Page 41 of The Proximity Factor

“You’re one to talk. You’re telling me Parker and I are supposed to ... well ... you know what you’re saying.” I couldn’t say get married. You don’t talk about marrying someone unless you’re seriously dating them or, you know, dating them at all. There are exceptions for any of the Hemsworth men, though. That gene pool is deep and beautiful.

Mama stood up tall. With the volume she had going with her hair today, she looked taller than me. Maybe she’d found an old can of Aqua Net. “I know what I’m saying. And I won’t take it back, because I’m right.”

“You can’t possibly know that,” I said with very little fight in me. The scary thing is, Mama’s inner voice had never been wrong. Ever. She’d predicted Greg wasn’t for me, but I wouldn’t listen. She was even better than the Farmer’s Almanac when it came to predicting the weather. But there was a first time for everything. This time, she had to be wrong.

“We aren’t dating or even talking to each other, so I think you need to tell your voice to hush up. Or maybe you need some hearing aids,” I teased her. “Oh, and um ... he doesn’t like football,” I whispered. If that got out, some of the good citizens of Goldenville might run Parker out of the state.

Mama grabbed the counter, held her hand up, and prayed for Jesus to strengthen her. “Doesn’t like football?” she muttered before letting out a cleansing breath. “That’s okay. We can fix that one,” she assured me. “Don’t worry, Mama will handle it, because you’re not fooling me, kiddo. You’re more than dating him. You’re living life with him, and you like it. It’s all over your pretty face.”

I lowered my head, not able to deny that. “I did like it, but not anymore.”

With her finger, she tipped my chin up. “You can’t hide from me or this, honey. There is something about Parker Remington.”

I nodded, feeling that in my bones, even though it made little sense. “Mama, there’s no room for me in his life right now. He thinks he’s a loser and has nothing to offer anyone. What if he’s right and I’m just being stupid? And aren’t you the one who told me to never date a man thinking I can fix him?”

Mama took my hand. “My sweet girl, as far as I can tell, Parker doesn’t need to be fixed. Except for the whole football thing, but that’s not exactly a character flaw. His parents just didn’t raise him right. I look at Parker as more of a diamond in the rough. You can’t change the composition of a diamond. You can only help it shine. A diamond can’t polish itself.”

I blinked, trying to take in what Mama was saying.

“Parker is a good man. He wouldn’t dare come around me if he wasn’t. I think you know that. Maybe he just needs some help to see it for himself.”

“So you think I should polish Parker?” I impishly grinned.

Her face turned as red and stern as I’d ever seen it. “Don’t make this sexual, young lady. I’m still not happy about your living arrangements, but I know I can’t tell you what to do.”

My jaw dropped. “I’m shocked by this news, Mama.” I was sure she thought she was still the boss of me and my brother.

“Don’t think I won’t try.” She winked.

“I would expect nothing less of you. But, Mama, I still don’t know what to do about Parker. I will not chase him.”

She nudged me with her hip. “Darlin’, you can’t chase someone who wants to be caught. And it’s plain to see you’ve already snared Parker.”

I wasn’t so sure about that. He’d been gone a lot the last few days. But then again, so had I. This awkward feeling just pervaded the cottage when we were both there. “So, what? I just wait around?”

“I can’t say for certain, but I know the answer will come to you.”

“Maybe,” I said, not so sure.

“I promise. The voice is never wrong.”

“Yet.” I grinned. At the same time, the phone in my crossbody bag started going off something fierce.

“You should probably get that,” Mama said mysteriously, like she knew who it was. “Sounds like it’s important.” How could she possibly know that? She trotted off before I could ask her.

I unzipped the pocket my phone was in to find Daphne calling me. I hurried to answer it. We normally only talked in the morning. “Hello.”

“Hi,” she said, as if she were out of breath. “I hope I’m not interrupting anything, but this is kind of an emergency.”

“Are you okay?” I asked, panicked.

“Not really. Parker—”

My heart and stomach sank. “Is he okay?”

“He’s being an idiot.”

My heart calmed a bit. “What do you mean?”

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