Page 108 of Mother Parker
“Come next June before the high season starts. You’ll enjoy it more. Of course, I expect you right here for Christmas!”
Linc laughed and told us he’d be busy with a production all winter and Cam had a ton of work for college.
“Maybe you can come down for Christmas. You can bring your little bubble boy with you,” Cam said with a wink.
I huffed and ignored the comment.
“We’ll arrange something. Anyway, we came to say goodbye. We’re gonna do some shopping on Main Street and then take the ferry back to Cape Cod.”
“I hate that you’re leaving already,” Autumn said, dragging Cam into her arms with a frown.
“Well, maybe you shouldn’t have abandoned me, bitch,” he replied with an equally sad expression.
“Hey!” I scolded him.
“Relax, she knows I’m kidding. Kinda,” he replied and wrapped himself around me next. “It seems like you’re both at home here, so I can’t bethatmad about it.”
“Maybe you can make a home here too,” I said before I could stop myself.
Cam let go of me and smiled sweetly.
“Maybe. But first, I need to finish college.”
“Yes, you do,” I told him.
He took my hand and squeezed it, and I felt a beautiful comfort from the gesture.
“I don’t know if it’s quitting the SEALs, being with Hwan, or the magic of this island, but whatever it is, I’m glad to have you back, Parker. I missed you.”
“I missed you too,” I said.
I’d missed myself.
I grabbed him once again and had to be forced to let him go if they weren’t going to miss their ferry.
Besides, I had to get back to the café. I didn’t want to leave Hwan alone too long in case that douchebag came back.
Or something worse happened.
TWENTY-THREE
PARKER
“Mmm, that smells good,” he said, coming out of the bathroom, and I almost dropped the frying pan.
In all the time we’d been together, I’d never seen him without one of his wigs. He’d always had one on like it was some sort of armor that made him feel safe in his skin.
His brown hair, his real hair, was short and spiky. It made him look more mature. More gritty, but he was still just as handsome.
“What?” he asked, pausing with the towel around his neck and knitted brows.
The way he looked, all worried and insecure, made me want to take him in my arms even more, but I was in the middle of a very delicate process, so I didn’t.
Instead, I smiled and hoped it was enough to appease whatever torment was inside him.
“Nothing,” I said. “You should wear it out more often. You look hot,” I said.
Hwan shook his head and laughed as he draped the towel on one of the dining room chairs and leaned on the kitchen island.
