A Dash of Love (Pride Oregon #1) Read online

  Her back straightened and she glared at the man’s back as he walked away from her. He was only a few years older than her. Her uncle had hired him on one of his trips to New York.

  Why the man had left the hustle and bustle of the big city for Pride was beyond her. He seemed like the type that preferred the city over the country, but she had to admit, he was one of the best sous chefs around. She’d tolerated his rudeness from day one. After all, it wasn’t just her that he seemed to have issues with. She’d even heard Iian arguing with him a few times.

  But Damion had been correct. Her mind had been in the clouds and if she wanted to prove to her uncle that she was up to the task of running the Golden Oar, she needed to keep her mind off of the wonderful sex-filled morning she’d had with Parker and get to work.

  Parker left the Oar long before guests started arriving and decided to drive around town and look out for the dark-haired woman Riley had talked to. He was hoping to stumble across her, but ran into everyone else in town, instead. So far, no one else hinted at any new gossip from his past. Instead, he’d lined up a few more odd jobs. Some he could handle after he clocked off from the restaurant every day. Most he could handle by himself.

  As he made his way towards the first small job at the local barber shop, he bumped into a tall blonde woman. Before he could excuse himself, he saw her eyes and the grip he had on her shoulders to keep her from falling down tightened.

  The woman laughed up at him. “I’m very flattered that a young man your age would be eyeing me like this,” the woman said, “however, my husband might take offense to it.”

  He shook his head and dropped his hands. “I’m sorry, it’s just…” He narrowed his eyes and scanned her. “You’re too young,” he said out loud.

  “Why, thank you again.” Her smile grew, then she leaned closer as if she was about to tell him a joke. “Too young for what?”

  “To be Sara’s mother. You’re too old to be her younger sister, so that leaves…” He thought about it. “Older sister?”

  The woman laughed. “I like you.” She nodded, then held out her hand. “You must be Parker.”

  He nodded, putting his hand easily into the woman’s smaller one. “I am.”

  “Well, you’re right about one thing, I am Sara’s mother. Megan Jordan. I’ve been looking forward to meeting you.”

  “Likewise.” He smiled and looked around. “I hope your husband didn’t see me ogling you. I’d hate to get off on the wrong foot with him. It’s just… You have Sara’s eyes.” He shook his head quickly. “I mean… the other way around.”

  Megan laughed. “Yes, to my husband’s delight, all three of our children got my green eyes.”

  “I met your son as well. Matt.”

  “Yes.” Her chin rose slightly, and he could see pride grow in her eyes. “So, I’ve heard. It’s hard knowing he’s gone off and purchased a home of his own, but there’s been gossip about the house.” Worry replaced pride.

  “Oh?” He started worrying that he’d gotten in too deep when he’d agreed to remodel the place.

  Megan laughed and laid a hand on his arm. “Nothing structural, but spiritual.”

  He frowned. “I’m not following you.”

  She laughed. “Ghosts.” She patted his arm. “There have always been rumors surrounding that old house.”

  “Oh.” He relaxed. “From my experience, small towns will manufacture gossip when there is none.”

  Megan’s eyes glowed with pride again, only this time they were directed at him. “I couldn’t agree with you more. Case in point, there are rumors surrounding you…” His heart jumped, and his gut did a little twist like it always did when lies about him surfaced. “And my daughter,” Megan finished up, but not before she’d seen the change in him.

  “Oh.” He relaxed slightly. He ran his hand over the back of his neck and realized there was sweat rolling down his shoulder blades. “Right, I… um…” He swallowed.

  “Relax. Save the smooth talk for my husband.” She chuckled. “Sara is a grown woman. We raised her right and trust her decisions.” She waved as a car passed by them and honked. “I better get going.” She started to turn. “Oh, Parker?”

  “Hmm?” She glanced back at him. “If you hurt her, you’ll have me to contend with. And ask anyone in town—I’m a force to be reckoned with.” She said all of this with a sweet smile on her lips, and he smiled back and nodded in agreement.

  “I’d never think to cross you.”

  “Good.” She nodded again before walking down the sidewalk towards the grocery store.

  He took a couple deep breaths and tried to relax his shoulders. He could see where Sara had gotten her beauty from. The woman was stunning, just like Sara.

  When he walked into the old barber shop, he was greeted by the man who’d hired him.

  Gus Malcom looked like he was an original Pride resident. The man could have easily been over a hundred years old.

  Parker had gotten his hair cut from the man once before and had been surprised at how good the guy was at his job, considering how much his hands shook.

  “There you are, my boy,” Gus said. He smiled, causing deep creases in his cheeks.

  From the looks of him, Parker guessed the man had spent most of his life smiling and laughing.

  “We were just talking about the job you did at Patty’s place.”

  He set his toolbox down and nodded, waiting for the man to continue.

  “Joe, here”—he slapped the man who was currently in the chair, getting a shave—“was telling me he has a few odd jobs around his place.”

  “I’m not as young as I used to be. This fall, I’ll need someone to get up on my roof and check my shingles. I’ll also need someone to clean out my chimney. It hasn’t been done in a year or two.”

  “Here’s my card.” He handed the man one from his pocket. He’d learned to be prepared when going anywhere in town. “Give me a call when you’re ready. I’ll give you a quote.”

  “Perfect,” the man said just before Gus wrapped a warm cloth around his face.

  “The old sink is in the back there.” Gus nodded towards a dark wood door. “I’ll be just a few more minutes here.”

  Parker picked up his toolbox and made his way towards the back. Three hours and two successful jobs later, he drove his truck back to his house. He was sweaty and had a layer of grime on his skin. What he wanted was a long shower and a nap before picking up Sara at midnight.

  Instead, he had to settle for a quick cold shower and two hours of working on the water heater. He finally gave up and decided to replace the old thing.

  After a second cold shower, he ate a cold turkey sandwich and then fell asleep on the couch, watching the news.

  When his phone alarm went off, he rubbed his hands over his face, then remembered why he’d set the damn thing and perked up.

  Grabbing his keys, he headed out to the restaurant to pick up Sara.

  He parked in front of the dark place and texted her.

  -I’m out front.

  After five minutes with no response, he decided to use his keys and let himself in. Her Jeep was still parked in its spot from earlier, so he knew she hadn’t gone anywhere.

  He walked in to the dark restaurant and turned on his cell phone light. Why were all of the lights off? He could have used more light, but the light switches used a key to turn on and off, and he hadn’t been given one.

  Frowning down at his watch, he noticed it was ten past midnight. Making his way towards the back, he called out to Sara.

  He heard banging and rushed to where the sound was coming from, a massive walk-in freezer near the back of the kitchen. A U-shaped bar was threaded through loops that used to be part of an old lock, holding the door shut from the outside. He removed it and opened the freezer, and Sara fell into his arms.

  “What the…?” He pulled her close to him when he felt how cold she was.

  “St-st-stupid door sh-sh-shut on m-m-me,” she said as her teeth ratt
led.

  He ran his hands up and down her bare arms as he pulled her further away from the massive freezer.

  “You’re freezing.” He pulled off his jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders. “How did you get locked in there?” He glanced towards the door, which still stood wide open.

  “I… I don’t know. It j-j-just shut.” She pulled her arms through his jacket and wrapped the rest around her tightly. “God.” She closed her eyes.

  “How long were you in there?” he asked, as he nudged her into a chair. He walked over to a coffee pot and, finding it empty, filled it with water and started the machine up.

  “W-what time is it?” She glanced towards a clock that hung over the back door. “Half hour.”

  “Half an hour?” He glanced at the fridge. “You could have frozen to death. Why didn’t you call me?”

  “N-no s-signal.” She closed her eyes and rested her forehead on her knees. She pulled her phone from her slacks and set it on the countertop. Just then, it chimed, and his message showed up on the screen.

  He walked over to the freezer door and shut it, then slid the U-shaped bar into his back pocket so no one else could lock someone in there again.

  “Someone would have had to lock you in there. Who else was here when you went inside?”

  She shook her head. “No one. Everyone had left already.”

  “The front door was locked.” He walked over to the back door and tested it. “This one is locked too.” He frowned. “Who was the last person to leave?”

  She closed her eyes as if trying to remember. “I…” She shook her head.

  “You’re too cold.” He poured a cup of hot water from the coffee pot and mixed up a package of hot chocolate for her.

  “Here. We’ll head over to your place and you can take a hot bath. But for now, this will help.”

  As she drank the hot liquid down, he assessed the situation again. The only conclusion was that someone had locked her in the freezer, on purpose. Someone had tried to kill Sara and if he hadn’t shown up, they would have succeeded.

  10

  Sara sank into the hot bath and her entire body tingled. Her fingers shook, her toes were numb, and she still couldn’t stop her teeth from chattering.

  Parker sat next to the tub and watched her. Instead of passion in his eyes, worry flooded them.

  “I still think we should call your parents,” he said for the third time.

  “N-no. I’m okay. Really.” She smiled. “I’m sure it was just a mistake.”

  “One that could have cost you your life.” He frowned down at her and handed her a clean washcloth.

  She wiped her face and when the warmth hit her eyes, she was shocked and a little ashamed that tears started flowing. She buried her entire face in the cloth, pulled her knees up to her chin, and cried. All the while, Parker watched and ran his hand over her back softly.

  When she was done, she leaned back and let him wash her hair. He was so gentle, she hadn’t realized she’d fallen asleep until he drained the water and picked her up, wrapping her in a towel and carrying her to the bed.

  When he laid her under the thick comforter, she tried to pull him down next to her.

  “I’m going to make you some soup,” he said, sitting next to her. “It’ll help.” He placed a kiss on her forehead.

  “Okay.” She started to get up.

  “No, stay put. I think I can manage it.”

  She nodded and relaxed back. After he left the room, she was no longer tired and her mind played over what had happened.

  She’d locked the back door behind Candace, the last of the employees to leave. She was sure she’d locked the front behind the last customer hours before. Clean up usually took two hours, but she had wanted to go over the paperwork to make sure everything was perfect.

  She couldn’t even remember what had sent her to the freezer. She thought back and then remembered she had wanted to bring home some of the chocolate desserts that Rene, the pastry chef, had made earlier that night.

  She had imagined enjoying them with Parker.

  She’d entered the freezer and located the sweets near the back, but when she turned back around, the door had shut. She’d tried the handle, but it hadn’t budged.

  She had banged on the frozen door for a few minutes before trying her phone. Seeing no bars, she had walked around the walk-in for a few minutes, trying to get a signal. When that hadn’t worked, she had kicked the door and cussed for a few more minutes. That was when the tears and fear had settled in.

  She had just given up hope and had closed her eyes when the door had jerked open and Parker had grabbed her. She didn’t know what she would have done if he hadn’t come along.

  “Here we are.” Parker’s voice broke her out of the dark thoughts. He carried a tray across the room towards her. “Soup and more hot chocolate.” He set them down on the nightstand. Instead of handing them to her, he waited. “They need to cool,” he said as his eyes ran over her. He brushed her damp hair away from her face. He had helped her dry it with a towel and had even run a comb through it for her.

  “Do you think you should tell your uncle what happened?” he asked.

  She stiffened as she thought of explaining to Iian how she’d been stupid enough to lock herself in the freezer.

  “No,” she said quickly.

  “Okay. But first thing in the morning, I’m looking at making sure this doesn’t happen to someone else.” He leaned down and brushed a kiss across her lips. He handed her the bowl. “Make sure to blow on it if it’s too hot.”

  By the time she’d finished the soup and hot drink, Parker was sitting beside her on the bed, relaxed, talking, and watching her closely.

  She set the empty bowl down and snuggled against his chest. The hot food in her stomach made her sleepy and she quickly fell asleep with Parker’s arms wrapped around her.

  She’d figured she might have nightmares, but nothing had prepared her for them. Jerking in her sleep, she fought against the frozen door, screaming and kicking out. In her dream, her fists bled as she beat against the unmovable object.

  Warm, strong arms pulled her closer, and she heard Parker’s voice next to her ear, softly waking her.

  Her hands touched bare skin and when her eyes fluttered open, she looked into his dark eyes.

  “I’ve got you,” he said softly. His entire body was pressed against hers and she realized that she was still completely naked. Her arms wrapped around him and she noticed that he’d removed his shirt sometime during the night. “Sara.”

  Her name was like silk coming from his lips. Leaning up, she covered his mouth with hers before he could say anything more.

  She couldn’t explain it, but she needed him. Now.

  Rolling, she climbed over his hips until she’d pinned him to the bed, her mouth moving over him.

  “I need you,” she said between kisses. “Now.” She slowly ran her fingers down his chest, enjoying the play of muscles as she went. When she reached his boxers and her hand brushed over his hardness, she moaned and felt her desire grow. In one quick move, she yanked his shorts down and slid onto him while his fingers dug into her hips.

  Tossing her head back, she leaned into him and stilled as a low moan escaped her lips.

  “My god,” he groaned.

  When she looked down at him, his eyes were closed, as if he was deep in concentration.

  “Parker.” When his eyes slid open, she smiled. “Watch me.” She needed his eyes on her as she ran her hands over her own body. She began to slowly rock as she lost herself completely.

  Parker walked into the restaurant the next morning, hand in hand with Sara. He knew there were others already there since the parking lot had a few cars in it already.

  “I’m coming to the back with you,” he said, following her instead of stopping by his men. “Go ahead and get started without me,” he told Donny, his foremen. “I have some things I have to take care of in the back first.”

  “Sure thing, bos
s. We’ve got things covered,” Donny replied.

  He followed Sara to the back. Since they didn’t open until three, the place was still dark.

  Sara pulled out the keys and turned on the lights.

  “Okay, why haven’t those been replaced with regular light switches?” he asked, looking at the stupid switches.

  She shrugged. “It’s what was put in when my grandfather built the place.

  “I’ll be replacing those today.” He walked over to the freezer and thought about how to fix it so no one could lock the door behind someone else.

  Sara had disappeared into the office, and he was thankful. He didn’t want to bring up that someone had locked her in, again. She was having a hard enough time as it was. He planned to stop by her brother’s office to talk to him once he was done for the day.

  He worked on the freezer for half an hour, grinding down the two small hooks the bar had been hooked through. When he was done, the freezer couldn’t be locked from the outside ever again.

  He stopped and looked in on Sara in the office before heading back outside to start his work.

  She was sitting behind the massive desk with piles of receipts and paperwork in front of her.

  He knocked on the door, and she glanced up at him, smiling when she saw him.

  “I’ll get Donny to replace those light switches today. He’s our certified electrician.” She nodded as he moved further into the office. “What’s all this?” he asked, looking at the stacks of reports she was glued to.

  “I think I’ve found a way to save my uncle close to a thousand dollars a month.” She smiled.

  “Wow.” He glanced over her shoulder at the computer screen.

  “See?” She pointed to the report she was looking at.

  To him, it was a row of numbers, nothing more, but he nodded. “I’m sure he’s going to be proud.”

  Her shoulders straightened with pride. “I hope so.” She sighed and looked back at him.

  “Let me know if you need someone to go over your books. I’m finding that I really enjoy it.”

  He tilted his head and looked at her. “Ever think about taking some classes and doing it full time?”