by Amy Woods
Too bad Paige was simply not one of them.
“May I say something?” Liam asked.
“Of course.”
“I think this is good for the little guy. I know it will be challenging, but I think this will be a positive goal for him. It will give him a chance to be a part of something big. I think the last thing we would want is for him to be shut out, to be the only one up there without a speaking part.”
“I agree. But there’s so much more to it than that. How in the world will he work up the nerve in front of all those people? What if he can’t do it when the time comes? What if he’s standing up there for his whole world to see and he freezes?” Paige felt her heart beating wildly as panic encroached. She touched a palm to her chest, and Liam reached across the table and set a hand on her upper arm. The warmth was deep and calming, and her nerves were soothed almost instantly.
“Hey, hey. It’s okay.” Paige let him hold her and, when she made no move to pull away, he touched her other arm too, and there they were, in the middle of the teacher’s lounge, Liam holding on to her. It occurred to Paige that any of their colleagues could walk in at any time and see clearly what was going on. Somehow, though, the feeling of Liam’s warm skin against hers outweighed the risk.
She wanted nothing more in that moment than for it to keep going. She thought if he pulled away, she would feel exposed and unsafe again. Alone. How had she gone from not needing anyone to needing this one?
“It’s all right,” he said, squeezing her hands in his own.
“I don’t think so.”
“It is—it will be.” Liam removed his hands from hers and used one to push a strand of hair out of Paige’s eyes.
“This is what we’ll do. You’ll come to my sister’s like we talked about. I’ll run by Camille’s classroom this afternoon and ask her for the script they’re going to use for the skit. When you and Owen come to lunch, we can look at it together and see what he thinks.”
“Won’t that be too much for him, though?”
“It might be—at first. But we need to keep the momentum going and show him that he’s done well in talking to me.
“He needs to know he’s on the right track. If we all look at the script together and praise him for getting a role in it like there’s nothing weird about it, then he’ll probably react positively. Plus, it will give him a heads-up before Camille tells the rest of the class about the skit, and Owen can decide whether or not he wants a speaking part. If he doesn’t, we can tell Camille no, and she can assign him another part, without lines, without the rest of the class thinking anything of it, so he won’t be embarrassed. If not, then we’ll try something else.”
The “we” in Liam’s statement was clear. It sounded like he would be sticking around to see Owen through. Paige tried not to think too much about it. The last thing she needed was to get her hopes up, to put her faith in another man. Mark had been a loyal and loving husband and a great father, but he was gone—just like that. The same thing could happen to Liam if she put her heart out too far.
There was no way she could go through that again, and she knew Owen couldn’t either. Nor would she put him in that position if she could help it.
But she knew Liam was right; they had to try, and for some reason, she trusted him.
And her trust had nothing to do with the way she was beginning to feel about him. Absolutely nothing.
“Okay, then we’ll give it a try. For Owen.”
“For Owen,” Liam agreed.
“I have to go. I have an afternoon of meetings to get to and I need to look over my notes first,” Paige said, collecting her things.
“See you Sunday, then?” She couldn’t help but smile, and as she walked away, she knew he was watching her. She had to admit she didn’t hate the idea.
Chapter Five
Liam was sifting through cantaloupes at Peach Leaf Produce on Main Street, Saturday afternoon, when he saw a familiar golden head of hair in his peripheral vision. He turned to make sure it was Paige before tossing a few pieces of the fruit alongside the rest into his basket and turning to follow. It was only after he’d reached the aisle she’d turned into that he thought twice about what he was doing. He was pretty sure she hadn’t seen him—he could have just gotten on with his shopping and checked out without her noticing him. He hadn’t even thought twice about saying hello, which unnerved him.
Yep. He was in pretty deep, all right. And it only got deeper each time he saw her.
Before he had time to ponder any further, she spotted him, and it was too late to do anything about it.
“Mr. Campbell,” Paige said, turning from the shelves of wine in front of her. Her hair, he noticed with an inappropriate amount of gratification, was wild and windblown, and her cheeks, likely warm from the heat outside, were the exact shade of orange as the insides of the ripe local cantaloupes in his basket.
She was drop-dead gorgeous in a flowery tank top and fitted jeans that showed off the slender curves she hid at work. The light scent of her perfume—like a mix of summer rain and honeysuckle—made him want to step closer. His heart thumped so hard in his chest he was sure she could see its rhythm through his T-shirt.
“Please,” he said, shifting his basket to one hand so he could reach out the other to shake hers. “Call me Liam. We’re not at work.” As he held her warm fingers in his own, he chided himself for the silly move. It was like he’d backtracked. Just yesterday, in the teacher’s lounge, he’d held her and touched her face, and now he was back to square one, shaking hands with her like a stranger. Maybe it was for the best. Maybe he’d gone too far in being so open about his…his what? Concern? Care?
No. It was silly to pretend it wasn’t much more than that. He was a grown man. And he would damn well act like one around this woman, even though she’d already all but stolen his heart after only a week of knowing him.
“Liam, then,” she said, giving in. She shook his hand before slowly letting go. He noticed that her fingers clung to his as they slipped away.
They stared at each other in uncomfortable silence for a moment before Paige astonished him by bursting out laughing. She covered her mouth self-consciously, but it was too late—her delight was contagious and he was already laughing with her.
“I’m sorry,” she said, trying to catch her breath as the laughter subsided, her expression changing from joy to confusion to trepidation. “I don’t know what’s gotten into me. I’m no good at…at…this.” She waved a hand at the air between them and then stopped abruptly.
It was as if her words had broken a dam, and all the things they were holding on to so tightly, all the things he knew they were both feeling but wouldn’t dare say, came rushing over the top. He didn’t want the sweet moment to pass, but he decided to take a risk.
He stepped closer to her, close enough to see that her blue eyes were rimmed with a deep gold, the same shade as her hair.
“And what is this, exactly?” he asked, waving his own hand as she had, holding her gaze despite the heat that threatened to burn his insides. He would make her face this—whatever it was—with him. They had both lost a lot before they’d even crossed paths, and it wasn’t fair for him to go through this newness alone.
She started to turn away, but he caught her chin with his finger and turned her face toward his. It was the closest thing he had to forcing her to look at him. He knew that if he let her eyes slip away, the moment would pass. She would pretend it hadn’t happened. And he couldn’t allow her to do that.
“I asked you a question, Paige,” he said, his tone walking a thin line between firm and gentle. “I’d really like it if you’d answer me.”
She met his eyes. Hers were clouded with the fear and hesitance he expected, but something else was there, too, and he held on to it with all his might.
“I don’t know,” she said, biting h
er bottom lip as soon as she’d spoken.
Liam let go of her chin to run his forefinger down her cheek, slowly tracing her jawline all the way to her lips.
“Tell me something then, Paige. And be honest with me here.”
She closed her eyes and nodded slowly.
“Do you want to find out?”
She didn’t answer but only nodded again.
“Good. Because I do, too.”
It was enough. For now. He leaned in slowly, giving her every chance to pull away, praying all the while she wouldn’t. He brushed his lips softly against hers, then kissed her lightly, only once, the small motion causing every nerve in him to stand on edge.
He wanted so much more, but he would have to be satisfied with this for the time being. Paige needed her space. When she was ready, she would have to make the next move.
But, for the first time in a long time, he felt confident enough, and ready, to try again with a woman. This woman. The frayed edges Callie had left behind seemed to have softened just a bit since he’d met Paige.
Yet, if this was what she could do to him after just a few days, he was in real trouble.
When he pulled away from her, Paige’s eyes remained closed, as if she might be afraid to open them and return to the real world, where they stood in a small grocery store, in a small town, where everyone could see them. He knew her enough now to know that fact would set her on edge.
She finally opened one eye, and then, seeing only him, the other eye.
He chuckled, and then her expression filled with wild irritation as the spell broke and she realized what had happened. She reached up a fist and socked him a good one right in the chest.
“Ouch,” he said, moving back a step, amazed that such a tiny fist could hit so hard. “What on earth was that for?”
Paige glared at him and crossed her arms. “I should ask you the same thing,” she answered, her cheeks turning bright pink.
“Did anyone ever tell you you’re cute when you’re angry, Ms. Graham?”
The comment earned him another punch, harder this time.
“The nerve you must have, kissing me like that in the middle of a grocery store when we’ve just met. What were you thinking?”
Now it was his turn to be annoyed. “I didn’t exactly see you objecting, honey.”
Paige rolled her eyes. “You kissed me, not the other way around,” she said weakly, probably thinking the protest sounded as ridiculous as he did.
“You damn well didn’t do much to stop me, now did you?”
Her eyes darted around at the truth in his words, and then she turned and focused on the shelves of wine, pretending to ignore him.
Liam picked his basket back up. So that’s how it would be, then. Fair enough, he supposed…for the moment. He had to admit his move was sudden, and he’d been just as surprised by it as she had been. He’d give her some time to let it sink in, but he wasn’t ready to let her out of his sight. The one taste of her had been plenty to make him hungry for more. He would do whatever he could to get her to spend the rest of the day with him, even if they had plans tomorrow.
She glanced over at him out of the corner of her eye. “Do you know anything about wine, Mr. Campbell?”
“Some,” he said. “What is it you’re looking for?”
“Actually,” she said, still staring at the rows of bottles. “I was hoping to find something to bring to your sister’s house for our lunch d—for our lunch…thing tomorrow.” She tossed a smirk his way.
Touché. Hadn’t it been he, after all, who had insisted it wasn’t a date?
“I should tell you, Ms. Graham, that, although my sister would never let you know it, your gift would be most unwelcome.”
Paige turned to face him and her mouth dropped open. “Excuse me?”
“It’s just that, well, she’s a few weeks pregnant. I’m afraid you’ll have to find something else. Also, don’t say anything about it—I’m the only one who knows. She’s waiting to tell her husband when they go on vacation in a few weeks, so she can make it a surprise.”
“Oh, my gosh. I had no idea,” she said, covering her mouth. The motion caused her purse to slide down her shoulder and Liam reached out to adjust it, the simple act catching him by surprise. That was something he used to do for Callie all the time. He liked being able to do it now for someone whose small grateful smile let him know she really appreciated it. Sometimes it was those little things that he missed the most about having a woman to love.
“And how would you?” The rhetorical question visibly soothed Paige. “It’s nothing at all. But…if you’d like…I can help you pick something different.”
Paige’s eyes crinkled around the corners. “I’d like that,” she said. She glanced down at her watch. “I have a few hours before I have to pick up Owen from my sister’s. You’re sure you’d be willing to help out?”
“Of course,” he answered, wisely keeping to himself the fact that he was getting to the point where he’d do just about anything for the confusing, self-contradicting, frustrating ball of fire called Paige.
* * *
Good Lord, that man could drive her crazy—infuriating her one minute and then arousing her the next with that perilously sexy smile of his.
Paige steadied herself as Liam led her away from the wine aisle, saving her from what would have been an incredibly embarrassing first impression. She was nervous enough as it was about meeting Liam’s sister and all that the invitation did, or didn’t, mean. The last thing she needed was to bring the wrong thing.
Liam was right—she really needed to relax. It had just been so long since she’d spent time around any new people. Her world was a constant cycle alternating between work, home and Owen that she’d lost touch with the importance of simply spending time around other people that weren’t her colleagues. Although she’d been reluctant at first to accept Liam’s invitation, the more she thought about it, the more she was beginning to look forward to hanging out with another mom.
But she would never admit any of that to the aggravating man who’d invited her. He was unbelievable. Kissing her in the middle of the grocery store on a Saturday, when any one of the school staff could walk right by and see them! If word got to Principal Matthews about the possibility of a relationship between Paige and a staff member, the new job would be off the table in a heartbeat. Rules were rules, and the Peach Leaf school system’s rule against dating between faculty members was one she could probably thank her father for. And even though Paige hadn’t made up her mind about whether or not she would accept it, she wasn’t ready to give the prospect up quite yet. Not before she had time to give it serious thought.
She waited for Liam to purchase his groceries and walked with him outside to his truck, where he packed them into a small cooler full of ice to ward off the Texas heat. It was kind of him to offer to help her find a gift. Between the kindness of that and the kiss, her head was starting to spin. She could still feel the pressure of his mouth on hers, though it had lasted only an instant. It was one thing to see him across the hall at the school, where he might be able to light up her day with a single heart-stopping smile and those fiercely green eyes, but it was entirely another thing to have his body that near to her own. Having him so close had meant she wasn’t able to hide the way her skin trembled at his touch.
Even if she’d been able to cover up her feelings before, there was no question now. She knew and he knew. And the longer she allowed it to go on, for moments like the one that had just happened to keep coming again and again each time they were in the same room, the harder it would be to back away.
And she knew that, eventually, she would have to back away.
She could kick herself for not being able to do so now. She wasn’t the type to lead a man on, to make him think that there could be a future with her when she ha
dn’t even figured out her own. She shouldn’t allow him to do things for her as he had been. Things like helping her son get over the wall he’d built. How would she ever repay him? And how would she find the words to tell him that, as long as they both worked at the school, they could never truly be together? Despite all of that, here she was, unable to excuse herself and simply go home to relax alone until it was time to pick up Owen. Despite knowing that this could go nowhere, she was completely, totally, unable to say no when given the chance to spend time alone with Liam.
Oh, she was making such a mess. Paige tossed her head to clear her thoughts before they overwhelmed her. Maybe this was nothing. Maybe she was just something to occupy his time, and maybe he had no intentions beyond kissing her like a teenager and helping her pick out a gift for his sister.
The thought sounded ridiculous. She’d seen enough already to know Liam was a better man than that. He was serious about her and Owen. And the way that made her feel was enough to convince her to say yes to spending the afternoon with him.
“So, what do you have in mind?” she asked. “Seeing as how I’ve never met Rachel, I’m sure you know her better than I do.”
Liam finished putting his produce in the cooler and closed his truck door before moving to her side. “Well, Rach is not complicated. You could bring her just about anything and she’d be happy as a clam.”
“Anything but wine, that is.”
Liam laughed a little. “Right, anything but wine. At least for the next eight months or so,” he said.
Paige saw him reach out a hand and then choose instead to put it in his pocket. She was grateful. It would break her heart to refuse to hold hands with him, but she wasn’t willing to deal with that yet. Today, they would spend time together as friends. If anyone from work saw them, they would be doing nothing more than walking together, just as if she were out shopping with Cam.
Though she loved Peach Leaf, sometimes small-town life could be suffocating, as if she lived inside a bubble, where everyone breathed the same air, made the same assumptions and passed on the same gossip. That bubble had burst around her father, and everyone around him had suffered for it. She had no intention of putting Owen through the same kind of pain.
