I might as well go home, she thought as she sat in her office counting the hours until it was time to leave. Paige stood up to arrange her books on the shelf and tried not to think about the sexy police officer who seemed to be around every time she needed rescuing. He seemed familiar but she just couldn’t place him. Chalking it up to him being the incarnation of the man of her dreams, sexy, strong, confident and sensual, Paige didn’t try too hard to remember. Instead, she fantasized about being wrapped up in those strong arms, his lips pressed against hers. Then she snapped back to attention.
“That man’s married,” she mumbled as she placed another book on the shelf. A sharp pain shot through her head. She stroked her cheek gently, only making the pain worse. Paige turned off the lights in her office and sat at her desk, wishing the pain away. Before she realized it, the day was over. Happily, Paige grabbed her briefcase and headed out the door, running into the man she’d dubbed Officer Fine and Friendly.
“How’s that eye?” he asked.
“I’ll live,” Paige said as she locked her office door. “Who knew high school was so dangerous. A hell of a way to start my first day.”
The officer didn’t crack a smile. He just offered to walk Paige to her car. Who’s this guy? Robocop? “So,” she said, trying to strike up conversation. “I don’t think we’ve been properly introduced. You are?”
“Officer Brian Jackson,” he said.
She extended her perfectly manicured hand to him. “Paige Grayson.” Brian shook her hand as they walked outside to the parking lot.
“Ms. Grayson, it’s nice to meet you. You make sure you take care of that eye.” He started for his car and Paige watched him as he walked away.
Mrs. Jackson’s a lucky woman, she thought as she pulled out the keys to her Mustang.
“Excuse me.” Paige whirled around to see Brian staring at her.
“Yeah?”
“Is that your car?”
Paige raised her eyebrow. Don’t you see me getting in it? “Yes, why?” “Nice,” he said, then quickly got into his patrol car.
Paige shot a questioning look his way as he drove off. Shaking her head, she got into the car, buckled her seat belt and then put the pedal to the metal and tore out of the parking lot. One thing she loved about Elmore was the open roads and lack of traffic. She could really floor it and tear up the pavement. But today she obeyed the speed limit. Her eye was throbbing and all she could think of was Brian Jackson. Why did he have to be married?
Paige pulled into her driveway, ready to put the hellish events of the day and thoughts of Brian behind her. She planned to listen to some John Coltrane and sip on a glass of Merlot with an ice pack on her eye. As she got out of the car, she noticed a blue and white Elmore Police Department car pulling into the driveway across the street. Paige glanced over to see who the neighborhood cop was. Her mouth dropped open as she watched Brian step out of the car. Their eyes locked as they registered the fact that they were neighbors. Paige waved and Brian returned the greeting.
“Who knew Robocop was my neighbor?” she joked.
“Make sure you keep your speed under control. I have a son and there are a lot of kids in the neighborhood,” he ordered.
Paige smirked. “I’ll be sure to do that, officer, sir.” She watched him as he disappeared inside his two-story brick house. She imagined Mrs. Jackson waiting for him with a piping hot meal, a cool drink, and his newspaper. She was jealous because all she had waiting for her were boxes and a splitting headache.
Brian hated coming home to an empty house. But that was going to change tomorrow, since Mickey was coming home. All he had to do was make it through the night. His mind drifted to Paige. He couldn’t believe that woman was the speeding shrew. How could someone that beautiful be that abrasive? He absentmindedly stroked his gold wedding band. No use in keeping it on. He snatched it from his finger and tossed it across the room. Out with the old, he thought as he leaned back on the sofa, ready to watch ESPN and clear his mind of his hellish day. Then there was a knock on the door. Brian figured that his day was about to get even worse. Who would be on his doorstep other than trouble? He walked to the door and pulled the ivory lace curtain back. To his surprise, Paige was standing there dressed in a pair of grey sweat pants and a Tennessee State University tank top. Her face, even with the purple bruise, was beautiful. Brian opened the door.
“I’m sorry to bother you,” she began. “But I don’t have any ice and I was wondering if I could borrow some from you.”
“Oh, okay. Come in.”
Paige timidly stepped inside the house. “I hope I’m not bothering you and your family.” She hung back by the door.
Brian walked into the living room and handed her a white dish- towel filled with ice cubes. “It’s just me tonight. Mickey is with his auntie.”
Paige bit her bottom lip as if she were holding back another question. “Thanks for the ice. I guess I’ll have to call Mrs. Anderson and tell her the ice maker is broken.”
“I’ll come take a look at it.” He followed her to the door.
Paige raised her hands. “No, you really don’t have to. I’m sure your wife will be home soon.”
Brian looked away, hiding the leaden hurt that clouded his eyes. “No, she won’t.” His voice was low and barely audible.
“I’m sorry?”
“I’m practically divorced.”
Paige glanced down at Brian’s left hand. The gold band was gone, just a pale ring of flesh was in its place. “Oh,” Paige said. “Uh, I just—”
Brian waved his hand and opened the door. “Forget about it.”
She followed him across the street, holding the homemade ice pack to her eye. Brian glanced back at her. He could tell that she wanted to ask more questions but was thankful that she didn’t. There was no way that Brian was going to get involved with another woman. Besides, this woman had a boyfriend, didn’t she? If she had a man, why didn’t he fix her icemaker?
“Ms. Grayson, why didn’t you get your boyfriend to take care of this for you?”
“Boyfriend?” Paige said as if it was a foreign concept.
“The guy who moved you in.”
“Oh, Patrick. He’s hardly my boyfriend,” Paige laughed. “We’re just really good friends.”
Brian shot her a questioning look. Likely story, he thought as he followed her inside. Boxes lined the walls of the living room. Paige’s leather sofa and love seat sat awkwardly in the middle of the floor, holding more boxes.
“Excuse my mess. I hate unpacking.”
Brian nodded. When they got in the kitchen, he opened the freezer door and began examining the icemaker. It was just as he’d suspected. The water tube was disconnected. He reconnected the tube and the machine began to hum.
“There you go.”
“I feel really blonde right now. I could’ve fixed that.” Paige grimaced as she placed the ice pack back on her eye.
Brian grabbed her hand and looked at her cheek. “You may need to go to the hospital.”
“Why?”
“You may have a broken bone in your cheek.”
Paige touched her cheek and shivered. Brian clasped his hands together. “I’ll drive you to the hospital if you want me to,” he said. Taking care of Paige would fill his evening with something to do. The silence in his house was deafening.
“I don’t need to go to the hospital,” she said. “It’s not broken.”
Brian looked at her. She was probably right, but he wanted to be sure because a face like that didn’t need any imperfections. What was he thinking? He had enough to deal with; he had to get away from her. He didn’t want to start feeling anything for her. But her eyes were hypnotic. They bored holes into his soul.
“All right then.” He started for the door.
“Hey,” Paige called out. “You have to let me at least buy you a cup of coffee and a muffin in the morning.”
“I’m just being a good neighbor. You don’t have to repay me.”
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p; Paige sighed. “It’s not about repaying you. I just want to show my appreciation. I don’t know anyone here and it wouldn’t hurt to have a cop for a friend.”
Acting as uninterested as possible, Brian said, “If it will make you feel better, then do it.”
Paige puffed her cheeks as if she were about to explode. “All I’m trying to do is be nice to you and you’re acting like a brooding asshole. Forget it. I’m sorry I bothered you, Robocop.” She dumped the ice out of the dishtowel and handed it to Brian. “Now we never have to speak again.”
“Good, because you’re crazy.” Brian stormed out of the house.
The next morning, fate made Paige and Brian leave for work at the same time. She shot him a contemptuous glance as he climbed into his squad car. His uniform hugged his athletic body. Paige looked away as Brian turned to look at her. She could feel him drinking her image in like a glass of water. Brian couldn’t help admiring her. Her ivory outfit accented her bronze skin and fabulous eyes. Her afro was pulled up in a puffy ponytail and her plum-shaped toes peaked out of silver stiletto sandals. Brian turned away from her. Paige hopped in the car and peeled out of the driveway.
Brian watched her as she peeled out of the driveway and sped off. Obviously, the car was moving faster than the posted 25 miles per hour speed limit. He pulled out of the driveway behind her, flipping on the blue lights and siren.
“What the hell?” she mumbled as she looked in the rearview mirror. “What’s Robocop trying to prove?”
Paige stopped the car and rolled the window down as Brian walked over.
“Ma’am, I need your driver’s license and registration.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“You were speeding, Ms. Grayson. Now I need your license.”
Paige mumbled under her breath as she dug in her purse for her wallet. She handed Brian the information he requested.
Brian looked down at her driver’s license and smiled. He handed it back to her. “I’m letting you go with a warning. Slow down, Paige. And you have thirty days to switch your driver’s license and tags to reflect your South Carolina address.”
She rolled her eyes at him and snatched her driver’s license from his hand.
“Have a good day, ma’am,” Brian said.
Paige fought the urge to tell him what she really thought of his warning. I can’t stand him, she thought as she drove away, following the posted speed limit. Paige was about five minutes late for work, raising the ire of Dr. Sullivan.
“Ms. Grayson, you’re late,” he said.
“Today isn’t the day,” she mumbled.
“Excuse me?”
“I was stopped by the police, sorry I’m late,” she said, her voice syrupy sweet.
“Oh. How’s your eye?”
Paige touched the faint bruise on her cheek. “It’s fine.”
“I’m sorry that happened. This place is turning into a madhouse. I’m glad we have some protection here.”
Paige rolled her eyes. Protection? More like aggravation. “Well, high school can be wild.” She turned toward her office. Once inside, she began flipping through her students’ files. She tried to push Brian out of her mind, but then he walked by her office. Her blood pressure rose ten points. How could someone that sexy be such a jackass? Paige decided that she wasn’t going to let Brian bother her. Forget him, she thought. I don’t need this stress.
Brian willed himself not to look in Paige’s office. He held his breath as he walked by. He knew she was pissed off about him stopping her this morning, but he was doing his job. And, Paige had an attitude that pushed him over the edge. Brian wondered how she, of all people, had become a guidance counselor. Wait a minute. Why am I even thinking about that foul-mouthed shrew?
Brian didn’t want to admit it, or maybe he just couldn’t, but he was attracted to her. Those golden eyes and that fiery attitude excited him. Brian hadn’t been this drawn to a woman since Olivia. He stepped in the boys’ bathroom to compose himself. Paige was a dangerous distraction that he didn’t need.
CHAPTER FIVE
For the next six months, Paige and Brian did a good job of avoiding each other at home and at work. She didn’t even look in his direction when she walked in and out of her house. Brian was busy with his son and didn’t notice that Paige was ignoring him.
When the school year ended, Brian was happy because he wouldn’t have to see Paige—except for glances across the street every now and then.
“Daddy!” Mickey said early one Saturday morning when he burst into the bedroom. “Let’s go to the park.”
Brian looked at the clock. It was six-thirty and all he wanted to do at this hour was enjoy the vacation time that the chief had allowed him to take before he was worked back into the traffic patrol rotation later in the summer. But even if he were on duty today, he wouldn’t be up this time of the morning.
“It’s a little too early.” Sleep deepened his voice.
“Come on!” Mickey hopped up on the bed, jumping up and down. Brian grabbed his son’s leg, pulling him down on the bed.
“Hey kid, it’s Saturday. The day you’re supposed to sleep late,” he said as he tickled the boy’s stomach. Mickey giggled and wiggled out of his father’s clutches.
“Come on, Daddy! Let’s go to the park.”
“We will, but not right now. Daddy needs some rest.”
Mickey pouted, pulling at Brian’s heartstrings. He sat up in the bed. “How about this,” Brian began. “Why don’t we go have breakfast at Soul to the Bone and then we can go to the park, later.”
Mickey’s eyes glistened with joy. “Okay.”
“But first, you have to take a bath, brush your teeth, and get dressed.”
Mickey hopped off the bed and ran into the bathroom. Brian sat up in the bed, wishing he had half of the energy his son had. Then he stood up and opened the curtains. The sun came beaming in. He lazily looked across the street at Paige’s house and was surprised to see her standing at the end of the driveway, dressed in a black Nike sports bra and a pair of black spandex shorts. Brian couldn’t turn away from her shapely figure, her long, toned legs, muscular thighs and washboard flat stomach. Erotic thoughts danced though his mind as Paige stretched.
Too damn sexy, he thought, forcing himself to turn away. Within seconds, Brian was staring again, watching as Paige ran down the street, her shapely behind bouncing up and down as she moved. Brian ran his hand over his face. She’s still crazy. I don’t care how fine she is, he thought, heading to the bathroom to check on Mickey. Just as he suspected, his son was playing with his plastic ships and divers in the tub. Brian smiled as he watched Mickey submerge his sailboat. How could Olivia give this up?
Brian wondered if his former wife was happy with the decision she’d made. Mickey had spoken to his mother often since she left, but he hadn’t seen her and Brian was tired of making excuses for her when Mickey asked when Mommy was going to visit. Didn’t she know that she was hurting her son more than she was hurting Brian? He was actually okay with ending his marriage. When the papers came in the mail, he hadn’t thought twice before signing them. All he did was sign away a lie.
“All right, champ, clean behind those ears so we can go,” he said. Mickey obeyed and pushed his toys aside. After Brian showered and dressed, the Jackson men headed to Soul to the Bone, Elmore’s favorite restaurant. As they were pulling out of the driveway, Paige was jogging up the block. Sweat caused her body to shimmer like the sun reflecting on a quiet brook. Brian stopped abruptly as he watched her jog into the yard. His loins ached for her. Brian shook his left leg, willing his hormones to calm down, but the throbbing hardness between his legs wouldn’t go away.
Mickey shot his father a questioning look. “What’s wrong, Daddy?” “Nothing,” Brian replied. “I just wanted to test the brakes.” Mickey shrugged his shoulders. One day, Brian thought, he’ll understand.
Paige collapsed on her sofa after her three-mile run. She hadn’t taken a run in months and she co
uld feel it. Her legs burned, her lungs sucked oxygen at an alarming rate, and her stomach contracted from hunger pains. She sat up slowly, then stood and made her way into the kitchen. Paige opened the refrigerator, but the cups of yogurt and fresh fruit were not what she wanted. Her mouth watered for buttery grits, cheese eggs, and a big waffle dripping with sweet maple syrup, something that would insure she’d run again in the morning. The only place she could think of where she could get that kind of breakfast was Soul to The Bone. Not bothering to change her clothes, she dashed to her car and headed for the restaurant. Paige sped down the street, ignoring Brian’s warning to slow down. Since school was out, she’d only seen glimpses of him. She was just fine with that because that man was too uptight for his own good. Paige didn’t need someone always reminding her about the rules because she wasn’t a child. Besides, the first chance she got, she was going to Nashville to spend her summer break, where she would definitely have fun. She missed Patrick and their late night trips to the Bourbon Street Blues and Boogie Bar.
That’s it, she thought as she pulled into the crowded parking lot and got out. I’m getting online to book a flight ASAP. Smiling as she thought about the fun waiting for her in Nashville, Paige didn’t notice the man and little boy walking out the door and bumped into the man, causing him to spill his orange juice down the front of her shirt.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” he said.
Paige looked up at Robocop, then down at his son. “It was my fault,” she said sweetly. “I should’ve been paying attention.” Paige smiled at Mickey. “How are you, sweetheart?”
The little boy blushed. “Okay.”
Paige turned her gaze to Brian, who was staring at her erect nipples. Paige crossed her arms over her chest. “Robo-Officer Jackson, I’ll buy you another juice if you would like.”
Brian shook his head. “That’s okay. You enjoy your breakfast.”
Another Chance to Love Page 4
