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She takes a sip and lets out a moan that stirs me. I stare at the ceiling, trying to picture anything other than where my imagination is leading.
“I got you a cinnamon roll, too. Also, un-poisoned,” I add dryly.
“Goddamn it, I’d marry you right here and right now if you were normal and not such a jerk.”
“Careful, Paige. You might stop hating me.”
Paige side-eyes me as she bites into her cinnamon roll. “Just sit down. You’re making me nervous standing there.” She motions to the chair across from her desk.
Accepting her unusual invitation, I sit and sip my coffee. Theo, who’s now alert to the fact that we’re eating something without him, pokes his head up over the desk, and I give him some scratches. But I don’t see the raccoon anywhere.
“Where’s Pancake?” I ask.
“Visiting someone.” Her green eyes widen just a bit as she watches me take a bite. I wonder what that’s about. And then again, I don’t.
“What are you working on?” I ask, spotting the color-coded spreadsheet on her screen.
“Inventory for my bookstore. Beth’s helping me. I’m ready to get the online shop opened.”
“Can’t say I’ll be happy to lose you. You’ve been a big help around here.”
“Preston, are you actually giving me a compliment?” she presses, then looks around. “I didn’t seeEnd Timesanywhere in the weather forecast.” She suppresses a giggle, then takes another bite. “And no, I’m not going anywhere right away. It’s going to take a while to get it up and going.”
“The auction will help. I keep seeing things about it everywhere. I think it will be great.”
“Are you nervous about it?” she asks.
“No.”
“I wonder who will bid on Freedom Valley’s most eligible bachelor,” she flirts. Wait. Is she flirting with me? Heat fills me, and I suddenly don’t have anything to say back.
I don’t want my interest in keeping her around to show, so I revert to the old dynamic. “Did you hear the good news?” I ask smugly. “We’re going to be neighbors. I’ll be staying at Evan’s while they’re at the hospital.”
She stares at me and drops her cinnamon bun on her desk. She subtly licks frosting off her fingertips. Oh God.
“Why are you like this?” she jabs.
“Why areyoulike this?” I banter back. Then I stand up. “See you at home, Paige,” I say cheerfully and throw my wrapper into the trash bin beside her desk. I swipe my coffee and head to my office, whistling.
“I hate you!” she calls after me.
“I hate you more.”
* * *
Paige: When is Theo’s birthday?
Preston: No clue. Why?
Paige: You have no idea when your dog was born?
Preston: Sometime in August. Why?
Paige: Never mind. (Eye roll emoji)
Why does she want to know when my dog’s birthday is? That’s a new level of weird for Paige. And it’s weird that she’s texting me from down the hall instead of just coming back here to talk to me. I would rather she do that so that I can look at her while she’s being weird. As for myself, I generally look for excuses to go and ask her things.
My desk phone rings, and I answer it, but there’s no one on the line. It just keeps ringing. This happens a few times before I yell down the hall to Paige, “What’s wrong with the phone?”
