Page 49 of Heartless

I glanced at Daphne, twisting and fussing in Hannah’s lap. Her red face suggested she was crying not so long ago.

“No, thanks. How are you feeling?”

“Good, but sleepy. I barely make it until eight. The doctor said it’s normal. I should have more energy soon.”

“And how is the wedding planning going?” I asked, remembering Tyler’s reaction when my mother offered my help. Then I felt goosebumps rising on my skin again at the memory of Parker’s hand on my neck and how he tried to defend me.

“We haven’t done anything yet. Besides Tyler booking the vineyard. But there’s plenty of time. We’re focused on the baby.”

In other words, they didn’t want to include me in the planning. I shouldn’t be offended and yet I was.

“Yes. You have plenty of time.”

Clem returned with my water and a plate filled with an array of cookies, each one unique in shape and color. Aromas of cinnamon, chocolate, and vanilla made my mouth water. Apparently spending an entire day around carbs wasn’t good for my control.

“So. You and Parker?” My sister took a bite of a chocolate chip cookie. “How did that happen? I definitely didn't see that one coming. I was under the impression you two hated each other.”

“You and Lucas hated each other,” Hannah shot Clem a half-smirk, then bounced Daphne a little to calm her down and focused on me. “He seems distant and emotionless, but when you get to know him, it quickly becomes clear that he’s definitely not.”

“Didn’t the pot inBeauty and The Beastsay something similar about The Beast?”

“It was the armoire,” my sister answered with her mouth full.

I cleared my throat. “We’re still getting to know each other.”

“But you like him, right?” Clem asked, the slight tilt of her making her look like she didn’t quite believe the story I was selling.

“Of course. He’s handsome. Smart. What’s there not to like?”

The words slipped out of my mouth so easily, I realized they weren’t a lie. He really was handsome and smart. And unfortunately I had begun to like him.

“What about hisevilside?” Clem quoted me. I might have bad-mouthed Parker in front of her a little too much.

Hannah saved me from having to answer that by asking a safer question. “Is it weird? Him being your boss?”

Stick to the truth as much as possible. That's the easiest way to lie.

“No one knows about us at The Gemstone.”

“Okay, but...” Hannah covered Daphne’s ears. My niece’s eyes widened a little. “Do you have clear boundaries? Or is he treating you like a boyfriend at work? Or like a boss in bed?”

“I’m getting bossy vibes from him,” Clementine added.

My armpits started to sweat. And it wasn’t entirely because of the inquisition here. I blinked and straightened up in my chair. “That’s private.”

Hannah removed her hands from Daphne’s ears and placed a kiss on the top of her head.

“You make this thing between Parker and me sound way more serious than it actually is. We are just trying it out and seeing where it goes.”

“You don’t bring a boy home to Sylvia Hartley if you’re just trying him out,” Clem said.

“He’s not a sweater,” Hannah scolded us both. “He’s a human being.”

Clem smiled. “The sweater analogy is so not hot. How about a test drive?” Then she shot me a grin. “You don’t bring the shiny sports car home if you’re just taking it for a test drive.”

“Someone’s buying a sports car?” A familiar low rumble startled me.

All three of us glanced up and found Parker standing two steps away, Tyler right behind him.