Here to Stay

by Debra Webb

  Paige almost broke down into tears again at the look in his eyes. So much pain, yet so much relief.

  “I was afraid after the things I’d said last week, that you might try to keep me from seeing Jesse at all.”

  “Nathan, I know I made a mistake by keeping him from you for so long. But I honestly thought I was doing the right thing and I can’t change that. Jesse wants to know you. I want you to be a part of his life.”

  Nathan leaned forward and braced his forearms on his widespread knees. He stared at the floor for a long moment, and Paige swallowed tightly. What if he didn’t want her now? What if he hated her as she had feared he would when he found out about Jesse? What if she had made a huge mistake?

  He finally lifted his gaze to hers. Paige couldn’t quite read the tangle of emotions she saw in his eyes or the carefully controlled expression on his face. Fear rose in her throat, leaving her stomach in knots and her palms damp.

  “I can’t say that you didn’t hurt me—because you did.” He shook his head so slightly that she wouldn’t have known had she not been looking at him so intently. “I wish I could say that it doesn’t matter, but it does.”

  Tears welled in her eyes. This was it. She could see the disappointment in his eyes…She could hear it in his voice. He hated her. Dear Lord, how would she ever live without his love?

  “I’m sorry, Nathan,” she said, her voice a mere whisper.

  He closed his eyes and let out a shaky breath before opening them once more. “I know. I’m as much to blame in this as you are. I should have protected you that first time, but I didn’t. And when you didn’t come back, I should have gone after you.” He pushed his hands over his face. “At the very least I should have seen that you were okay after…after what happened.”

  “We can’t change the past, Nathan,” she said, summoning her resolve. “But we can change the future. Jesse and I want you to be part of our lives.”

  “You’re sure about that?” he asked, his gaze locked on hers.

  “I’ve never been so sure of anything in my entire life. I’m prepared to do whatever is necessary to make that happen.”

  “Even to go against your father?”

  “I’ve already set my father straight. What he wants or doesn’t want is no longer an issue. It hasn’t been for a long time now.” Paige clasped her hands together in her lap and tried to steady herself against the trembling her slowly subsiding fear left in its wake.

  “So, where do we go from here?” His question hung in the air for several long seconds.

  Paige glanced at her watch. It was almost time. “I have something very important I want to show you,” she said, as she got to her feet. Time to play her trump card. If what she was about to do didn’t convince Nathan of how sure she was, nothing would.

  “What?” He stood, his questioning gaze never leaving hers.

  “You’ll see. Now, get your son so we can drive into town.”

  Nathan raised a skeptical eyebrow. “I can’t imagine anything that would be more important than this conversation.”

  “Trust me,” she said, the two words carrying more significance than any she had spoken in her life.

  Nathan stood stock-still for a long moment, his black Apache eyes searching, hopeful, yet wary. “I do trust you, Paige.” His gaze lingered just a little longer before he turned and walked into the kitchen.

  Paige released the breath she had been holding. She closed her eyes and thanked God for his trust. She heard Jesse repeating his request to go horseback riding and Nathan’s patient reply that when they returned from town they would go for a ride.

  Please let this work, she prayed.

  Nathan drove Paige and Jesse into town in his truck. Jesse sat in the middle of the bench seat, squirming against his seat belt to see everything they passed. It took twice as long to get to town since Nathan had to keep slowing down and explaining everything that captured Jesse’s attention.

  Paige smiled at Nathan’s unending patience. He was a wonderful father. Deep down she had always known he would be. Her hesitation in telling him about Jesse had been more about her own cowardice. And Jesse seemed to adore Nathan already. Her pulse quickened. Mercy, the two of them looked so much alike.

  “Park right here,” Paige said quickly, almost allowing him to pass their destination.

  Nathan frowned, but followed her instructions. They parked in front of Silas Dutton’s law office. The large storefront window that had read Silas Dutton, Attorney at Law for as long as she could remember had been covered with a tarp.

  “Okay.” Nathan killed the engine and turned to Paige.

  “Hop out.” She opened the passenger-side door and bounded out, followed by Jesse.

  Nathan rounded the hood to join them. “I wonder if Silas sold his practice?” he asked, staring at the covered sign.

  “Looks that way.” Paige urged them toward the office.

  “Paige, my dear, you’re right on time.” Silas met them at the door.

  Nathan looked from Silas to Paige in confusion.

  “Is everything set?”

  “It sure is.” Silas leaned back through his office door. “Chester, we’re ready. Sue Ellen, you come along, too.”

  Chester, a fiftyish man lugging a professional-looking camera around his neck, sauntered out onto the sidewalk. Sue Ellen, the waitress from Bubba’s, came out smiling like the cat that had swallowed the canary.

  “Chester, this is Paige Weston, Nathan Blackrope, and their son, Jesse.” Silas smiled contentedly as they all shook hands. “And I think you all remember Sue Ellen.”

  Paige and Nathan nodded and exchanged hellos with Sue Ellen. She and Silas had seen quite a lot of each other in the past week.

  Nathan looked even more confused at this point. Paige crossed her fingers behind her back and sent one more silent prayer heavenward.

  “Chester,” Silas told them, “is from the Trinity Tribune. He’ll be taking the pictures.”

  “Well, let’s get started,” Paige said, impatient to see Nathan’s reaction to her surprise.

  “We can’t. We have to wait for one more arrival.” Silas craned his neck to look beyond them and down the street for whomever else it was he expected.

  Paige frowned, confused herself now. “Who else is—?”

  “You wouldn’t start without me, now would you, little girl?”

  Paige’s breath caught and she whirled around. Uncle Robert. Robert pulled her into his welcoming embrace. “What are you doing here?” she asked, hugging him fiercely. He smelled of cigars, Old Spice, and precious memories. “You weren’t supposed to be back until the end of the week.”

  “I wouldn’t have missed this for the world,” he told her, his eyes relaying his approval of the decision she had made. “Ginny, you remember my niece, Paige?”

  Ginny took Paige’s hand and squeezed. “Of course I do.”

  “And this is her boy, Jesse.” Robert tousled Jesse’s hair. “Nathan’s boy,” he added with pride.

  “I’m a little confused,” Nathan said. “Did you sell your practice, Silas?”

  “Everyone, just step back,” Chester put in before Nathan could get his answer. The photographer’s commanding tone had everyone backing up without his having to repeat himself. “Paige, you and Silas stand right here.” He motioned toward the covered window.

  Paige and Silas quickly assembled themselves as directed.

  “Now, Robert you and Nathan stand at each end of this tarp and pull ‘er down when I give the signal.”

  Paige smiled at Jesse who allowed his Aunt Ginny to hold his hand. Paige squeezed Silas’ arm. “Wish me luck,” she whispered to her partner in crime.

  “You don’t need luck, little girl,” he whispered, giving her a wink. “You’ve got love.”

  “Okay, boys, let her go,” Chester ordered. Nathan and Robert pulled and the tarp fell to the sidewalk with a resounding thud.

  “Paige, you and Silas shake hands and smile.”

  Sil
as took Paige’s hand in his and they both smiled for the camera. Chester snapped two quick shots.

  “That’ll do it,” he announced.

  Robert and Ginny were hugging Paige again, including Jesse this time. Paige pulled out of the group hug to find Nathan. He stood before the large, plate glass window staring up at the newly painted words.

  “I don’t understand,” he said, dumbfounded.

  “Isn’t it perfectly clear?” Paige looked from Nathan to the window. “Paige Weston, Attorney at Law,” she read aloud. “I bought Silas’ practice.”

  Nathan turned to her, his eyes glittered with a mixture of hope and uncertainty. “Why? I thought you loved your job in Memphis.”

  “It was the only logical thing to do. We both want our son in our lives. I couldn’t bear the thought of being separated from him for a week or even a day—me in Memphis and him visiting you in Trinity.” Paige touched Nathan’s cheek and traced the line of his jaw. The feel of his skin sent a flush of heat through her.

  “You’d be happy here? Practicing law in Trinity?” He clutched her hand and pulled it to her chest, a sense of wonder filling his eyes.

  Paige sucked in a sharp breath at the pounding of his heart beneath her palm. She had to tell him. Now! “I love you, Nathan. I know I’ve hurt you, but I still believe in us. Even if friendship is all you can offer me, I’ll settle for that—for Jesse’s sake.”

  “And what does your father have to say about this?” he asked, his words carefully measured.

  Paige sighed. “Like I told you, Nathan, my father isn’t the issue here. It’ll take time for him to come to terms with the decision I’ve made, but that’s his problem. He knows I love him and I know that deep down he loves me. Right now my only concern is for Jesse and you.”

  Nathan released her hand and speared his fingers through his long hair. He looked at the large, bold letters on the window once more and then back to Paige. “I need a minute.”

  Paige nodded, unable to speak.

  Nathan walked over to where Jesse stood next to Robert. Paige’s uncle had the group deeply engrossed in a honeymoon tale of some sort. Nathan took Jesse’s hand and led him down the sidewalk away from the chatter—away from Paige.

  Paige’s heart fluttered in her chest as she watched Nathan crouch down next to Jesse and speak to him. What could he be saying? Jesse flashed her a look that gave away nothing. Could she have made a mistake? Paige shuddered at the thought that maybe she had been a fool to believe in any kind of future with Nathan. She had hurt him—he had said so himself. Maybe he couldn’t forgive her. She couldn’t give him the large family he had always talked about. Her thoughts trailed off as Nathan and Jesse walked toward her, hand in hand.

  “Jesse and I have discussed the situation and we’ve decided that you’re going to have to get this window changed.”

  “What do you mean?” Paige looked from Nathan to her son, who bit his lip to prevent what from showing? Fear? Worry? “I don’t understand.” She looked back to Nathan. “I thought I was doing the right thing…that you’d be pleased.” Her heart banged once against her chest and then plunged to her stomach.

  “I don’t want to be just your friend, Paige.” Nathan’s gaze burned into hers. He reached down and lifted Jesse into his arms. “Two separate homes and two separate lives isn’t good enough for my son…or for me,” he added, determination set in his eyes, his voice, and his posture.

  “What are you saying?” Paige’s voice faltered. Her breath caught in her throat, her chest tightened.

  “I’m saying that I don’t want to wake up alone every morning.” He turned to Jesse, “Right, partner?”

  “Right!” Jesse agreed, grinning from ear to ear.

  Paige looked from Nathan to her son. What did he mean he didn’t want to wake up alone? She licked her parched lips. Did he want to wake up with her? Could he mean—? Paige tamped down the unfounded hope she felt rising at the possibility. She had to be prepared for the worst. She took a deep breath, squeezed her hands into tight balls at her sides and waited for him to continue. She’d had her say, now he would have his.

  Nathan settled Jesse back onto his feet. He straightened, turned his attention back to Paige and closed the small distance between them. “We’ve wasted too many years already, each waiting for the other to say the right words or make the right move. Life is too precious, I don’t want to wait any longer. I won’t settle for anything less than having you as my wife. That’s what I’m saying.” Nathan pulled her into his embrace. “I love you, Paige.” He threaded his fingers in her hair and tilted her face up to his. He looked deeply into her eyes. “Please say you’ll marry me.”

  Emotions flooded Paige—relief, love, happiness. He still wanted her!

  “Wait,” she whispered. Dread pooled in her chest. “I told you I can’t have any more children. That doesn’t matter to you?”

  He shook his head. “Absolutely not. We have Jesse. What else could we possibly want?”

  Hope bloomed in her chest, absorbing the dread. “Then, yes, I’ll marry you,” she breathed the words, hardly believing it could be real. His lips eased into a slow, sexy smile.

  “Good,” he muttered. “I can’t bear to go through another day without you.”

  “Ditto,” she murmured, smiling up at him.

  Paige heard Jesse’s shrill little voice as he broadcast the news to anyone listening, but for the life of her she couldn’t take her eyes off Nathan. She watched his firm, sensuous mouth descend to cover hers. His taste filled her, restored her. She pushed her arms around his neck and pulled him tightly to her. His mane of black silk glided over her skin, tantalizing and heightening her awareness of the man she held in her arms. Sensation after sensation exploded in her body and mind. She had loved this man for so long…waited for this moment all her life.

  She kissed Nathan for all the years they had lost. Kissed him with all the love that burst in her heart…for their son…and for the future they would have together.

  Thank you for selecting a Debra Webb story. If you enjoyed HERE TO STAY be sure to look for Debra’s other exciting Pink House Press releases:

  Sassy and Spicy Romances

  FREE FALLING

  TEMPTING TRACE

  UP CLOSE

  BASIC INSTINCTS

  KEEPING KENNEDY

  TAMING GI JANE

  GOING TO THE CHAPEL

  The Jackie Mercer Sassy, Sexy Mystery Series:

  DIRTY – series debut

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven