Take Me Down (The Knight Brothers 2)

She might have come around to his way of thinking eventually had he not fallen and given her the proof she’d been looking for to back up her feelings that he was too frail to handle things on his own. The fact was, the man wasn’t yet sixty years old. Young and nowhere near ready to retire. It was Emily who couldn’t see past the death of her mother to accept reality.

“I had a visitor while you were gone,” James said. “A representative of a company looking to buy the inn. They’re making offers to all the surrounding land owners so they can turn this into a larger corporate resort.”

“Same people as before?”

He shook his head. “Different. Pushier. More … determined, I’d say. Either company will destroy the beauty of our small town. We’ll lose our image, our brand. It’ll become like every other town in America with chain restaurants and stores taking over.” He frowned at the idea.

Parker couldn’t say he liked it much himself. He scrubbed a hand over his face and groaned.

Even Emily, for all her worry over her father, wouldn’t want that to happen to her beloved town. She had dreams of her own she wanted to accomplish here.

As much as he wanted to make her happy and talk her dad into selling to one of these companies interested in the property, he couldn’t do it. Not to her and not to her father.

Which meant she was not going to be happy with him. So much for extending their enjoyment now that they were back at her home.

His phone rang from inside his pocket. It wasn’t the first time and he couldn’t ignore it anymore. He already had declined Ethan’s call once while he was away with Emily and ignored him again this morning while driving.

“Excuse me. I need to take this,” he said to James and stepped out of the room, walking down the hospital corridor. The hallway was empty and he headed a few feet away.

“Hi, E,” he said, answering.

“Fucking finally.”

“And I see your mood hasn’t improved,” he said to his brother.

“How can it when you’re still in Bumfuck, Montana?” Ethan asked.

“Colorado,” Parker said, rolling his eyes at his brother’s dramatics. “You sent me here, remember?” He glanced up to see Emily walking side-by-side with Harper, entering her father’s room. He was glad her friend had joined her.

“But I didn’t tell you to stay. Or make it your permanent home.”

“You’re exaggerating. I told you I’m on vacation. I have things here I want to do.”

And he wasn’t ready to leave.

“This is about a woman, isn’t it?” Ethan asked, his voice softening. Obviously Sebastian hadn’t said anything and Ethan was guessing. The one thing about his older brother, when it came to his younger siblings, he was a softie. The dad they should have had despite his closeness in age.

Parker didn’t know how much he was ready to reveal about Emily. There was so much in his head he hadn’t yet processed and even more in his heart he hadn’t dealt with.

“What if it is?” Parker asked.

“Then you deserve the time to figure it out but I’m not going to let you just disappear.” And on that cryptic comment, Ethan said, “I have to get back to work. Talk soon.” And he disconnected the call.

Parker wished Ethan would get over Amanda’s betrayal and get back to being the man he was. He might have been consumed with work but at least that man had been a semblance of happy.

With a groan, he walked back down the hallway, slowing at the sound of voices coming from James’ hospital room.

“Dad, I want you to think more seriously about selling the inn,” Emily said.

“Forgetting what I want, which you seem to not want to listen to, I’m not going to be responsible for the cultural change of our town, the destruction of everything that makes Montlake what it is, warm, friendly, your neighborhood where everyone knows everyone.”

“I’m not worried about everyone, Dad. I’m worried about you.” The distress in Emily’s voice was clear and it tore at Parker’s heart. “And what about Harper, here? You want her place to become a Starbucks?” James asked.

Parker winced. He was coming to love this small town as much as the people who’d lived here much longer. There was so much good he could do if only his obligations, family and business, weren’t in New York. But maybe there was help he could give despite his having to ultimately go home. He needed to think through a strategic business plan without giving anyone false hope.

With that thought tucked away, he knocked and walked into the room, joining the women and James for an afternoon of waiting for tests that ultimately and gratefully came back fine. Emily didn’t have much to say to anyone, and sensing she needed time, Parker kept his distance.