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“Yes,” she stammers, her face even more flushed. We’re so close that I can feel the heat of her body next to mine.
She usually only reaches my chest when she’s standing, but today, she’s a little taller with her heels on, making her legs look even more amazing. I want to pick her up and wrap those legs around me and kiss the hell out of her. And I think she knows it by the way she’s looking at me. She leans into me as much as I’m leaning into her.
“You think you’re pretty funny pulling that stunt with the suit?” I tell her, my lips just inches from hers.
“Sofa suit,” she whispers with a giggle, covering her mouth.
“Sofa suit, really?” I lean in even closer, and now we’re almost nose to nose.
“Of course I think it’s funny. Almost as funny as you Saran wrapping the toilet.” She bites her lip nervously.
“Oh, hey, guys. Are we interrupting?” Mellie stands in the doorway with a huge grin on her face.
I step back. “We’re just discussing your suit prank.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” she says with a deer in the headlights look.
Paige scoots out from around the table. “I better get Pancake ready.” She glances back at me, her face still pink. I wink at her and enjoy the way her face gets even more flushed.
* * *
The party’s in full swing, and I must admit, it’s a lot of fun. The Harpers love to have any excuse to bring the community together, and apparently, Theo is as good an excuse as any. Everyone brought a bag of dog food as a donation to the Freedom Valley animal shelter and left it in the back of Logan’s truck. We ended up with thirty-two bags in total. Even some of Evan’s biker friends rolled up with donations. Watching bikers, guests of the inn, and Freedom Valley residents all mingle was also fun. This place has a way of bringing everyone together, despite where they’re from or what side of town they live on. That’s what makes this place special.
I think about what life was like for me back in Boston. I never had fun like this, and definitely not with so many people from so many different walks of life. I love it here, I realize. This is what life should be like. Fun and not too serious.
My eyes drift across the room, and I catch Paige smiling and laughing, flipping her red curly waves behind her, with her blue glasses propped on top of her head. When her eyes catch mine, her mouth twitches and she stares just a little too long. Not that I’m complaining.
To be honest, Paige stirs things inside me I don’t trust to be stirred. I was with my ex, Olivia, for a long time before she left me for Blake. Something no one in my family seemed to have a problem with. In fact, they made it pretty clear I needed to accept it and move on. How can I accept my former long-term girlfriend marrying my brother? And they just expect me to go to the wedding and accept her as a sister? Not happening. Sometimes I wonder what I was even doing with Olivia in the first place. I was trying to fit into that world with my family where I never belonged. I’m not like them. And I never will be.
But Paige is nothing like Olivia. She makes life fun. She’s like a walking kaleidoscope, and she’s not wrong when she tells me I live a sad, beige life. Truth is, I want someone like Paige. Someone who reminds me not to take life too seriously and to be more carefree.
I want to be with her. But if I get attached, then lose her, like I did Olivia, it would hurt like hell. If I wasn’t good enough for Olivia, how can I be good enough for someone as extraordinary as Paige? I feel like I work for my worth, and it gets so tiring. In my family, I was only valued by what I could bring to the table. I made a habit of doing that when I came to Freedom Valley, too. I helped with everyone here, and the crazy part is they never asked me to. They accepted me as I am without asking for a thing. I’m learning that I don’t have to prove myself to anyone. It’s okay to just love and accept people as they are. Something my family was never about.
“Want a treat?” Paige appears next to me with two caramel apples on a plate.
“Is it poisoned?” I ask, hesitating.
She gives me an incredulous look. “No. It’s delicious.” As she picks one up and takes a big bite, my eyes don’t leave her glossy pink lips.
I pick the other one up and take a big bite. I immediately regret it when my eyes begin to water. I lean over and spit it out behind the tent. “What the hell, Paige?”
She takes another bite. “What?” she asks, looking all innocent.
“It’s an onion. Jesus, you’re a sadist.” I wipe my tongue with a napkin and search for a drink. Anything to get the awful, bitter taste out of my mouth.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” she says, then saunters off, chomping on her own apple, her shoulders shaking hard as she tries not to laugh.
“Payback is a bitch,” I warn.
I swipe a bottle of water and notice the sheet being passed around on a clipboard. I pick it up when it comes to me. It’s the auction sign-up, and I quickly scrawl my name on the list. It’s for a good cause, I remind myself.
“It’s nice of you to support Paige.” Beth smiles.
“Sure, what’s the auction like?” I ask, afraid of the answer.
“The participants are auctioned off for a picnic with someone in town. There are a lot of old ladies here in town who want to have a little picnic with single and even taken guys. But it’s all in good fun, so it’s not a big deal.” She laughs. “It’s no secret that Mrs. Winters has her eyes set on Evan. She knitted him at least a dozen hats for Benny and Eden. He’s less than thrilled, but he’ll sit through a picnic if it means helping Paige get her bookstore up and going and recoup some of the money she lost.”
My heart softens. I am glad I agreed to help. I’m not thrilled with the idea of losing her as my office manager, but I want her to be successful with her bookstore.
