“So you’re coming?” Moonbeam squealed. “I’m so happy! We’ll be sisters together!” She danced off toward the Art Trail that was being built out to connect to the conference center from Svensson PharmaTech.
My father lingered. “Sadie-kins.”
I rolled my eyes.
“I seriously have to go.”
He held out a hand to stop me. “Haven’t you ever wanted a family, a big one, and your own house with a wonderful husband? You could live next door to all your best friends, almost like sisters. You could have all of that and more out west.”
I narrowed my eyes.
“Get away from her!” Parker roared.
I looked up. He was barreling toward us.
My father took off, springing toward the Art Trail after Moonbeam. I was slightly impressed that he managed not to trip in his floppy sandals. However, I was not happy that Parker had almost met my father. What would he think?
Parker grabbed me; his face was dark. “Did he hurt you?”
“No, I—”
He glared after my father. “Who was that? Did you get a good look at him?”
“No,” I lied. “You scared him off. It was probably just a vagrant.”
Parker tugged me to the parking lot. I had to trot to keep up with him. “You’re working late,” I said, huffing.
“I came to find you,” he said, face grim. “Your friend said you went off by yourself. You can’t do that,” Parker said, turning to face me. “You can’t go out by yourself.”
“You can’t tell me what to do,” I snapped.
“Yes, I can. I’m trying to protect you.”
“I don’t need you,” I retorted.
“Yes, you do,” Parker said stubbornly. “I care about you.”
My annoyance subsided. Maybe he was serious after all?
“I’m going to finish decorating, so if you want to roll up those sleeves and help move some tables, come on,” I said lightly.
His eyes narrowed slightly and smile played around his mouth.
“You just want to ogle my forearms.”
55
Parker
“We’re almost done,” my little brother Ellis complained when he saw me arrive with Sadie in the gala space. “We’ve been doing all the work, and you just show up for all the credit.”
I body checked him playfully.
“Just hang up these last decorative fixtures, then you can go,” Sadie said, handing me several woven wicker orbs with lights inside.
It took longer than one would think to hang them in just the right spots.
“It’s good to have a tall person on your volunteer squad,” Sadie said after giving me the okay on the last of the orb’s locations.
