Paige watched as Tucker eased himself down to the couch in the corner of the “L,” then lifted his leg and rested his foot on the pillow she’d set in place for him. She still hadn’t been able to look into his face this morning, her mortification from last night still coursing through her. It’d been an accident and nothing more—and Shane hadn’t been mad when he’d walked in on them in the compromising position. In fact, he’d had a sense of humor about the whole thing. Paige just wished she could laugh it off as easily as both men had. She also wished she couldn’t remember how hard Tucker had been against her lower abdomen. It had to have been a natural response. A guy’s cock got hard if anything warm, soft, human, and the right sex brushed against it . . . right? Oh, Lord.
“Hey, Paige? Sit, please. I want to talk to you for a minute.” He patted the cushion next to him, with warm benevolence in his eyes. Well, he didn’t look like he was going to fire her, so that was one less worry on her mind.
She sat, making sure there was enough distance between them, and turned toward him, her knee resting on the couch, adding a small barrier. “What’s up?” She hoped the question sounded nonchalant, but his eyes narrowing a bit told her she hadn’t quite pulled it off.
Reaching out, Tucker gently took her hand, and it was hard not to concentrate on anything but how her body was responding to his simple touch. “I just wanted to apologize. I haven’t been the nicest guy to be around lately, and, honestly, I know it sounds cliché, but it wasn’t you—it was me. When Hannah was here, she was a grandmother-figure for Ari, so it didn’t feel like she was taking Sarah’s place. But having you here has been hard on me.”
“I’m—”
He squeezed her hand. “No, let me finish.” When she nodded, he continued. “Again, you didn’t do anything wrong. I’ve been grieving Sarah’s death for over two years now, and I guess . . . well, I guess I was afraid if I stopped, I’d forget her. I’d be admitting in my heart what my head already knew—she’s gone and never coming back. But then you walked in, a breath of fresh air—one I desperately needed but still fought against. I didn’t want to like you, because it felt like I was betraying her. Shane—well, he likes everyone—always has. But me . . . it takes me a while to warm up to people, and I know that can put many of them off. It’s just my nature. Anyway, what I’m trying to say is, I’m sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable or unwelcome in our home. You’ve been great the last few weeks, and I’m really glad you’re here.”
Tears threatened to well up in her eyes as she swallowed hard. This was the real Tucker—the one she hadn’t met yet—the one she really, really liked. The one she could . . . Oh, hell.
“Um . . . I’m glad I’m here too. Thank you for taking the time to explain everything to me.” As she spoke, his thumb started to caress the back of her hand in a soft, back-and-forth motion, and her mind went blank. All she could do was stare at him as he stared right back at her with an intensity that caused the butterflies in her stomach to take flight and her pussy to weep. Electricity crackled throughout the room. Time stood still. When Paige gulped, then subconsciously licked her lips, Tucker’s gaze shot to her mouth, and heat flashed in his eyes. What’s happening here?
The backdoor opened and closed, snapping her out of the trance. Snatching her hand from Tucker’s, she jumped to her feet a split-second before Seth walked into the room. “Paige, are you ready?”
Tucker’s eyes narrowed as he frowned at his handyman. “Ready for what?”
Taking a step back, Paige hitched a thumb toward Seth and said, “To go into town. Um . . . Seth’s been driving me for my grocery runs.”
Her boss’s face hardened, and she couldn’t figure out why. “Didn’t Shane give you the keys to the SUV?”
“Uh . . . yes, he did. But I didn’t know my way around town at first, so Seth volunteered to take me. Since then, we’ve just made it a weekly thing.”
“Really.”
Paige didn’t like the way Tucker had said that one word, as if it dripped with venom, nor the nasty look he was now giving Seth. If he could’ve stood on his injured foot, she wouldn’t have been surprised if he flew across the room and tackled the other man. “Um . . . is—is something wrong?”
“Well, I hate to tell you this, Paige, but Seth’s intentions haven’t all been pure and good. He’s been trying to figure out how to get you into his bed without you eventually wanting a white dress and a legal document.”
What? She glanced at Seth, who now had a sheepish expression on his face. Then he shrugged. “What can I say? I’m a man-whore, and proud of it.”
Rolling her eyes, she silently chastised herself for mistaking his offers to help as just that and not something with altruistic intentions. Yeah, she was out of practice when it came to recognizing when a guy was flirting and hitting on her. “Sorry, Seth, but one-night stands aren’t my thing.”
“Who says it has to be one night only?” he asked with a huge grin. “Two or three nights is fine with me.”
Despite Tucker’s low growl, Paige knew Seth was only teasing her. He was an easy-going guy, without a mean bone in his body, as far as she could tell, and she did enjoy his company on their trips into town. He just wasn’t her type—although she wasn’t even sure what her type was anymore.
“Well, either way, it’s not going to happen. Thanks for helping me, but I think I can get to town and back now without a problem.” Striding past him, she smiled and patted his shoulder. “Nice try though.”
Entering the kitchen, she snatched the keys to the SUV from a hook near the pantry and stepped over to the table where she’d placed her purse earlier. Hanging it on her shoulder by the strap, she paused when she heard Seth’s voice coming from the other room. “So, that’s how it’s gonna be, huh?”
“Yup,” Tucker replied with no hesitation.
“Jeez—you and Shane get all the good ones.”
“Damn straight—and don’t you forget it.”
Now what the hell did that mean?
Strolling up and down the aisles, Paige searched for what she needed amid the limited supply of staples the Stop & Go stocked. Whenever Shane or Seth had to go to Garden City for any reason, she’d go online and order everything she couldn’t get at the small grocery store from Walmart, and they’d pick it up for her.
As she shopped, her mind kept returning to what had happened in the family room this morning. She was trying to convince herself the heat she’d seen in Tucker’s eyes when he’d been staring at her had only been her imagination. But then she remembered that same look in Shane’s eyes the night before when he’d walked in on them . . . in bed . . . together . . . Oh, boy.
“There you are! I thought I saw you walk in.” Marla Oberman was walking toward Paige, with a small, familiar-looking box in her hand. “That tea you said you loved came in.”
She smiled at the gray-haired, older woman, taking the box of herbal tea from her. “Oh, thank you, Marla. I really appreciate you ordering it.” While the Walmart carried the brand, there were so many different flavors and they didn’t carry the one she liked in the store. She’d have to order it from them online and have it delivered to the ranch, so she’d taken a chance and asked the owner of Stop & Go if she could stock it for her.
“My pleasure. Are you finding everything else okay?”
“Yes. Oh, and I made a roast the other night with the recipe you gave me, and it was a big hit.”
The woman patted Paige’s forearm and winked. “The fastest way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, my mother always said.”
Her eyes bugged out. “Um . . . I’m not after anyone’s heart, Marla.”
“Hmm.” There was skepticism in her eyes and tone. “But you have to admit, those Wilson boys are yummy. I loved their wife, Sarah, even though some biddies around here turned their noses up at her. Honestly, I think they were all just jealous. I wouldn’t mind two hunks like that lovin’ on me. Especially since my Albert has lost interest, the old coot.”
Paige choked on a combination of a laugh and a snort. She wondered if Shane and Tucker knew they had a secret admirer, and if Albert knew his wife had a kinky side.
“Anyway, you let me know if you need anything else.” She started to walk away, then paused, lowering her voice to a near whisper. “Oh, by the way, there’s a sale on condoms in the next aisle. You know . . . in case you need any.”
This time Paige couldn’t hold back her laughter at the woman. It looked like she had a fairy godmother in her life whether she wanted one or not.
Once she’d finished her shopping and checked out, Paige waved goodbye to Marla through the window of the woman’s office at the front of the store, then headed out to the small parking lot. As she was placing the grocery bags into the backseat of the SUV, she heard footsteps approach her from behind. Glancing over her shoulder, she groaned inwardly as she shut the door. Somehow, she’d managed to avoid Bridget Kline during her occasional forays into town before today. The woman was smiling, but it was obvious to Paige it was forced. Her bleached-blonde hair had been teased to the point of absurdity, and Paige was tempted to tell her the hairdo had gone out of style back in the 1980s. Add in the makeup job, that belonged on a Hollywood set, long, blood-red nails, and tight clothing, and the woman’s looks practically screamed “vamp.” However, her diamond earrings, platinum necklace, and designer labels turned the scream into “rich vamp.”
“Hi, you must be Paige. I’m Bridget Kline.” She held out a hand in a way Paige hated. The “I’m better than you” limp offering that, in olden days, men would just have to lift an inch or two in order to kiss it. Back in California, she’d known many women who shook hands that way—and most of them had been snotty bitches.
Paige gave the hand a tight squeeze before letting go, happy to see the woman wince slightly. “Nice to meet you.” Yeah, it was anything but. With narrowed eyes and that fake smile, she knew this wasn’t a “let’s be friends” connection the woman was trying to make. “I guess everyone knows I’m working at the Red River Ranch by now.”
“That’s what happens in small towns; everyone knows everyone else’s business, especially when someone not from around here is hired as a new housekeeper. Where are you from?”
Her eyebrows ticked upward, but she decided to ignore the disdain she’d heard in the other woman’s voice when she’d uttered the word “housekeeper.” Paige straightened her back. “I’m originally from Nebraska.” It wasn’t a lie; she was just leaving out the years since then.
“Oh, that’s nice.” She reached into her purse and pulled out an envelope addressed to Paige’s employers. “Would you be a doll and give this to Shane and Tucker for me?” she purred. “It’s a private dinner party I’m inviting them to.”
In other words, Paige wasn’t invited. In fact, she wondered if anyone other than Shane and Tuck was being invited. She took the envelope and gave her own phony smile. “Sure. I’ll give it to them while we’re having dinner—together.” Score one for Paige when Bridget’s glare cooled considerably. “Or maybe over dessert—they both have a sweet tooth.”
The woman’s gaze dropped and took in Paige’s frame, then returned to her face. Her distaste was evident but didn’t garner the response she probably wanted. “Don’t get too cozy, dear. I’ve been waiting a long time for them to get over their dead wife. They’ll be mine soon enough.”
“Oh, really?” Paige crossed her arms. “Do they know that? Because if that was the case, I’m sure one of them would have mentioned it . . .” She paused for effect. “. . . when we were in bed together last night.” Well, technically, only Tucker and Paige had been in bed together. It’d been an accident, and they’d been fully clothed, but Shane had only been a few feet away watching them—with amusement and heat in his eyes. Oh hell, why had that popped into her brain again?
So, she’d stretched the truth quite a bit, but it’d been worth it when Bridget’s mouth puckered, and her eyes flared—the woman was speechless. Score another point for Paige.
After pulling the driver’s door open, she climbed in. “It was really nice meeting you, Bridget. I’ll be sure to let Shane and Tucker know about your intent to seduce them. They could probably use the laugh after a hard day’s work. Have a nice day.” Without waiting for an answer, she shut the door, started the engine, then backed out of the parking space, leaving behind the red-faced woman who was sputtering in disbelief and rage. Paige had barely made it to the exit of the lot before she burst out laughing, tears rolling down her cheek. Damn, she’d forgotten how much fun it could be living in a small town. Now, she just had to get back to the ranch and let Tuck and Shane know what’d happened. She was pretty sure they’d be laughing right along with her, but she had to beat the gossip mill first.