WindSwept Narrows: #18 Paige Andrews

by Diroll-Nichols, Karen

  Sebastian closed one eye. “But you didn’t? Right?”

  “That would have been very unprofessional,” Paige grumbled. “But the thought was there. Then she started talking about…stuff…kids…her father…I think I still have a headache,” Paige took his palm and tugged him down the stairs, following her nose to the kitchen. She scooped a large ladle of creamy vegetables and chicken into a small bowl and found a fork. She caught a stool with one foot and perched on the seat.

  “Why would she start talking about all that?”

  “You’re asking me? I wasn’t married to the woman,” Paige reminded him. “I don’t know. And she still wouldn’t tell me why she must talk to you.”

  “You talked about kids with Marietta?” Sebastian took a seat across from her, his fork moving in the food to cool it.

  “I listened…and asked questions,” Paige shook her head. “She thought you’d make a good donor,” she almost laughed when he choked. “Yeah…I think she was trying to get in good with her father by giving him a grandchild, but evidently you refused to co-operate.”

  “She…she told you all this?”

  “Must be my sympathetic nature, huh? I’m not positive, but Chase said she got stock in your company at the divorce. Could she be trying to sell it back to you for cash? It’s the only thing I can think of…since I advised her to remove you from the donor list.”

  “It’s good to be wanted,” Sebastian said with a laugh.

  “Don’t let it go to your head,” Paige chuckled.

  “I’d buy the stock back from her, if that’s what she wants, Paige,” he took a slow breath. “Why were you sleeping with the gun?” He felt something in his stomach lurch at the sudden evasion on her face. He’d seen that look before. “Paige, what happened while I was gone?”

  “Nothing. Well, except for Marietta…” She hedged, going to the stove and scooping out another ladle of the chicken mixture. She caught his movement out of the corner of her eye, the bowl settling down barely before she swerved and avoided his palm at the back of her head. “Oh no…”

  “Paige, what happened while I was gone?” He asked again, this time his voice was a little lower, jaw a little more tense.

  “I told you…” She backed up but missed the quick hand that swept out and gripped her wrist. Pale red lashes went wide and a startled yelp left her lips seconds later when she blinked down at the ground. From a long damn way up, she realized when her head stopped spinning. “Sebastian! What the…you can’t…Put me down!”

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  “Answer me. What happened?”

  “You cannot…I will not be intimidated like this! Put me down!” She kicked out until the large palm came down on her behind sharply. “OOWWW!”

  “Hold still.”

  Both heads were up when the buzz sounded through the intercom. He moved to the intercom and pressed the button.

  “Hello,” Sebastian said flatly.

  “Hello. I’m looking for Paige Andrews?”

  “Oh my…put me down! That’s my brother! Sebastian!” Paige growled and squirmed again, yelping when another slap came down.

  “Hold still,” he pressed the button. “I’m releasing the gate for you. Come up to the house.”

  “Put me down!” Paige took a deep gulp when he opened the door and stepped onto the porch. “Oh, god…why me…”

  “Tell me what happened while I was gone,” he said simply, his arm holding her firmly on his shoulder.

  “No! I will not be…nothing happened…”

  “You’re lying to me, Paige,” Sebastian said cheerfully, his palm out when the three men and one woman exited the large SUV. “Hello. Sebastian Hartley.”

  Paige put two hands on her face and just hung upside down groaning.

  “James Andrews,” came the first reluctant greeting, a ginger colored head tipping slightly to the side. “I see you’re still in trouble, sis?”

  “Oh, you know me…just a way of life…hi, Jimmy…”

  “Brother…Greg,” said another voice, heavily tinted with humor. He nodded approval. “You seem to have a handle on managing her. Nice.”

  “Oh, god…”

  “I’m Gail and this is my husband, Alex,” the woman peeked to the side. “Paige…I’m sure there’s a good explanation…”

  “She’s lying to me,” Sebastian said with a shrug, his palm out to the older man with a firm shake. “Why, Paige?”

  “Alright! Damn it, put me down!” She growled but decided against wiggling. It was seriously a long way to the floor.

  “Not until you tell me why.”

  Paige ground her teeth together. “Because the guys from the granary found the office and tried to follow me home,” she felt her head spin again when she was suddenly standing, his hands at her waist and steadying her. Pale lashes blinked. “God, it’s a long way down from up there…”

  “You’re serious?” Sebastian met the sullen expression, vaguely aware of the interest from the people watching them.

  “I pulled the security cam photos and sent one off to the Tacoma PD. Yes, I’m serious,” she said through her teeth, trying to keep her voice low seconds before applying a bright smile and greeting her relatives. “Well…why didn’t you tell me you were going to visit? Would you like to come inside?” She stepped around him only to find herself trapped, his hand around her ponytail. “Oww…oww…”

  “Why the hell didn’t you call me?” He demanded, his voice low and teeth clenched.

  “You were in Vancouver, remember? Business? I can handle myself,” she shot back, moving quickly when he released her, one hand up and rubbing her head.

  Four loud groans filled the air as people filed into the large foyer of the house.

  “I see you’ve heard those words before,” Sebastian said dryly, narrowed blue eyes following Paige into the house. He closed the door behind them. “Come inside. We have some wonderful chicken stew if you’re hungry or if you want something to drink, just ask.”

  “Is there a problem?” Gail Andrews asked carefully, looking from the sulking daughter to the tall tee shirted man watching her.

  “No,” Paige answered instantly.

  “Yes,” Sebastian said firmly. “She thinks she can handle a couple ex-cons searching for contraband at the granary site.”

  “A…ex-cons?” Gail took in a long breath.

  “Mom…come on, I’ll show you the rest of the house,” Paige glared at him and looped her arm through her mother’s, talking as they walked off.

  Alex Andrews pulled one of the stools to the counter and sat back, looking directly at Sebastian. “The ex-cons?”

  “Two guys searching the granary for something one of their friends left there,” he answered tiredly. “There’s security there now and the granary has been demolished. Before that, she’d been told to keep off the property,” he watched the knowing looks cross between her brother’s and father. “Yeah…that worked.”

  “Quickest way to make her do what you don’t want is to tell her she can’t,” Alex Andrews said with a chuckle.

  “I’m finding out,” Sebastian said with a sigh. “If they came to the office, it’s because they think we found something before it was destroyed for the rebuilding.”

  “And now he’s stalking her?”

  “Her…us…the business, I suppose, I don’t know,” his head shook slowly. “Since I’m a little behind in the facts, I’m not sure,” he looked pointedly from man to man. “You’ve tried getting things out of her when she’s not feeling co-operative?” He saw the answer and nodded. “There you go. And that’s what we were in the middle of when you arrived.”

  “Well congratulations on surprising me,” Paige said as she wandered back with her mother, hugging her dad and then each brother.

  “Your brother’s send their best…and condolences to Sebastian,” her father said with a chuckle at the wrinkled nose she offered. He had to smile at the way she automatically gravitated to sit on the arm of the chair where
Sebastian sat, his palm around her waist.

  “She offered emails so I could get pointers,” Sebastian said with a grin.

  “Hey, you’re doing better than we ever did,” Greg threw back.

  Paige wasn’t sure how she survived. There was laughter and teasing and Sebastian fit right in with the rest of them, even when he pulled her onto his lap when she tried to run.

  They walked with them to the front porch, hugging tightly. “We’ll have a nice dinner tomorrow,” Gail Andrews said firmly. “I want to see the resort and we’ll be leaving on Saturday. Just a quick visit. Your father says he has a new system for winning,” she winked at Paige and both of them groaned while the men looked shocked at the disrespect for the art form of blackjack.

  “I’ll make reservations for six,” Paige promised, laughing and watching them climb into their car. Her palm was up with a wave as they headed down the drive to the gates. “Huh…that wasn’t nearly as awkward as I thought it could be,” she said as if talking to herself. Then the pair of hands on her waist registered. “So…” she slipped to the side and went to straighten up the counters and load the dishwasher. “The chicken stew was very popular.”

  “I think it’s Moroccan,” Sebastian remarked casually, helping take things to the sink and leaning back against the counter to watch.

  “It’s very good. I looked at her recipe. I’ll have to give her the book I’ve been collecting,” Paige peeked over her shoulder. She was rapidly running out of things to load into the dishwasher. “Are you still angry?”

  “Jesus, Paige, I was never angry,” but then he slowed enough to listen to his own voice. “Okay, I am angry but it isn’t at you.”

  “I’m just handy,” she said quietly, nodding and facing him. “I understand. I go and run it off. Other than to tell the police, I didn’t know what else to do,” she whipped her palm up at the flash of darkness in his eyes. “Having you rocketing down the highway because you think I need protected was not my idea of a sanity saving plan, Sebastian. I would have told you,” she said firmly.

  “When I asked…” He pushed the words through his teeth.

  “I have to work up to these things. You just…crash right in…then it sends my back up and…” She shook her head, dried her hands and tapped the light switch with a long sigh. “Sorry.”

  Sebastian snagged her waist, pulling her close until their heads touched.

  “Me, too…you did tell the police?”

  “Suspicious characters, yada, yada…yes, I told the police and gave them the photo and I told Chase,” Paige assured him, eyes doing a quick sweep of the room before letting him lead her to the bedroom. “Hey…you never said how the business went.”

  “There’s business…and there’s business…” he whispered before moving his mouth to capture hers in a long slow kiss before taking the edge of her top in his hands and pulling it over her head. It fell to the bedroom floor, as forgotten as the question about Vancouver.

  Sebastian caught the scent of fresh coffee at the same time a bleary eyed red head stretched, bare assed naked next to the bed and went into the bathroom. Damn. He wasn’t sure how she’d infected him. Maybe he wouldn’t use the word infected if he mentioned it to her. Maybe part of it was the coffee mug he held in his hands while still sitting in bed. He smiled at the singing coming from the shower, the newly installed CD player on the counter belting out some silly pop songs at six in the morning.

  He indulged himself since he’d showered the night before. She came bobbing out rubbing a towel briskly over her hair and another towel tucked beneath her arm. She sat on the vanity bench and bent forward, a large blow dryer somehow attached to the first drawer so she had two hands free to brush and fluff the long hair for a few minutes. He drained the cup and began his morning, half listening to her sing along to the music.

  Paige finished off the long braid with a thick band before digging a pair of comfortable low boots. The sun was out and promised almost seventy today. She dropped a tunic over her jeans and left her shoes next to the sofa as she continued onto the kitchen.

  “Marta, you’re going to spoil me!” Paige declared, sinking onto the stool and sipping at the smoothie with an almost dreamy sigh. “I love pineapple. Thank you,” she felt the palm at her waist, his lips brushing her cheek.

  “I told her to spoil you so you can’t live without us,” Sebastian chuckled, refilling his mug and accepting the plate held out to him with scrambled eggs.

  “I have been exploring the new computer,” Marta told them with a broad smile. “I have marked all the pages I find sales and the news I read. I can even mark things for the calendar to remind me of things, it is wonderful!”

  “I haven’t shown Sebastian how to get in there yet,” Paige said with a long drink. “I’ll set it up at work and show you.” She dropped to the floor and began pulling her boots on, snapping them into place. “I’m going in now…it’s Friday and I have to make the reservations for tonight. No dinner tonight, Marta. My parents are visiting so we’re going to the resort.”

  “Already done, Paige,” Sebastian held up his phone. “We’re set for six. We can take the bike and meet them there. Unless you wanted to change?”

  “Casual is good for me,” she went to him, kissing him and backing out before he could get a hold of her. “I’ll see you in a bit. Have a great day, Marta!”

  “She is so full of energy and life,” Marta chuckled, wandering off to gather things for laundry.

  “That she is,” Sebastian agreed, switching the TV on for some stock reports while he ate, his mind drifting to Paige’s possible answer to why Marietta suddenly appeared at his doorstep.

  Paige had the office open and music playing softly when Pepper returned her call. “Nothing planned this evening….added you to the reservations,” she said lightly.

  “I’m with you,” Pepper said easily. “I know Chase enjoys the casino, so does Bastian.”

  “My parents and brothers, too. But I’d rather play in the arcade,” Paige grinned at the phone. “Maybe even the karaoke in the employee arcade.”

  “Perfect! It’s Friday night and not a lot of people there. They’ve programmed in a lot of new music,” She said excitedly. “Perfect. See you tonight!”

  “That sounded chipper,” Sebastian commented, striding to his office and dropping his helmet to the chair before continuing to his desk and opening the case he carried. He took four large folders to her desk and laid them in the center.

  “Pepper and Chase are going to dinner with us. Then while you guys all wreak havoc in the casino, we can go play in the arcade,” Paige told him with a happy grin. “Mom loves the slots.”

  “Hmm...so I’m on guy gambling duty tonight?”

  “I’ll make it worth your while,” she promised with a lewd wink. “I hate playing cards and putting money into a machine that doesn’t even give me gum balls…it’s just wrong.” She liked his laughter, not to mention watching him stride back to his office. She pulled the folders closer, opening the top one and reading, frowning and reading more, her eyes shooting wide. “Hey! You got them! All of them?” Paige was up from her desk and in his office at the same time he turned, barely ready to accept the excited woman in his arms.

  “Congratulations! I am so proud of you! That’s amazing!” She threw her arms around his neck, hugging him and barely registering that her feet weren’t on the floor anymore.

  He heard the words. In the whirling explosion inside his head at the same time all the scents that were Paige and the sensations crashed together. His arms tightened at the same time she kissed him. In the office, he thought with a half grin when she realized what she was doing and pushed to get out of his arms at the same time the loud male voice cleared his throat a second time.

  “I take it this is good news?” Chase asked, his grin half hidden when the color flooded Paige’s face and she straightened her shoulders and went to her desk.

  “The cruise lines out of Vancouver. We’re added to their schedul
e in two years,” Sebastian told him, accepting the palm offered.

  “Nice work.”

  “Thanks. Shuttles to the resort were a good selling point. I sent Logan a copy of what we agreed on and he’s signed off on it,” Sebastian told him. “I hear you’re joining us tonight for dinner and gambling?”

  “Pepper is itching to arcade, so yes, we are,” Chase continued to his office.

  “Arcade is in your blood,” Paige said with a little attitude. “We need it now and then or we get…testy.”

  “That’s probably a polite word for it,” Sebastian said, pouring coffee and shaking his head. “I’ll be in Chase’s office for a while.”

  “Okay,” Paige waved him off, focusing on the folders.

  Sebastian closed the door and went to the safe, pulling the two cases out and setting them on the empty desk. Both men went through them carefully, finding nothing but the money and a gun. Sebastian locked the cases and leaned against the desk, arms crossed.

  “I’ll turn the gun in to the police. I’ve checked with them and our attorney. Based on the dates of the bills, we’re past any kind of holding limit and it was found on my property. I’m taking the money to the health center,” Sebastian told Chase who took his seat behind the desk. “I’ve already called Sam and told her I’d be there in a few minutes. It’s to be logged as a cash donation from Hartley and Montgomery. I’ll get the receipt.”

  “I don’t see where it’ll be a problem, Bastian. They’re right, property is yours. Which means anything found on the property, is yours,” Chase shook his head. “Should have let Paige loose on the grounds before I demolished the docks,” he laughed at the expression on his friend’s face. “Okay…kidding.”

  “Does the feeling of hitting a wall ever…lighten up?”

  Chase closed his eyes. “It changes. It turns into…how the hell did I get so smart or so lucky. Pepper’s Gypsy friend says there’s a unique kind of positive energy around the reclamation. And it’s spilled into the people involved. I don’t know how to explain it, Bastian. It’s not some kind of…we have differences, hell, we’re both adults used to our own ways, our own methods. But we’re learning to talk and it’s a damn good feeling.”