Page 35 of One and Only

But they were so focused on Olive in this equation, not necessarily how Greer and I were together.

Parker, however, did not have that issue.

“I know I’m not her usual type,” I told him.

He snorted. “No.”

I chose my words carefully—I hated lying. It was the worst part about this entire thing.

“Sometimes that doesn’t matter, though,” I told him. I pulled my clean shirt on, tossing the towel from my shower into the laundry container just past the bench where he was sitting. “You ever met someone who’s just … a game changer?”

Parker sat back a little at the gravity of my words. “Game changer,” he repeated slowly.

“Yeah.” I pushed my dirty clothes into my duffel and shook my head. “I never have before. And I don’t think it has to make sense, or fit into whatever definition of right I held prior to meeting her.” I set my hands on my hips and faced him fully. “I think that’s your sister for me, Parker. She’s a game changer in my life.”

“You’re serious.”

I nodded slowly. “Yeah, I am.”

Reyes and Roberts had quieted, shamelessly eavesdropping on our conversation.

“Didn’t you meet up with her, like, once?” he asked.

“More than once,” I told him. Enough of the truth that I could let the words out without feeling like I might choke on them. “And”—I glanced at my watch—“if I don’t leave here in the next five minutes, I’ll be late meeting her for lunch.”

Parker swiped a hand over his face, shaking his head slightly. “When’s she taking you to meet the family? Because I know she’ll do that soon, if she views you the same way.”

I smiled a little. “Soon. In the next couple of days, I believe.”

“Shit,” he muttered. “This is actually happening.”

I exhaled a laugh. “Any words of wisdom before I head in there?”

Parker swallowed heavily, not answering right away, and I thought about what Greer told me, about why he was avoiding home—a scared boy who didn’t want to lose his dad.

“Tell them I said hi,” he managed. His jaw was tight when he glanced up at me, but I could tell he meant it. Then he grinned. “And don’t let Poppy scare you off.”

“Which one is Poppy again?”

He smiled softly. “My youngest, pain in the ass sister.”

“She hot too?” Roberts asked in a dramatic whisper.

Parker was off the bench, shoving at him with a laugh, and the two tussled good-naturedly.

I blew out a slow breath. It felt a lot like crossing over our second big hurdle.

There was only one left. And to prep for that required a picnic lunch halfway between my work and hers.

* * *

Greer was waiting when I pulled up, head down, rifling through a giant takeout bag that was sitting on the picnic table next to her. Instead of sitting on the bench, she was on the surface of the table, her sneaker clad feet on the bench.

At the sound of my vehicle, she lifted her head, smiling widely as she pushed her aviator sunglasses up into all her dark hair. We picked this spot because it was quiet, set off the road, and neither of us would have to spend too much time in the car.

These were the kinds of logistics we had to figure out, now that Josie was on board.

“Nice spot,” I told her.

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