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“Paige saved all our butts,” Ben called out.
“Well Paige promised to cut out this nonsense,” Aaron informed them.
She shook her head and patted her leg to get Maggie’s attention. She jerked her head and Maggie bounded after her towards the waiting helicopter. They were all arguing and trying to one up the other that they weren’t paying any attention to her, and she was fully ready to take advantage of it.
They were all crazy, every single one of them and she was not going to stick around and watch them argue over her as though she couldn’t make up her own mind. She patted the floor of the copter and Maggie jumped right in. She followed her in and was about to close the door when a hand snagged her arm and she found herself being lifted out.
“Put me down,” she said pushing at Joel’s chest. “God…next time Iwilllet you rot down there.”
A deep growl stopped her struggle as Maggie jumped out of the helicopter and advanced on Joel. “Joel, put me down.”
He released her and Maggie stepped between them staring the man down until she snapped her fingers and called out to her. “Maggie…easy girl.”
“Your dog’s as nuts as you are?” he questioned.
“Me? What about you? You forcefully remove me from my own helicopter and think my dog’s not going to be annoyed by it? Jesus Joel…you hadnoright to do that,” she whispered harshly.
“No? How about this then Paige, you either stay for a visit, with or without the fiancé or I tell himexactlywhat happened when you came after me,” he replied just as quietly, “or maybe I should say how you cameforme. What would he say if he knew about our little dalliance in the cave? Would you even have a wedding shower to go back for?”
“You’re blackmailing me? Really? Of course, you are…you’re no better than anyone else from that stupid mine, and to think there was a time I actually thought I loved you. Thank you, Joel, for reminding me exactly why I left in the first place. None of you can tell the truth when it really matters, only when it’ll get you something,” she said whipping around and stalking back towards the crowd.
“Paige,” Aaron stated trying to get her attention.
“Paige honey,” Cord also tried as she walked through the gathered group towards the main building.
“Paige, would you stop being such a drama queen?” Sam said.
“Paige, where are you going now?” Jesse inquired.
“Paige is tired of hearing everyoneelsetell her what to do or what she should be doing. Paige is irritated beyond belief that no one here is bothering to ask whatshewants. But mostly Paige is tired and is going inside to take a shower so if you’d be nice enough to bring my bag up to the washroom, I’d appreciate it because I’m not talking toanyof you until after that,” she said holding the door open for Maggie to follow her. “I also wouldn’t suggest trying to get through Maggie. She’s sensitive to my moods and right now it’s highly unlikely that I’ll call her off.”
She disappeared inside and stalked up to the washroom. Maggie laid down in front of the door after she closed it and she knelt to kiss the top of her head laughing as she was rewarded with a wet kiss in return.
The shower pulsed down her shoulders and she relaxed into the wall as the heat began to soothe away the tension. Aaron might have surprised her, but she was the one who’d surprise him if he found out about her activities in the past six hours. Keeping him from finding out was the only thing she was truly concerned with because losing him would leave her open to Joel’s advances and another go around with him would most likely destroy her. The last time it had killed the largest part of her and she knew she wouldn’t make it out again.
∞∞∞
“Want to share how you got my sister to stay?” Sam asked as Joel exited the shower. “Because less than twenty minutes before you seemed to not care if she stayed and made it seem as though you didn’t have any pull with her.”
“Let’s just say we came to an understanding and leave it at that,” he stated pulling on the clean pair of clothes he’d pulled from his locker.
“Come on it’s me…Sam, your friend, the guy who could always tell when you were lying. The one who knows that you’re still in love with my little sister.”
“I used a bit of knowledge to blackmail her into staying. Told her I’d tell herfiancé…” he said the scoffing on the word, “all about it if she didn’t at least stay and let your dad get to know him.”
“So you’re just going to sit back and let this guy schmooze his way into our family? Let him take her back to Maine where we’ll likely never see her again?” Sam asked watching closely to see if he could get a reaction out of him. “Let him sweep her away on a honeymoon and make babies that should have been yours?”
“Sam, shut it,” he said harshly as he turned away, his dark eyes glowering at the ideas Sam had just planted.
“Not over her are you? Not that I blame you my sister did get her looks from our mom and every guy from a hundred miles around was crushing on her, but she only had eyes for you until now. But I guess that doesn’t bother you, does it? The idea of them going back to Maine, sleeping together, having sex…”
“I said shut it Sam,” he said slamming his fist into the metal box that held the paper towels.
“Whoa there Rambo. What was that for? Holy hell,” Sam said catching sight of Joel’s tense face. “What happened in the mountain cause you weren’t the least bit surprised when she said she was getting married. How’d you know?”
“Let’s just say we had our own argument before coming down.”
“I know Paige, she wouldn’t just volunteer the fact that she was engaged, especially not to you, so what do you have on her that got her to stay?” he asked watching Joel, his face didn’t change but the slightest hint of something flashed through his eyes and Sam knew. “Oh my god…” he added laughing, “you two did it again, didn’t you? You argued until the only thing left to do was either strangle the other or have sex. Christ Joel, you had sex with my sister in the mountain after being trapped down in the mine for sixty hours or so and then climbing all the way up there? Tell me, was this before or after you found out about the dweeb out there?”
