One Good Reason (Boston Love #3)(72)

I take a breath.

“You said you’re f*cked up. That if Parker sees that, it might make him leave for good. And I just have to flat-out disagree with you on that point, Tink.” Phoebe’s words come out in a rush, as though she expects me to cut her off at any given moment. “The thing is, you’re kind of my hero. Maybe that’s weird for you, but I refuse to hide that fact. You saved my life. Nate says you’re trying to save thousands of other lives, in this case you’re working on with him. Parker says, beneath that tough shell, you’re a big softie who pays for strangers’ groceries and gives money to people on the street who need it more than you do.” She takes a quick pause. “In my book, that makes you a pretty big hero.”

My heart clutches inside my chest.

Wow.

“Thanks, Phoebe,” I whisper when I think I have my voice under control. It shakes anyway.

“Don’t thank me. Just… see yourself. See the woman you are. You’re pretty amazing. And, I won’t apologize if I want someone like you for my big brother.”

My hand tightens around my phone. I have to keep my eyes averted from Parker, afraid if I look at him I’ll start crying again.

“Still there?” Phoebe asks a minute later.

“Yeah,” I say, voice breaking. “I’m here.”

She pauses. “For the record… you’ll always be Tinkerbell to me. And Parker… well, he’s the perpetual man-child. The boy who never grew up. He’s Peter Pan.” I hear the smile in her voice. “That makes you guys Peter Pan and Tinkerbell. A perfect pair, if there ever was one.”

I laugh. “You’re crazy.”

“Peter and Tink were an unstoppable duo. A team. They were totally different… but they somehow completed each other.” She sighs happily. “Just think about it, okay?”

I roll my eyes. “Goodbye, Phoebe.”

Her voice is warm. “Merry Christmas, Tink.”

I swallow and make myself say it. And, surprisingly, it’s not as tough as I thought it would be to get the words past my lips.

“Merry Christmas, Phoebe.”

As soon as she clicks off, I set the phone down and walk across the loft to where Parker is sitting. Pulling the computer from his lap, I straddle his legs, push his headphones off, and wind my arms around his neck. Before he can say a word, I plant a soft kiss on his lips.

“What was that for?” he asks, smiling at me. “Not that I’m complaining.”

“Do I need a reason?” I shrug.

“No.” His eyes narrow. “But you never kiss me first.”

“I don’t?” I ask, genuinely surprised. I hadn’t realized.

He shakes his head. “No. You don’t.”

I stare at him and swallow hard, feeling like a terrible person. “Well… I’ll work on it.”

His brows lift. “Did Phoebe brainwash you during that call?”

I flick him on the forehead. “Oh, shut up, idiot.”

“It’s so sexy when you shower me with compliments.”

I laugh and snuggle into his chest. “It’s sexier when we shower together. Period.”

“Not arguing with that.”

Tilting my head, I meet his eyes. “I’m sorry if I ever made you feel like I don’t want to be with you. This is… new to me.”

“It’s new to me too, darling.” He shrugs. “Just because something’s new doesn’t mean it has to be bad.”

“So wise, in your old age.”

“Old!” He scoffs. “I may be nearing thirty at an alarming pace, but I’ll never grow up.”

“Phoebe said…” I hesitate, not sure whether I should tell him.

His tone is amused. “Phoebe said…?”

“She called you Peter Pan,” I say quickly, before I chicken out.

His eyes get warm as he thinks about it for a minute. “Peter Pan and Tinkerbell.” A kiss lands on the tip of my nose. “I’d be lying if I said I didn’t like that.”

My heart flips. I bring my mouth to his and kiss him.

“I’ll never admit it if you tell her,” I whisper. “But I like it, too.”

“Don’t worry, darling.” He grins against my lips. “Your secret is safe with me.”

His arms tighten around me and his mouth lands in my hair. He doesn’t say anything else, and neither do I — we don’t need to. He holds me close and hits play on the movie, and I feel something warm inside my chest in a place that used to be iced over with sadness and fear.



* * *



“Shit.” My eyes widen. “Holy f*cking shit.”

“What is it?” Parker walks toward me and crouches beside my computer. “You find something?”

I glance at him. “I found the employee medical records. All of them.” I swallow. “If you believe these reports, every Lancaster Consolidated worker is the perfect picture of health.”

“Can you put them all on a flash drive so we can show Nate?”

“Already done.”

Parker pulls me from my seat. “Come on, then.”

“Where are we going?”

“Knox Investigations.”