A slight smile appeared on his face before he went back to a stony expression.
“She’s determined to have everything exactly the way she wants it, and there is something incredibly sexy about that. She’s happy in her own skin. Do you have any idea how freaking refreshing that is in a woman?”
He raised his brows and took a drink of his beer.
“When I’m around her, I feel like I can’t get enough of her smile or laugh. I follow her like the seasons follow one another. I felt something the first time her eyes captured mine. I don’t know how to explain it, Cord. I feel something I’ve never in my life felt before. She’s been pushing me away, telling me it won’t work because of our age difference, and small town gossip…and because of you. But I’m not buying it, and I’m telling you right now, I’m not walking away if she gives us a chance. To hell what you or anyone in town thinks. Waylynn is going to have to tell me to leave her alone. No one else.”
Cord sat in silence for a few minutes as he let my words sink in. I knew Cord Parker. He was my closest friend, and if anyone would treat his sister right, he knew it was me.
“When you say you’re falling for her, do you mean you’re falling in love with her?”
“I don’t know. I know I’ve never felt like this before. Every second of the day I’m awake, she consumes my thoughts.”
He chuckled. “Sounds like a Parker woman.”
“I would never hurt her, Cord. You know that’s true.”
With a nod, he replied, “I do. And I know if my sister was going to fall for someone, I sure as hell would rather it be you than some fucker from New York who ends up taking all her dreams away from her.”
“Jack didn’t take her dreams away, Cord. He wasn’t the right guy to make them come true. I am.”
Leaning forward, Cord’s arms rested on his knees. “You think you’re the guy who can make my sister happy?”
“I’d sure as hell like to have a shot. I care about her, and I want to see where this could go, but I can’t do that unless she knows you gave me your blessing.”
He finished his beer and set it on the table. Standing, he took a few deep breaths in and out before looking at me.
I stood and faced him, eye to eye.
“I want you to know I’m pissed you went behind my back and slept with my sister.”
“Oh, trust me, that’s been fully noted.”
He shot me a dirty look. “And I want you to promise right now, gentleman to gentleman, best friend to best friend, that you will not hurt my sister.”
“I promise you, Cord.”
Nodding, he shook his head. “You know I still have to beat your ass.”
“You can try.”
“And I’m gonna have to tell my brothers, and you may want to avoid Tripp. He and Waylynn are close, and I’m pretty sure he’s gonna wanna rip your dick off and shove it down your throat.”
“I’d imagine he’d have to find someone to do that for him. You know, the whole keeping his name clean and all that shit.”
Cord nodded and pointed to me. “That’s right. The whole mayor thing.”
“Yep.”
Slapping his hands together, we walked closer to each other.
“Do I get to pick where the first shot goes?”
Laughing, Cord said, “This isn’t you making a move on the hot chick first or losing at a bet. I get first call.”
My hands lifted. “You’re going for my face, aren’t you?”
I braced myself as Cord smiled, his fist coming at me.
Chapter Seven
Waylynn
I pulled up in the parking lot of Lane’s Grill. It was new to Oak Springs and had only been open a few weeks. Jonathon had overseen the remodeling of the place and wanted to try it out.
“Waylynn Parker? Is that you?”
Glancing at the side entrance, I smiled when I saw Laney Sanderson. “Oh, my gosh, Laney! How are you?”
She ran over and pulled me into her arms.
“I thought you were in Chicago!” I said.
“And I thought you were in New York City!”
We both laughed.
“Turns out I was married to a cheating bastard who recently got his twenty-year-old girlfriend pregnant. So, I moved home and am opening a dance studio.”
“Gurl, I raise your cheating bastard with a cheating bastard whom I found out already has two kids under the age of five from one whore, and has knocked up the latest girlfriend…with twins. I moved back home and opened up Lane’s Grill.”
My mouth hung open. “You win that hand!” Turning, I looked at the old historic barn and it hit me. “Lane’s Grill. How stupid of me not to put two and two together. Laney! You opened your own restaurant!”
She nodded with excitement. “After years of managing restaurants in Chicago, I decided it was time to follow the dream. Once I found out the jerk was cheating, I packed up the kids and we headed home. Mom and Dad are helping, of course. I couldn’t do it without them. They’re happy just to have me and the kids here in Texas.”