Leave the Lights On Read online

  Joey filled everyone’s glasses with the last of the margaritas.

  “So good,” Sophie said, taking another sip. “Did I hear you say you’re looking at houses?”

  Joey nodded. “Realtor and I narrowed it down to two. Wanna see?”

  “Sure.” Sophie scooted closer to Joey as he scrolled through images on his phone. “Oh wow. That’s some house.”

  Parker’s stomach tensed as Joey turned the phone so he could see. “Some house” was an understatement. “Nice.”

  Joey shrugged. “It’s a cool place, but I think this one’s my first choice.”

  “Whoa,” Sophie said, her eyes bugging. “Is that whole front wall glass?”

  “Yep.” Joey held the phone out.

  The tightness in Parker’s stomach seemed to be spreading up through his throat. I’ll never be able to afford a place like that. He hated himself for thinking that, but it was true. No matter how successful the landscaping business was and how comfortable his lifestyle might be, it would never compare with what Joey had in front of him.

  Joey tucked the phone into his pocket and went back to eating. “All I know is whatever house I wind up taking, I’m gonna need a hell of a lot of furniture for it. The stuff in my apartment would barely fill one room of these places.”

  “I can help with that,” Sophie said, a big grin spreading across her face. “I help all my bridal clients set up their wedding registries. I know all the best places for furniture and some awesome interior designers.”

  Her willingness to help was sweet, yet it set Parker totally on edge. The thought of her spending time helping Joey fix up his bachelor palace was enough to make his already tense stomach turn into a mass of knots. I can’t offer her the same things he can.

  Joey knocked him on the shoulder with the back of his hand. “What about you? You gonna help decorate the new place? Maybe we can go to Spencer’s in the mall and get some good posters.”

  Parker laughed. “You mean you don’t still have your old ones?”

  “Actually I think I do, in my parents’ attic.”

  “Well, there you go then. Problem solved.”

  Sophie swatted each of them on the back of the head as she got up to start clearing the dinner plates. “You two are impossible. I’m so taking you shopping before you destroy a perfectly good house with black lights and velvet.”

  Joey rolled his eyes at Parker. “Women.”

  Parker tried for a smile. “You gotta love ’em.” Especially this one.

  By the time they’d finished clearing the table and polished off most of Sophie’s triple berry pie and all the ice cream, the fireworks started.

  Sophie grabbed a blanket and shook it in the air so it tented and lay flat on the grass. “Come on, guys, tradition.”

  They took their spots on the ground with Sophie between them, watching as the multicolored sprays of light flashed in the sky above the treetops.

  “Still the best view of the fireworks,” Joey said.

  “Best view ever.” Parker turned his head to look at Sophie and slipped his hand into hers.

  The feel of her skin against his, her fingers slipping between his, made him shudder in spite of the warm humid night.

  When the finale came, the entire sky lit up, the ground beneath them shaking from the consecutive explosions. “That was awesome,” Joey said. “This is the most relaxed I’ve been since the season started.”

  “Good.” Sophie gave Parker’s hand a quick squeeze before she let go and sat up. “You guys up for a swim?”

  “Always,” Joey said, tugging off his shirt as he popped up off the blanket. “Last one in’s a rotten egg.” He took off running toward Sophie’s yard.

  Instinct almost made Parker run after him, but he didn’t.

  “I can’t believe you’re not trying to beat him.” Sophie stared at him, her eyes wide with shock.

  “Gotta let him win once in a while. Besides, I’ve already got what I want right here.” He pulled her into a kiss that made the fireworks they’d just watched seem like a sparkler on a birthday cake. With her in his arms, he had everything he wanted, which thrilled and terrified him in equal amounts.

  Jesus. I’m doomed. And I don’t even care. He kissed her harder, pulling her so close the rest of the world disappeared.

  Chapter Twenty

  Parker had tied his tie three times and the knot still wasn’t right. “Fuck.” He yanked it off and started again. Over under around and… “Dammit.”

  “Everything okay in there?” The sound of Sophie’s voice startled him. He hadn’t realized she’d arrived.

  “I can’t get this stupid tie right.” He stared into the mirror and took a deep breath, raising his arms to try again.

  Sophie inserted herself between him and the dresser, her lovely face tilted up at him, eyes clear and calm. “Why don’t you let me give it a try? I had to wear a tie every day when I worked at the catering hall. I used to do this for half the employees.”

  Parker sighed and let his hands drop. “Go for it.”

  She worked intently, her long fingers maneuvering the slippery fabric. Her hair was pulled back on both sides instead of loose like she usually wore it. It accented her beautiful, heart-shaped face, making her eyes look even bigger, her chin pointier and her cheeks all the more kissable.

  “How’s that?” she asked, giving the knot a final adjustment as she smoothed his shirt collar down.

  Parker stepped to the side and looked in the mirror. In less than two minutes she’d managed to do what he’d been attempting for half an hour. “It’s perfect.”

  Sophie beamed. “You look pretty damned good in a suit.”

  “You look amazing.” His eyes raked over her. She wore a simple black dress, sleeveless that wasn’t even low cut, but it fit her curves so perfectly she looked sexy as hell. The dress stopped just above her knees, showing off her perfectly shaped calves. Her heels, also plain and black, were so high they made her whole body look different. Her posture was straighter, her center of gravity different, her movements more poised and graceful.

  She gave a little curtsy then smoothed her hand over his lapel. Even the slightest touch from her was enough to improve his mood. “Ready to go?” she asked.

  His frame of mind instantly darkened. “You know you really don’t have to come. This is gonna suck.”

  Sophie stepped toward him. Standing right in front of him with her sexy pumps, she was still easily six inches shorter than him, but what she lacked in height she made up for in determination. Planting a hand on either side of his face, she tipped his head forward until he had no choice but to look her straight in her crystal-clear eyes.

  “I’m going. You’re going. We’re going.” She pulled him forward, giving him a quick, gentle kiss.

  Parker would have much preferred throwing off all their fancy clothes and spending the evening in bed but he knew she was right. They had to go. Well, he had to go. And he also had to admit he was glad she was insisting on joining him. For the life of him he couldn’t figure out why anyone would volunteer to attend this, but the only thing worse than going would have been going alone.

  He plucked his car keys off the dresser and shoved his wallet into his pants pocket. “Let’s go get this over with.”

  Sophie had thought Parker looked tense when they’d gone to the ballgame. Compared to how he looked tonight, that was nothing. They drove to the Hilton in total silence. The few times she’d attempted to start a conversation, he’d made it clear he couldn’t handle small talk, and if she said anything encouraging, all it seemed to do was make him cranky.

  Stay quiet. Give him space. Keeping quiet wasn’t Sophie’s strong suit. Nervous energy made her chatty, and she was nervous for Parker. She’d never lost a parent, so she didn’t entirely know what he was going through, but she had some idea.

  He’d never known his mom. She’d had complications during his delivery and had died a few days after he was born. All his life, it had been Parker and
his dad. Sophie had never known anyone with a closer relationship with either of their parents. Not only was Mr. Wood proud of everything Parker did, the two of them seemed to actually be buddies. Losing him had to be tearing Parker apart, but he couldn’t seem to talk about it.

  Sure, he’d mentioned missing him. He’d said he couldn’t deal with cleaning out his room yet or getting rid of his stuff. But she hadn’t seen the emotions tugging at him. Not until today.

  “It’s not too late to change your mind,” he said as he pulled into the parking deck.

  “Will you please stop saying that?”

  “Fine.”

  Fine. That was the third “fine” she’d gotten out of him.

  She hated that word. Hated all monosyllabic answers. They reminded her of her father. And her ex. Give him a break. He’s just having a rough night. She knew that was true. He never clammed up like this. Circumstance was to blame.

  He fidgeted with his tie. She wasn’t sure if it was too tight or he was attempting to straighten it, but all he’d succeeded in doing was making it crooked. Tell him. “You’re…it’s off to one side now. May I?”

  “Fine.”

  Sophie sighed, trying not to shake her head as she reached up and adjusted the knot. “Perfect.”

  “Good.”

  Well, at least that’s better than “fine”. She followed him across the parking deck to the elevator. His hands were shoved into his pants pockets, making his jacket bunch up. She’d never seen anyone look more uncomfortable in a suit. I need to get him to have a drink. The sooner the better.

  Inside the elevator he stared at the numbers as they lit up above the door. He looked like he was going to his own execution instead of a fancy dinner. When the door to the elevator slid open, they were greeted by a poster set on an enormous easel. Ethan Wood Memorial Banquet the sign read atop a giant photo of Parker’s dad.

  The tension that had been holding him so taut seemed to drain out of him the second he saw the image. His shoulders slumped. The tight set of his jaw slackened. All she saw was sadness. Her heart ached. She wanted to throw her arms around him and tell him everything was going to be okay. Knowing that would be out of place she kept herself in check. Unsure how he’d react to any physical contact, she let her hand brush against his. Relief swept over her as he slipped his fingers between hers and gave them a tight squeeze.

  A white-haired gentleman who looked vaguely familiar strode toward them. “Parker, so glad you could make it.”

  “Thanks, Mr. Brown.” He let go of Sophie’s hand and reached out to shake Mr. Brown’s.

  “Who’s this lovely young woman?”

  “This is Sophie Vaughn. We grew up together. She knew my dad really well.”

  “Pleasure to meet you, Ms. Vaughn. Parker, I’d like to introduce you to the presenters before the ceremony begins if that’s okay with you.”

  “Sure.” Parker’s hand slipped back into his pocket instead of back into Sophie’s. “Why don’t you go find our table?”

  “Okay.” Sighing, she made her way into the ballroom. This is going to be a very long night.

  Parker willed himself to be as numb as possible as he met the lineup of people who would be speaking about his father. Just get through it and then it’ll be over. That’s how he’d viewed every surgery, every new physical therapy challenge, every other painful event he’d had to face. Just do it. Not what Nike had been referring to, but sound advice nonetheless.

  Roughly half the men were people Parker had met before. He’d spent enough time working at the landscaping business that he’d had contact with the majority of them over either jobs or charity events or both. The few people he didn’t know were friendly enough. Everyone full of kind words about his father. Kind words and sympathy. That look in their eyes. That was what was going to make Parker lose it.

  He’d purposely kept the funeral small and private, wanting to deal with as few people as possible. And there he’d been able to keep his sunglasses on the entire time. Behind the dark lenses it was much easier to keep it together. No one could tell if he was making eye contact or not. No one could see that tears were welling up. He didn’t have to worry about the pain being quite so obvious. Without them, he felt like he was wearing a flashing arrow that said “hurting”.

  “Parker, this is Jarrod Weston. He took over the Park Commission when Bill Thompson stepped down last year.”

  Jarrod Weston. The name rang a bell but not in conjunction with anything work related. Don’t even… He looked up to see a thin blond man in an Armani suit approaching, hand extended. Fuck. Me. It was the asshole who had married Chrissie.

  Parker’s jaw tensed so tight he thought he might actually crack a tooth. He shook Jarrod’s hand in silence, managing nothing more than a quick nod. Jarrod didn’t meet his eyes. Chicken shit.

  “Jarrod will be presenting the actual plaque, so we’ll need the two of you for photos afterward. They’ll tell you both where to go to have those taken.”

  Clearly Mr. Brown had no idea about their history. The lightheartedness with which he spoke seemed almost comical in comparison to the turmoil Parker felt. Someone stepped to the podium at the front of the banquet hall and asked that everyone please take their seats.

  Parker saw Sophie sitting at the table closest to the podium. She was scanning the room, and he knew she was looking for him. The thought comforted him. He knew he’d been giving her a hard time. He wasn’t trying to, but it seemed to keep happening anyway.

  Truthfully, he was very thankful she was there. I need to tell her that. Now. Parker’s thoughts were interrupted with a sight that knocked what little air he had in his lungs right out. At the table next to his, seated with the other presenters and their wives, he saw an unmistakable head of blonde hair. As if she felt his eyes on her she turned, and looked straight at Parker. Chrissie.

  The urge to walk straight out of the room was nearly overwhelming. Instead, Parker made it to the open seat beside Sophie. She smiled when she saw him, scooting her chair to the side so he could sit, but that wasn’t meant to happen yet. Before he could slip into the chair, Chrissie stood and walked over to him.

  She looked different. Older. And by far more than the two years since he’d seen her. Her features had lost their girlishness. Her nose seemed pointier, her eyes deeper set, her lips thinner. She was still beautiful, but something was missing. The spark that had been her defining quality seemed to be gone, replaced with a solemn poise.

  “Parker,” she said, reaching up to touch his shoulder and placing a kiss on his cheek.

  He stiffened at her touch, trying not to pull away too rudely, but wanting to remove himself from her reach nonetheless. “Hey,” was all he could manage.

  “I’m so sorry about your dad. He was such a nice man.”

  “Thanks.” Parker pulled out his chair, trying to give her the clue that it was time to sit down and not make small talk. He caught the look on Sophie’s face. Her eyes were wide as they darted between him and Chrissie.

  “We should talk later, after the ceremony,” Chrissie said.

  “We’ll see. I don’t think we plan on sticking around for very long.” He nodded at Sophie, who smiled up at him.

  Chrissie followed his gaze and seemed to realize he was there with a date. “Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to be rude. Hi. I’m Chrissie Weston.” She held out her hand.

  Parker shook his head. Holy God.

  “I know,” Sophie said, taking her hand and staring her straight in the eyes. “Sophie Vaughn.”

  Chrissie’s eyes bugged to cartoonish size as the name registered. “Oh. My. God. Sophie. You’re the last person I would have expected to run into here.”

  “Likewise,” Sophie said, shooting Parker a quick glance.

  “How are you? You look great.”

  “So do you. I’m good, thanks, but I think they’re trying to get the ceremony started.”

  Chrissie looked up at the podium just as the speaker tapped the mic. “You’re r
ight.” She swept a hand across Parker’s shoulder and gave it a quick squeeze. “We’ll catch up later.”

  Catch up later? What the fuck is she talking about? Parker was about to whisper something to Sophie but the speaker cleared his throat and began to talk.

  “I’d like to thank you all for coming tonight to honor a man who meant so much to our community and so much to everyone in this room. Let’s start with a moment of silence in memory of Mr. Ethan Wood.”

  The room fell completely silent. Parker’s heart beat hard enough that he was certain everyone at the table could hear it. He didn’t need a moment to remember his dad. He thought about him every day whether he wanted to or not. The urge to get up and leave returned with almost overpowering strength.

  Sophie reached over and took his hand. The simple act of kindness brought him so much relief he thought he might start crying. Get. A. Grip. He forced himself to breathe. Jesus. She’s just holding my hand. That guy’s just saying words. Calm the fuck down before you make an ass of yourself in front of the whole damned town.

  As much as he wanted to hang on to Sophie’s hand, he shifted his position and let it go. He reached for his water glass and took as much of a drink as he could manage to swallow. The cool water passed over the lump in his throat and spiraled down into his stomach.

  For what seemed like an eternity, he listened as speakers got up, one after another, saying the kindest things about his father he could imagine hearing. Parker bit down on his tongue more than once to focus on the pain of the bite rather than the pain of his memories. By the time they were ready to present the plaque, he wasn’t sure he could stand let alone walk to the front of the room. His shoulders were so tense he could barely move.

  Seeing Jarrod Weston, of all people, up there holding the plaque, Parker felt as if he might throw up. At least the disgust he felt for Jarrod was something to focus on that had nothing to do with his father. This was the asshole who’d taken Chrissie from him. The catalyst that had inadvertently changed every plan he had for his life. Watching him, smug and dapper, with his well-coiffed hair and expensive suit, Parker felt nothing but disdain.