Page 39 of Puppy Love & Snowflake Kisses
“And I suppose all of those tickets you wrote me was just your way of saying hi.”
“Hey, those tickets were all legit. It’s not my fault you think the speed limit is just a suggestion.”
“That’s not true!”
This time he was the one to arch a brow at her. “Maybe you were speeding because you wanted me to pull you over.”
Her mouth formed a bigO. Once she regained her composure, there was color in her cheeks when she said, “And why would I want you to do that?”
“Because you just can’t stay away from me.” He sent her a teasing grin.
“Oh, boy.” She rolled her eyes. “You need to work on your pick-up lines.”
“That wasn’t a pick-up line.” Was it?
Was he interested in Belle?No.The answer was swift, perhaps too swift. But he wasn’t going to let himself get distracted. He was there to do a job. Nothing more.
Chapter Thirteen
Itwasawful.
But thankfully, she didn’t have to face it alone.
Belle stood at the doorway of her bedroom, which looked like a disaster zone. Cleaning wasn’t exactly her thing. She did it when she had to. She was far from a slob but nowhere close to being tidy. She was somewhere in between.
She’d thanked Parker for offering to help her clean, but she told him it wasn’t necessary. He insisted on staying and helping her with the house. But before they could get started, there was a knock at the door. She wasn’t expecting anyone.
She turned to Parker. “Someone for you?”
He shook his head. “I’m not expecting anyone.” When she started downstairs, he said, “Maybe I should get it.”
She stopped and glanced back at him. “I’m not going to live in fear.”
This criminal had already stolen enough from her. She wasn’t going to give up her sense of independence. She arched a brow at Parker. He hesitated for a moment. She appreciated that he wanted to keep her safe, but she wasn’t going to back down on this. At last, he sighed and nodded for her to keep going.
She turned and continued downstairs. When she swung the door open, her mouth momentarily gaped. It was Parker’s parents. Because they all lived in a small town and having grown up with Parker, Belle knew his parents. They would share the occasional greeting in town, but they’d never been to each other’s homes. This was a first.
“Hi.” Belle plastered a smile on her face. “You must be here to see Parker. Come on in out of the cold.”
Belle stepped back and pulled the door wide open. When his parents stepped inside, a gust of wintry air followed them in. As she closed the door, she realized she should have started the fireplace, but she’d been so distracted with the daunting task of cleaning up the upstairs that she hadn’t thought about trudging out in the cold to retrieve wood from the firewood shed.
As if on cue, Parker stepped up behind her. “Mom. Dad. What are you doing here? Is something wrong?”
His mother sent her son a reassuring smile. “Everything is okay with us.” Her gaze moved to Belle. “It’s you that we’re worried about. Michael was just filling us in on what all went on last night.” His mother’s gaze moved to her son. “Are you all right?”
While Parker assured his parents that he was fine, Belle immediately felt guilty. Parker’s injury was all her fault.Okay. Maybe it isn’t entirely my fault.After all, she wasn’t the one who had struck him. Still, it was her home and her book that struck him.
“So, what are you doing here?” Parker asked once more.
His mother, Tricia, smiled as she slipped off her coat. “We’re here to help.” She gently elbowed his father, John. “Aren’t we?”
“Uh, yes.” He smiled. “Yes, we are. I hear there’s a window that needs to be replaced. I picked up some glass on the way over.”
“That’s great,” Parker said.
At least one of them was happy about this turn of events. This was not the way she wanted to get to know Parker’s parents better. Not that there was any reason for her to get to know his parents better. As the ramifications of what she was thinking sank in, she inwardly groaned. Ever since Parker had become her bodyguard, she hadn’t been thinking clearly.
“Well, I’ll let you visit.” Belle was anxious to put some distance between her and Parker. “I have some cleaning to do upstairs.”
