CHAPTER SIX
BEAUX
If looks could kill, I’d have a knife sticking out of my chest from the heat flaring in Paige’s pretty eyes.
I was pushing it, totally putting her in a corner that could turn her into a rabid dog or have her take a step, take a chance toward me. As soon as I saw her dad next to her in his wheelchair, the purple rims beneath her eyes made sense.
I didn’t pity her. I couldn’t pity someone like Paige who clearly had a lot on their plate and their biggest item was taking care of a family member. Shannon and I had lived that for almost all of our lives, Shannon taking on most of the brunt of it. When our mom died, mostly from sheer exhaustion and a too-late diagnosis on an infection, Shannon also made sure I didn’t feel anything more than I had to.
She always had me focused on my dream, focused on making a better life for myself, getting out of our falling down home in Iowa and getting us out of there.
I loved her for it at the same time I’d always felt regret I hadn’t been able to do more. But I was still a high school kid, spending most of my time on the field or hitting the books. It was Shannon who paid the bills and took on more responsibility than either of us should have had.
Now, though, was a completely different story and Rudolph was right. I’d intentionally brought some of the most generous, most grateful men I knew on the team to deliver the goods to Paige’s dad. We’d all come from simple upbringings, worked our asses off and all of us gave as much as we could whenever we had the opportunity, especially toward our fans.
The suite Kolby gave them was nothing considering he’d already paid for it. I made a mental note to go buy a disabled parking pass for the underground, connected garage.
“So what do you say?” I asked Paige as she stood there glaring at me. Next to her, Mike, who was still holding her, shook her a little bit. “Want to help me pick up a new ride tonight?”
“Tonight?” her dad asked. “She can go now.”
Paige glared at me, then her dad and shook her head. “Can’t. I’m not caught up on work and I’m covered in grease.”
The only thing she was covered in was a body made for a long night of fucking. Her jeans had a few dark spots on them, but I’d memorized the curves of her ass in them earlier. She was wearing a blue tank top with Halloway Motors stamped in a curve directly over her chest.
My gaze lingered there for a moment before I grinned at her.
“Work can wait,” her dad said and reached for her hand. His trembled until she grabbed it. “When’s the last time you had fun? More importantly, when’s the last time you had a date?”
Behind me, the men choked back laughter.
Paige’s ears turned the brightest shade of pink I’d seen on anything outside my sister’s toenail polish.
I grinned shamelessly while she shot her dad the same lethal look she’d given me. Apparently she’d mastered it long before I showed up in her life.
“I have to go home and shower.”
“Cool.” Her dad shrugged. “That’ll give me time to chat with Mr. Hale here about his intentions with my daughter.”
The guys behind me lost the control they had on their laughter and all three assholes slapped me on the shoulder. “Sounds like you have a ride, then, man,” Powell said. “And speaking of rides, your sister—”
“Don’t finish that thought,” I growled at him. He never missed the opportunity to talk about Shannon. I turned back to Paige’s dad. “Just dinner and a bit of car shopping, sir.”
“Then you can tell me how it felt to stand on that podium last winter winning that ring that looks like it’s weighing down your hand.”
I liked this guy. He was a no-nonsense straight shooter with a protective streak for his daughter. “That okay with you?” I asked Paige.
“Looks like the decision’s been made for me,” she grumbled and kicked her dad’s chair again.
“That’s because you’re too young to be making as many as you already are. Let your old man do something nice for you. Don’t get the chances anymore.”
“Damn you,” she whispered, her voice hoarse.
“If you want,” Mike said, “Sam and Mr. Hale can hang in the garage with me while I get it fixed enough to take it to a dealership. You can go home and come back when you’re ready, Paige.”
Her gaze swept around the group still standing around. My teammates were off to the side, no doubt hanging around to say their goodbyes and taking as many notes in order to give me as much shit as possible. Hell, it’d been a long time since I’d met a girl’s dad, much less felt the need to impress him or the guy who was with him. Could have been her brother, but while they were close, they didn’t treat each other the same way Shannon and I did. Close, but not close enough.
More questions to dig into during dinner.
“Paige?” I asked and her shoulders slumped.
A small, hesitant twitch of her lips before it evaporated said she wasn’t as annoyed as she seemed. “I can be back in about forty-five minutes if you don’t mind.”
I lifted my hands and dropped them to my hips. “I’ve got all night.”
A faint hue hit her cheeks. Damn, she was pretty when she blushed and sexy when she glared. I’d have my hands full with this woman.
Good thing I had big hands.
“So that’s settled,” Sam said. “Let’s say goodbye to these boys and you and I can sit and chat while Mike finishes up your car.”
I told the guys I’d see them tomorrow at practice and when Sam and Mike were distracted, I walked up to Paige. “I was kind of a dick, bringing up dinner in front of your dad.”
“Yeah, you were.”
“I’m not sorry this time. A man uses all the plays at his disposal when he has to.”
“Spoken like a player,” she said, and she wasn’t talking about football.
“It’s just dinner, Paige, and helping me buy a truck. I bought Betsy for five hundred dollars from a neighbor because it could get me to school, and that’s all the shit I know about cars. Then as a thank you, I take you to dinner. We talk, hopefully I can get you to laugh, and I take you home. That’s all that I’m looking for tonight.”
“Really?” She tilted her head to the side and a chunk of her bangs that had fallen out of her clip dropped over one eye.
I smoothed it back, lingering at her ear before running it down her jaw. “Yeah. You want to give me more, that’s your call, but I’m not playing you, and I wouldn’t. I’m honest. Always.”
“Okay, then. I should hurry to get ready.”
“Dress casual. Not going anywhere fancy while I’m in this.” I wiped my hands down my jeans and dress shirt. I’d thrown it all on after practice, hoping for her yes to dinner, but something told me Paige wouldn’t be impressed with five-star restaurants and suits and ties. Which suited me just fine. I’d always prefer a good burger and beer to foie gras and champagne.
“All right, and thanks again for my dad. That was really cool.”
“Be even cooler when you’re in the box with him, wearing my number thirteen on a jersey and cheering for me.”
Her cheeks burned and I told her I’d see her soon. I walked away before I pulled her in closer and kissed her like I wanted to.
Then I walked up to her dad, took the handles of his wheelchair and pushed him toward the garage.
Loud enough for Paige to hear, I asked, “So Sam, you got any embarrassing photos of your daughter lying around?”