Sophie's Playboy (36 page)

Read Sophie's Playboy Online

Authors: Natalie J. Damschroder

They gave their food to the cook, got their number, and retu
"She has a heart condition," he said, keeping his own voice
"Oh, no," Sophie said, hating to think that tiny little girl
Parker lifted a shoulder. "They've tried medication, and a h
Sophie's eyelids tingled and she blinked, not wanting to cry
"Uncle Parker, I gotta go." Josh stood next to Parker, holdi
"I'll take him." Timmy slid out of his seat and ushered his
Sophie watched them until they went into the men's room, the
"I know this is none of my business," she murmured fiercely.
Parker took a swig of his O'Doul's to hide the flash of ange
"What makes you think I'm not?"
She pulled back a little. "Well, you said how she's struggli
"Where are you, socially, Sophie? Middle class? Never had to
She frowned at him. "When I was growing up, yes, that was th
"Did you know many poor people?"
"A few."
"People who work hard but earn enough money to barely surviv
Sophie looked properly chagrined, but didn't give up. "Why c
Parker's anger drifted away. Sophie was thinking like a moth
Parker spotted the boys making their way back across the res
The waiter deposited bowls of rice and a tortilla warmer on
"You guys wash your hands?"
"Yep." Josh reached for the tortillas. Timmy only rolled his
They kept to kid topics after that, as both boys had a tende
"Okay, boys," Parker said when they'd finished and gotten ba
"No!"
"Pleeeeaaasse, Sophie, come home and tuck us in!"
Sophie looked at Parker. He shrugged. "Mare is likely to be
"I'm sorry, guys, I have a puppy at home who is probably dyi
"Awwww!" Josh slumped back into his booster seat, but Timmy
"We can bring you home to feed the puppy and let him out, ca
"Yeah, and stay up later. I'm wise to you, smart guy."
Timmy snickered but turned begging eyes on Sophie. "We'd lov
Sophie snorted her laughter. "You're teaching him kind of ea
Parker just flipped his turn signal and pulled into traffic.
"Okay, if you guys don't mind taking me home to feed Hippo,
"Gosh, your dog is named Hippo? He must be huge!"
"You'll see." Sophie chuckled and realized how long it had b
Parker drove without direction to her condo. Sophie wondered
Beeeep. "Soph, it's Brie. The seminar actually ran over, and
Sophie felt her face flame and erased the message. She didn'
"Aren't you going to honor your sister's wishes?" he asked f
"Do you have a Charlie bar for this?" He examined the track
"I know how to live securely, Parker." She handed Timmy an o
"I thought they have one of these?" She pointed at the dog a
"They have one, and love everyone else's more. I always doub
Sophie tried to work some saliva into her mouth. She didn't
He moved closer. "Do you do what your heart tells you to do?
"Of course. Or I wouldn't be on the radio." She darted a loo
"What's your heart telling you now?" He was so close. Sophie
She eased back and opened her eyes. He looked at her with de
She was in serious trouble.
* * * *
Getting the boys bathed and into bed was no mean feat. Sophi
"Thanks, Sophie. You were great about this."
"Mare does this every night? The woman must be a saint." Sop
"They behave a lot better for her. For me, too, usually. The
"Parker, this isn't the time."
He picked up her hand. "No, but it will be. Won't it?"
Uncertainty finally found its way into his voice and Sophie
She slipped her hand away and twisted to face him. Leaning a
"Tell me how you know so much about poor people," she said.
Parker smiled his acknowledgement of her message and sat bac
"So, do you want to be a real father someday?"
Just like that, Parker's face closed up. He turned cold, col
"I don't expect to be a father. Ever. Or a husband."
It was a clear warning, one Sophie would have expected, thou
She stood. "I need to get going." Then she remembered her ca
"Mare's home." Parker briefly touched her elbow as he moved
"To my car."
"Home. It's late." He frowned at her when she would have pro
The door opened before Sophie could argue. The woman who ent
"Hello!" She leaned her attaché against the wall and set her
"I am." Sophie shook her hand and cast an amused glance at P
"Great, Mare, get me in trouble."
She unbuttoned her jacket and sank onto the recliner that wa
Parker gave her a rundown of the evening while she shook off
Mare suddenly looked up at Sophie. "I'm sorry. I'm practical
"Don't be ridiculous!" Sophie stepped forward with her hands
"I need to take you home," he corrected. He grabbed his keys
"Really?" Her face lit up and Sophie saw true beauty behind
"Really," he answered his sister. "Sophie's rescuing me."
"What?" was out of Sophie's mouth before she could stop it.
"You did say you'd come with me," he reminded her.
Sophie tried to think of a way to back out. After his pronou
"Thank you, thank you, thank you! This damned 'picnic' would
"I'd have remembered," Parker complained. "We'll see you in
"It was a pleasure meeting you," she assured Mare, then hurr
They drove in silence halfway to Sophie's condo. "How did yo
"You're listed, Sophie."
"Not in the new book, I'm not." His lack of response told he
"Looks like your sister's back," he said, looking ahead.
Lights were on in the condo and Brianna's Cabriolet was park
"Thanks for the ride. I'll see you Monday."
"Wait!"
Sophie paused. At least he hadn't gotten out to "walk her to
"What about your car?"
"Brie can drive me over tomorrow. She wants to see the stati
He studied her face a minute, as if he had something else he
She didn't know if she was glad or disappointed when he didn
* * * *
Parker rubbed at the tension in the back of his neck as he c
He'd gotten a frantic call from Josh this morning. His nephe
Hence, an early Saturday morning trip to work. That used to
He entered the mostly silent building and made sure the door
"So this is where you brainstorm." The unfamiliar voice was
"You missed your chance." Sophie's voice, as familiar to him
"Well, Juanita met this guy who wanted to go dancing, and I
"I know. It doesn't really matter."
"Sure it does." Parker stepped into the doorway and startled
The woman with Sophie was about three inches shorter, her ha
"Parker, this is my sister, Brianna. Brie, Parker. There, yo
Maybe Brianna could help him.
"Can I take you beautiful ladies to lunch?"
Sophie rolled her eyes and let her arms drop. "Can the charm
Oh, no? Parker offered Brie his arm and they followed Sophie
"The one about looping in public schools. I actually used so
"Really." How amusing. Parker had taken a stance simply to r
He really wanted to watch Sophie burn. And not just verbally
"Are you on the school board, then?" he asked Brianna.
"Oh, no, I'm on the faculty. I'm a first grade teacher."
He studied her as they paused on the outer steps to wait for
Sophie stomped past them. "I said can it, Parker. Brie's not
"What is my type, then?"
She whirled. "Rich widows with too much time on their hands
Parker took the hit, allowing the pain only because he saw t
"I'll see you Monday, Parker," Sophie finally said, pulling
"Nice to meet you!" Brianna called over her shoulder, stumbl
Parker watched them go, bracing his hands on his hips. A sha
Still, he thought, all was not lost. He had the power to hur
Hope for what, he still had to determine.
CHAPTER 8
Monday came, as it always did. Instead of getting up early a
"Thanks, Betty. You're a doll." He reached for the coffee an
"You're a nutcase, if you ask me." She bustled about, organi
Pretending he didn't feel guilty, Parker picked up the messa
Her back went rigid. "I'm not concerned about my job, Biff.
"It's not work that has me looking like this." He pulled the
"What?"
"It's a woman. A woman has you haggard and worried. Fabulous
"Ridiculous," he scoffed, keeping his head down as if he was
He pushed that thought away and wished he could push Betty a
"Just what you need. A woman who means more to you than a li
Parker sat back in his chair, stunned. "What are you talking
Betty shook her finger at him and picked up his empty coffee
"I—"
"Don't interrupt." She strode to the coffee pot next to the
He couldn't help but smile. "Not all the women I date are fl
"But not a one seems to realize what you're doing." She set
He winced. "My cousin Chip. They have a big real estate deal
"Mm-hm." She gave him a case-resting look and swept toward t
She shut the door on that compliment. Parker shook his head
He was getting more than his share of that lately.
* * * *
Sophie fussed with the full skirt of her halter-style sundre
Her sandals had slight heels and she hoped they wouldn't mak
She studied her makeup. Light, in a concession to the heat.
"Sophie, darling!"
She blew out a breath. "Happy Fourth, Mom."
"I just couldn't let the day go by without talking to you. W
Her mother rambled on. Sophie tried to decide if the call wa
"Anyway, enough about all that. I wish you were coming home,
"And now I'm the only bird away from the nest and you worry
"Okay, well, have a great time, enjoy the Cape—I wish we wer
"Thanks, Mom, I will. Bye!"
Sophie eased the phone down and let it drop into the cradle.
The next five minutes seemed interminable. She gave up on th
No, she didn't. She stalked to the bedroom to grab the fooli
She was old enough to stop looking for an interesting time w
She stopped pacing and paused in the middle of her living ro
The doorbell rang and she was relieved to find that her puls
"Parker." She swallowed hard against the dryness in her thro
Maybe she should just sleep with him and be done with it.
"Sophie." His once-over took her in from the top of her loos
She shook her head as she stepped out and locked the door be
"You're forgiven." His eyes blazed briefly, then they were w
"No giant ego-mobile today?"
Parker grinned at her as he opened her door. "No, just the l
Once Parker was settled in the driver's seat, Sophie asked,
"Sure. But it's just as stereotypical that women dig 'em."
She tossed her hands. "I give up."
"We should do a show on the topic," he said.
Sophie itched for a pad. "You're right!"
"Under the seat."
She looked at him. "What?"
"There's paper under the seat."
Sophie reached down and immediately found a leather folio wi
"Theme. Stereotypes or men's egos?"
"Ha. Stereotypes."
She wrote it at the top of the page and underlined it. She l
"We've got men and cars as one."
"Women and men and cars."
"Women can't drive," Sophie offered, writing as fast as they
"Men are too aggressive on the road."
"Truck drivers and all the things they supposedly do wrong."
"Road crews," Parker offered, pointing to a quiet work area
"State workers in general."
They brainstormed for another ten miles before they ran out
"Tell me about your family," she said, after tucking the pad
Parker's hands flexed on the wheel. "Well, you're meeting mo
"Trophy wife?"
"Undoubtedly. She's younger than I am and doesn't like to be
"How come?"
He lifted a shoulder. "More stereotypes, I guess? Biff is a
"Are you talking about the name or the Senior?"
He glanced at her. "Perceptive. My father epitomizes 'Biff.'

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