Page 61 of Lovers at Seaside
“This is where you first kissed me.” Parker turned to face him. Her smile reached her eyes, radiating in the reflection of the sun. She was dressed to the nines, in a classy skirt and top with sky-high heels. Beyond gorgeous, she was back to the Parker Collins the world knew and loved. But he saw more than what everyone else saw, and he’d fallen in love with all of her—the Parker Collins that was just as much a down-to-earth woman as she was a famous actress. The way she could morph into her public persona in the blink of an eye or cuddle beside him on a sandy beach in a pair of shorts, with her hair in a ponytail and no makeup. He loved hearing her on the phone with directors and actors and her agent and Luce, moving between personalities with the grace and expertise she’d used to build her fabulous career.
The sound of the bay floated up from below, and behind her, Christmas bounded across the grass after a bird. They were his life now. In just a few weeks they’d become the most important parts of his life. How could they be leaving?
He drew her against him. “Sweetheart, was the kiss in the elevator that forgettable?”
She shook her head. “But I meant really kissed me, like I was yours.”
She had him there. In the elevator, he was still hoping. Now he knew.
“Christmas will miss you,” she said softly.
“You won’t?” He fought against the claws of guilt trying to pull him away.
She held up her finger and thumb less than an inch apart, laughing as his mouth descended on hers, and he kissed that laugh right out of her, reveling in her warmth, her taste, her eagerness. When they parted, she had the look of love in her eyes he saw in his dreams. And it was that look that brought guilt so crushing he could barely breathe.
“I already miss you,” she said.
Tell her. Just tell her.“Hm?”
“I already miss you. Are you okay? You look a little green.”
“Yes. No.” He couldn’t let her leave until he came clean, no matter how good his intentions were and regardless of the results not being in yet. He was beginning to think he’d made the biggest mistake of his life.
“No?” Her brows knitted.
He extracted his hands from hers and scrubbed a hand down his face, wishing he’d never made the call—and in the next breath, knowing that if the results were positive, he’d definitely done the right thing.
“Grayson, you’re worrying me.”
Conflicted didn’t begin to describe the way he felt, and now the worry on Parker’s face made him feel like he’d swallowed a pound of lead.
“I’m sorry, baby.” He reached for her hand, and she trustingly took it, which made this even harder. “I have to tell you something, and I should have told you days ago, but I couldn’t. I know you didn’t want to pursue the idea of Miriam being related to you.”
“Grayson?” She shook her head.
He tightened his hold on it. “I know you didn’t want to pursue it because you were scared of having false hope and you want Sarah’s daughter to be alive. But, baby, sweetheart, all you’ve ever wanted was to have a family, and no matter how remote the chance, I couldn’t let it go.”
She tore her hand from his and crossed her arms. Her eyes narrowed with fear and anger and hurt that cut like a knife. “What did you do?”
He held her gaze, owning the pain and accepting her anger, and gave her the truth. “When we got back from Jersey I gave Caden your blue hairbrush, and he sent it in for a DNA test.”
“You…?” She stumbled backward, shaking her head. “I don’t understand. Why would you do that?”
He stepped forward, but she held up a hand, warding him off, and he reluctantly stopped. “I couldn’t let it go.”
“Itoldyou to let it go. It wasn’t your decision to make.” Tears streamed down her cheeks, piercing his heart even deeper. “Did you…? Does she know? Sarah? Oh, poor Sarah.”
“No. Parker—”
“No, Grayson!” she shouted. Christmas sprinted over and stood between them, his big head moving back and forth, as if he didn’t know where his loyalty should lie. “I trusted you. I trusted you wholly and completely and you—”
He closed the distance between them. “I messed up big time, Parker, and I’m sorry. I wasn’t even going to tell you if the results were negative. You wouldn’t have had to worry at all.”
“Like that’s any better? Lying to meforever?” She spun around and stormed toward the house.
He kept pace beside her. “It’s not better, but I’m telling you now. I couldn’t live with the guilt.”
“Apparently you lived with it pretty well for the last few days.”
