Dropping The Ball - A New Year’s Billionaire Romance - Weston Parker Page 0,59
recognized her instantly, and my mother enveloped her in a hug that she usually reserved for family.
“Rylee Naples, look at you!” my mother exclaimed with her hands on Rylee’s shoulders when she finally released her. “More gorgeous than ever. How are your parents?”
“They’re good.” She smiled even wider. “Sad that I can’t be at home this year, but at least they have Billy with them.”
My father pulled her into a hug next, raising his brows at me in question over her shoulder. I shook my head, and he narrowed his eyes before doing the same. Yep. I’m going to be facing a parental inquisition later that would make even the Spanish feel lucky.
Mom kept gushing over Rylee, too excited to be too bothered about me after greeting me with a quick hug. “I bet they’re going to miss you so much, but we’ll send them lots of pictures. I just can’t believe it’s you. I feel like I haven’t seen you since you guys were kids, and now here you are, having us over for Christmas at your house.”
“Yeah, it’s a small world,” she said. Her smile didn’t quite seem forced, but she was trying to make out like everything was fine when it wasn’t. “I didn’t expect it to be Carter when my team hired someone to guard me, but life is funny sometimes.”
“I think it’s wonderful.” Mom hugged her again. “I can’t imagine how surprised you both must have been, but I’m sure it’s been lovely catching up.”
“Oh, it’s been interesting.” Rylee didn’t skip a beat, but she also didn’t look at me. “Carter has changed so much over the years.”
“That, he has,” Dad agreed. “Some people might walk right on past him on the street and not recognize him.”
Mom chuckled, reaching up to ruffle my hair like I was still five years old. “It’s happened a few times. I’m so glad you two have found each other again.”
“Do you want to show your parents to their room?” she asked me while still smiling at my parents. “I’ll go make us something to drink. Do you guys still love tea so much?”
“Nectar of the gods,” Mom said while Dad just sighed. “Ignore him. He’d rather have a beer if you’ve got one, but tea is just fine.”
“We’ve got beer.” I blinked when I realized it sounded like this was my house too when I said it like that. Well. Tough. I live here, even if it is just for now.
After taking my parents upstairs and leaving them to unpack, I pulled Rylee aside in the kitchen. Her eyes flew wide open when my fingers curled around her wrist, but she didn’t try to pull away when I slid them down to take her hand. She looked down at where we were joined, a soft sound coming out of her when I brushed my thumb over her racing pulse.
“What are you doing?” she breathed before lifting her head to look right into my eyes.
“I don’t normally take these kinds of jobs anymore,” I started. “You asked me once if I didn’t think it was weird to move in with someone I didn’t know, and the real answer is that it is fucking weird, but you weren’t someone I didn’t know.”
“So it was another lie?”
I shook my head. “I never said it wasn’t weird. I said it’s part of the job, and it is. I just stopped having to do these jobs years ago.”
“Why are you here, then?” Her blue eyes flashed, though I couldn’t decipher if the primary emotion in them was hurt or anger. “No one is keeping you hostage, Carter. If you want to leave, leave. It would’ve been nice if you’d done it before your parents got here.”
“That’s not what I’m saying. I don’t want to leave, so if that’s what you want, then you’re going to have to tell me. I’ll go, but not before you hear me out.”
She lowered her chin the slightest fraction of an inch, but it was as much of a go-ahead as I was going to get. “I took this job because it was for you and I knew it. Bart would’ve made it difficult to get out of anyway, but as soon as I saw it was you, I didn’t even try. I wanted to be here with you.”
“Why?” Her gaze was unwavering, which was just another thing I admired about her. This girl stood her ground, didn’t back down, and took what she wanted. We had that in