"I think I can swing it, but no telling anyone that it was my fault." She got up and walked back to the laundry room and came back out with my clothes folded.

I finished the drink and took them from her. "Thanks for this. I can't tell you how much better I feel. I was a dick last night and have been hating myself since. So forgive me."

"Already done." She smiled and nodded to the back of the house. "You can change back there."

"I'm good unless your Dad will miss his favorite pants." I glanced down at them and laughed as she did too.

"No. Keep them, but get your shoes on. You'll freeze out there."

"Yes ma'am." I worked to get my boots on and pulled my coat over my shoulders before opening the door and turning to tell her goodbye. Her nearness surprised me.

"Promise me that we can be friends and nothing more." Her gaze moved down toward my mouth. She wanted a kiss as bad as I did. Well, I hoped.

"I'll try my best, Chloe." I leaned in and kissed her cheek. "I'm only a man, though. Remember that."

"It's hard to forget." She moved back and smiled. "Get out of here before I make a bad decision."

"Sounds like I might be the wrong influence on you."

"Or me on you." She winked and closed the door behind me, leaving my heart pounding in my chest and body completely on fire for her.

Friends...right.

Chapter 13

Chloe

Getting a chance to talk to Finn and clear the air the day before left me with a new perspective on things. I set my alarm and woke up early the next morning, wanting to get a fresh start on the week and hoping to figure out a way to impress my father beyond what he thought me capable of. He wanted a new jacket that was incredibly functional. I wanted something cute and modern that left women feeling attractive. Why not combine the two? I was buzzing with ideas as I danced toward the kitchen, singing off-tune my favorite Adele song.

"What are you doing up so early?" My father glanced up from the kitchen table. He was dressed in a black suit and a blue button down shirt.

"Just decided to gain new perspective on all of these changes in my life. It feels good. I want to get the day started." I shrugged and stopped behind him to brush a string from his back. "I'm making me an omelet. You want something?"

"I'd love two eggs over easy, but I usually have to get up early enough to stop by Jerry's to get them. I never did get your mother to teach me how she made them." He smiled and my heart broke over his loss. He still wasn't over her. Jessie was right about his angst most likely being tied to losing her. Where Parker and I had another life ahead of us, my Dad was still trying to push past the one he'd expected to last forever.

"Well, she taught me, so I'll make you some. Ham or bacon for you?" I moved to the fridge and started to pull the various items out that we would need.

"Whatever is easiest." He went back to his paper as I cut up items for my omelet. I figured I'd make one for Parker seeing that he would eat anything I put in front of him.

"So why did you and Parker decide to stay here for the full semester? His idea or yours?" I poured me a cup of coffee and checked my phone, realizing that I hadn't given Finn my number.

Damn. Wait...the invoice.

"He likes it here, and I really didn't mind working remotely to let him try it out. He's been taking snowboarding lessons, but I don't like the guy he's been training with. He's just not as good as Parker needs him to be. The pupil has already become the master."

"Really? I met a guy the other day that supposedly has insane snowboarding skills. I could ask him to help Parker in his spare time." I shrugged as my Dad glanced up from his paper.

"That would be great. Let me know his fee, and I'll want to meet him." He pulled out his phone and turned from me, which gave me a minute to snoop around the house for the invoice as the oven heated.

I had no luck and the smell of butter burning on the stove had me jogging back to my place in the kitchen.

My father stood and walked to the coffee pot as he ended his call. "That was one of my clients. I might have to fly to Texas tomorrow night, and Parker has a sleep over with some friends. Are you going to be okay alone here?"

"Of course. I'm a grown-ass woman, remember?"

He gave me a smirk and stole a pinch of the shredded cheese from the pile I'd grated. I popped his hand and he chuckled.

"You're so much like your mother." He lifted his mug to his lips and got a faraway look in his eye.

"You still miss her, Dad?"

He looked at me and smiled sadly. "So much. I never imagined a day in my life would be without her. I feel like she took my warmth with her."

Tears filled my eyes and I turned back to the stove, not responding so that he wouldn't hear how deeply I hurt for him. He wouldn't appreciate it.

"I'm going to wake your lazy-ass brother up. I want him to see about getting a job in town. He needs to learn responsibility." He walked down the hall and I pulled a paper-towel from the roll, dabbing at my eyes and promising myself that no matter what, I was going to work on my relationship with my Dad. It would take every bit of patience I possibly had, but my mother would have wanted us closer, and here I was helping to fuel the fire that forced us apart.

I finished my father's breakfast and handed him the plate as he walked back into the kitchen.

"Two eggs over easy and bacon. Toast should pop up any minute." I walked to the table and pushed his papers around. "Dad. Where is the invoice from the snow shoveling company?"

"It's in the den on my desk. I'll pay it today, but I'm going to call Clark and give him a piece of my mind."

"Who's Clark?" I glanced up as my brother walked up, his eyes wide as if warning me to tread lightly.

"He's the bastard that owns the company."

Finn's Dad. Not good.

"Why is he a bastard?" I flipped Parker's omelet onto a plate and sprinkled it with cheese before handling it to him and ruffling his hair.

He moved to the refrigerator and brought out a jug of orange juice, drinking straight from it.

"Parker. Son, that's disgusting. Just mark that one as yours and don't do it again." My Dad grimaced at my brother before turning his attention back to me. "He and I have had issues in the past."

"Why are you upset this time? The driveway looks great and the poor guy that did it had to have frozen his butt off."

"That poor guy was his son. He knows that I don't want that boy over here." He glanced up and pinned me with a hard stare. "He sleeps around, is going nowhere in life, and looks like the angel that he's not. I don't like him or his father."

"Dad..." I moved to sit down at the table as Parker joined us and snorted.

"Don't even try, Sis. I wanted to take snowboard lessons from Finn and Dad had a fit. He's not going to let you reason with him."

"Is that the friend that you wanted to talk to me about lessons for Parker with?" My Dad lifted his eyebrow sharply.

"What? No. I don't even know this guy. All I was going to say is that everyone has a story. I'm not the same person I was before Mom died. Part of my pain and anger bleeds into how I act, but if you didn't know that I lost my mom, you would judge me unfairly."