Page 16 of Hers to Marry
Parker bellowed. “Who told you that? Drew? He’s wrong. We arenotmoving here, and that’s a fact.”
Kat took a long sip of the water the waiter had brought, keeping her eyes down on her empty plate until they were handed a basket of bread.
“Thank goodness, I’m starving. I’m so busy I forget to eat,” Parker said, tearing off a large chunk of bread and then ravenously munching on it.
“I thought you said you were avoiding carbs.”
“You work in a bakery, shut up.”
Kat giggled. “But I don’t eateverythingI cook. I only sample.”
“Fair enough.”
The land Drew had bought for their home came to Kat’s mind. “Well, have you two discussed where you’re going to live?”
“We’re going back to Boston. Done deal.”
“Is that where you met?”
“Mmm-hmm. He was there for some convention. My company was hosting one in the same hotel. We met, and the rest is history.” Parker leaned forward, her voice low. “He was a mess when I met him. If it wasn’t for me, he wouldn’t be nearly as desirable.”
“Parker!” Kat felt uneasy hearing this about her friend. Drew undesirable? How was he a mess? Strangely enough, she could relate. Her life had been messy the last year. She wanted details, and she didn’t have to ask.
Parker shrugged and relaxed back in her chair. “It’s true. He’d just come back from Afghanistan and was dealing with all of that. I listened and provided support”—she put a hand over her heart—“I’m not above doing that. But the only thing saving him was his looks.” She rushed to say, “He is a sweetheart, don’t get me wrong. So thoughtful. But this idea that we’re moving to Springfield to raise a family and be lazy is a pipe dream and not happening. This girl”—she pointed a finger at herself—“is never leaving the city. Too much to do, so much culture to experience. Why leave all of that?”
“Because that’s what the two of you agreed on?” Kat said hesitantly.
Parker snorted. “I didn’t agree to that. If Drew thinks that’s what’s going to happen, then he’s been misinformed.” The waiter delivered the soup and salad. Parker stabbed her salad with a fork. “I mean, the only reason I agreed to do the wedding here is because of his grandmother. She doesn’t want to travel and is sick or something. If it were up to me, I’d do it back in Boston. Fly my family there.”
Muriel was ill? Kat sipped on her leek and potato soup, thinking about her mother, who relied heavily on Muriel’s friendship. Did she know the snarky woman was sick? “It isn’t serious, is it? Her illness.”
Parker waved a hand. “Maybe terminal, I’m not sure. I half think Drew lied to get me to come here.” She chomped on her salad.
Kat shook her head to clear the heavy fog that had begun to settle. Parker had to be exaggerating. Muriel sick and Drew lying about it? She would never believe her old friend was a liar. That didn’t sound like him at all. And he hadn’t mentioned his grandmother’s illness. “Drew said you’re staying in a hotel? Why not stay with your parents?”
Parker narrowed her gaze. “Because I know they’ll want me to go here and there and do stuff and, Kat…I have this major project I’m working on. I barely have time for this lunch, which was why I was late.” She groaned and put a hand to her head. She stirred her soup. “I feel like I’m so behind—for weeks now, and I don’t feel like I can catch up.” Her intense gaze met Kat’s. “When I say ‘major,’ I mean if this deal falls through, it’ll hurt our profit share. As the VP, I can’t let that happen. My head is on the chopping block.”
“Parker…I didn’t know.”
“No one does, really. Not even Drew, at least, not how important it is to me. I don’t want him to worry about me when he’s still so emotionally fragile.”
Drew was still fragile? She recalled how he went silent when she asked about Afghanistan and then changed the subject. It didn’t surprise her that he wouldn’t want to talk about what happened to him in the war. He might’ve seen and done things that would stay with him for many years—if the memories would ever leave.
Kat’s heart squeezed uncomfortably for Drew. She wished he had relied on her for comfort, and she silently prayed he was getting better.
“That’s why I’ve put off wedding planning for so long. I didn’t even have time to announce my engagement. This project could literally double the size of the company and bring in major players to partner not long after. I feel like I’ve been training for this my whole life, and now it’s the Olympics. I can’t bring home anything less than the gold, or I’d be a loser.”
Kat ate her meal in silence, taking everything in. She’d never seen her friend so stressed, but now she understood why she hadn’t been told about the engagement nor had really heard from her friend in weeks. “I get it. You’re under a lot of pressure.”
“Exactly. Staying downtown keeps me away from the parents, and I can be near the office and do my job. Plus, I don’t want to be influenced by Muriel. Have you met her? She’s got her own ideas about life—particularly mine—and how it ought to be lived. Like she can even relate! She’s like, a hundred years old.Ancient.”
Kat sputtered. “Parker! You’re exaggerating. She’s not that old.”
“No, I’m not!” she countered firmly. She leaned close, her lips thinning. “I made some excuse about work to cut our visit short. I could tell Drew was ticked, but I didn’t care. Ididhave work to do, and his grandmother isn’t going to tell me what to do or how to live my life. I haven’t gotten that from his own mother, why would I take it from Muriel?”
“You’ve met his parents?”
“Just over the phone. They’re flying in next week for the wedding. Oh my goodness!” She cried and put her hands to her head. Kat felt the eyes of the other patrons on them. “I can’t do it, I can’t do it, Kat! You’ve got to help me.” She grabbed Kat’s hand, the soup on the spoon spilling onto the table. “Please, please say you’ll help me.”
