Brothers of Paradise Series

When I can finally shape words, I form the only ones I can think of. “How?”

His face feels rough from wind and salt between my hands. “Sheer luck, to be honest.”

“We’ve been so scared,” I whisper. “All of us. Your family…”

He nods. “I’ve heard. I’m sorry.”

“How?” I repeat.

“I went too far north. She was flying beneath me, I swear, Jamie. Beautiful boat. But when I realized I needed to course correct, it was too late.” He sighs, frustration marring his face, and I know it’s his competitive nature playing into it. “It caught me two hours north of Paradise. I wasn’t even far!”

My hands tighten on the collar of his shirt. “What happened?”

“I took down the sails, but the winds still damn near took the mast clean off. I anchored but soon realized it wouldn’t help. The waves would just tear the boat apart, tugging at the anchor.”

“So what did you do?”

“I let her drift.”

I shiver, and he notices, his crooked smile appearing. “Good thing I don’t get seasick easily.”

“You didn’t get swept overboard?”Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

“I strapped in,” he says. “By nightfall I managed to motor into a small bay. There were rocks acting as a windbreaker, but it was a damn close thing. She might as well have gotten smashed on the rocks.”

I close my eyes. “So you could have jumped off and swum to the shore at that point?”

“Probably,” he says.

“Parker!”

He pulls me closer, tugging my head against his neck again. “I’ve weathered storms before,” he says. “But trust me, the only thing I wanted was to get back home to you.”

A noise escapes my throat, half pain and half despair. A large hand rubs a circle between my shoulder blades.

“I motored into the marina an hour ago,” he murmurs. “Good thing I always stock my boats with extra fuel, just in case. Lily and Hayden said you were at home, and I went to your house.”

“You did?”

“Yes, but you weren’t there.” His voice drops. “You were here, instead. On my couch.”

I sniffle. “I used the key in the garage.”

“I figured. And you’ve baked?”

“It was Emma’s idea. She wanted… she wanted you to have your favorite cookies when you got back.”

Parker’s hand stills on my back and I can feel him swallow hard, the column of his throat moving. “She did?”

“Yes.”

“Shit,” he whispers, and pulls me closer. “Jamie, thank you for being here. You were the only person I wanted to see on that dock.”

My tears speed up. “I’m sorry,” I say. “Parker, I’m so sorry. For so many things. For… for…”

He leans back and puts his hands on my upper arms, steady eyes meeting mine. The state of him only makes me cry harder. There’s a tear in his sleeve and a faint bruise at his temple. He’s just survived a near-death experience and here I am, being comforted, when it should be the other way around.

“Jamie? What’s happened?”

“You were gone,” I say, “and I realized I’d never told you how I felt.”

His eyes soften. “I know. Even if you don’t tell me.”

“But you shouldn’t just know, you should hear it. I’ve been so closed off all summer. Keeping you at an arm’s length, even when we’ve been spending time together. And I… kept telling myself it was because of Emma, because I couldn’t have her get close to someone again only for it not to work out. But Parker, Emma loves it here. Emma embraced it all open-heartedly from day one. It was always me.”

“You did what was right,” he says, hands rubbing up and down my arms. “Is this my sweater?”

“Yes. It smelt like you.”

A smile spreads on his face, golden and glorious, and I think my chest might break from how much I care about him.

“Okay,” he says. “Baby, don’t cry.”

“You’re hurt. Aren’t you?” My fingers hover over the temple at his forehead. “What happened?”

“The beam. Almost knocked me out.”

“You need to go to the hospital.”

“No,” he murmurs. “I need to be home, with you.”

“Why is your sleeve ripped?”

“A cord snapped.”

“Jesus.” New tears bubble in my throat and I hug him toward me. I wish I could erase the past day, erase him at sea, erase Lee. Go back to my happy little bubble. “I never, ever, ever want you to sail into a storm again.”

He chuckles hoarsely and kisses my temple. “James,” he murmurs.

“Because I realized something earlier today, when I saw Lee. That I’ve been afraid for so long, and I don’t-”

“What? Lee’s here?”

“Yes. He came to town today.”

Parker has gone still, his hands warm weights on my shoulders. “Lee is in town,” he says slowly. “That’s why you’re in my house. Did he do anything to you?”

“No. We spoke briefly, but I didn’t want to have the conversation in front of Emma. He knows where my mom’s house is.”