Feather Light (Knead Me) (16 page)

Kelly took one last gulp of her wine before answering. “You make me sound like the Wicked Witch of the West.”

She was spared Jessica’s snarky response when the seating hostess announced their table was ready.

They were digging into their shared steamed artichoke and swapping entertainment gossip when someone caught Kelly’s eye. Parker walked into the restaurant, escorting an older but regal woman. Following them were two well-dressed gentlemen—the younger one looked like he could be Parker’s twin. They walked past her table to get to theirs. The younger one caught her looking and held her gaze for a brief moment.

She turned around, heart hammering against her chest. “Oh, no.”
 

Jessica leaned forward to whisper. “What’s wrong?”

“Parker’s here with his family.”

Chapter 9

“It smells good in here,” Parker said when he pulled the chair out for his mother. He took the seat opposite from her as his father, a tall, dashing man in his early sixties, sat down next to his wife. 

Cork settled in next to him. “It must be that woman’s perfume, the one who’s staring at you, Park.”
 

“What woman?”

It sounded like Cork was turning around to look at something. “Um . . . oh shit! Are you freakin’ kidding me?”

“Cork, watch your language! You’re never too old for me to wash your mouth out with soap.” The soft reprimand came from their mother, Dorothy.

“I’m sorry, Mom.” Cork chuckled, and then jabbed Parker on the arm. “Dude, if I’m not mistaken, the woman who was staring at you when we walked in is none other than Kelly Storm.” The starstruck awe in Cork’s voice wasn’t hard to miss.

There was a collective rustling between the three, and Parker was almost positive they had all turned around to look at the woman Cork had mistaken for the famous actress.

“Kelly Storm, the actress?” He had no idea which direction to look, so he kept his eyes on his mother’s face. “Dude, if you’re just pulling my leg, you’d better quit, or I’m going to kick your ass.” Parker grabbed his brother by the neck and ruffled his hair, which Cork hated. The guy had always been meticulous about his hair.

“Okay, enough of the teasing, boys. I’m not going to sit here and listen to you children cursing or threatening to kick each other’s behind.” That was their mothers “no nonsense” voice, the one that meant they’d better watch their words or else a pinch to the ear would follow.
 

Tyler Davis laid a hand on his wife’s shoulder and squeezed. “It’s okay, dear. Let the boys have their fun.”
 

She shook her head, smiling. “To think we tried to set a good example. Just listen to how they talk and horse around in a formal restaurant.” Dorothy clucked her tongue as she always did. “Why don’t we check out the menu?”

“Wait, I think you should go to her table and introduce yourself, Parker.” Cork sounded amused, and Parker couldn’t help but chuckle.

“It might be a look-alike. How sure are you that it’s her?”

“One hundred percent! See? She’s glancing this way again.” Cork’s enthusiasm was becoming annoying.

“If you’re so interested, why don’t
you
approach her?”

Parker didn’t bother checking the menu. He had scanned it earlier and already knew what he wanted to order.

“I’m not interested, and anyway, she only has eyes for you. She keeps glancing this way. If you want to know, we passed her table on the way here. Let’s see, about seven tables down, so maybe about ten big steps.”
 

Parker had no intention of making a fool out of himself in front of a famous actress and whomever else might be watching. Regardless, he was still a tad bit curious why a famous person like her would be checking him out. It must have something to do with his business. Many celebrities were curious about his services, and he’d encountered a few who’d wanted to meet him in person.

If he remembered right, Kelly was quite a stunning woman. She was beautiful, with a beguiling smile, fiery red hair, and a “to die for” figure. In his opinion, she was on the thin side, but she was a definite regular in every man’s fantasy, including his. The woman was gorgeous. He’d seen some of her movies, and her acting wasn’t half-bad. It was unfortunate that Matthew moron had screwed her over. There was no way he would be looking at another woman if he had a Kelly Storm in his life. It didn’t hurt that she was rumored to have a kind heart, too. He’d heard she’d set up a foundation for hungry kids in Africa. Now who in their right mind would let a gem like her go?

“Dude, give it a rest.” Parker turned to address his father, who seemed to be in good spirits. “Dad, why don’t we order a bottle of Dom? Sounds like you and mom have some exciting news.”

“Dom?” Cork sputtered.
 

Parker turned to his brother. “What’s wrong with you?”

“Nothing . . . you said something funny.” He cleared his throat. “Just forget about it.”

Tyler laughed. “Sure, son, and yes, there is a bit of good news. I’ll make the announcement when our bottle gets here.”
 

Parker sought out his mother’s hand. “Are you guys having a baby?” he teased and felt, rather than saw, his mother’s piercing gaze. “Okay, okay, so you’re not having a baby. Then what are you guys up to?”

Cork nudged him in the ribs. “See? You should have gone over there and introduced yourself. Now she’s leaving!”

Parker shook his head, getting a bit irritated by his brother’s persistence. “I’m sure she came here to dine in peace. No one should be pestered while they’re trying to have a cozy dinner. And would you please stop gawking? You’re giving pigs a bad name.”  

His father howled with laughter, and even his mother joined in. He sensed Cork’s embarrassment when he heard his brother clear his throat.
 

“Fine. You just lost one great opportunity to add another well-known celeb to your client list. I was just looking out for your business.”

“I think I’ll live, Corky. Don’t worry about it. Why don’t you check the menu so we can order?” Parker elbowed his brother. “Changing the subject, why do you sound so happy all of a sudden? You haven’t been this peppy since what’s-her-name.”

Parker guessed that his mother was rolling her eyes at the mention of Cork’s last girlfriend. Dorothy used her as an example of the type of girl she hoped her son would never marry. The woman had treated his brother as if he lacked the ability to think for himself, oftentimes telling him what to do.

Cork punched him in the arm. “Shut up. Why don’t you tell Mom and Dad where you’ve been?” Cork had a cunning way of shifting the attention away from him and onto others, a skill Parker had yet to master.

Tyler jumped into the conversation. “Where were you last night, anyway?”
 

Parker raised an eyebrow in his father’s direction. “Just out with a friend,” he answered, being vague. He wasn’t sure if he was ready to talk about Ann yet, at least not with his family.

“Would this friend be the same one who had you picked up by a limousine?” Dorothy chimed in, and by the lilt in her voice, she wasn’t going to accept any evasive answers. Parker believed his mother had some sort of seventh sense, if there even
was
such a thing. He’d given up a long time ago trying to keep things from her. She’d always find a way to get information out of him.

“You’re such a blabbermouth, aren’t you?” He ruffled his brother’s hair again to annoy him and hoped their mother wouldn’t prod anymore.

The arrival of their champagne halted their teasing. When each of them was holding their flutes, Tyler cleared his throat. “Your mom and I bought a house in Hawaii, on Maui. We’re both retiring in three months, so we’re planning on spending half the year there and shuttle back and forth if necessary,” Tyler said with pride, kissing his wife before they toasted.

“That’s wonderful! I know it is something you’ve both talked about for years, though I never thought you’d actually do it.” Cork stood and gave his parents a hug.

Parker shook his father’s hand, and then was pulled into a bear hug by his parents.
 

“I want you and your brother to visit us. And watch out for Corky. You know he could get lost without his mommy and daddy,” his mother whispered in his ear.

Parker smiled and lifted a hand to Dorothy’s face, seeking the smile he knew was there. “I want you and Dad to enjoy yourselves. Don’t worry about Corky-boy. I’ll keep him in line.” And here he had been thinking his parents would worry about him, yet they were more concerned about his younger brother. How could he not adore these two people, who were adamant in their refusal to let his disability get the best of him?
 

“You know I’ll be expecting a daily phone call.” Dorothy touched his face the same way, tracing her soft hand over his cheek.

He nodded and kissed her on the forehead. “I will call, Mom.”

“Are you guys talking about me again?” Cork asked.

She sat down and turned to her youngest son. “I’m just telling your brother to make sure you eat your veggies,” Dorothy teased, taking Cork’s hands in hers.

After the congratulatory greetings subsided and questions about their upcoming move were answered, their meals arrived and halted their conversation. Parker dug into his salmon and thought about his time with Ann, relishing the memory of the feel of her body against his and the sound of her laughter. 

He shook his head in astonishment at the dawning realization that he could be falling in love with her. The signs were all there and already beginning to engrave themselves into his psyche. He could no longer deny it, but he’d keep it from her as long as he needed to. A declaration of his love might scare her away, if her agitation on previous occasions was any indication. Just when he thought the questions about Ann had been forgotten, his mother spoke as if she’d read his mind.

“What’s the big secret? Who’s the girl?” Dorothy asked. “Parker, don’t you dare keep secrets from me.”

Groaning, he let out a frustrated sigh. “She’s a client.” Parker kept his answer short, hoping she would be satisfied. He forked another big bite of salmon into his mouth.

“And?” she prodded.

Cork leaned closer and snickered. “This is going to be interesting. C’mon brother, do tell. Don’t leave us groping in the dark.”

“Watch your words, Cork,” their mother warned.

“Aw, c’mon. Park knows I don’t mean anything by it.”

“Mom, it’s okay. I like people not tiptoeing around me. I guess that’s what I like about
this
girl. She’s not in any way turned off by me or my inability to see her. She’s beautiful—”

Cork cut him off. “How can you tell?”

“I’m not
completely
blind, you know. I can see the shape of her face. Maybe not the finer details, but I’ve felt her face, and she’s amazing.”

What had started off as a reluctance to divulge any information about his newfound attraction had turned into a full-blown confession. He could sense the interest surging around him in waves.

“I hope she’s beautiful on the inside, too. I think that’s more important.” Parker’s father gave his opinion, which was always insightful. Tyler was a man of few words but rich in wisdom.

“That’s what I’m hoping to discover soon. We’ve just gone out a couple of times. She can be a little jumpy, but maybe that’s because we’re still in the early stages of getting to know each other. I’m not going to lie, I like the girl already, but I’m trying to slow things down. I don’t want to scare her off.” Parker chuckled.

The table was quiet, and he could feel everyone’s eyes on him. He squirmed a little, wishing he could see their expressions or at least hear what they were thinking. “Um, hello! What’s with the silence?” he asked.

“Wow, dude, are you kidding me? Are you falling for this girl already? Who is she? Which one? I’ve seen some pretty amazing women go in and out of your massage rooms, but I’ve never noticed anyone you might be interested in.”

Parker inclined his head and frowned. “What are you using as a standard?” Cork probably thought he knew him so well, basing his judgment on his past relationships.
 

“I know your tastes, bro. You like redheads, and I haven’t seen any of those coming out of your office.”

Cork’s words gave him pause. Hadn’t he seen Ann? Maybe he hadn’t, considering she’d been to their LA office once and the other time had been in New York, when his brother hadn’t been there with him.

“I’m sure you’ll meet her one of these days.”

“Don’t forget to bring her to meet us before we leave for Hawaii,” his mother said. 

Dorothy’s voice was too chirpy. Was it his imagination, or did she sound like she was ready to marry him off? Parker was only twenty-eight years old. He had no intention of giving up his single life yet. It wouldn’t be easy to find someone willing to share a lifetime with a man who had limitations. Not that he spent any sleepless nights worrying about that, but the thought had crept into his mind a few times. Well, as his mother often said,
que será será
.

“We’ll see, Mom. We’ll see.”