wanted. She moaned when his tongue slid into 152

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her mouth. His blood rushed faster, became a roaring in his ears as it left his brain for more interesting parts of his body.

He wrapped his arms tighter around Sophie and dipped his head to her neck. She gasped and he smiled against her skin.

He hardened even more when she unexpectedly bit his earlobe, then fisted her hands in his hair and dragged his mouth back to hers.

A burst of laughter from the up the hill brought them both back to awareness. Parker let Sophie drift back, but didn't release her. She rested her head against his shoulder, her arms draped around his neck.

"Oh, Parker," she breathed.

"Oh, yes."

* * * *

They tried to escape the party, but Biff the Senior wouldn't hear of it. He forced them to play croquet, then eat again and wait for the fireworks.

Parker didn't complain. He felt Sophie rebuilding the barrier that held them at friendship and knew that if they left, he'd drive her home and she'd wave a cheery goodbye without letting him get near her and tomorrow they'd go to work and do the show without any external hint of the kiss they'd shared.

At least he could pretend they were on a date while they sat on a blanket in the dark, watching fireworks.

Timmy and Josh rushed over shortly after they'd settled onto the blanket. "Uncle Parker, is it time for the fireworks yet?"

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Parker grinned and reached to tickle Josh. "Soon, guys."

Timmy leaped onto his back. Parker grabbed him and pulled him over his shoulder, tickling until Timmy frowned.

"Stop! Uncle Parker, I'm too old for that."

"Okay." Parker let him stand. "But you're not too old for
this
!" He grabbed him and lowered him to the blanket in a controlled wrestling move. Josh squealed and joined the fray.

Parker wrestled them both until his father chastised them.

They all ducked their heads and turned dutifully around to face the water.

Biff and Fawn settled into Adirondack chairs behind the blanket Parker and Sophie had chosen. Parker smiled at Fawn, then glanced at Sophie. His breath caught at the look on her face. It was the same look Fawn had been giving his father.

Boom
!

Parker turned to the sky and hoped the confusion didn't show on his face. Sophie was falling in love with him. He'd done nothing to prevent it, to stop it.
Damn it
. No, he hadn't protected Sophie or himself. Instead, he'd pushed and prodded and forced them to this point, stupidly denying the inevitable.

He should have stayed away from Sophie.

Timmy leaned against Parker's side, absorbed in the display overhead and too tired to act manly. Parker saw that Josh had crawled into Sophie's lap. Mare was in a chair next to Fawn, behind them, and Parker realized the little group on the blanket looked like a family.

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Longing warred with panic. He wanted this, but had known for years he couldn't have it. The way his father was acting now illustrated yet again the damage the Cornwalls could do to good people. Loving someone caused pain, and Parker couldn't do that to Sophie.

He had to put the brakes on. Immediately.

* * * *

Sophie was grateful that Parker didn't try to kiss her when he dropped her off at home. They'd kept the conversation off them, discussing the guests and the holiday and brainstorming rants and raves they could use on the next few shows. When she climbed out of the car he watched her go to the door, then waved with a "see you tomorrow!" and drove away.

"I'm not disappointed," she muttered as she locked the door behind her.

"I would be."

Sophie yelled and tossed her bag into the air, but automatically clutched her keys between her fingers and braced for an attack. In the next instant she recognized her intruder and relaxed.

"My God, Brianna! What the hell are you doing here?" She bent to pick up the items that had spilled from her bag.

Brie leaned against the doorjamb of the living room entryway and folded her arms. "I was bored. I need some adventure."

Sophie straightened and glared at her sister. "I hope scaring a year off my life was worth it."

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Brie grinned. "Oh, yeah, it was." She followed her sister to the kitchen, where Sophie pulled two bottles of water from the fridge and handed her one. She sighed dramatically. "Life in Brook Hollow is getting duller and duller. You never come home, Kira's life is more of a Tunnel of Love than a roller coaster, and even Mom has tamed herself."