Page 46 of Ember Meadow
“Next time,” I chuckle.
A petite, blonde barista stops at our table, handing Parker his coffee in a clay mug with an antler stamped on the side. He thanks her with a smile, and I swear she almost faints on site. I roll my eyes at him once she’s out of sight.
“Seriously?” I cross my arms.
Parker laughs, lifting his mug to his lips and taking a sip of what looks like plain, black coffee. Not what I would have guessed for him. “What can I say, the ladies love me.”
“Yeah, because you’re Wyoming’s biggest flirt.”
“I can’t help if I’ve got a flirty personality, Katie. It’s like I always say, women value humor first, looks second. Which works out really well for me since I’m not much to look at.” I roll my eyes for the second time in five minutes. He definitely has humorandlooks going for him, but for some reason, I get the feeling he’ll argue with me if I try to tell him that.
“So why are you still single, you clearly have plenty of options,” I ask, taking another sip of my coffee. I got mine in a to-go cup just in case, but now I’m a little jealous of Parker’s mug. I make a mental note to get that next time.
“None of the options I want.” He sighs, looking down at his cup as if it’s going to give him the answer. “I’m not a casual dater, and it seems like that’s all anyone wants these days. One or two nights and then move on to something more exciting. Flirting is one thing, but taking it any further is another.”
I nod, trying to ignore the pit settling in my stomach. I know I shouldn’t feel guilty for being a casual dater like Parker says, but it’s hard not to sometimes.It’s better for the general population if someone like you isn’t in long term relationships anyway,I tell myself.
“What about you?” He asks.
I shrug, taking another sip of coffee. “I’m not the relationship type. Kind of hard to be with parents like mine.” He looks at me silently, urging me to continue. I sigh and take a deep breath. “I’ve just never felt like I should be in a relationship, you know? I’m more like my Aunt Millie. She’s been a strong, independent woman her whole life. She doesn’t spend time crying over men, or worrying about what someone else thinks of her. She just… thrives. I love that about her.”
He nods, taking in everything I’ve said before responding. I like that about Parker. He’s a thinker like Hazel, not hotheaded and quick to a comeback like me. “I think you could be in a relationship some day. I think you’d be great at it, you just don’t know it quite yet. Or you could be completely a completely independent badass like you are now. But, I wouldn’t worry about it too much. I’ve got a feeling you’re going to be okay. We both are.”
Suddenly, I have the urge to rub my chest right over my heart. Who knew Parker of all people could pull emotions out of me so easily? “Thanks, Parker,” I say.
“And if you’re not married by the time you’re 40, I’ll marry you,” he shrugs, taking another sip from his mug, casual as can be.
“Fine, but if you’re going to make a marriage pact with me, you’d better mean it. I take these things very seriously,” I say.
Parker’s eyes shine with glee. He holds a hand out for me to shake, “It’s a deal.”
“Deal,” I shake his hand, laughing at his determination.
“Only fifteen years until our wedding, we’d better book a venue now,” he says.
“They do book up pretty far in advance. Should we send out save the dates?”
“I don’t see why not.”
“Me either. I’m sure it won’t be awkward for all of your future girlfriends to see your wedding invite hanging on your fridge.”
Parker leans back in his stool, against the metal bars shaped like a lasso. “Obviously they’ll have to be okay with it, the pact comes first.”
“Obviously,” I laugh. It feels great to laugh with a friend in a coffee shop. I hadn’t realized how much I missed Hazel and our outings.
“Well, Katie,” Parker stands from his seat, placing his hat back on his head and extending his arm. “Shall we go buy rings?”
I tuck my hand into the crook of his elbow as we walk out into the morning sun. “Actually, I was thinking tattoos of each other’s names on our ring fingers instead.”
Parker’s head tips back as he laughs into the morning air.
“I had to park a million miles away. It was a lot busier on the street earlier, I swear,” I say to Parker as we get closer to his truck just down the street from the coffee shop. He slung his arm around my shoulders when we started walking, and left it there. It reminds me of what my friend back in Juniper Ridge, Wade, used to do when we were young, since he was so much taller than me.
“Do you want a ride to your car?” Parker offers.
“Sure, that’d be great.”
We round the corner of the brick building and almost run into someone. Parker pulls me closer with the arm that’s around my shoulders, mumbling a quick sorry before we both recognize the someone.
