After smiling at her, I head to my lonely bedroom and spend the night thinking about my girl two doors down. I keep telling myself it’s only for a short time. I’ll let Paige have her time, but as soon as possible, I’ll sweep in and tie her to me. She won’t even see it coming.
The next morning, Roger stands pitifully at the front bay window and watches as we drive away. The cat is smart enough to know that Paige taking her computer and suitcase is a bad sign. I follow Paige to her house then help her carry all her things in. She turns to me and smiles. “What are your plans for the rest of the day?”
I push a stray hair behind her ear and smile. “I was hoping you’d spend the day with me. I work a twenty-four-hour shift tomorrow and want to spend all the time with you that I possibly can.”
Paige shrugs. “I’m all yours.”
Not yet, but I plan to make you all mine soon, then I’m never letting you go.
Chapter Eight
Paige
I knew I was most of the way in love with Trace, but when he took me on our first date, I fell the rest of the way. So hard. There’s no turning back now.
We were having lunch, and I mentioned how much I wanted my own pet. At first, Trace thought I was joking, but I told him about growing up in a strict religious home with my father’s mother. My grandmother raised me after my parents died in a car accident when I was seven. My grandmother was a miserable woman who didn’t allow anything fun, especially pets.
Trace took me to the animal shelter, and I thought he was a little crazy until I saw the tiny tan kitten in the last cage. As she licked my face with her pink, scratchy tongue, I realized there was no way I’d be leaving the shelter without her. Trace smirked the entire way to the discount store, where I bought way more than the little creature should need. We discovered the first time we fed her, the little kitty does a cute little excited squeak, so I changed her name from Snowball to Squeaky.
Now, Squeaky is exploring her new surroundings while I get ready to work. Trace stops by on his way to the station and runs up to the door with a bag of donuts and a cup of coffee. My heart melts a little because I know he had to get up extra early to run into town and buy them before coming back to the subdivision to drop them off. Then, as he’s leaving, he grabs me and kisses me goodbye. Wow. It’s one heck of a kiss. Hopefully, it’s hot enough to burn off the extra calories I’m about to get from my sugary treats.
Not ten minutes after Trace’s truck pulls out of my driveway, Deputy Burton calls and asks me to design a new website for the Sheriff’s Department. I know Trace intensely dislikes the other man, but there’s no way I can turn down work right now. I agree to meet with the sheriff and Burton later in the afternoon to get the specifics. Going to the Sheriff’s office turns into a nightmare. The sheriff is nowhere to be seen, and the deputy suggests we talk about the website plans in a conference room. Since I’m not crazy about the idea, I’m furiously trying to think of excuses when the sheriff and his secretary walk in the door.
The sheriff seems completely shocked about the meeting but smiles and shakes my hand. “I thought Burton was doing this on his own.” As he glares at the deputy over my shoulder, my hopes for a real job opportunity fly out the window.
“If you need to discuss this more, I can come back another time.” Attempting to hide my disappointment as dislike for the jerk flows through me, I paste a fake smile on my face. Now, I see why my boyfriend has such a hard time whenever the creep is around. Oh. I just realized how I thought of Trace, and it felt so right.
Sheriff Donaldson looks like he’s going to take me up on my offer before suddenly smiling uncomfortably. “You’re already here. Let me see your ideas.”
It’s a brief meeting since I’m sure I’ll never get the job. They have an adequate website now. The deputy talked the sheriff into changing it by offering to do it himself. It hits me as I’m driving home; the little sleazeball was using the website as a ploy to get me to meet with him alone. I’m sure he had an alternative motive, like hurting Trace. Miserable creep.
Since I don’t want to bother Trace on a twenty-four-hour shift, I decide to explain the situation to him tomorrow when he gets off. While I’m sitting at my counter eating a snack, my phone rings. Excitement shoots through me as Trace’s picture flashes on the screen, and I almost drop the phone in my haste to answer. “Hey, I’ve been thinking about you all day.”
There’s silence on the line, and I wonder if the call connected. Then Trace sighs. “I know the little jerk is probably trying to stir up trouble, but Burton texted me pictures of you smiling up at him today. He said you guys had a little date.”
I’m instantly livid. I have to take several deep breaths to stop myself from throwing my phone. That little sleazy creep set me up to hurt Trace, and I’m beyond angry. Not wasting any time, I explain the situation. “He’s a lying twit. Deputy Liar called me to setup an appointment to design a new website for the Department. Only when I arrived, I found out he’d made up the whole thing. Sheriff Donaldson had no idea about the appointment.”
Trace’s shouting causes my ears to ring, and I hold the phone away from my head for a moment. I try to interrupt him several times, but he’s on a roll. I know he isn’t angry with me, but it takes a while for him to hear me. Even after I try, he threatens to do bodily harm to Burton. After a few minutes, he finally runs out of threats and sighs loudly. “I’m sorry I doubted you. The thought of him near you sent me through the roof, and I lost my mind for a second.”
“You don’t have to apologize. It’s that jerk. He’s a special form of pond scum.”
After I manage to calm Trace down, I convince him to come over tomorrow morning on his way home for breakfast. Before we hang up, he sneaks in that he’s already accepted an invitation for us to have dinner at his parents’ house tomorrow night. I’m still reeling when Squeaky walks over and throws up a hairball on my foot. This day seems to keep getting better and better.
I manage to work throughout the afternoon and evening, even though I’m still upset about the day’s events. I even call Rosa, my best friend back home, and pour out the whole story of what’s happening here in Juniper. She presses me for all the details about Trace and makes me promise to keep her up to date about how things are going. After showering, I drink a glass of wine and watch Squeaky play with a fake mouse until I’m dozing on the sofa. I’m so tired, I almost forget to set the alarm, but Trace’s voice runs through my mind, and I key in the code on my way to bed. Squeaky curls up on my pillow, and I don’t have the heart to force her to sleep on the little bed in the corner of my room. As her gentle purring lulls me to sleep, I think about Trace.
Chapter Nine
Paige
I’m jarred awake by a piercing siren, and I jump up as Squeaky’s tiny claws sink into the side of my neck while she wails in my ear. Holding my shaking kitten close to my chest, I grab my phone off the bedside table. Before I can dial a number, Trace’s face flashes across the screen. I swipe, and his frantic voice is already growling, “I’m on my way. Where are you?”