Page 4 of Mother Parker
“Sorry about what? For getting married, for getting divorced, or not telling us about either of those important moments in your life?” she asked, raising her voice.
I looked up without moving my head and took a breath.
“To be honest, if I didn’t tell you about my wedding, there would be no point in telling you about my divorce,” I said.
And yeah, I was fully aware I was deflecting again. But I couldn’t help myself. Talking and I weren’t friends.
“What did I say about your smart ass?” she huffed.
“That you like it?” I said with a goofy smile, hoping it would ease the tension.
She growled. Growled! I’d really pissed her off.
“I couldn’t tell you, okay?” I yelled over her growling.
Her face was red. She could have detonated at any given moment.
“Why? Because I care? Because I’m not a supportive sister who is there for her brothers? Because I do my best for both of you and get crapped on in return?”
Her voice got higher and higher until her eyes were as red as her face, and it broke my heart seeing her so upset with me.
“Because I fucked up, okay?” I shouted back and dropped my head again.
“Huh?”
“I fucked up. I fucked it up. Just like I’ve fucked everything up in my life. I’ve been engaged twice and married once. Three different women who each fucked off as soon as shit got real. As soon as they saw the man I am. Because I’m unlovable, and I didn’t want to keep repeating it to everyone. I didn’t want it to be true. Happy? There!”
I tried to move off and get out of there. Instead, I found myself enveloped in my sister’s arms.
For someone half my size, she really packed a hug, considering I felt trapped. Smothered.
By her love.
Gosh, I was a terrible brother.
“You’re not unlovable,” she muttered in my chest, then let me go. “A big-headed idiot, maybe. But not unlovable. Idiot!”
“My dating record begs to differ,” I said.
Autumn moved her hands to grab mine and gave them a squeeze.
“So what I’m hearing is I’ve got a mission to prove to you that youarelovable! On it.”
I shook my head and huffed.
“No. Please. No. Dating is the last thing I need right now. Especially now. I just…I—never mind.”
“Hm…we’ll see about that,” Autumn said, pivoting and marching out of the kitchen with my hand in hers.
“Wh-where did Mad go?” she asked Wyatt, my ex commander and owner of the Outpost, who was behind the bar.
“Do you need to ask?” the old man replied. “They could barely keep it in their pants.”
“Shit. Ford was my ride home,” I said.
“I’ll drop you off at their house later. I think it’s going to be a long,loudnight for them,” Autumn said.
“Great,” I said with a huff.
