Beware of the Parker Boys *UNDER EDITING*

Chapter Six

This chapter has been rewritten and events have changed.

The days at the Parker house pass quickly, my father calling around his 'busy' work schedule, us clambering in small talk before awkwardly hanging up the phone.

Wendy had to extend the visit with her mother, apparently her dad had been sick, and wasn't making the progression they had been hoping for. She wasn't quite sure when she would be back.

The boys had started summer football camp, leaving me to have the house to myself other than for Thomas, who graduated this year, leaving him to wait for his semester at Florida State to start this fall. We occasionally would catch each other watching a movie in the living room, and would join, resulting in a little small talk afterwards, but other than that the first few hours of the day were quiet, only to be bombarded by sweaty and smelly boys by noon.

I had started myself into their routine, I would make or get something simple for lunch, help them gather their things for practice the night before, simple things I know Wendy lifted a hand with. They became used to my presence, and me to theirs.

Nothing had been heard about, or from my mother, not that I was surprised.

My flip flops smack the ground slightly as I make my way down the sidewalk towards the line of mailboxes aligned down the street. The sun beams down on my skin, warming my shoulders, and causing me to pull my sunglasses from the top of my head, to cover my eyes.

Down the sidewalk, I can see someone else making their way towards the mailboxes. From what I can tell, he was around my age, maybe a year or two older. I silently thank the sunglasses for hiding my eyes, continuing to look him over as we got closer.

"Hi." I welcome, opening the lid of our mailbox.

"Hey." He smiles, his white teeth catching the sun's rays. He was an attractive boy, coming to stand a few inches taller than me as he grabs mail out of the only mailbox without a name plastered on the outside. I look down the street, finding moving trucks outside the house next door to ours, about a football field away.

"Did you just move in?"

"We've been back and forth for the past couple of days, but yes." He tells me, shutting the door on the empty mailbox. His eyes move to the mailbox I too was shutting, reading the name on the side. "Parker?"

I shake my head, slapping the envelopes against my open palm.

"Carter." I correct. "Brook Carter."

"Ridge." He holds out a hand. "Tanner Ridge." He shoots me yet another smile, my lips turn up in a smile and I take his hand.

"Expecting mail so soon, Tanner?" I gesture to his empty mailbox and he shrugs.

"That or maybe I seen the cute girl checking the mail yesterday and this was my smooth way of an introduction."

I laugh, my hand flying to my mouth, cheeks burning from his compliment.

"Is that so?" I raise an eyebrow at him.

"How am doing?"

Before I am able to answer, blaring horns break me away from our conversation. Music blasted from the speakers of Dalton's blue Jeep, the doors have been removed for the warmer season, making it easy to see his arm slamming against the horn. He is followed by Logan's older model red Ford Bronco, and lastly Rodger's black Dodge pickup truck. Leaping from the vehicles, grabbing bags from the trunks and beds, the Parker brothers fill the driveway.

"Anything for me, B?" Dalton calls, snapping my eyes away from them and back to Tanner.

"Brothers?" He asks me, watching the seven boys as they playfully smack each other with their backpacks, making their way to the front door. Rodger grabs his bag from the back of his truck, throwing the strap over one shoulder as he looks our direction. His eyes hover, feet moving forward, then he looks away.