Dropping The Ball - A New Year’s Billionaire Romance - Weston Parker Page 0,65
from him as he rolled his eyes. “Son, I’ve been to criminal trials more amicable than you two were when we got here this morning.”
“You used to be a cop. I’m pretty sure you’ve been to every kind of trial.” My ears strained to hear something from the kitchen where Mom and Rylee were still getting the drinks. When I didn’t hear anything, I lowered my voice anyway and glanced at my dad. “She knows how I feel about her. It’s not that.”
“What is it, then?” He studied me for a long moment before he laughed. “What did you do, Carter?”
“What makes you think I did anything?”
“You’re a man. If it’s not something we did, it’s something we didn’t do. Those are the only two options, so which is it?”
“Hot chocolate and cookies!” Mom saved me when she walked back into the room carrying a tray and a mug. She looked at Dad. “Did you know Rylee has a heated balcony? We can sit outside, take in the view, and not freeze to death.”
“I didn’t even know balconies could be heated,” Dad said. “Lead the way. Can we bring anything else out?”
“Rylee’s got it.” She gave my dad an exaggerated look before jerking her head in the direction of the nearest balcony. “Let’s go, honey.”
He frowned at her but didn’t ask any questions. Opening the door instead, he followed her out.
Rylee walked in a moment later with three more mugs of steaming liquid, but she shook her head when I moved to take one from her. “I’m balancing these very precariously. Just close the door, will you?”
“Sure. Will you tell me what you and my mother were talking about in there?”
Her eyes went everywhere except to mine, eventually landing on the tree. “You guys did an awesome job. Couldn’t you find the star? It should be in there somewhere.”
I bent over and swiped it from the ottoman behind me. “It’s right here. We thought you might like to do the honors.”
She went completely still, her eyes suddenly misty. “Let me just take these outside. Then we’ll come finish it up.”
My mom was surprisingly calm when Rylee walked out. Then she leaned in the doorway with Dad’s arm around her shoulder while they watched her climb onto the ottoman to fix the star. Her own eyes seemed slightly wet when Rylee passed her, and she pulled her into yet another hug before letting her go.
Rylee whispered something that I couldn’t hear, but that made my mom smile like I hadn’t seen in a long time. Both women glanced at me, and Dad chuckled but went back to his seat.
They left the loveseat for us, and Rylee sank down next to me without any argument. She snuggled into my side a little deeper than she might’ve before, wrapping her fingers around her mug before focusing on my mom.
“Well, you promised me some stories. I think Carter’s had enough of a stay of execution. What do you think?”
Mom laughed. “I think it’s time you got to know your brother and my son for the way they really were back then. Are you ready?”
“So ready.” She even leaned forward a bit. “I feel like I’ve been ready for this moment my whole life. Let me have it, Mrs. D. They have a high school reunion coming up again at some point. I might just need to take the stage there.”
“I think I can help with that,” Mom said. Her eyes twinkled in the light of the heaters on the balcony, and she rested her hand casually on my dad’s before she got going.
My parents were a shining example of everlasting love. Despite how hardened I’d become since moving here and regardless of how closed-off I’d been accused of being, I’d always longed for a relationship like theirs. Like the one all my brothers had now.
We’d all been assholes back in the day, all been notorious the way only five brothers in a smallish place could be, but then we’d grown up. Or my brothers had anyway.
There was a time when I’d thought that they’d all found love and I’d forever be the one who remained the bachelor. The Peter Pan of the family. The one who never grew all the way up.
But that was before Rylee made her sudden appearance back in my life and made me feel all the things I thought I never would. More importantly, all the things I never should’ve felt for my best friend’s little sister.