The Country Bride: Billionaire Marriage Brokers Book 4

by Lucy McConnell

  “And frame and sheetrock, and repair a toilet.”

  “No way.” The last time their toilet broke, it took three days to get a plumber in to fix it.

  “I helped my dad add a room to our house when I was in high school, and with four brothers, something always needed to be fixed. I used to wear my dad’s tool belt and follow him around.”

  Paige was wrong. She did paint pictures, and Cody clearly saw one of her wearing tight-fitting jeans and a tool belt that had his blood pumping.

  What impressed him the most was that for all Paige’s talents, she didn’t carry herself above others. Like right now: her legs were crossed and her shoulders hunched. She gnawed at her bottom lip, making Cody wonder if he’d asked one too many questions.

  Paige bowed her head, and Cody realized Pastor Levi was leading them in prayer. Cody pondered his interest in Paige this morning and decided it was only natural to want to understand the person living upstairs in his home. Although, he’d never had that desire with the nannies that had occupied the same space. His thumb found his wedding rings as he waited for the guilt to stab his heart. He shouldn’t be interested in Paige—not for a second. Any interest beyond her ability to care for Addison was a betrayal to Kylee.

  Bracing for the pain, Cody was shocked when it didn’t come. The congregation echoed the preacher’s amen, and congregates got to their feet. Cody stayed in place, frozen by the realization that he’d let down his guard and the expected reminder of Kylee hadn’t come. Glancing up, he watched as the older woman in front of them reached over the back of the pew to tap Paige’s hand as it rested on her knee.

  They began talking, but their words were like bubbles, floating in the air and not making an impact on Cody. Horrified by his lack of response to what he considered unfaithfulness, he looked for a cause. His eyes traveled from Paige’s hands up her arms and to her laughing eyes.

  This was her fault. Paige and her contagious smile, bright outlook, and captivating appearance had numbed Cody to the memory of Kylee.

  Outraged at his behavior and Paige’s flirting, he tuned into the conversation happening around him. Something about an activity with the Ladies’ Auxiliary. He shot to his feet. “She’d love to come.”

  Paige blinked several times, as though his outburst was out of place. “Yes, I’ll see you then.”

  “Wonderful.” The woman wandered off, no doubt to recruit more helpers for their latest service project.

  Paige took Addison by the hand and looked expectantly at Cody.

  Cody glared down at her, anger filling his mind and his face, making it burn.

  Paige squared her shoulders and stared back.

  Cody didn’t say a word. He just sprinted for the car, needing a moment to get himself under control, certain they would follow.

  Paige gave him more than a moment. She gave him a full half hour. When she and Addison finally got in the car, he snapped, “What took so long?”

  Paige clicked her seatbelt in place. “We waited to thank the pastor for the sermon, and Vicky introduced me and Addison to several women in the parish who meet to sew blankets for refugees. That’s the invitation you so graciously accepted for Thursday.”

  “Who’s Vicky?” Cody asked.

  Paige lifted her nose. “She’s the woman who sat in front of us. She overheard me say I can sew and thought I’d be an asset to the group.”

  Cody couldn’t seem to get a handle on his anger, and continued to throw questions at Paige like darts. “When is this?”

  “Thursday afternoon.”

  Twisting his hands around the steering wheel, Cody spoke slowly. “What about Addison?”

  Paige twisted in her seat to smile at Addison. “She’s invited.”

  “Good. You’re supposed to be making friends for Addison, not yourself.” Even as the words left his lips, Cody couldn’t understand where they were coming from. It was like another person had taken over his body and commandeered his mouth. Perhaps his emotional numbness had weakened his ability to control the level of passion Paige stirred up.

  Paige adjusted so she was facing Cody. “You’re the one that accepted without asking me.” Pausing, Paige closed her eyes, and Cody could swear he heard her counting in an effort to remain calm.

  Her struggle only fueled his anger. “Lunch can wait. Let’s go over your responsibilities right when we get home.”

  Paige narrowed her eyes. “We can meet in your office.”

  “Good idea.”

  Cody kept his eyes on the road and his mouth shut for the rest of the ride. He clung to his antagonism like a child with his favorite stuffed bear. This new perception and awareness in life was nothing if it didn’t help him feel more for Kylee. He didn’t want to see the colors in the world, not if it meant forgetting her.

  ***

  Paige’s stomach twirled the whole ride home. Once they parked in the garage, Cody turned around, and in a pleasant but strained voice he asked Addison if she would like to pick out a movie to watch.

  “Can I watch the princess one?”

  “Sure.” Cody smiled, but Paige noted he pushed too hard to bring it forward. He looked like a photographer trying to get a kid to smile for school pictures. She huffed and got out of the car.

  “Will you watch it with me?” Addison asked Paige.

  Paige immediately softened. “Me and your dad need to go over some things and get organized so I can take care of you this week. Maybe we can plan a movie night and have popcorn and snacks.”

  “Okay.” Addison bounced into the house.

  Paige sighed. The peaceful afternoon she’d been looking forward to was not going to happen with Cody barking like a rabid dog—and after he’d instigated their conversation in church. If he didn’t want to know what she could do, then why did he bother asking? Her head spun trying to figure out him and his mood swings.

  “What?” snapped Cody.

  Paige decided not to share her thoughts. “Nothing.” She went straight to the office and took a seat.

  As Cody took off his light grey suit coat and slung it over the back of a chair, Paige examined the office she had yet to see. The walls were the same cream color as the rest of the house. The big surprise was the artwork on the walls. Rocky Mountain wilderness scenes with elk, dense tree lines, and silvery-blue lakes created a distinctly masculine feel in the room. Cody’s desk was stained black walnut. A matching wainscot lined the room, and a ceiling fan circled lazily above them. Several pictures of Addison smiled back from the bookshelves. Two fly-fishing rods crossed on the far wall.

  Paige instantly liked the space. It was the first room in the house that said anything about the people who lived here, and about Cody in particular. His touch was everywhere, and Paige had a hard time getting settled with so much of him in the air.

  Cody pulled out his phone, and Paige followed his lead. “Addison has a dance class for the next two weeks—every day for an hour and a half. If she likes it, sign her up for the next session.”

  “And if she doesn’t?”

  “Then she can try gymnastics.”

  Paige raised her eyebrows as she typed the information into her calendar. When she was done, Cody’s phone beeped, letting her know his calendar had automatically updated. Trish, from BMB, had mentioned their apps were linked.

  Cody loosened his tie. “I’m not so archaic that I believe a wife should cook and clean for her husband.”

  Paige snorted. “I am.”

  “Excuse me?”

  She hurried to speak before he could wind up. “My mom cooks most nights. I’d planned on it when I signed on with Pamela.”

  It was Cody’s turn to raise his eyebrows.

  “We had assigned nights to help with dinner growing up—boys included. I enjoy cooking.”

  Cody drummed his fingers on the desk. “I’m not sure where to go with that. If I tell you to cook, then I’m a Neanderthal; if I tell you not to cook, then I’ve taken something away that you enjoy.”

  Paige pu
rsed her lips. Nothing was easy with this man! “It seems we’ve reached an impasse. If I don’t cook, I’ll resent you. If I do cook, I’ll be stepping on your toes.” She leaned back in her chair. “We could flip a coin.”

  A hint of a smile played on Cody’s lips, and his dimple appeared. Paige licked her suddenly dry lips.

  Glancing down at a small picture frame on his desk, Cody immediately sobered. Paige followed his gaze and saw Kylee’s beautiful face staring back. His reaction had been so quick and complete, it left no doubt in Paige’s mind that Cody’s late wife still had a major hold on his heart. She had no desire to compete with Kylee—no woman could compare to a ghost, especially not one like Kylee. She had been a few years older than Paige, and someone to look up to.

  Paige decided to withdraw from the race. From here on out, she was in complete control of her feelings, her hormones, and her lips.

  “I have a cook that comes on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday. You’re welcome to fill in on the other nights, and if you don’t feel like cooking, we can order out.”

  “Fair enough.”

  Cody tapped his phone. “The maid comes on Monday mornings to deep-clean. We pick up after ourselves the rest of the week.”

  Paige stifled her argument. By Addison’s age, Paige could clean a bathroom fairly well and knew how to dust. Even though she was hired to be Addison’s mother, she wasn’t in a position to challenge Cody’s philosophy on childhood responsibilities. She’d find other ways to teach the girl to work. Although, Addison had eagerly jumped in to help with dishes this morning, so there might be something in the works there already.

  Cody rolled a pen between his palms. He opened his mouth and closed it again. Finally, he nodded and said, “Addison has struggled with learning to read. I consulted a specialist, and she said Addison’s mind would benefit from motor movement. There are programs available, but she said a dance class would be a good first step.”

  Paige gripped the chair. No one had said a word about this to her before, and she had a hard time believing it. Nothing in Addison’s behavior or ability to communicate would have tipped Paige off to a learning disability.

  “I pulled her out of the school she attended last year and sort of …” Cody scratched his chin. “Burned a few bridges. We’ll need to enroll her somewhere else before fall.”

  Paige pressed her lips together, knowing there was no way Cody would expound on Addison’s difficulties—not in the mood he was in. And was he ever in a mood. A mood that made it more and more difficult for her to keep a level head.

  “Your top priority this year will be Addison’s well-being. You’re here at her request and for her benefit.” Though he sat behind a desk, Cody sounded like a drill sergeant before new recruits.

  That did it. Paige bristled. She hadn’t taken well to her dad’s controlling nature, and she sure as shootin’ wasn’t going to spend a year with Cody talking to her like she didn’t have the brains to string two thoughts together. “And what’s your role in this?” she demanded in the same tone of voice he’d just used.

  “My role? I’m her dad.”

  “Right. But what does that mean to you? Are you here for dinner every night? Do you coach her soccer team in the fall? Or are you kissing her goodbye and leaving her to me for the next year?”

  Cody leaned forward in his seat. His face darkened. “She’s my world.” He glanced at the picture again, and his shoulders fell. “She’s all I have left.”

  “What about your family, or ...” Paige swallowed. “Kylee’s parents?”

  “I’m not close with my parents. Never was. Kylee’s mom comes around once a month or so to visit. Her dad doesn’t like me much.”

  Paige’s hand flew to her chest. “That’s no excuse not to visit Addison.”

  Cody straightened his spine. “If you’re done prying, there are other dates to go over.”

  Paige stood. “Just put them in the calendar and I’ll look at them later.”

  “Are you leaving?” Cody asked angrily.

  “I’d better, or I’m going to say something I’ll regret.”

  Cody shot to his feet and circled the desk, blocking Paige from leaving. “Say it. Whatever it is.” He stuck his jaw out like he was waiting for a hit.

  Paige folded her arms and clamped her lips shut.

  “We’re going to have to work together for Addison’s sake. It’s best we clear the air.”

  ***

  Paige took a deep breath in through her petite nose. The tilt of her head seemed to say you asked for it, and Cody braced himself. “Since the moment we said I do, Addison has been my first concern. She’s wonderful and I’m enjoying getting to know her.”

  Cody pulled his chin back.

  “But you are a completely different story.” She poked him in the chest, and Cody was suddenly aware of how close they were standing. Close enough to smell honeysuckle and touch her cheek and run his hair through her curls. He wondered if curly hair was as soft as straight hair. “One minute you’re baiting me with a rakish smile—and the next minute you’re picking fights and spouting orders.”

  Cody’s mind scrambled to keep up with Paige’s painful honesty. Those muscles which had finally relaxed as he explained his concerns about Addison were in knots once again.

  She was just warming up. “And that’s just today. You’ve got me so turned around I don’t know if I should ignore you or go out of my way to be kind. I think you’re lonely and could use a friend, but the thought of getting closer to you scares the dickens out of me, because then I’d be within biting distance again. What did I do to make you so mad?”

  Cody was still caught on the rakish smile comment. That was a good thing, right? Women liked rakes. Some women liked rakes. Did Paige like rakes? Was that the type of guy she normally dated? Cody wasn’t a rake by nature. He was more of a good ol’ boy. Did girls date guys like him?

  “Well?” Paige put her hands on her hips.

  “I guess … I mean … I don’t know.” Cody ran his hands through his hair. “You get me so distracted I can’t think.” All I want to do is act—act like your husband. And I can’t!

  Paige went to the door. “We need a break. If you come up with an answer, let me know.” She left, and the oxygen went with her.

  Cody collapsed into the chair Paige had vacated, her sweet scent lingering. She was the most frustrating woman on the planet and he’d been dumb enough to marry her. Grabbing his phone off the desk, he punched in Gabe’s number.

  “She’s impossible,” Cody said.

  “Hello to you too,” joked Gabe.

  “Hi.” A movie soundtrack came through Gabe’s line, and Cody got up and made sure the door was shut. The last thing he needed was Paige overhearing his conversation as he vented about his marriage. It was petty and small, but if he didn’t get things out in the open he might just implode. “She’s killing me, Gabe.”

  “How so?”

  Cody searched for the right words. “She showed up with horses—three—and just expected to put them in my barn.”

  “Isn’t that the purpose of a barn?”

  “Not mine—not since Kylee died.”

  “It’s an honest assumption. She probably didn’t know.”

  Cody scrubbed his free hand through his hair. He hated to admit it, but Gabe was right. Who had a barn and didn’t allow horses in it? He blew out a breath. “It’s not just that. You should have seen her with Addison today.”

  “Was it bad?”

  “No! It was perfect. Everything I could have ever hoped Addison would have with a mother.”

  “You make it sound like that’s a bad thing.”

  “It is.”

  “How?”

  “Because Paige isn’t Kylee. It should be Kylee giggling with Addison and kissing her head and getting her ready for church—not Paige.”

  “So she’s good with Addison.”

  “Perfect,” Cody reiterated. “And not just with Addison. She can do anything. She rides like
a queen. She sings like an angel. She even plays the blasted fiddle.” Cody dropped his head into his free hand. “And she has this hair that just knocks you to your knees.”

  “Ooooooh. I see.”

  “What do you see? Because I’m having a hard time wrapping my brain around what’s going on here. I feel like a stranger has taken over my body, and I keep saying and doing stupid things.”

  “Hang on.” Gabe must have pulled the phone away from his ear, because Cody heard his and MaKayla’s voices but couldn’t understand their words. After just a few seconds, Gabe was back and the movie noises were gone. “First off, this isn’t about Paige. This is all about you.”

  Cody scrubbed at his head.

  “You’ve been alone with your memories of Kylee for four years. I’m guessing a part of you wants to keep things the way they are.”

  Cody grunted, not committing either way.

  “You’re a guy, Cody, flesh and blood. And you can’t ignore having a flesh-and-blood bride. Take it from someone who’s been there: it can be a very good thing.”

  Cody wanted to argue with Gabe—tell him he was a moron. Yet he couldn’t deny the way he felt when Paige was in the room. Maybe it was his biological self waking up after a long slumber. “Why Paige?” asked Cody. “Why not one of the nannies or women at the office who flirt with me? Why did it have to be her?” The one woman he couldn’t ignore or brush off.

  “I don’t know. I can’t wait to meet her, though. I’d love to see hair that would knock me to my knees.”

  “Man, shut up.” Cody took Gabe’s teasing. “I can’t think about Paige like that. It’s traitorous.”

  “So be a robot. But you’ve got to take it all the way. Stop saying stupid stuff. She doesn’t need your drama.”

  “You’re right. She’s not here to fix my issues.”

  The sound of the movie grew loud again. “You good now?” Gabe asked.

  Cody didn’t want to keep him from MaKayla any longer. “As good as I’m going to get.”

  “Hang on.” There was a pause, and Cody caught snippets of a conversation. “MaKayla wants to go to dinner on Friday. Will that work for you two?” Pause. “MaKayla says to bring Addison.”