“Don’t talk to me like I’m idiot. I’m not a child anymore. Plus, I went to the stables earlier to grab my sweatshirt and I saw something that I wouldn’t be able to scrub from my brain with bleach and a Brillo pad.”
I collapse back on my bed and groan. “Shit. I’m sorry, Short Stack. I didn’t mean…”
She hits me with the pillow again. “You can say you’re sorry until the cows come home but it won’t change what I saw. And what you’re doing. Listen, I know that you and Parrish have history, history that predates her and Matt…”
My eyes go wide. “You know?”
“Parrish is my best friend, Hawk. I know everything. But you don’t know anything. Parrish is vulnerable, and sensitive. She hasn’t so much as talked to another man since Matt died. She spends all of her time on this ranch, either working or with Gracie. Then you show up, with your bullshit and charm, and you upend everything. And you’re just going to leave again, Hawk. You’re going to screw up her life, confuse her, then leave. Which is exactly what you did the first time, and there is no Matt here to heal her broken heart now. I love you, Hawk. You’re my brother. I will always love you. But please. Don’t be a dick.”
I don’t even know what to say to her. Because Anna is right. I know she is. I can’t just show up here and destroy Parrish’s peace. But I also don’t know what to do, how to move forward.
“What do I do, Anna? What would you do?”
Anna scoffs. “I wouldn’t have slept with her to begin with. I’m not really into blondes.”
I can’t help but laugh. “Okay, discounting that. What would you do?”
“You need to make a decision, Hawk. If you know that you’re just going to saddle up and ride out of here at the end of the month, then stop. Stop stringing her along. Stop… boning her in the barn,” Anna says with a shiver. “Stop writing checks you don’t intend to cash. Just… stop, Hawk.”
I nod, even though I don’t know how I’m going to take her advice. “I promise to think about it.”
Anna just shakes her head as she gets up, but then, I feel like I’m a kid again, and I don’t want to be alone. “Anna, wait. Can you sleep on the pull out? I mean, is that weird?”
She laughs. “Why would it be weird? Get up and help me.”
We drag the trundle bed out from under my own, which thanks to my mother’s neurotic housekeeping skills is perfectly made, and Anna pushes it against the window seat. Then she curls up under the quilt and within seconds, she’s snoring. I forgot how quickly she passes out.
In spite of all the anxiety swirling inside of me, the comfort of having Anna nearby lulls me into a dreamless, peaceful sleep.
Chapter 11
Parrish
I don’t know why, but I didn’t expect everything to happen so quickly with the build. When I woke up, before Gracie even had a chance to shout for her overnight diaper change, the first thing I heard was the rumbling of trucks coming down the gravel road. I walked outside in my bathroom to see contractors and builders and the trucks coming to clear the land barreling on to the ranch. Now, with Gracie at school, I can focus on trying to organize the chaos that is currently descending on our home, even though it’s the last thing I feel like doing.
“Parrish! Get over here and meet Russell!” Sam yells at me from the porch of the office. I stack up my copies of the blueprints and walk outside, where Sam is talking to a man about his age, but far more weathered and muscular. He’s wearing a cowboy hat, and has boots with spurs. I have to remind myself not to chuckle. I’m sure this is one of Sam’s old buddies from back in the day, and that’s probably why he’s here.
“Parrish, this is Russell Edwards. He’s going to be overseeing the building process, so he’ll be coming to you with any changes or expenses. Russell, are you okay with that?” Sam asks.
Russell looks me up and down in a way that makes me vaguely uncomfortable. “More than fine,” he drawls. My nose inadvertently crinkles, and I pull my sweater around my chest tighter.
“Nice to meet you, Russell. Sam, it’s going to be impossible for me to get any work done with all of this noise. Do you mind if I forward calls to my cell and work in the ranch house today?”
Russell is still watching me out of the corner of his eye, and I take a few instinctive steps back. Sam doesn’t seem aware of anything. He’s watching the contractor as he walks toward the back side of the ranch with Hawk. “Sure, whatever you need to do, honey.”
I hurry back in the office and shut the door behind me. I’m not sure what it is about Russell that puts me so on edge, but I have no intention of finding out. I will just keep as much distance between us possible, and when I can’t, make sure someone else is with us.
I pack up everything I need and put it in my bag, then rush out the back door so I don’t have face to Russell again. I’m halfway to the house, weighed down with all of my crap, when my cell starts ringing from inside of my pocket. I groan as I shuffle everything around and start digging for it. When I finally find it, I don’t recognize the number.
“Hello?” I mumble as I try to grab my messenger bag before it slides off my shoulder.
“Is this Parrish McCormick?” a woman’s voice asks. She is British. I don’t recognize her.
“It is. May I ask who this is?”
“My name is Simone Leoni, and I’m a writer for Modern Architecture. I’ve been put in touch with you about doing a piece on the farm restoration, and I was hoping I could set up a visit.”
I open the front door and drop all of my stuff on the floor with a sigh. “It’s a ranch, not a farm. And I imagine you should be talking to Hawk about this, not me?”