“Yes, ma’am,” he said as he bounded down the hall.
Gabrielle grabbed Brian’s hand and pulled him into his bedroom. “Lesson one,” she said as she opened the closet door. “Women like to be impressed. Jeans and a tee shirt are fine, but not for a first date. And you’re ugly, so you have to work a little harder to get a good woman.”
Brian thumped Gabrielle on the arm. “If I’m ugly, I look like you,” he said.
“Sit down, grasshopper,” Gabrielle said. “Now, lesson two—don’t be lame.”
“Paige and I have had conversations before,” he said.
Gabrielle pulled out a pair of tan slacks and held them in front of her face. Turning to Brian, she smiled. “And just what have you and Paige talked about?” She dropped the pants on the bed.
“Noneya.”
“What?”
“None of your business. Now get out of my room, I know how to dress.”
Gabrielle ignored him and continued her search for a shirt to go with his pants. “How about this,” she said as she pulled out a white Polo shirt. “Maybe you should wear shorts. It’s hot today.”
Walking over to his sister, Brian grabbed her by the arm, then ushered her out of his room. “Feed my child and mind your business.” A few moments later, he heard the front door close and headed for the shower to prepare for his date.
At five, Brian was knocking on Paige’s door. His breath was taken away when she opened the door and walked out. He nearly dropped the picnic basket in his hand.
The camel-colored sundress she wore hugged her body like a second skin and her breasts seemed to scream for his touch. He looked at her and smiled. “I feel underdressed,” he said as he pulled at his shirt.
“You look fine. Maybe I should change.”
“Don’t you dare,” he said. “You look great.”
“Thank you.”
He held his arm out to her. “Let’s go,” he said. He led her to his F-150.
“Of course you drive a truck. This totally looks better than the patrol car,” she said as she slid into the passenger seat.
Her lips, her chocolate-colored skin and curly hair mesmerized Brian. Her words didn’t register with him.
“Brian.”
“What?”
“Are you all right?”
“I was just taken aback by your beauty and that’s not a line.” He got behind the wheel and started the truck.
Paige turned away from him, trying to hide her smile.
Brian reached over and touched her wooly hair. It felt as soft as new cotton. “Your hair is beautiful. Everything about you just knocks me out.”
Paige faced him. “You’re too much,” she said, stroking his hand. “And normally, I punch people who touch my hair without permission.”
Brian smiled. “Duly noted.”
After driving a short distance, he pulled into the parking lot of the park. As they got out of the truck, he grabbed the basket that sat between them. Paige pointed to a spot underneath a tree near the stage. “Can we sit there?”
“Great minds think alike, I was eying that as well.” They crossed over to the tree and Brian unfurled a blanket so they could sit down. Then he pulled out two juice boxes, handing one to Paige. “I thought Mickey was coming with us, so I packed these and forgot to switch them.”
Paige took the yellow box and smiled warmly. “You’re really good with him.”
“I have to be. I don’t want this divorce to affect him later in life. I want things to be as normal as they can be, even though that’s hard without his mother around,” Brian said wistfully.
Paige gently stroked Brian’s shoulder. Her soothing touch calmed and comforted him. He turned to her and smiled. “I don’t want to bring you down with my problems.”
“I’m a good listener,” she murmured.
“So, is that an invitation for me to lay my burdens down on you?”
She shrugged. “My couch is open to you anytime.”
“You’re going to regret saying that. I might be on your sofa every day.”
“You can’t have that many problems,” she said.
Brian smiled pensively, thinking that Paige had no clue as to how deep his problems ran. He hadn’t had a good night’s sleep in months. Every time he closed his eyes, he wondered when Mickey would scream for his mother again. Though Brian tried not to think of Olivia, she popped into his mind without a moment’s notice.
Paige touched his shoulder. “Are you all right?”
He turned to Paige, hoping to lose himself in her eyes. “I’m fine,” Brian whispered. The smooth sounds of the Sandhills Jazz Band began to fill the air, giving him a valid reason to close his eyes. He was sure Paige thought he was lost in the music, but actually he was remembering the days that he and Olivia had spent in this same park, watching Mickey play on the swings while they exchanged kisses. Brian opened his eyes, half expecting to see his ex-wife in front of him, but it was Paige’s beautiful eyes that stared at him.
“Paige, I’m sorry, I can’t do this.”
“Do what?”
“As much as I want to be here with you, I’m not ready to start dating again.”
Paige’s sculptured eyebrow shot up. “Brian, you asked me to come here. It’s just a concert. I’m not trying to be your wife.”
“You’re a beautiful woman and I don’t want to cheat you. I don’t want to weigh you down with all my baggage.”
She rolled her eyes and stood up. “You make it seem as if I’m pressuring you for something and that’s not the case, Brian Jackson. So take your baggage and stick it up your ass.”
She ran off from the spot where Brian stood, leaving him filled with regret. Why was he pushing her away when he wanted her in his life?
Cursing herself for wearing her stylish stiletto sandals, Paige began to walk the mile and a half to her house from the park. Soon her feet were throbbing and she could feel a blister forming on the side of her left foot. As she stopped on the sidewalk to massage her aching feet, a truck pulled along beside her. Paige didn’t have to look to know it was Brian.
“Paige, get in and let me drive you home.”
“No. There’s not enough room in the truck for me and your baggage.”
Brian stopped his truck in the middle of the road and hopped out. Paige started walking again, ignoring the pain in her feet.
“Stop and let me explain.”
She turned around and focused her angry stare on him. “I’ve heard enough from you,” she snapped. “You’re not ready. And I’m tired of your mixed signals. At night you want to steal kisses but you’re not ready to date when the sun comes up. You want what you want when you want it and to hell with anyone else. You’re selfish.”
He sighed as she walked away. “I don’t want to be hurt again,” he blurted out. “When Olivia walked away from me, it hurt. I’m not totally over it and what it’s done to my son, but I do want you in my life.”
She stopped in her tracks, whirled around and looked at Brian, her eyes narrowed into tiny gold slits. “What? So I’m supposed to hold a place for your wife? And if she decides to come back, what then?”
“I don’t know what the future holds. I just—” Brian stopped talking and grabbed Paige. She struggled not to fall into his embrace. His big, strong hands felt as if they were made to hold her. Paige rolled her eyes as he stroked her shoulders.
“Paige, I’m sorry if I hurt you.”
“Me, hurt by you? That would imply that I care.” She pushed him in the chest. “Just leave me the hell alone and go lick your wounds about your ex-wife.”
“Is that what you want?” Brian asked.
“That’s what you want.” Paige poked him in the chest. Then she began to walk away. She was definitely going to Nashville for the rest of the sum- mer. She was a fool to try and get involved with Brian. She knew he was fresh off a divorce, but she’d thought he wanted her too. Now he was saying that he wasn’t ready. Did he think she was going to be his bed warmer unt
il his wife came back? Paige was hardly second string and if Brian Jackson thought she was going to sit on the bench, he was wrong. She looked up and saw his truck beside her.
“Don’t do this,” he said. “Get in the truck and let me drive you home.”
“Brian, get it together. If you want to feel sorry for yourself, then do it.” Paige turned off the sidewalk and headed through a grassy field that led to the neighborhood.
When she reached her house, she rushed inside and snatched up the phone. She dialed Patrick’s number.
“Yeah?” he said when he answered.
“Is that how I taught you to answer the phone?”
“Paige? Is that you? After all of these months you finally decided to call somebody. How are you?”
“Missing a real city. Don’t you want me to spend the summer with you?”
“Not really, but I guess I will.”
Paige sighed. “I’m not really in the mood for jokes. I just need to get away from Elmore.”
“Oh Lord, who did you piss off now?”
“Why do I have to be the one who pissed someone off? Maybe someone pissed me off.”
“What happened? And start from the beginning.” “
Pat, nothing happened. I just miss you,” she said.
“You lie like the dirt underneath the rug. What happened, Paige?”
She groaned. “For the last time, nothing happened. Nothing worth talking about, anyway. Patrick, it’s summer and I want to come to Nashville and hang out. There’s nothing to do here.”
“And his name is?”
Paige rolled her eyes, disgusted at how transparent she was. “Remember my neighbor?”
“What did you do?”
“Shut up and let me tell the story.” Paige recounted her history with Brian and the blow up they’d had at the park.
“Paige, that man just went through a divorce. You can’t expect him to just jump into a relationship with you. Give him time. It seems like he cares for you. And you know that you’re hard on the opposite sex sometimes.”
“He shouldn’t be giving me mixed signals if he’s still pining for his ex. And he shouldn’t have kissed me.”
“Paige, quit whining, okay? If you like him, you’re going to have to hop off that high horse and consider his feelings. Unlike you, he has a son to consider. If his wife left him, then the last thing he’s going to do is put himself in a position where that might happen again. Let’s face it, Paige, you’re not the most stable tree in the forest.”
“You know what?” Paige snapped.
Patrick cut her off before she could continue. “I know you owe him an apology. From what you described, Paige, you behaved like a spoiled brat. This man opened up to you and basically you spit in his face.”
“I didn’t—”
Patrick cleared his throat, signaling that he wasn’t finished. “Dinner, flowers, and a lot of ass kissing is what you owe him.”
She plopped down on the sofa and stared out the front window. “You’re right, but when he kissed me I just felt so, I don’t know—alive. Brian Jackson moved me.”
“Well, stop acting like the Paige that I know and show that man some compassion. Look at the time, I have to go. I have a date.”
“Who is she?” Paige asked. The dial tone sounded in her ear. Paige took a deep breath and watched as Brian climbed out of his truck. Show him some compassion, echoed in her head. Paige opened the door and walked outside. It was now or never.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Brian forced himself not to look over his shoulder when he heard the front door across the street open and close. “Brian,” he heard her call out.
Slowly, he turned around, putting on his best poker face. His heart was beating in overdrive, though. But he wouldn’t let Paige know it. His black eyes were emotionless as they peered into her golden ones. “What is it?” he asked calmly.
“I’m sorry.”
Brian continued walking toward the front porch. “Did you hear me?” she asked, her voice going up an octave.
“Paige, I don’t need what you bring to my life right now. If you can’t understand what I’m going through, then maybe you need to stay over there and I’ll stay over here.”
Paige nodded. “I deserve that. I was wrong for acting the way I did. I shouldn’t have left the park like that because you were just being honest.” She took a step toward him. Brian looked at her, still showing his poker face.
Paige continued. “I can’t say that I understand what you’re going though, because I’ve never loved and lost someone.”
Brian closed his eyes. She’d never been in love? He wasn’t really shocked. He doubted that Paige would let a man see her real self and her flashes of rage were enough to scare any sane man away. Why am I standing here, then? he thought.
“Just stop,” he said. “You know what I’m dealing with and my son is the most important thing in my life.”
Paige nodded. “Will you just let me make things right between us?”
Brian smirked. A thousand ideas danced through his mind as to how Paige could make things right. Quite a few of them involved her getting naked, putting her lips against his and pressing her hips into his. But Brian didn’t want an immediate physical relationship with Paige. He wanted to know her, find out who the real Paige Grayson was and why she drove so fast all the time. What he knew for sure was that she wasn’t the kind of woman that you casually romanced and occasionally had sex with. “And how are you going to do that, Miss Grayson?”
“I have my ways. It’s still early. How does a steak dinner sound?”
“I’ll pass. Mickey will be back soon and I need to spend some time with him.”
Paige nodded. “I understand.”
Brian smiled, and then looked at her. “If you toss in a few hamburgers with that steak dinner, maybe we can renegotiate,” he said.
“Consider it done,” she said. “And Brian, I’m really sorry that I acted like such a jackass at the park.”
Brian waved goodbye to Paige as she walked across the street. He couldn’t understand his attraction to Paige. Her temper was a fire he didn’t want to get burned by. She drove him crazy, but something about her stirred his insides and made him want to wrap his arms around her and never let go. She was nothing like Olivia, who hid her feelings or calmly talked about things. Paige wore her feelings on her sleeve and in her golden eyes. Her face was a road map to her heart. He knew what he said to her had hurt, but he had to be honest with her. The very last thing he wanted was to lead Paige on when he didn’t know if he was ready to be involved in another relationship. Brian sat in the living room, wondering if he should let Paige into his life.
Who am I fooling? She’s already in my life, he thought.
Paige placed the raw steaks in a bed of seasoned salt, black pepper, garlic and onion powder. She set the pan in the refrigerator, then grabbed a package of ground beef and began forming patties with fast food precision. She sprinkled a little salt and pepper on the patties, then wrapped them up in plastic wrap and put them in the pan with the steaks. Next, Paige pulled a can of baked beans from the cabinet, opened it and poured the beans in a pot and turned the stove on low. After cutting up a small onion, she dropped it in with the beans. As she sprinkled red pepper and salt in the pot, there was a knock at the door. Paige wiped her hands on a dishtowel before answering it. To her surprise, Brian’s sister Gabrielle was standing there.
“Hi,” Paige said.
“I’m sorry to barge over here like this. May I come in for a minute?”
“Sure,” Paige replied with a little trepidation in her voice.
Gabrielle walked in, flinging her hair back. She turned around and looked at Paige. “I know you’re wondering why I’m here.”
Paige smiled and nodded. “I’m a little curious.”
Gabrielle sat down on the sofa as if she had been invited. “Look, my brother likes you and I want him to be happy.”
“Gabrielle, I just met Brian and we’re
getting to know each other.”
Gabrielle smiled. “There’s something you should know about Brian. He just doesn’t let people into his life. He sees something special about you. And so do I. I just don’t want you to hurt him. If you do, I’ll come after you.”
“Is that a threat?”
Gabrielle stood up. “Consider it a friendly warning. Paige, I’m not trying to be ugly. It’s just that after Olivia left him and Mickey, Brian was crushed. If I could have gotten my hands on her...let’s just say I don’t want to see my brother like that ever again.”
“You and Brian must be really close,” Paige said.
Gabrielle had a far-off look in her eyes. “When my dad died, Brian took up the slack, even though he’s only a few years older than me. He’s loved one woman his entire life and she broke his heart and that little boy’s heart. All Mickey talked about today was his mother. He hasn’t seen her since she left. What kind of mother is that? I watched their marriage sink into the toilet and it wasn’t pretty.”
Paige shuddered as Gabrielle’s words sank in. “Gabrielle, you love Brian and I know you want to protect him and Mickey, but we’re just friends. I’m not going to hurt him and you’re not going to have to come after me.”
“I hope not,” she said. “Besides, I see you in Brian’s life for a long time. Mickey likes you too.”
Paige smiled. “He’s a precious little boy.”
Gabrielle nodded. “And I don’t want him hurt behind all of this.”
The last thing Paige would ever do was cause Mickey any more pain. “You know what?” Paige said. “I’m cooking dinner for Mickey and Brian tonight. Why don’t you join us?”
“No, but thanks for the invite. I have to work this evening. You guys have a good time.” Gabrielle opened the door. “And remember what I said. Brian, despite all of his macho bravado, is fragile.”
Paige found that hard to believe. Brian and fragile didn’t seem to belong in the same sentence. She waved to Gabrielle as she flounced out of the house.
Another Chance to Love Page 7
