All I Want

He smiled and swiped his forearm across his mouth. “I’m not going anywhere.”


Damn. He was the hottest thing she’d ever seen. She looked at the ID screen on the phone and it was like a bucket of ice water. “Hi, Mom,” she answered.

Parker slid her a look.

She turned her back on him. “Everything okay?”

It was a valid question. Her parents didn’t check in often, and when they did it was always for a specific reason.

“Everything’s fine,” her mom said, sounding tinny and far away. Luckily she didn’t respond in kind to ask Zoe how she was because the answer was an inch from coming.

“We’re on the road and got an e-mail notice that our security deposit box payment has come due,” her mom said. “We’ve always paid in cash, so I don’t have an online account set up for it. We need you to go pay that for us from our account.”

“Sure,” Zoe said. She often handled their financial affairs when something needed to be done from here in the States. “You okay? And Dad?”

“We’re both good, darling, thank you. We’re traveling for the next few days. Be sure to tell Wyatt happy birthday for us.”

“His birthday was last month,” Zoe said, trying not to lose patience, but the woman got their birthdays wrong every single time. How hard was it to keep track of the three children she’d borne herself? “I got him a card from you.”

“Time seems to go by so differently over here,” her mom said. “Give him a kiss for me. And Darcy, too.”

“I know they’d love to hear from you yourself,” Zoe said. “Darcy especially, she’s—”

“You’re breaking up. Zoe?”

“I’m here,” Zoe said. “Darcy’s engaged. To AJ.”

“Well, damn,” her mom said, presumably to Zoe’s dad. “I can’t hear her at all, do you think she’s still there?”

“Yes, I am,” Zoe said quickly, louder now. “Mom? Can you hear me now? We miss you—”

“Can’t hear a damn thing. Zoe,” her mom yelled into the phone. “E-mail me when you make the payment, okay?”

“Okay, will do,” Zoe yelled back. “Love you!”

There was no response. “Mom?”

But she’d already disconnected. Zoe stared at her phone and sighed.

“Hey.” Parker came up behind her and set her blanket back on her shoulders. “You okay?” He ran his hands up and down her arms, making her realize she was chilly. Then those warm hands compelled her to turn and face him.

“Yeah,” she said. “Thanks. I’m fine.”

His fingers lifted her chin so he could look into her eyes. “Liar.”

“No, really,” she said, and mentally shrugged the call off. “Where were we?”

“Right here,” he said. “With you talking to me.”

“Now who’s lying?”

He sat in the chair and pulled her into his lap, where she blew out a sigh and set her head on his shoulder. “I keep wishing for something that’s never been.” She realized this was probably cryptic, but she knew talking about it wouldn’t change a thing. “Never mind me, it’s silly. Stupid.”

“It’s not either of those things if it’s bugging you,” Parker said.

Something in his voice had her taking a closer look at him. “Your parents forget your birthday and never tell you they love you, too?” she asked.

He let out a low laugh. “They don’t forget my birthday, but yeah, love isn’t a word they throw around very often. My dad’s a miner to the very bone, which is synonymous with tough and impenetrable. Talking about his feelings isn’t his strong suit—unless he’s disagreeing with you on something. Then he doesn’t hold back.”

Jill Shalvis's books