"I'll talk to you soon, Mick."
Emily hung up the phone just as Parker was walking in the door.
"Okay, the truck's outside. I don't know why you needed such a big one; you don't have that many boxes."
"Well, I need to move the furniture too..." Emily gave him a sweet smile.
"Your grandfather's house has furniture." Parker was fuming so he kept his back to her.
"I'm not moving without all my things." Emily would much rather have thrown out all her furniture that came from secondhand stores. She gave him a sad pouty look.
"Okay, fine. If you'd like, I can hire someone to clean this place out, then I'll buy you new things--" Parker was beginning to feel hopeful.
"No..."
Shit.
Chapter 7
After five hours and more than twenty demands from Emily, the truck was loaded. Parker helped her down to the truck and opened the door.
"I can't climb up in this thing."
Before she could open her mouth again, Parker lifted her up so she could get in the seat.
"There, all better." Parker walked around to the driver's side and climbed up behind the wheel.
"I'll have to stop at the grocery store before we get there. There's nothing to eat in the house."
"Parker told me he bought a few things, so we should be okay for a few days."
"What the hell do you mean by 'we'?"
"Someone has to stay there to help you out. It might as well be me." Parker could feel her angry stare. "Emily, it's just for another few days. You shouldn't have as much pain by then. After that I'll leave and have a caregiver hired."
"I think I need to have a caregiver now, but I'll need more done than what an aide can do. You'll have to stay close by." The last thing Emily was going to do was allow the Davis family to walk away like nothing ever happened. If she was going to be detained from living her life for months, so was Russell. Making him stay around to watch her suffering was her plan.
The end of the damn earth is too close to this woman. "Okay, tomorrow morning I'll make some calls. I wish you would have said something sooner. It'll be impossible to find someone tonight."
"I wish your brother would have let me know sooner he was going to ruin my life."
"Okay, okay. You can stop all the dogging. Let's just focus on your health."
"Don't show your temper to me." Emily was glad she was pissing him off.
Parker let Emily give him directions to the property. He was shocked that she hadn't instructed him on how to drive properly.
He slowly turned up the long driveway to her grandfather's house.
"The asshole got the RV out of here. That was mighty kind of him." Emily could feel herself getting worked up.
"I don't know anything about an RV, but there isn't one here now, so let's not worry about it." Parker wished she'd just shut up.
"Well, you should have seen him. The all high and mighty Mr. Jackass drove over the sharp rocks and flattened the tire on the thing. He didn't even know how to change it!" Emily began to laugh.
I could have changed it. "The RV isn't here. Let's not dwell on the past, shall we?" I should lock you up in the back of the truck.
Parker walked around and lifted her to the ground. He felt sweaty, dirty, hungry, and very irritable. All he wanted was a cool shower and a nice clean change of--Sonofabitch.
"I have to take the truck back and get my clothes. You'll have to come with me."
"No, I'm not going anywhere, I'm tired. Wear something of my grandfather's, the donation pile is in the house. I'll show it to you when we get inside."
When pigs fly..."I'd rather have my own things, Emily."
"That's great. You don't always get what you want."
Parker knew better than to open his mouth. The foul lineup of words he had at the back of his tongue wasn't going to help the situation.
Emily let him reach inside her purse for the key. He couldn't help himself. "You certainly don't carry very many items in your bag. I don't even see one single tube of lipstick..." Parker grabbed the key and turned his back as fast as he could. He was ready to fall out in laughter.
"Just unlock the door, I'm tired."
He held the door open while she walked inside. "Who was messing with the boxes? I bet that bastard went through my things while I was in the hospital!"
"Emily, I'm sure that Parker had better things to do than go through your belongings. Let's just settle in for the night. I'll sleep on the couch if you don't mind. I'd like to take a shower though."
"Don't settle in too quickly. I need my things out of the truck."
"What things?"
"My clothes and toiletries are packed in those boxes. Don't tell me you didn't label them."
"I'm not going back in that truck. Wear your grandfather's things."
"I'm not doing that!"
"Then throw a curtain around yourself. I'm not unloading anything else tonight. I'm exhausted and I just want to shower and get some rest."
Emily had a few changes of clothes upstairs, but he didn't need to know that.
"The towels are in the hallway. Don't be in there too long, I may need you for something."
"Oh I'm sure you'll yell for me at the top of your lungs if you come up with something," Parker mumbled under his breath.
"What did you just say?"
"Nothing. I'm jumping in the shower." Parker went to the closet and grabbed a washcloth and towel, and headed to the bathroom.
"I'm going upstairs to lie down. Keep the bathroom door open so you can hear me." Emily could tell that the apple didn't fall far from the tree in his case.
Parker waited until she made it up the stairs safely, then stripped down in the bathroom and turned on the shower. He let the water run over his body for a while before he found himself using rose-scented soap and shampoo. He bought plenty of flowers in his day, but he hated that scent on a woman, let alone himself. This just keeps getting better.
Emily didn't believe that Parker went out of his way to put groceries in the house for her. Sneaking downstairs, she whipped by the bathroom and looked in the kitchen. The refrigerator and cupboards were full. I can't believe this! Pop-Tarts! Emily was in heaven. She heard the shower shut off and quickly shut the cupboards and refrigerator. She ran through the kitchen, around the corner, and...there he was.
The cool breeze that drifted in from the living room felt good on his heated body after the hot shower. He dried himself off and then turned around. There stood Emily, mouth hung open, eyes roaming all over his body. Parker took his time wrapping the towel around his waist. He stepped into the living room and nonchalantly walked past her.