The Difference a Day Makes (Perfect, Indiana: Book Two)

by Longley, Barbara

  “I also brought paper towels.” He placed the sodas on the ground and thrust the paper towels into her hand. “There’s nothing wrong with your life. Take it from me, this is a minor glitch in the grand scheme of things.” That got her attention.

  She raised her head finally and wiped the smeared mascara from her cheeks. “Y-you know what he said? My dad said he’d let me work for the family business.”

  “Yeah, I heard the whole conversation.”

  “You did?” She blinked. “How?”

  “I stuck around in case you needed backup.”

  “Oh.” She nodded slightly and blew her nose into the paper towels.

  “Isn’t working at Langford Plumbing Supplies what you wanted? What’s the problem?”

  “He said he’d let me work there, not that he wanted me to.” She shot him a Catch up, would you? look. “Can you imagine what that’d be like? He’d be watching me every minute to make sure I don’t mess things up again. How much responsibility do you think he’d give me after what happened at Ramsey & Weil? No. Thanks.”

  His poor ol’ heart tapped out a hopeful rhythm. “Does that mean you’ve given up on the notion of taking over the family business? Are you thinking about looking for something for you instead of trying to prove—”

  “No to both.” She sniffed, picked up one of the soda cans, and popped it open. “I’m more determined than ever to prove myself. I want my dad to beg me to come work for LPS.”

  “I hate to be the worm in your apple, darlin’, but—”

  “Then don’t be.” She scowled his way while she took a sip. Her lovely green eyes were puffy and red from crying. “Don’t be the worm in my apple, or the fly in my soup, or…or…I don’t need an argument, Ryan. What I need is a hug.” She sniffed. “You said you’d have my back.”

  Ryan put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her against his side. “I do have your back. More than anything, I want to see you happy.” He wrapped his other arm around her and held her tight. She laid her head on his shoulder. Fresh tears fell from her eyes, each one eating away at his heart a little bit more.

  For a while, he held her that way, with neither of them saying a word. Wouldn’t she be much better off doing something that brought her joy instead of this misery? “You in the mood for frozen pizza?” He gave her another squeeze.

  “No.” She burrowed in closer. “What I really want is a bacon cheeseburger with extra-crispy fries and a chocolate shake.”

  “OK.” Ryan chuckled. “That sounds good too.”

  She nodded against him. “Have you ever eaten at the truck stop off the interstate heading toward Kentucky?”

  “Nope. Noah has mentioned it, though.” He kissed her forehead. “Let’s stop at my apartment first so you can wash those tears away. Then I’ll take you out for the biggest, juiciest bacon cheeseburger you’ve ever had.” Her arms wrapped around him, and his insides slid into bliss.

  “Thank you, Ryan,” she whispered. “Thank you for being on my side.”

  “Always.” For the first time in forever, someone needed him. Not just anyone—Paige needed him. Ryan swallowed the lump in his throat while he handed over his heart. Yep. He was a goner, and the recipient of his damaged, broken self had no idea that his world hung on every one of her sighs. “Let’s go. I’m starving.”

  “Me too.” She sent him a watery smile. “Nothing like a good cry to make me hungry.”

  He helped her up, grabbed the sodas, and held her hand all the way to his tiny bathroom. Ryan leaned against the doorframe while she washed away the evidence of her tears. “We’re taking my truck.”

  “Whatever,” she mumbled through the washcloth. “I can’t afford the gas anyway.”

  “Is your dad staying the night?”

  “I don’t know.” She grabbed the towel hanging from the rack next to the sink. “You heard the entire conversation. He didn’t say.”

  “Do you want to talk to him before we leave? Your dad meant well when he recommended you to Meyer.”

  She made another snorting sound in response.

  “He’s a dad doing what dads do, darlin’. It’s his job to look out for you.”

  “I really don’t want to talk about this anymore.” She glared at him over the towel. “Didn’t I just stop crying? Do you really want to get me started again?”

  “No. Sorry.” He refrained from grinning. He loved how direct and open she was with her feelings and what she wanted. With Theresa, he’d had to poke and prod to get anything out of her. It was always a guessing game with her. His chest constricted, and guilt spiraled through him. Disloyalty—another brick to add to the load of shit he carried around on his shoulders.

  “What’s wrong?” Paige folded the towel over the rack. “One minute you looked ready to laugh, and the next your expression went in a completely different direction.”

  “It’s nothing.” He pushed off from the doorframe, unable to meet her eyes. “Ready?”

  “Ryan…”

  Confusion over opposing loyalties made his head spin, but he wanted to explain. What he admired about Paige was her openness. Didn’t he owe her the same? “I had a moment. It happens. Sometimes something triggers a memory, and all I can do is hang on until something else brings me back to the present.”

  Paige wrapped her arms around his waist and snuggled up against him. “Iraq?” she whispered.

  His arms went around her like they belonged there—casual and intimate, all at once. “No. Theresa.”

  She searched his face. “I’m sorry, Ryan. Do you want to talk about it?”

  He sighed. “Theresa was shy. I always had to coax things out of her, like what she wanted to do or how she felt.” He shook his head. “Your openness is refreshing, but thinking that felt…disloyal somehow.”

  “Noticing the differences between people doesn’t make you disloyal.” She studied him. “I’m sorry you lost Theresa, but…”

  He tensed. “But what?”

  “Maybe it’s time to let her go,” she murmured.

  “Humph.” His eyes stung. “Let’s get going.”

  Paige took his face between her hands and brought him in for a kiss. His heart slammed into his sternum, and all the blood in his head rushed south. He backed her up against the wall and lost himself in the feel of her warmth and softness. Tangling his fingers in her silky hair, he tilted her face to gain better access to her luscious mouth, plunging his tongue deep to taste her sweetness. She rose on tiptoe, threw her arms around his neck, and pressed herself even closer. Lord, he wanted her, but not like this. Not when she was upset about her dad and feeling vulnerable.

  He forced himself to break the kiss and rested his chin on the top of her head. “You do things to me, Paige. You know that, don’t you, darlin’?”

  “Ditto.” Her chest rose and fell as rapidly as his. “That was to get your mind off—”

  “It worked.” He chuffed out a laugh. “And now I can’t walk to my truck.” He sucked in a few deep breaths. “You’re gonna have to give me a minute.” One of her deep, throaty laughs sent a fresh wave of lust crashing over him. “Not helping, Paige.”

  “What’s not helping?” She slid away from him, finger-combed her hair, and looked at him in question.

  “That sexy laugh of yours, that’s what.” His comment elicited another sexy sound from her. A cold shower might help, but even the thought of getting naked while she was anywhere in proximity made his cock twitch and harden even more. He let out a growl of frustration and headed toward his kitchen. “Do you want the rest of your soda?” He snatched both cans from the coffee table.

  “Not really.”

  He dumped the opened can in the sink and put the other back in the fridge. “Bacon cheeseburger, extra-crispy fries, and a chocolate shake, here we come.” Come. Oh, he’d love to come, deep inside her, while she cried out his name and writhed naked beneath him. Ryan knocked his head against the refrigerator door, only to be subjected to another one of her sexy laughs. Wouldn’t
matter what came out of her mouth. At this point, everything she said or did lit him up like one of those motion-detector floodlights. He turned to find her right behind him, one side of her mouth quirked up and her green eyes filled with mischief.

  “Out.” He pointed to the door and followed her swaying hips into the warm spring evening. “Unfair—that’s what this is. Entirely unfair.”

  She laced her fingers with his and slid him a sideways look. “What is?”

  “You’ve seen me naked, and I haven’t even caught a glimpse of you.” He pulled her in for another kiss.

  She sighed against his mouth and draped her arms over his shoulders. “What are you suggesting?”

  His breath snagged against his racing heart, while her gaze roamed his face, settling on his mouth like she had when he’d first shaved. When her eyes came back to his, her pupils were dilated, and her lips parted slightly. He gulped. They were on the edge of a precipice here. Somehow, he managed to retain just enough of his fraying wits to recognize how crucial his next words were. He wanted a chance at more than a few weeks with her.

  Pressing his forehead against hers, he took the leap. “I’m suggesting that whenever you’re ready to remedy the inequity, you let me know. I’m putting you in charge, darlin’, because I can’t be trusted to think straight when you’re near me.” Judging by the pleased look suffusing her face, he’d said the right thing. Might as well go for broke. “And one more thing—you don’t have to prove a damn thing to me. I already think you’re the reason the sun rises and sets each day.”

  She swallowed a few times, and her eyes grew bright. “Thank you, Ryan. I…That means a lot to me.” She bit her bottom lip, and color rose to her cheeks. “We should get going.”

  He kept her hand in his on the way to his truck and tried to keep a dignified expression on his face while his heart soared. They rounded the corner to find Noah, Ceejay, and their kids assembled next to Ed Langford and his rental car. Paige’s grip on his hand tightened.

  “Are you leaving already?” she asked her dad.

  All eyes turned their way, even baby Toby’s. Ceejay, Noah, and Mr. Langford glanced at his hand entwined with Paige’s, ping-ponged between them, and finally exchanged glances with each other. Shit. Group disapproval.

  “I am.” Mr. Langford opened the passenger side of the coupe, threw his briefcase onto the seat. “Your mother is expecting me to attend a literacy fund-raiser this evening, and I don’t want to disappoint her.” He fixed Paige with a fatherly look as he walked toward them. “Call her, Paige.”

  “I will, Dad.” She let go of Ryan’s hand and twisted a finger around a lock of her hair. “I’m…I’m sorry I let you down. I should’ve—”

  “Let me down?” Mr. Langford’s brow creased, and he drew his daughter in for a bear hug. “You think this is about letting me down? We were worried sick about you. We didn’t know where you were or what was going on.”

  “I got fired,” Paige muttered. “Not exactly something you want to write home about. I wanted to work it all out and have a new job before I told anyone.” She disentangled herself and turned away. “Ryan and I were just heading out for a burger. Tell Mom I’ll call her tomorrow.”

  “Noah tells me you served under him in Task Force Iron.” Mr. Langford turned to Ryan with an inscrutable stare.

  “Yes, sir. We were in the same Humvee when we got hit.”

  “Nice to have met you.” Mr. Langford offered him his hand, and they shook briefly. “Are you coming home soon, Paige?”

  Paige nodded. Ryan’s heart dropped to his boots.

  “We’re taking two cars to work this morning,” Noah told Paige as they walked down the veranda steps. “I have to run to Evansville this afternoon to pick up a load of oak. Do you want to ride with me or Ryan?”

  “Depends.” She bit her lower lip. “Are you going to lecture me if I ride with you?”

  “Probably.” He pinned her with a sharp look. “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me what was going on.”

  “I’m sorry.” Her throat tightened. “I’ve never been fired before. It’s humiliating. I was too ashamed to tell anyone.”

  Her brother slung his arm around her shoulders. “You’re going to come out of this just fine. In the meantime, you’re welcome to stay here as long as you want.”

  She had to swallow a few times before she could respond. “Thanks. I love being here with you, Ceejay, and the kids. I hope you know how much I appreciate it.”

  “It’s mutual.”

  He gave her another hug and let her go as Ryan came around the house. Her heart skipped at the sight of him, and she couldn’t tear away her gaze. He wore his cowboy hat today, a tight pair of faded jeans, and an equally snug T-shirt under a denim jacket. The whole ensemble emphasized his lean, corded frame. He still needed to put on a few pounds. Even so, the man was so damn sexy with that blue-eyed blond, troubled-cowboy thing he had going on. A sigh escaped her, and Noah cast her another intense look. Heat flooded her face. “I’ll ride with you, Noah.”

  “That’s good. I want to hear the whole Ramsey & Weil story.” Noah nodded a greeting to Ryan. “We’re taking two cars today. I have errands this afternoon.”

  “You coming with me or riding with Noah?”

  Ryan aimed his baby blues her way, causing another internal flutter fest in her midsection. “I’m riding with my brother.” A momentary flash of disappointment crossed his face, and it tugged at her. “He wants me tell him what happened at Ramsey.”

  He nodded. “See you there.”

  She watched his very fine backside as he made his way to his truck. Get a grip! She blew out a frustrated breath and followed her brother. As soon as she was buckled in and they were on the road toward town, she began. “I started dating a coworker my first week on the job. That was my first mistake.” Retelling the story brought back all the mortification. She’d been so stupid to trust someone else to do what she should’ve done herself. Never again. Along with proving herself to her dad, she needed another chance to get it right for herself.

  “A painful lesson.” Noah shook his head in sympathy. “Anthony Rutger is an ass, and I’m sure he’ll get what’s coming to him in the end.”

  “Ryan offered to rearrange his face for me.” She smiled at the memory.

  “Speaking of Ryan…” He glanced at her, then back at the road. “What’s going on between you two?”

  “We’re getting to know each other.” She stiffened. “Why do you ask?”

  “I’m concerned. He’s not in a place where he can handle any kind of hurt or disappointment.”

  “Wait.” She frowned. “You’re concerned about him and not me? You think I’m less vulnerable?”

  “You don’t have PTSD, and you haven’t recently considered committing suicide.” His jaw twitched. “That I know of, anyway.”

  “The thought of harming myself has never entered my head.” She studied the dashboard, while the mix of guilt and anger dashed around inside her. “Ryan and I are friends. I enjoy his company, and I believe he enjoys mine.” Heat rose to her cheeks as she remembered the kisses she and Ryan had shared. Not something she wanted to tell her older brother.

  “Friends?”

  “That’s right.”

  “For now.” Noah slid her another pointed look.

  “It’s none of your business.” She crossed her arms in front of her and scowled. “Ryan and I are both adults.”

  “I don’t want to see either of you get hurt, that’s all.”

  “Thank you for your concern,” she snapped as they pulled into his parking space in the alley. Not wanting to wait for further comment, she hopped out and headed for the door the second he put his truck in park. Ted and Ryan were bent over the plans for the first piece of the new product line. She walked past them to the small kitchen area to pour herself a cup of coffee. None had been made. Frustrated, she opened the cabinets one after the other, looking for coffee. “We’re out of coffee,” she called.

&nbs
p; “I know,” Noah replied behind her. “Here’s a couple of twenties. Would you mind going to IGA for a few cans?”

  “No, I wouldn’t mind.” She took the money from his hand and breezed past him into the workspace. “Is there anything else you need besides coffee?”

  “Yeah,” Ted answered. “Pick up a box of sugar and some creamer.”

  “Will do.” Wow. In and back out the door in less than five minutes. A new avoidance record for her. Her brother’s words echoed inside her head with each step down the sidewalk. What right did he have to interfere, and why did he assume anyone would get hurt? Maybe, just maybe, something extraordinary would come of her friendship with Ryan, like…Like what? She had goals and dreams that would take her far from rural Indiana.

  She stopped walking for a second. Would Ryan consider coming with her or pursuing a long-distance relationship? Get. A. Grip. She got her feet moving again. Just because Ryan wanted to see her naked didn’t mean he had any intention of starting something deeper. Did it?

  The way he’d left it all up to her sent a surge of tenderness through her. He was so damn sweet it made her heart ache, and the thought of getting naked with him kicked her pulse rate into over-drive. Her brother’s words chased the naked Ryan images away. Didn’t Noah realize she was every bit as likely to be devastated?

  By the time she reached IGA, perspiration dampened her face. The day promised to be still and humid with unseasonable heat. She glanced up at the hazy sky on her way inside the store. The coolness of the air-conditioned interior brought a welcome change. Only the middle of March, and it had to be in the high eighties already. She hadn’t brought clothing for this kind of weather. Another good reason to head home on Sunday.

  Grabbing a small basket on the way, she went to the coffee aisle and grabbed an expensive bag of a brand-name dark roast along with a can of the cheap stuff the guys usually kept on hand. She needed good coffee this morning, and since she’d been sent on this errand, she made the choice.

  By the time she was on her way back, Paige had calmed down. Noah cared about Ryan. The two had been through so much together—how could he not be concerned? And her big brother had always been protective of her. She had to admit she’d been equally concerned about Noah’s relationship with Ceejay at first, and look how well that turned out. She had a smile on her face as she entered L&L’s workspace through the back door, only to find it empty.