The Parker Women Read online

  “Mom, you look beautiful.”

  Donna walked out into the bedroom in her new yellow dress and black flats.

  “How about you let me do your makeup?” Olivia’s eyes lit up.

  “I don’t usually wear much makeup.” Donna frowned.

  “You don’t. And I won’t overdo it. I promise. Come here. Sit by the window and let me fix your makeup and hair.”

  “My hair?”

  “I’m going to put it up so it doesn’t bother you in the wind on the boat, but will look nice and…”

  “And not wild?” She let out a gentle laugh.

  “That.” Olivia spread out a bag of makeup on the dresser beside them.

  Soon Olivia had applied eye makeup, a bit of foundation and blush, and a nice subtle lipstick. Then she piled up her curls and twisted them into a knot, with a few tresses drifting around her face.

  “There. Look in the mirror.” Olivia stood back to look at her handiwork.

  Donna got up and walked over to the mirror. She stared at her reflection. “I can’t… I mean… that doesn’t even look like me.”

  “Of course it does, Mom. You’re beautiful.” Olivia hugged her.

  She touched the soft fabric of the dress and reached up toward her hair, but didn’t mess with it. It was too lovely to touch. Olivia had kept her word, and the makeup was subtle but highlighted her hazel eyes and gave a bit of color to her high cheekbones.

  “You did a great job, hon.”

  The doorbell rang and she quickly looked in the mirror again, gulping a big breath of air. Her pulse raced through her veins. A date. She was going on a date.

  Olivia hurried off to answer the door. “Hey, Barry. Mom will be out in a minute.”

  Donna peeked into the front room and saw Barry standing there with nice dress pants and a collared knit shirt. As she entered the room, his eyes grew wide.

  “Wow, you look smashing.”

  Her cheeks flushed.

  “She does look great when we get her out of her Parker clothes, doesn’t she? Not that she doesn’t look great at work, too.” Olivia grinned. “But I did have fun helping her get ready.”

  “Yes, she does look great all the time.” Barry stumbled over his words.

  Olivia laughed. “You two have a good time. See you later.” With that, she slipped out the door.

  The front room was deafeningly silent with Olivia gone. She stood there, not knowing what to say.

  “Ah, well, we should go. Don’t want to be late. I doubt they’ll hold the boat for us.” Barry opened the door and she slipped through.

  So very close to him as she passed. Close enough to smell a woodsy aftershave on his freshly shaven face. And somewhere along the way, he’d gotten a haircut, and his brown hair lay precisely in a proper businessman cut. He stepped out and she turned to lock the door, bumping into him as she turned.

  “Oh, sorry.” Those sky blue eyes that she’d discovered lit up with his smile.

  She ignored her thumping heart, concentrated on the lock, and then took a step back. “Okay. All set.”

  They headed down the sidewalk toward the marina. She watched each step she took in her pretty new black flats. The awkward silence clung to them as they strolled down the street.

  Talk to her. Think of something. Anything. Silence again. Why did he keep suddenly forgetting how to speak around her? Barry searched his mind for a topic of conversation.

  “I wonder what kind of food they’ll have on the dinner cruise.” Though he knew darn well—he’d looked it up on their website. But it seemed like a safe subject and the first thing that popped into his mind.

  “I’m not sure. I haven’t been on it since Jesse took it over.”

  Well, he’d messed that one up. Now he couldn’t tell her that there was a seafood buffet because he’d claimed lack of knowledge.

  Suddenly he stopped and touched her elbow. She paused beside him.

  “Look, I don’t know why, but I’m ridiculously nervous. And I can’t think of what to say. And I do know what The Destiny has tonight. It’s a seafood buffet. I was just looking for something to start a conversation with. I’m sorry. I’m just not very good at this dating thing.” He spit it all out as though it were one sentence.

  Donna let out a long breath of air. “Oh, good.”

  “What’s good?” His forehead wrinkled.

  “You’re as nervous as I am. I was going to start talking about the weather because, you know… safe.” She laughed, and it spread all the way to her sparkling hazel eyes.

  The laughter cut the tension between them, and they continued on their way to the marina in an easy conversation like on their previous walks. Relief washed through him knowing that Donna was nervous, too. They’d just figure the night out together.

  They got to the boat and were greeted on the gangway by a young man with blonde hair and startling green eyes.

  “Jesse, it’s good to see you.” Donna hugged the man.

  “Donna, glad you could make it on The Destiny.”

  “I should have made time earlier. I’ve only heard wonderful things about it since you took it over.”

  “Thanks.” Jesse beamed.

  “Oh, this is Barry. He’s coordinating the rehab of The Cabot Hotel.”

  Jesse held out his hand and shook Barry’s. “Great to meet you. Can’t wait to have the hotel up and running again. I’ve missed her. And welcome aboard. Why don’t you grab a drink, then go up to the open upper deck? Great view up there.”

  They each got a glass of wine, then took the spiral staircase to the upper level. He trailed behind Donna as they spiraled up between the decks. They got to the wide, open upper level. Benches and seats lined the railings.

  “There are some open seats.” He pointed.

  They took two seats to watch The Destiny pull away from the dock and enter the bay. The further they got into the bay, the clearer the water was that circled around them.

  “The water near the marina is a bit brackish with the river dumping fresh water into the bay. As we get closer to the gulf, the water clears up into this fabulous turquoise color,” Donna explained.

  The wind picked up as they cruised along. Donna tugged a wrap around her shoulders.

  “Are you cold? We could go down inside out of the wind.”

  Though, he liked the way the wind would pick up little bits of her hair and toss them around her face in delicate curls. Her cheeks were blushed a delicate rose color, and the evening light caught the highlights of her eyes.

  “No, I’m fine up here. Glad I grabbed this wrap.” She smiled. “Olivia loaned it to me. She’s not very impressed with my closet.”

  “You look beautiful.” The words came out before he could even think or catch them back.

  She blushed a deeper shade of rose. “Oh, thank you. Olivia took me shopping for this new dress. Did my hair. She tried to transform me from a Parker’s worker to …” Donna shrugged. “To, I’m not sure what.”

  “Well, you look lovely tonight. And I’m glad you said yes. It’s fun to do things in a new town. Explore a bit.” He tilted his head. “Although I guess this isn’t really exploring for you.”

  “It’s all new on the boat since Jesse bought it. It’s much nicer. New seats. Everything painted this crisp, clean gray color.” She smiled up at him. “Anyway, I don’t get away from the store often.”

  “You always seem busy there.”

  “We are. And…” She paused, her forehead creased with wrinkles. “Olivia came up with this idea that we should expand. It’s some dream of hers. Something she can do that will be all hers. Things are a bit hectic now. She’s finalizing plans. Has an offer in to buy the building next to Parker’s.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes…” The wrinkles stayed creased between her eyes. “But I’m afraid it’s going to be so much more work. She assures me she’ll handle it all.”

  “But?” He could hear the hesitation in her voice.

  “But what if it fails? W
hat if we can’t recoup the cost of expanding? What if her dream gets crushed? I’d hate that.”

  “What if she gets her dream?” He touched her hand. “Everyone needs a chance to follow their dreams.”

  “I know. And I want it to work out for her. I’m just a bit…”

  “Afraid?” he asked gently. He could see it plainly on her face.

  “Yes. I am afraid. I’m not a risk-taker and this seems like a big risk.”

  “And yet you said yes and you’re letting her do it.” She’d said yes because Olivia was her daughter and they had strong family ties. He admitted to a twinge of jealousy. What would it be like to have family ties like that?

  “I am. How could I say no? How could I not give her a chance?”

  “I could look at her plans if you’d like. Maybe make some suggestions. If it wouldn’t hurt her feelings. I’m pretty good at this rehab stuff, you know.” He grinned.

  “So I’ve heard.” Donna smiled. “I’ll talk to her. See if she’d like you to look over the plans. It would make me feel better if you don’t think her whole plan is impossible.”

  “I’d be more than happy to. Just let me know.”

  An announcement came on that the buffet was open, and most of the people on the upper level headed back downstairs to the large eating area. “Want to go?” he asked.

  “If you’re not too hungry, I’m just enjoying the view and drinking our wine.”

  “Suits me just fine.”

  Yes, he was perfectly fine sitting here right next to this fascinating woman.

  They sat outside as the sun played hide and seek with the clouds and the sky started to burst into colors. Seagulls swooped overhead in the evening light. Barry sat right beside her, inches from her. His leg brushing hers through her new dress everyone once in a while when he turned to look at something, his hair mussed from the breeze. His eyes sparkling in the evening light.

  She was surprised at how much she was enjoying herself. How relaxing it was… in a kind of underlying tension kind of way. But that was just a bit of her nerves still talking.

  Her nerves. Like when she’d told him about her pathetic closet and Olivia basically dressing her for this date. Did he think she didn’t know how to dress herself? Or that she thought this date was some kind of really big deal? It wasn’t. It was simply a night out with a man whose company she enjoyed. Enjoyed quite a bit, actually.

  She turned to sneak a peek at him and found him staring at her.

  “Sorry. I just wondering what you were thinking,” he said. “You looked lost in thought.”

  “I was just thinking what a pleasant night it is. The view is wonderful.” Safe topics. Stay on safe topics.

  “It is.” But he didn’t take his eyes off her when he said it.

  Warmth rushed to her cheeks. “Well, we should probably go eat.” She stood quickly.

  “As you wish.” He rose beside her and led the way to the spiral staircase down to the main room.

  They filled their plates with a delicious looking variety of seafood and found a table by the window that had just been vacated. More people headed back upstairs and the crowd in the dining area thinned. Barry snagged them both another glass of wine and sat across from her.

  He regaled her with stories of mishaps on the remodel at the hotel. “But I think I’m getting things turned around. Fixed some orders for supplies we need. Had them repaint the library room that we’re using for the history alcove. Someone got it in their minds that it was supposed to be orange…” He chuckled in deep, resonant tones. “That got changed. I thought Emily was going to faint when she came in and saw it painted orange this week. I don’t know who messed up the paint colors, but I didn’t catch it until they’d painted half the room. It’s a nice, soft, pale shade of green now, and Emily heartily approves.”

  “She told me she’s been in there twice this week. Having such a grand time sorting through all the memorabilia.”

  “Del has her boxing up any old accounting records that she comes across. He’s not ready to pitch those yet. She found the original handwritten register from when the hotel was first opened. She was thrilled with that find. And she found some old furniture in storage that we’re going to use to display some of the keepsakes that she finds. The furniture cases are a deep mahogany wood with the original glass in them. Quite a find.”

  “I’m sure she’s thrilled with her new job.”

  “But I guess it’s not a great time to leave you short-handed, is it? What with Olivia’s plans for expansion.”

  “We’ll get along. Emily does love her history.”

  “She sure seems too. Her eyes light up when she brings me some new thing that she’s found. Very enthusiastic.”

  “That she is. She’s a bit of a whirlwind at all times. Hard worker. And…” Donna grinned. “As you can tell I’m an unbiased grandmother.”

  “Totally unbiased, I can tell.” His eyes twinkled as the corners of his mouth twitched in a smile.

  They finished dinner and headed back up top as the boat headed back toward the dock. They stood along the railing, watching the water slip past. She shivered slightly and pulled her wrap tighter around her shoulders.

  “You’re cold.”

  “A bit.”

  He stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. “That better?”

  “Uh-huh.” She managed to get that much out. It was better than better. It was… very nice. It was very pleasant standing wrapped in his arms. Her pulse picked up and she ignored it because, after all, he was just keeping her warm in the night breeze.

  All too soon the boat docked and everyone slowly filed off the boat. Jesse thanked them for coming. “Come back soon.”

  “I will. And I’ll tell the girls to come soon. They’ll love it. You’ve really made it lovely, Jesse.”

  “Thanks, Donna. Means a lot to me. Always been a dream of mine, and when she came up for sale, I jumped on it.”

  “You made the right decision. The Destiny is wonderful.”

  She and Barry headed down the gangway and onto the long dock. They slowly strolled along until they got to the wharf, then turned to head back to their houses. He kept one arm around her shoulders as they walked. Probably to keep her warm still. Though, it wasn’t as chilly now that they were off the boat and out of the breeze. It was actually rather pleasant out. Not that she was going to turn down his arm around her.

  They got to Sandpiper Court way too quickly as far as she was concerned. He walked her to her doorstep and they stood there in the darkness, the night air heavy around them.

  “Thank you. I had a really nice time.” She dug for her key and unlocked the door.

  “I had a great time, too, Donna.” His voice was low and he stood so close to her.

  She could feel the electricity between them. A magnetic pull. A… something.

  And just like that she panicked and swung the door open. “Thanks again.” She flipped on the inside light and light spilled out onto the porch. “Good night.”

  A disappointed looked flitted across his face, but then he smiled. “Good night, Donna.”

  She went inside, closed the door behind her, and leaned against it, her heart pounding. She’d been so sure he was getting ready to kiss her. He was, wasn’t he? And the whole is he or isn’t he question just put her in a tizzy. She was one silly woman, she chastised herself.

  She pushed off the door and walked further inside, sorry she hadn’t just let him kiss her. If that was what he’d been about to do…

  Chapter 13

  “Mom. Mom!” Olivia’s voice rang through the house.

  Donna looked up from the sink where she was washing dishes. She grabbed a towel to dry her hands. “In the kitchen.”

  Olivia rushed into the room. “I got it. The Redmonds said my offer was fair. I’ve got the building.” She whirled around in a close imitation of Emily’s antics. “I can’t believe it. It’s going to be so great. And I have plans to spruce up all of P
arker’s after we get more space. Make it more like it was before when I was little. Before we loaded it up with so much stuff. Like an old-fashioned general store… only… well, with things people need now.”

  “One step at a time.”

  “It’s all part of the plan. Once it’s all done, it will be wonderful. Just you wait and see. You’ll love it.”

  Donna paused, wondering if she should ask or not. She didn’t want to offend her daughter or make her think she didn’t trust her business decisions. She decided to take the plunge. “So, Barry said he’d look over your plans if you’d like. He does have a lot of expertise in remodeling businesses.”

  Olivia stopped and stood still, staring hard at her. “Are you having doubts?”

  “No, of course not. I just thought you might like some help. Or he could offer suggestions. Or…” She could see the troubled look on Olivia’s face. “Or not. If you’d rather not.”

  Olivia stepped forward. “No, that sounds like a good idea. And if he looks at them and approves… will you feel better about all of this?”

  “It’s not that I don’t feel good about this…”

  “Mom, I know. It’s a lot of change. You hate change.”

  “I don’t hate change.” But she did.

  “I promise, it’s going to be great. And I’ll accept any help he gives. I want this to be a success, and if he can make it better, or more cost-effective, I’m all ears.”

  “Good.”

  “I’ll drop by The Cabot Hotel and talk to him. See if I can email him my business plan and some spreadsheets.” Olivia gave her a quick hug. “Mom, it’s all going to be fine. You’ll see.”

  Her daughter turned around and hurried back out, the door closing with a dull thud as she left.

  Now all she had to worry about is if Barry looked at the plans and thought they were in over their heads. Because, to tell the truth, that’s the way she was feeling.

  She looked at her watch. If she didn’t hurry she was going to be late meeting Evelyn at the wharf. Her sister had called and invited her to dinner at Portside Grill again. She really preferred Jimmy’s, but Evelyn wasn’t a big fan of their casual style. Her sister had sounded a bit lonely, so she’d agreed to meet her again. When was that husband of hers going to come home? When Darren was in town, she rarely saw Evelyn while they wined and dined his business associates and partied at the country club.