“Yes, but—”
“You always make things more complicated than they need to be.”
“If I move in with him, we’ll lose the mystery,” I wailed. “I eat in bed. I yell at the bachelorette when she clearly makes a terrible life choice. I wrap my hair up in a t-shirt at night. Plus I don’t want him to think I’m after him for his money. He had a traumatic childhood. I love Parker for Parker, not for the perks.”
“Except for the sex,” Jasmine said with a giggle.
69
Parker
“Iscrewed up,” I said, pacing back and forth in my brother’s office a week later. Sadie was as warm and loving as she had been before my father showed up. After what had happened, I needed her with me always. However, she only spent a few nights with me at my condo. The nights without her were torture.
Garrett was stoically staring at his computer as I paced.
“Why doesn’t she want to live with me? She said she loves me.”
“Lord deliver me. Why is it still talking? Parker,” Garrett said.
“Yes?” I hoped he had an answer.
“Get out of my office.”
“I thought you were going to be nicer to me.”
He sighed. “You have to sweeten the pot. You live in that historic building, right? Tell her you’re redecorating, but you’re thinking of redoing the whole place in college football colors. She’ll move in there just to keep you from painting that brick.”
“That’s manipulative.”
“Don’t ask if you don’t want my advice.”
* * *
Sadie wasat the old shirtwaist factory building, setting up for the party that evening. I stopped by Ida’s to grab her some snacks before heading over.
“There’s Harrogate’s favorite Svensson!” she called as I set the food on the counter. Ida handed me a package wrapped in pink paper covered in tiny silver dildos.
“It’s a peace offering from the Harrogate Girls Club. We’ve gifted you a sex hammock for your love nest.” She sighed. “I’ll miss Sadie, though I’m glad she’s moving on to bigger and better things.” She nodded to my below-belt area.
“She’s not moving,” I admitted.
“She’s not moving to your compound?” Ida said, clutching a hand to her chest.
“We don’t live in a compound,” I said, trying to get her to lower her voice. People in the store were gawking. “She’s not moving into my condo. She said she doesn’t want to be a burden, which is nonsense. I’m going crazy without her.”
“Isee,” she said thoughtfully. “I’ll take care of that.”
“I don’t—”
Ida patted my hand. “You leave everything to me.”
* * *
I was not leavingeverything to Ida. I already had my grand gesture planned by the time I arrived at the shirtwaist factory. Sadie was on a ladder, stringing up café lights, when I walked into the space. She was reaching up to hook another section of the strand. The ladder wobbled, and I rushed over to grab her.
“Please get down. I will do that,” I growled, grabbing her around the waist.
Sadie giggled and kissed my nose. “We’re almost done setting up,” she said as I climbed up the ladder and easily finished hanging the lights. “No fair. You’re so tall!” Sadie stuck her tongue out. “You make it look easy.”
