“Fine. Guess what? I spoke to the owners of La Paris Patisserie in downtown Chicago and they want to hire you as soon as possible. It’s such a prestigious opportunity. Think of the doors that would open for you after time there,” he said, obviously very pleased with himself.
Parker didn’t know Chicago pastry shops well but he assumed this was a premiere one. He also knew Emily had no desire to move back to Illinois, reunite with this jerk, or bake anything other than what she was doing now. None of this, Rex was willing to accept.
“You don’t listen.” Taking Parker by surprise, Emily had walked up to Rex and begun poking him in the chest, in time with each word, making her point. “We’re over, Rex. I live here now. I love it here. I love baking muffins and wearing sweats and yoga pants. I like pulling my hair into a messy bun–” which she’d done at some point and Parker hadn’t noticed but she looked sexy. “I love my life without you in it!” she yelled at him.
Parker wanted to applaud her but refrained. No point in riling up Rex any more than he already was, if the red stains on his cheeks were any indication of his fury.
“You don’t know what you’re missing out on,” he said, reaching for her.
Before she could even step out of the way, Parker was there, gripping the man’s wrist in his stronger grasp. “You don’t touch her. Ever.”
He glared at Parker, looking ready to throw a punch, but being smart, the man thought better of it, wrenched his hand back, and stepped away.
He turned to Emily. “I’m offering you the world. You really are going to regret turning me down.”
She grew pale but she drew her shoulders back and met his gaze, making Parker proud. “Not a chance in hell. Now get out.” She held on to her bravery as Rex glared, turned, and stormed out of the house, slamming the door behind him.
Her shoulders caved but Parker clapped, something he’d been wanting to do as he watched her handle Rex. “You told him, baby. Good job.”
“Do you think that’s the end of it? That he got the message?”
Parker gave it some thought. “I wish I knew. I think you should let your lawyer know he would have grabbed you if I wasn’t here. Let him know there was an imminent threat. But he didn’t hit you or try to. He reached for you. I doubt it’s enough to get you a restraining order but anything you document could only help if you need it in the future.”
She agreed, walked over to the phone, and called Harper’s brother, Gary, her attorney in the divorce, spoke to him for a while, and hung up, facing Parker. “You’re right. I need to be able to tell the court that Rex hurt or threatened to hurt me.” She shivered at that and he reached out, pulling her close. “If I’m not in imminent danger of further threats or abuse if the order isn’t issued, there’s nothing more we can do.”
He held her tight. “I can get a bodyguard–”
“No. He’s not a threat. He’s like a little boy who is upset he didn’t get his way. I just want to forget about him. Put it all behind me. Maybe now he won’t be back.” She wriggled out of Parker’s embrace. “I’m fine. I’m not going to let Rex get to me.” She walked back to her computer and sat down, pressed a few keys, and waited for the screen to boot up again.
Well, okay then, Parker thought. If she wanted to move on, they’d move on. “What are you working on?” he asked.
Her eyes opened wide, her expressive face totally showing him he’d caught her unprepared on that question. “Umm, I’m going to start looking at wallpaper.” She lied.
He shrugged. “Guess you’re accepting the inn is happening and your father is running it?”
Her cheeks flushed. “I’m going to make sure he has enough help that he doesn’t run himself ragged, that’s what I’m going to do,” she muttered. “But to answer your question, yes. I’ve accepted it.”
He couldn’t help but grin. “For the record, I think it’s the right thing to do. This place makes your father happy. So what if it reminds him of your mother’s dream? He gets enjoyment out of fulfilling it.” He rolled his shoulders. “It’s beautiful if you ask me.”
“What is?” She turned, her arm on the back of the kitchen chair as she faced where he sat on the sofa in the great room.
“A love like theirs,” he said wistfully, knowing that he’d found it here in Colorado. With Emily.
The notion should shock him but he’d been building toward this deep relationship from the start. He’d never been hit so hard or fast by a woman, her impact on him had been that strong. Hell, she’d kept him here although he’d never let on it was because of her. She’d have run far and fast. She’d needed time to get to know him. To trust him. To see he wasn’t the city boy she’d first pegged him as, not in a bad way, at any rate. And he hoped that now she knew him as well and as deep as he knew her.