Page 44 of Only Ever You
“I told him I loved him, and now this.”
“Did he say it back?” she asked, adding, “I’m just trying to figure out if he panicked.”
I nodded, blinking and doing my best not to cry.
“Well, it’s a good thing we’re having dinner tonight. Maisie already said she’ll be there. If anybody knows what might be going on with Parker, she’ll find out if she doesn’t already know.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
LUNA
That evening, a waitress seated our group in a room off the side of the main dining area at Fireweed Winery & Restaurant. “People reserve these for events and such, but we don’t have any scheduled tonight. It’s a little quieter in here. My name is Tori.” She tapped the little name tag on her chest. “Don’t hesitate to yell if you need something,” she teased.
Farrah smiled up at her. “We won’t yell. That would be rude.”
“It would be funny.” Tori waggled her brows. “For now, figure out your drink orders, and I’ll be back in a flash.”
Along with Stella and me, Farrah, Tiffany, Josie, Casey, Tish, Maisie, Madison, Amelia, and Jasmine were here. I looked around the table. “This is amazing.”
“What’s amazing?” Jasmine asked from my side. Along with many of the women I’d reconnected with, Jasmine had gone to the same elementary school as me. She’d been a few grades ahead of me. I’d always liked her, even though we hadn’t been that close growing up. What had felt like a chasm in age when we were little now didn’t feel like much of anything.
I smiled at her. “Just being here, being in Willow Brook, having friends,” I said softly.
Jasmine curled her arm around my shoulders and squeezed. “It’s good to have you back home.”
Stella insisted we all toast to celebrate my news. Rumor had it, Janet had already started talking about it at the café.
“I’m so happy for you, but also for Janet. She can start to slow down,” Maisie offered.
Stella waggled her brows. “See,” she teased.
“See what?” Tiffany prompted.
“Luna was worried that somehow people would be upset about this,” Stella explained.
A collection of voices chimed in to assure me Janet couldn’t do it forever, and they were just happy that I would be taking over. “Your donuts are amazing, so the baked goods and food will get even better,” Maisie said. “Firehouse Café has great food, but your donuts are greater than great.”
“Greater than great, for sure,” Amelia said, lifting her glass in another small toast.
Once we had a selection of appetizers to choose from, Stella nudged Maisie, who was sitting beside her. “What’s the scoop? Do you have any gossip on Parker? Completely serious question.”
Maisie glanced at me first as she nodded. “He’s really stressed out.”
Worry slid through me. “What’s going on?” Amelia asked.
Stella jumped in, “He’s quietly avoiding Luna, and she doesn’t know what’s going on.”
Maisie sighed. “Well, his mom came into the station. The mom who dumped him with his father when he was just a little boy. He literally hasn’t seen or heard from her since then.” Maisie shook her head. “She’s come in like twice since the first time, and I haven’t even told him. Because he told me he didn’t want to see her. I asked Beck and Hudson to let me know if Parker changes his mind. I feel protective of him. I’m a mom,so I can’t imagine what she did. I understand that people go through things and that life happens, and so on. I’m sure we don’t have the whole story, but he was six, and he hasn’t seen her since. She seemed to think he’d be ecstatic to see her and now she’s sad about it.” Maisie shook her head.
“I asked Hudson when I got home.” Stella caught my eye. “He doesn’t have many details other than that Parker’s mom showed up at the station. Well, that, and Parker seems like he’s been in a bad mood for the last three days straight. Hudson told me that Leo suggested he talk to that therapist. I sure hope he did.”
I felt near frantic inside. I wanted to call Parker right away, but he wasn’t talking to me about this. “I don’t know what to do. Should I call him? Should I get pushy? This is my first serious relationship. Honestly, it’s my first relationship at all.”
Jasmine summed up the general consensus. “I might not know Parker as well as Stella, Hudson, and you, obviously, but I don’t think this is the kind of thing you push about. Let him know you’re there if he wants to talk. That’s pretty heavy stuff.”
Tiffany chimed in, “Take it from someone else who had a really screwed up mom, give him space. Having his mom show up like that would be a mind-fuck,” she said flatly. Her lips turned down as she grimaced.
I let out a breath, the air blowing out in a puff. “I’ll text him and let him know I’m here if he wants to talk.”
