PARKER
I was surprised at the way Jolie reacted and responded to her father the other night when he was at the bar. When Toni called me, I was afraid that I was going to have to physically beat the crap out of an ADA and that probably wouldn’t have been good for me. I tried to read him and I wouldn’t have gone as far as to say that I trusted what he was saying, but overall he did seem genuine in what he was saying to her. She was standing up for herself and making choices she wanted to, not ones she had to.
She had invited her dad to come to our show next week and it sounded like he was actually going to be back. I felt happy for her. He may not be getting any “World’s Best Dad,” mugs, but he was taking responsibility for a lot of shit, something her mom had zero intention of doing.
“I’m sorry, I’m running late,” Jolie said as she entered the kitchen, still drying her damp hair.
“It’s breakfast, baby, there is no such thing as late.”
“That’s not true. Cade gives us shit all the time when we show up late to things, even if it is just breakfast.”
“Well Cade is just an asshat, so we ignore him.”
“Oh Parker, you’re horrible.”
I wrap my arms around her and pull her into a kiss. She falls right into my body and I squeeze tight, kind of never wanting to let her go. However, she manages to squirm away from me and head back upstairs to finish getting ready. She hasn’t found anybody to take over her lease yet, but I told her not to worry about it. I make enough money that I’m able to take care of the house payment and after talking to her landlord she’s just going to break her lease early and bite the bullet. So at the end of the month, she will officially be moving in and I can’t wait.
“Okay, how do I look?” She asks when she comes back downstairs, this time more put together than before.
“Like my gorgeous girlfriend.”
She huffs and rolls her eyes at me, but I mean every word of it. With Spring showing up today, she’s in a yellow dress that hits a bit below her midthigh. It is decorated with pink flowers and she paired it with a pair of gemstone flip-flops. She looks like an angel and I don’t care if she thinks I’m being cheesy.
We’re the last ones to arrive and Jolie is already going on about how Cade is going to give us shit, but I just ignore her and take her hand, escorting her into the house. “Nobody cares about that, baby. I’ll make you a mimosa when we get in there.”
“Will you?”
“Of course, my love.” Happy voices and laughter greet us when we open the door. I feel like Norm walking into Cheers a little bit because everybody was saying our names as we walked in. “Hey everybody!’
“About time the two of you show up,” Cade huffs.
I point over at my brother, “Don’t even start, Cade. We don’t need to listen to your teasing today.”
“Oh come on, I only do it because I love the two of you.”
“Uh-huh...yeah...sure.”
Cade follows me over to the wet bar and I make Jolie a drink and make myself a bloody Mary. I hear Jolie’s full laughter and I turn around to see her on the couch with Toni and my mom, holding Zach in her arms, like it was the most natural thing to her.
“You getting ideas there?”
“What?” I glance at Cade and he’s wiggling his ring finger at me. “I don’t think we’re ready for all that yet.”
He looks over at Jolie again, “Looks like she may be readier than you think.”
“I doubt it. I think she’s in full auntie mode right now. Moving in is a big step, we’ll start with that.”
“You’re probably right. Better go get her that drink.”
The girls are still chatting when I walk over and set the drink down on the table next to her. I rub Zach’s head with my finger and he opens his eyes and stares up at me. I still can’t believe that Fletch had a kid.
“Isn’t he so cute?” Jolie asks me.
“For sure.” I turn to Eden, “He behaving for you, Eden?”
Eden giggles, “As good as a newborn can behave I suppose. I wouldn’t hate him if he slept just a tad bit more at night.”
“If he’s a Mason, he’s probably a bit of a night owl. That’s why the bar scene works for us.”
Eden sighs, “You’re probably right. Oh, help me.”
I sit on the arm of the couch next to Jolie and rest my hand on her shoulder. She holds and coos over Zach until he starts to whine a little bit. Eden takes him and goes into the other room so she can nurse him without disruption. The rest of us make our way over to the table for the meal mom has planned. I hear the clanging of a spoon onto a glass and we all stop talking and look over at Mom and Dad who are standing at the front of the table.
“So before we start eating, we’ve got some fun news for everybody,” Dad begins.
“Last time you did this, you said you two were retiring and you only partially did that,” Cade teases.
“Oh hush, Cade. Your dad and I spoke with Mel last night and she and Adam are moving here at the beginning of the semester.”
We all look around the table, each looking as shocked as the other. Damon finally speaks up, “What? No way! What about school? Doesn’t she have a year left?”
“She’s transferring to the online program. So she’s still going to have school and she’ll have to travel to Denver a few times a semester, but otherwise, they’re heading home!”
“That’s great news, Mom,” I say. “You must be so excited!”
“You guys have no idea. My babies are all going to be back in Glenwood Springs and our family keeps expanding.”
“Even better, boys, Adam is going to be looking for a job, so you’ll not only have Mel but Adam too.”
Dad puts his arm around Mom’s waist, “They’ll be down here next weekend to start looking for places to rent with a realtor. And of course, they don’t want to miss Jolie and Parker’s return to the stage.”
I reach my hand over and squeeze Jolie’s upper thigh. She immediately relaxes and looks at me with a huge smile. I can’t wait to get back on the stage with her and my brothers and sister being there to see is just the icing on the cake.
After we eat and hang out for a little while longer, we head back to our place. We both go to work the late shift tonight, so we have a chance to lounge before work. I was a bit sad to see her change out of her dress, but even in yoga pants with a loose tank top, showing off her sports bra underneath, she looked magnificent.
“Come here beautiful.” I reach my arms out and she walks right into them. Her head nuzzles into my next and she relaxes into my body. “You should invite Camilla and Bo to our thing on Saturday.”
“It’s just a little performance, nothing big.”
“Oh come on, they’d love to see you perform!”
“You’re probably right.”
“Of course I am.” She giggles into my neck and it sends a warmth throughout my entire body. I never knew a single person could have such an effect on every part of my body. My mind wanders back to the conversation I had earlier with Cade. Marriage was never something I thought much about and I don’t know what Jolie’s views on it are, but marriage or not, I want to be with this woman forever.
YOU ARE READING
When the Music Stops (Mason Brothers Book #2)
RomanceJolie Rollins had everything she needed growing up to live a life of privilege and luxury, but instead, her life was nothing but one traumatic event after another. She was given the perfect opportunity to move away from her old life and start a new...
