Page 42 of Lovers at Seaside
Neil looked up from the ledger he was working on, and when his lips curved up, it was easy to see where Grayson got his good looks. His father’s hair was lighter, and the strong angles of his face were softer but clearly similar. Her eyes returned to their front-page kiss, and her nerves came back to life. The frame sat beside a wedding picture of Grayson’s parents, and another of Pete and Jenna. His love for his children was inescapable. Pinned to the wall above his desk were pictures of Grayson and his siblings, from toddler to man and woman. Parker’s heart squeezed at how much love a few pictures could convey, and she felt honored to have her picture beside the others.
“Gray.” Neil pushed from the chair and embraced his son. He was a big man, though not as broad as Grayson.
“Hi, Pop.” Grayson reached for Parker with pride in his eyes, but before he could get a word out, his father’s arms engulfed her in a warm hug.
“Parker, it’s nice to meet you, sweetheart.” When he drew back, his smile still in place, his eyes moved between her and Grayson.
Sweetheart.She wondered if that’s what he’d called Grayson’s mother, and the thought made her feel even more special.
“It’s nice to meet you, too.”
“Pop?” Grayson picked up the framed picture of them kissing. “Seriously?”
“Your sister gave one to each of us.” He chuckled. “I guess she didn’t tell you.”
Parker stifled a giggle when she realized Sky and the girls hadn’t said anything tohereither. Maybe Bella wasn’t the only prankster. Or maybe it wasn’t a prank at all. She smiled at the thought.
“Pete and Hunter have them?” Grayson’s eyes narrowed.
“Yup.” Neil said. “Matty, too. Sky said if we waited for you to give us pictures, we might not ever get any ’cause you’re too busy smooching.”
Grayson shook his head.
“Aw, son. Your sister loves ya. And apparently she and the boys are keen on Parker, too. Besides, I added in the ‘smooching’ part.” Neil’s eyes went serious, and he turned his attention to Parker. “Sky also told me that you don’t want any hullabaloo about being an actress. It’s nice that you’ve done so well for yourself, and I’m sure you’re a fine actress. But whether you’re an actress or selling newspapers on the street corner, what matters is who you are without all that other stuff mucking things up, like how you treat my boy. I hope you’re not just dating him for his good looks and wealth.” He winked. “Because neither one will get you very far.”
“Darn,” she teased. “I guess I’ll have to rethink my plans.”
Grayson smiled at that. “I was worried you weren’t feeling well today, Pop. Good to see you’re still as humorous as ever.”
“I’m fine, Gray. Just a little tired is all.” He sank back down to his chair and reached for his wedding picture. “Real life is now, and we don’t get to live these days again, so tired or not, I’m living it.”
Real life is now.The apple didn’t fall far from the tree, and that familial connection made her feel good all over.
Neil gazed compassionately at Parker. “Sky told me you lost your friend, and I’m sorry you had to go through that. Grayson knows what it’s like to lose someone you love, so you’re in good hands. But if you ever want to talk to an old man, my door’s always open.”
“Thank you,” she managed, touched by his kindness and by Sky’s thoughtfulness. She’d not only thought to tell her father not to make a big deal about her celebrity status, but also to tell him what Parker was going through. She imagined some people might find that intrusive, but to Parker, those were hallmarks of a caring friend.
“With the right people by your side”—Neil lifted his eyes to Grayson—“there’s nothing you can’t get through.”
Chapter Sixteen
LATER THAT EVENING, after picking up Christmas and all of his doggy paraphernalia, clothes, toiletries, the script Parker was working on, and a few other necessities, Parker and Grayson settled into his cottage. The three-bedroom home was nestled among a sparse forest of pitch pine trees, overlooking a private pond. Christmas sniffed every inch of each room, finally claiming the spot before the fireplace.
As Grayson went through the motions of opening up his private world to Parker, he waited for panic to trip him up. But the only thing tripping him up was how much he loved seeing Parker move from room to room as she put her things away.
“You have such great taste.” She kissed him, her arms full of toiletries, then disappeared into the bathroom. “I love the pictures of your family in the living room and the sculptures in the yard.”
Over the months they’d been emailing he’d dreamed of her being there with him, but seeing her things mingling with his—her clothes hanging beside his, her perfume and brush beside his cologne on the dresser—made his cottage feel even more like a home.
She returned to the bedroom and put her clothes in the drawer he’d emptied.
“And this bed? Oh my goodness. I’ve never seen anything like it, which means you must have made it.”
She had no idea how big a deal it was for Grayson towantto share his bed with her. He’d never wanted to share his home, or his bed, with a woman before. The bed he’d designed and forged with his own two hands. But when it came to Parker, nowhere was off-limits.
Later that evening they ate dinner on the patio. After dinner he leaned against the doorframe of the master bedroom as Parker got ready for a walk around the pond.
“How did you stand staying at my house when yours is so wonderful?” she asked.
