When the Music Stops (Mason Brothers Book #2)

Chapter 13

JOLIE

I guess that it was time to admit that Parker and I were officially in the dating aspect of our relationship. I’m trying really hard to open myself up to him and share more and more with him, but it is so hard. I’ve spent my time here in Glenwood Springs trying to avoid the old Jolie. I can tell her knows I’m not sharing everything with him, but he is patient and kind. Parker is nothing like any guy I’ve ever dated before.

We were moving slowly. I needed to move slow and Parker knew that without me having to tell him. He didn’t pressure me to move things forward. Even though we’ve hooked up in the past, he didn’t take that to assume we’d do it right away. We’ve gone out a couple of times, had a few make-out sessions in his car, and even got caught by Damon making out in the keg room once. That was slightly embarrassing and now Eden and I have something else in common.

Today the bar was closed for Thanksgiving which meant our family celebration for the holiday. There was even more of a reason to celebrate because Fletch and Eden recently got back from their honeymoon so they could share all their wedded bliss stories with us. Parker said he’d come to pick me up, but Toni would be going to Lydia and Rich’s house too, so I was happy to carpool with her.

I knew I didn’t need to dress up, but I did want to look nice. I had on a medium-wash pair of skinny jeans with a gray sweater paired with tan boots that hit right below the knee. I tried to make my hair kind of wavy for the day, but after all morning using my fancy wand curling iron, I only ended up with minimal curls. I was a bit disappointed, but I was still happy with my overall look.

Toni text me that she was getting ready to leave so I threw on my coat and gloves and met her at her car. The drive to the Mason residence was quick and we walked in and met by the smell of a full Thanksgiving dinner right away.

“Hello, hello! Did somebody ask for a veggie tray?” Toni showed off the tray of vegetables that she put together.

“Eww, no,” Cade responded, pretending to gage at the sight of the vegetables.

“Oh come on Cade, a grown man like you needs his veggies.”

“I do not,” he protested. “All I need is steak and beer. Sounds like the perfect diet.”

“That’s the opposite of a perfect diet. Unless you want to have a beer belly by thirty,” Toni patted his belly. It was flat, but teasing Cade was always fun.

“Don’t even speak of such horrors!” Cade lifts up his shirt and rubs his six-pack abs. Toni rolls her eyes and I feel a hand come over my eyes and cover them.

“Don’t look, Red, you’ll go blind!” Parker said with a chuckle.

“He doesn’t want you to look because he’s jealous of all this I’ve got going on.”

Ignoring Cade’s antics, I turn around in Parker’s arms and wrap my arms around his neck and reach up for a kiss. “Happy Thanksgiving, Park.”

“Thanks, baby. How was your day so far?”

“Good, well minus the hair mess that I had going on. Ugh, I tried for like an hour to curl it and it just kept falling flat. “

“I think it looks great,” he disagrees, running his fingers through my hair and then leaning down and kissing me again.

“You’d say that regardless.”

“You’re probably right. Come on, let’s get you a drink.”

“I love the way that you think. Are Fletch and Eden here yet?”