“No.” Paige shook her head and waved her off. “He was just being friendly.”
Natasha raised her eyebrow at Paige and turned her iron off once more. “Now this is girl talk – spill the details.”
As Natasha stepped back over to sit next to her, Paige wanted to discount the weight that was lifting from her heart. She wanted to ignore the thrill in the pit of her stomach when she thought of him, but she couldn’t deny the effect Nick had on her. Finally, she grinned from ear to ear happy to speculate with her friend, like they once did when they were teens.
Chapter 13
Sam twisted the cap off his beer and handed a second to Nick, who seemed preoccupied with the view from his front window. He casually stepped in behind him to see why Nick was so distracted, only to smile at the sight of Paige’s car in his neighbor’s driveway.
“Have you seen her yet?” He asked, reaching for the remote.
“Huh?” Nick turned from the window, hoping to see her when she left. “Oh. Paige? Yeah, I got a chance to see her at Tight Ends last week.”
Nick omitted the part about him waiting for her outside after her shift was over, unsure of how Sam would react.
“So?” Sam sat and looked expectantly up to his friend, who looked back through the curtains.
“So what?” Nick pushed the drapes back further and faced Sam, whose dimples were set deeply in place, as he grinned at him from across the room.
“So when are you going to ask her out?”
Nick blinked. “Are you serious? She just got divorced - and so did I.”
Sam swallowed another swig of his Corona, and gently shook his head. “You’ve been divorced for almost a year and a half. And, she’s been in an empty marriage for almost a decade. I’d say its safe to say you two are overdue for a chance at happiness.”
“Man, you know I can’t date my friend’s sister.” Nick settled into an easy chair next to Sam, which still had a decent vantage point to the front of the house.
Sam laughed. “Maybe if you’d kissed her all those years ago, we wouldn’t be sitting her now talking about divorce.”
Nick shot forward nearly choking on his beer. “What are you talking about? I would never have made a move on your sister, let alone kiss her. You would have killed me.”
“Yeah, right. Don’t think the whole school didn’t know you saved your last chance kiss for my sister. I saw you waiting for her in the bus tunnel our senior year … and so did Davis by the way.”
“No way!” Nick laughed. “Was I that transparent? You knew I had a thing for her, and you let me suffer in silence?”
Sam threw his head back and laughed. “Dude – everyone knew.”
“Did Paige?” His face burned.
Sam shook his head and sighed. “No clue, but I know she thought you were cute.”
“Really?” He grinned, hopeful. “What about Davis?”
Sam’s eyes twinkled. “Davis might have thought you were cute too.”
“Shut up, man.” Nick narrowed his eyes.
At that time, they both heard a door slam from outside. Nick’s eyes flew back to the window, where he could see Paige slipping into the driver’s seat of her car. He looked at Sam, who nodded, saying, “Go. I’ll pause the game and wait for you.”
Nick didn’t waste time anytime. He set his drink down and rushed to open the front door.
Paige hesitated before starting her engine. She thought she’d stop in to see Sam when she left Natasha’s but stopped short at the sight of Nick’s truck at the curb. She wondered if his ears were burning, and hoped they’d not been in Sam’s backyard, where they could have easily overheard them talking.
For a second, she wondered if he’d even want to talk to her again after the way she blew him off in the parking lot. She could have stayed to see where things led, but her bruised ego got in the way. Who was she kidding? She was far from ready for anything along those lines.
As she buckled her seat belt, she heard a soft tap on the window of her car. She spun around to see Nick grinning outside her door. She wanted to be unaffected by his rugged good looks, but couldn’t help but feel like she was instantly transported back to that young girl with the hopeless crush.
Get it together, Paige. He’s a grown man now.
The thought had her reeling. She inhaled a short but deep breath and finally rolled down her window.
“Hey there.” She smirked, unsure of what to say.
“It seems I’m standing out in the cold for you a lot.” He joked and tucked his hands into his coat pockets.
“I know.” She blushed. “Hey, I’m sorry about the other night. I didn’t mean to be rude.”
He loved seeing her cheeks take on color. Maybe he had an effect on her after all.
“Don’t worry about it. I didn’t think a thing about it. Besides, I shouldn’t have said anything.” Nick leaned in and rested his arms on her door. “It’s just good to see you after all these years.”
“Yeah, it’s been a long time.” Her pulse quickened as he searched her face.
“You don’t look a day older.” Nick looked down at her full lips and wondered what would have happened in school if he’d had the chance to kiss them. He may have hesitated when he was in school, but if he had half a chance now – he wanted to take it.
Paige cocked her head. If she didn’t know any better, she’d swear he was flirting with her. Since all she knew was life with Davis, she had no clue how to read Nick. The thought of her marriage brought her back to reality.
“Well, trust me – I feel a lot older.” She dropped her eyes to the steering wheel.
Nick noticed her shift in mood and wondered if he would be able to break through the walls she’d built around herself. From the few things he’d learned from Sam, he knew Paige hadn’t known true love. Although he thought he’d had it once with his ex-wife, he now knew what he had with her was a façade. He was ready for someone to love, who could love wholeheartedly in return – and wanted Paige to feel the same. If he timed it right – and if she was ready – they could build something beautiful together.
Testing the waters, he said, “Were you going to come over to see your brother?”
A look of guilt crossed her face, and she blushed once more.
“I was, but…”
“You saw my truck and decided against it?”
She threw up her hands. “You caught me.”
He loved the sound of her laugh and hoped he could provide more of them for her.
“Does being that close to me scare you?” He teased.
“Don’t flatter yourself, Granger.” Paige’s heart skipped a beat. This playful banter was hitting too close to home. She actually was afraid of what she felt when he was around, and if he kept smiling at her – she was afraid of what she might do.
“Why don’t you come in? We were just going to watch the end of the game.” He took a step away from the car, hoping she’d stop her engine and open her car door.
Paige shook her head. “No, I can’t - but thanks. I’ll see you around, though?”
Nick sighed. “Okay. See you.”
Sam stepped outside in time to see Paige’s car back out into the street and drive away.
As Nick took the steps back up the porch, he made a face and said, “Crashed and burned.”
Sam was impressed that he’d moved so fast. “You asked her out?”
“Not really. I asked her to come in to watch the rest of the game with us.”
“Oh, well that’s what every girl wants to hear. Come hang with us dudes and watch a game. No wonder she turned you down.” Sam laughed and slapped his friend on the shoulder. “You’re not going to get anywhere like that.”
Nick tilted his head and said nothing. He didn’t ask her out because she wasn’t ready. Heck, he didn’t even know if he was, but ever since he’d heard she was back in town – he couldn’t get her out of his mind.
All he knew is that he’d have to tread lightly, as she was still reelin
g from how Davis cut her loose. So, when he asked her out - he wanted to make sure he was the only man on her mind - with no hint of Davis Jefferson lingering in her thoughts or her heart.
Sam watched the wheels at work in Nick’s mind, and said, “Come on. Let’s unpause the T.V. before the wife and kids get back.”
Nick nodded, taking one more look toward the street, wondering what it would take to gain Paige’s trust and then joined Sam for the game.
Chapter 14
Paige dumped a large bucket of ice into the bin, behind the bar to prep for the dinner crowd. When she turned to reach for a second helping to top it off, she nearly knocked over her boss.
“Watch what you’re doing!” Linley glared at her.
“Sorry.” Paige waited for her to pass, before reaching for more ice.
“Did you cut the lemons and stock the bar?” Linley peered over the ledge.
Paige watched her twisted mouth, as she scrutinized her work. It was almost as if Linley was looking for something wrong, to reprimand her. In the last few weeks, Paige had worked especially hard making sure everything she did was perfect, as she felt she had a target on her back. She wasn’t sure what she did to aggravate Linley, but the woman was relentless in her grudge.
For example – today, her opening duties were to roll silverware for the hostess station before wiping down the menus, but Linley ordered her to prep the bar. Since she wasn’t scheduled to work that station, it shouldn’t have been on her rotation. But, since her nephew was scheduled as bartender tonight, she allowed Grant to skip his pre-shift duties and delegated them to her. Instead of taking up herself, she kept quiet as she needed this job.
Paige patiently waited, knowing that the bar was in perfect order, as Linley peered over her work with a harsh eye. She’d even taken an extra step to dust off the shelves and turn all the labels to face out with perfect alignment.
Disappointed when she couldn’t find anything out of order, Linley lifted the hatch of the second ice bin and glared when she found it empty.
“Finish up here. Get this filled up!” She glared to Paige, who had a bull bucket in hand.
“Of course. I’m ready to - if you’d kindly step aside.” Paige blinked, trying hard to hold her tongue as Linley walked off. She sighed and drained the last bit of ice, as Poppie stepped in behind her.
“That woman is going to be the end of me.” Paige grumbled.
“Cover her with kindness is what my mom always says.”
“Oh, I know. Trust me. I’m being kind … by not dumping this ice over her head. God forgive me – all I can think of is to physically harm her.”
Poppie joined Paige in a hearty laugh, and then said, “You know I caught her spying on you and your friend the other night.” She pulled her apron around her waist and tied it behind her back.
“Friend?” Paige frowned, trying to recall who she was talking about.
“Yeah – the cute football player in the parking lot.” She nodded her head. “And was she in a foul mood afterward.”
Just then Linley walked by and glared at the two of them.
“Don’t make me regret assigning you two girls together.” Linley waved her hand toward them. “Get to work. We’re going to be busy after the game. If Grant tells me you two aren’t pulling your weight, I’ll reassign you.”
Both girls nodded and started looking busy.
“Why would she spy on me?” Paige whispered while straightening the napkins on the bar tops.
“You saw her that night. She was practically drooling over him when he arrived.”
“She was!” Paige groaned. “Great. That’s the last thing I need.”
“Speaking of the handsome devil.” Poppie raised her eyes and nodded toward the door.
Paige looked up to see Nick, and a young girl, whom she could only assume was his daughter, enter the lobby. She spun around to face Poppie, and asked, “How do I look? Do I need to go freshen up?”
Poppie’s eyes lit up. “You look great. Go get ‘em.”
Paige stepped into the lobby and laid a hand on the hostess’ arm, saying, “I’ll seat this one.”
Nick watched her approach, thinking she was the perfect mixture of sexy and cute. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to pick her up and carry her off or wrap his arms around her and snuggle. Either idea had merit, but he knew he had to win her over first.
“Hi. You want to sit in the bar?” Paige asked.
“That’d be great. This is my daughter, Katie. Katie – this is Paige. She’s a friend from school, who’s just moved back to town.”
Paige took the young girl in who was just on the cusp of growing up. Her long pigtail and pixie face were the only things tying her to her childhood. Paige’s heart warmed when she looked down into Katie’s warm brown eyes.
Katie cocked her head, suddenly realizing why her father insisted on driving across town to eat instead of staying close to home.
As she sized Paige up, she thought she had kind eyes, and she wondered if she was as interested in her dad as much as her dad seemed to be into her. As far as she knew, her father hadn’t been on any dates since her mom left them.
Katie smiled at the pretty waitress, thinking, It’s about time.
“Nice to meet you.” She slid her hand into Paige’s.
“You too. Come on in, and I’ll take care of you.”
As they followed her toward a small booth in the bar, Katie noticed a petite blond woman approach. She reminded her of a hawk, ready to clutch its prey. She was fast to approach and opened her arms as if expecting a hug.
“Oh, Nick! You’ve come back. It’s so good to see you.” Linley’s eyes gleamed as she approached.
Nick quickly slid his daughter in front of him, blocking her attempt for contact. Katie giggled, wondering if this lady knew how obvious she was.
Linley cleared her throat and took a step back.
“You don’t want to sit in the bar, do you?” She frowned and tried ushering them away. “I have a nice private table for you in the back of the restaurant.”
Nick held his daughter’s shoulders to let her know to stay put.
“No, that’s okay. We’re here to see Paige.” He took his seat. “Sit down, sweetie.” He watched as his daughter scooted in across from him.
Nick looked to Linley and dismissed her, saying, “Thanks anyway. We’re well taken care of.”
Paige stood by, trying not to giggle. She looked to Katie, and sent her a secret grin. Katie caught Paige’s eye and saw the mischief in them. In that moment, she knew she and her dad’s new friend would get along famously.
“Well.” Linley straightened her back and lifted her chin to Paige. “Make sure you give them top notch service. Can I see you for a moment?”
“I’ll be right back you guys.” Paige put a couple of cocktail napkins on their table and followed her boss to the kitchen.
As soon as they were out of sight and earshot – Linley spun around and whipped her finger in Paige’s face. When she tightened her lips, all the wrinkles around her them compressed leaving her mouth looking like she’d eaten a sour lemon.
“Don’t you ever embarrass me again,” Linley scolded.
“What did I do? I didn’t say a word.” Paige was truly shocked.
“You want to play games here? I have been around the block a time or two and know girls, like you.”
“Girls, like me? Wait a minute. I’m confused. I work hard, I keep my head down, and I do everything asked of me.”
“Poor pitiful Paige. You think you can play your sad little song and everyone comes to your rescue?”
Paige’s eyes watered up, not from sadness but from anger. To keep from doing or saying anything she’d regret, she quickly shut down the adrenaline that was coursing through her veins.
“If you’ll excuse me – I have to take care of my table.”
As Paige walked back towards them, Nick could see she was visibly upset.
“Everything okay?” He asked.
“Yup.” Paige took a deep breath, hoping she could move past the myriad of emotions coursing through her. She took a deep breath, and forced a smile before saying, “What can I get you?”
Just as she was about to take their drink order, Linley swooped in behind her with a large plate onion rings.
“On the house,” Linley said. “What can I get you two to drink? Paige has been reassigned to another section, so I’ll be taking care of you tonight.”
Paige’s jaw dropped. What was this woman’s problem? Why couldn’t she just leave her alone?
Nick sighed and shut his menu. He met his daughter’s eyes and frowned. He didn’t want to be rude, but it was apparent that this lady was not about to let them eat in peace.
“Actually, we were just leaving. We only came to say hi to Paige.” Nick stood, sidestepped Linley, and draped his arm around Paige’s shoulders, saying, “Walk us to the door.”
“Sure.” Paige grinned, liking the way his body felt next to hers.
“Katie, thank the lady for the onion rings.” Nick threw over his shoulder.
Katie grinned up at the older woman, who was staring daggers at Paige and her dad’s back.
“Thank you,” she mimicked a little too sweetly, before sliding out of the booth to follow her dad out to the foyer.
“I think you just got me fired,” Paige whispered.
“No, I’m friends with the owner. I wouldn’t let that happen. What is with her?”
“I don’t know. Apparently she was spying on us in the parking lot the other night. She might be a stalker. If I were you – I’d steer clear of Tight Ends.” Paige pulled away from his arm to push open the front door.
Nick quietly closed the gab between them and said, “No way. I kind of like this place.”
If it weren’t for the fact that she was at work, Paige could have easily lifted up to her toes for a kiss. Instantly she berated herself for such thoughts, especially since Katie was only a few feet away. She cleared her throat and pushed the door wide open.
“Thanks for coming to see me.” She sighed, wishing for more time with him. She then turned to Katie, and said, “It was very nice to meet you.”
Second Chances Page 7
