Page 404 of The Parkers' Handsome Holiday
"Yeah. We should totally annoy them. It's our job." Jake stood up and turned to pull his dad into a tight hug.
"It's our duty." He wrapped his arms around Jake tightly. "I love you, boy. I'm so proud of who you are, but I'm excited about who you're about to become. Kari will make you better, stronger, and your kids will help you enjoy all of it more."
"Thanks, Dad." Jake pulled back and turned, trying like hell not to get choked up. His father had always been an open kinda guy in the context of family. He was only getting softer as he got older. Without a doubt, he would be the perfect grandfather to Jake and Kari's kids.
Gotta give her the ring first.
"You ladies need a little bit of help in here?" Jake walked in as Kari and his mother glanced up from their cooking.
"No. And don't come in here messing with us." His mother put her hand on her hip. Her gaze shifted to Jake's dad. "I'm warning you, handsome. You come over here and start taste testing before it's done and you're going to be in trouble."
"Define trouble." Jake's dad wagged his eyebrows, and Kari laughed loudly as Jake gagged and made a beeline for the living room. A nap sounded perfect before the festivities of the day began. Now, if he could just get Kari to join him. By the sounds of things, he was out of luck.
CHAPTER 16
KARI
"Perfect." Jake's mom picked up the pan of stuffing she and Kari had been working on for the last half hour.
"I've never had stuffing with cornbread." Kari held her hands in front of her and walked to the sink to wash them. Apparently in Texas, people used their hands to mash up the stuffing and stir the tea. It was odd.
"Then you are in for a real treat." Clint walked into the kitchen and moved around to turn the water on for Kari. He picked up the soap and squirted it on her hands while smiling.
"Thanks. Is this your job on stuffing days?" She chuckled at the cute look on his handsome face. How the bleach-blond hottie wasn't dating someone was beyond her.
"Absolutely. It means I don't have to stick my hands in that gushy stuff. Ugh." He scowled and reached for a hand towel. "Here you go."
"Thanks." She took it and wiped her hands off, looking around afterward to find Jake's mom had disappeared. "Where are you living now?"
"I'm in San Francisco." He lifted his hands toward the ceiling and stretched, the movement showing off his chiseled abs. "You guys should come and visit sometime. We could go see the bridge and stuff."
"I'd love that." She reached over and tugged his shirt down. "Why aren't you dating anyone? Jake mentioned that you're going to be forever single."
"Because women are either beautiful or smart. I need both." He shrugged and moved around her to reach for the cinnamon rolls, obviously not getting the intensity of his insult toward Kari. "I hate coming to Mom’s because I'll gain ten pounds, but it's just so-" He turned back to Kari and lifted a roll toward his mouth, but paused. "What? Did I do something?"
Her eyebrow was lifted as far as she could force it to. "So am I pretty or am I smart, because I'm not both, right?"
"Oh, fuck. That's not what I meant." His cheeks burned red, leaving him beyond cute. Jake was right to be worried around his brothers. He was handsome as hell, but Landon was playboy cute and Clint was stunning. Good thing she already saw them as brothers. She felt nothing for anyone but Jake Isaac. He had the lockdown on her emotions, her desire and her future.
"No? That's what you said." She gave him a cheeky grin as Jake walked up behind him quietly and wrapped him in a bear hug.
"What did you say to my girl?" Jake shook his brother, and Kari was a little surprised he could pick Clint up. He was buff, body-builder buff.
Wait... did Jake say he was a body builder? It wouldn't surprise her in the least.
"I told her that she was brilliant and beautiful," he mumbled between laughter. "Put me down you old ass."
"Old ass?" Kari moved toward them and reached up to tickle Clint.
He squirmed and kicked as she backed up, laughing. Jake put him down only to be tackled in the middle of the kitchen floor.
"Oh, Lord." Kari rolled her eyes and walked around them to the living room. She paused at the edge of it to see Landon talking to someone on a laptop. He glanced up and smiled.
"Come here and meet Kade. He's the oldest of us." Landon waved her over.
She glanced back, hoping like hell that Jake was there. It seemed weird to not have Jake beside her when meeting their older brother.
"This is Kari, man. She's Jake's soon-to-be wife." He reached out and Kari sat down and leaned against him as she lifted her hand.
