I found Karen typing away at her desk.
“Hey, give me a few seconds. I need to talk to Karen about something.”
With a nod, Cord tipped his cowboy hat to Karen. “Have a good one, Karen.”
She lifted her head slightly to give him a smile. “I will. You do the same, Cord.”
After Cord walked out the door, I stood in front of her desk, but she ignored me. “Karen?”
“Yes?” she answered while she kept typing.
“May I ask you a question?”
When she stopped, she shot her eyes up to mine. “You may. I, however, may choose not to answer it.”
I frowned. “What the hell does that mean?”
She half-shrugged. “I’m upset with you, Tripp Parker.”
“I see that. Why?”
Standing, her hands went to her hips. “You’re stupid. Blind. Unforgiving. Stubborn. Ignorant.” Her brows lifted, and she gave me that look that all southern women have perfected. That one that says she’s going to speak her mind and you should pay close attention cuz shit’s about to go down. “And a man. I don’t think I need to say anything else.”
My mouth opened to speak, but her look challenged me to disagree with her.
“Fine. I’m all those things. You want to tell me why you’re all of a sudden on Harley’s side?”
“Sides? Oh, are we pickin’ sides now?” Her Texas accent hit full force. It always did when she was angry.
I rolled my eyes. “No, we are not picking sides. It’s just before you were pretty clear you liked Mallory. Now you seem to…like Harley a bit more.”
Her arms folded across her chest and her chin lifted.
Fuck. I pissed her off. Now I won’t hear the end of it for a week.
“Tripp Parker, let me tell you something. I am not pro or con about either one of those girls. They’re both nice. I thought Harley had done you wrong, but from what I’ve heard, she has apologized to you, and you have not accepted.”
“What! How in the hell do you know that?”
“I have my verified sources which I will not disclose.”
I narrowed my eyes at her. One of the Parker women was behind this. No one else could possibly know that information.
“I take it, though, you do not deny it.”
Letting out a frustrated sigh, I scrubbed my hands down my face. “That is none of your damn business!”
She huffed. “Fine. Then I won’t tell you what I know about Mallory that has knocked her down a few pegs in my graces.”
My eyes widened, and I was pretty sure my jaw dropped to the floor.
“Mallory? You have information on Mallory?” I laughed. “What could you possibly have on her?”
The woman stared like we were in a pissing contest, and she was hell-bent on lasting longer. She finally broke the stare.
“I need to get back to work. If you want to find about the young man who visited her house and stayed for hours before leaving, you’ll have to ask her yourself.”
My stomach dropped. “What? When was this?”
She shrugged. “My memory seems to be strugglin’ on that bit of information.”
I pointed to her and was about to demand she tell me, when she glared.
My hand dropped, and I stormed outside and past Cord.
“What’s wrong with you?” he asked, attempting to keep up with me.
“Women. That’s what’s wrong with me.”
I walked up the porch steps and took a breath before knocking on my sister’s door.
Three taps and I stepped back. The door opened. Waylynn was holding her daughter, Liberty, in her arms.
“Hey, Tripp! What brings you by on this fine April day?”
I smiled and took my cowboy hat off as I followed Waylynn into the house.
“Hadn’t seen Liberty in a week or so and wanted to stop by. How is my sweet little niece doing?”
Waylynn beamed with happiness. “She’s amazing. Can you believe she’s a month old?”
“No,” I replied with a light-hearted chuckle.
“Hey there, Tripp!”
I turned to find Corina standing there. My eyes immediately went to her stomach. She had gotten bigger in the last week.
“Hey, you.” I kissed her on the cheek and pointed to her stomach. “May I say hi?”
She giggled. “Yes! The baby is super active today.”
My hands gently touched her six-month pregnant belly. Leaning closer, I started talking to the baby.
“Hey there, baby Parker. How are you today?”
Instantly, I felt a kick.
“Wow!” I said with a laugh.
“I know. Baby Parker is for sure an active one.”
Moving my hand on her stomach, I felt another kick. “That’s incredible. Still not finding out the sex of the baby?”
“Nope. Keeping it a surprise.
“I love that y’all are doing that,” Waylynn added.
After a few more seconds of baby talk with Corina’s stomach, I stepped away. The ache in my chest was pretty clear as I looked at both of them.
I wanted kids. For the first time ever, the urge was strong and the pain in my chest very real.