Fine, she corrected herself. She still had stuff at her folks’ place, in a room she planned on moving out of as soon as possible. She wasn’t eighteen anymore, and she wasn’t going to put up with being babied. Not by her parents, or Parker, or his pain-in-the-ass, ever-present sidekick, Jack Hunter The Annoying.
Her gaze immediately shot to the yacht, searching involuntarily for familiar faces. It was the laughter that drew her attention. A deep, booming sound, settling over her like a welcoming hug. Jack and Parker stood near the back of the boat, their handsome faces creased into smiles. She watched for a minute, soaking in the sensation of coming home—the two guys joking together like she’d seen a million times, ever since she’d been a teen.
A woman approached Parker, slim and beautiful, and another sensation hit. That must be Lynn. Pepper could see why her brother had fallen in love.
Jack kissed Lynn’s cheek affectionately, the way he used to kiss Pepper’s. Parker thumped his friend on the shoulder, and Jack slipped away, heading toward the bow. She examined him closely as he paced through the crowd, smiling and nodding at others as if he were the king of the world. He hadn’t changed a bit. Looked just as cocky as ever, and twice as annoying.
A sharp pain struck as she forced herself to turn away. The ache wasn’t only in her heart, but her side, and she eased her arms around her waist in an attempt to stop her broken ribs from moving.
She caught sight of herself in the window of the closed shop she stood beside, the mirrorlike surface reflecting a shabby, waif-like creature. Added to the busted ribs, she knew her black eye and swollen lip were still far too noticeable. Her jeans were ragged, shoes falling apart from too many miles on foot.
Pepper glanced once more at the party. She couldn’t do it. Her arriving in the middle of the glitz and excitement looking as if she’d been mugged? Parker would go apeshit, and she’d not only ruin their evening, it would only make tensions run higher than necessary in the coming weeks.
It was time to come home, though. She was ready to face the world and see what happiness she could find going forward. She just needed to pick her friends a little more carefully in the future. And she would.
Pepper turned away from the people she longed for, and headed into the darkness.
Alone. For now, but not forever.
Chapter Twenty
“Crisis averted. The bartenders didn’t realize I’d stashed the extra booze in the forward cabin.” Jack tilted his head toward the galley. “And the chef says you can invite the entire harbor to hop onboard—he’s prepared enough food to feed everyone twice over.”
Parker figured the brief flutter of complaints had been organizational mix-ups. It wasn’t as if DreamMakers would fuck up while arranging his own party.
His and Lynn’s.
He glanced around again, wondering when the hell she was going to arrive. It had made sense for him to get to the boat early, and Lynn had insisted Suz wanted to drive.
Still, he couldn’t wait to have her in his arms where she belonged.
Parker paused in the middle of his rubbernecking as he caught sight of Jack. His best friend was staring into the distance, a frown building on his usually happy face. “Something wrong?” he asked.
Jack blinked, a momentary flash of guilt vanishing under a familiar cocky grin. “What could be wrong on such a fine night? Did I tell you we finally received the applications this morning from the guys I mentioned to you? They’ll be coming in for interviews starting next week.”
Good. “We need to find a way to ease the load off the team. Bookings are getting crazy to fulfill with just the three of us.”
“Especially since you’re moving off regular recon and into more office work,” Jack teased. “Old man.”
Parker didn’t even bother to argue. “I get to see as much beautiful woman as I want, when I want. I figured you and Dean still need a chance at the lovely ladies.”
“Ha. We don’t need help finding women, dude. Neither of us.”
Jack’s comments faded into the background as Parker finally spotted Lynn.
A long dress of ice-blue silk clung to her curves, her hair coiled up in a fancy do Parker looked forward to messing up later. Every deliberate step that brought her closer made his mouth water, and his body reacted instantly to the entire sexy-as-fuck package. By the time he finally dragged his gaze off her hips and breasts, and up to her face, her eyes were dancing with laughter.
Yeah, she knew she had his number. One hundred percent and unconditionally, the woman got him heated up and stole his damn breath away.
“Your eyes have glazed over,” Jack teased. “Let me guess. Your woman is arriving in three, two, one…” He turned and laughed. “Lynn, you look gorgeous.”
Parker’s best friend leaned in and kissed her cheek, and the faint hint of blush only made Lynn even more beautiful.
“Thanks, Jack. So do you.”
“You call this jackass gorgeous before you even compliment your man?” Parker said with a mock glare. “I’m rethinking us moving in together, Lynn Elizabeth.”