She turned on her stool and looked up at him. “They’re coming to visit?” Was that really such terrible news? Then again, Paige had no idea what sort of relationship Lucas had had with his former in-laws. Even if they’d been on the best of terms when Jenny was alive, their new dynamic might be complicated water to navigate. Still, was a simple visit from Maddie’s grandparents, no matter how the three of them got along, really what had put Lucas in such a state?
Lucas gave a tight nod. “Jane’s freaked out from the storm.”
That wasn’t exactly what it had said. “He said she was worried. I’m sure it’s just normal grandma stuff.”
“You don’t know John Randolph. A quick pop over on the weekend would be one thing. But a spur-of-the-moment trip that requires him to be out of the office during the week?” He shook his head. “Jane had to have been near hysterical to prompt that.”
“Okay, well, Maddie is fine. So are you, for that matter, and once they see that the house is still standing,” she said in an attempt to bring a little levity to the conversation, “I’m sure everything will be okay.” Paige had meant the words to bring Lucas a modicum of reassurance, but she had the distinct impression she’d only made things worse.
Lucas walked over to the window. His stance was rigid as he stared through the glass. “Jenny’s death hit her parents really hard. She was their only child. When she died…” He turned to face Paige. His eyes were red and glassy, but Paige knew in her heart that the unshed tears in Lucas’s eyes weren’t for his late wife. He’d spoken about her before, and it had never looked like this. The pain he felt now was about something else, something even worse than losing his wife. “They wanted to take Maddie.”
All the air sucked out of Paige’s lungs, leaving her unable to reply. Even if she could speak, what would she say to a man who had lost his wife only to find out her family wanted to take his daughter? On instinct, she went to him, wrapping her arms around him and holding him tight. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered.
Lucas welcomed her embrace but for long moments didn’t speak. When he did, his voice was hoarse. “They’ve wanted custody ever since Jenny died. They didn’t think I was capable of raising her on my own.”
“What?” Paige reared back to look at him. “I know I haven’t spent that much time around the two of you, but enough to know you’re doing a great job with her.”
“Thank you, but I may have biased the jury a bit.” He gave a half-hearted smile. “Let’s just say that the Randolphs still think of me as the guy who wasn’t good enough for their daughter.”
“That’s ridiculous. Maddie is a pretty amazing kid. Do they think that just happened by accident?”
“They also don’t think the island is a good place to raise her.”
“But wasn’t that what their daughter wanted? It’s not like you moved here on your own.”
“Believe me, they didn’t like the idea back then either. There just wasn’t much they could do about it.” The tension in his shoulder eased, but to Paige it felt more like resignation than relief. “And that was when this place was in good shape. I’m afraid once they see what it looks like now, they’re going to insist she come to live with them in Nashville.”
She glanced around the kitchen. It wasn’t really that bad. There might be stacks of paper everywhere, a bunch of mismatched plastic containers piled on the counter by the refrigerator, and more reusable grocery bags than a person could use in a lifetime scattered about, but… She narrowed her eyes. Was that an empty milk carton on the floor in the corner? Okay, maybe it was that bad. But it wasn’t a lost cause. Underneath the mess was a pretty spectacular kitchen. In fact, the entire house was only a week away from being picture-perfect. At least that’s what she would have told Lucas if he were one of her clients.
If he were one of her clients…
Paige looked Lucas in the eyes. “Then fix it up so they have nothing to complain about.”
His head fell back on a laugh. “Yeah, right, I’ll just wave my magic wand. Or wait, maybe those elves from the book Maddie loves will show up while we are sleeping.”
“I’m being serious, Lucas.”
He grew quiet. “I know you are,” he said. His hand cupped her face, and then his gaze softened. “And it’s unbelievably sweet, but this place will take a hell of a lot more than a quick cleanup.”
“You’re right about that.” She was vibrating with so much energy, she practically bounced on her toes. “It will take a professional to whip this place into shape. Lucky for you that you happen to know one.”
A frown momentarily creased Lucas’s brow until realization dawned. “You?”
She stepped back, straightened, and gave him a dramatic salute. “Head elf reporting for duty.”
He shook his head. “No way.”
“Why not? You need the help of a professional organizer, and you just so happen to be sleeping with one.” Paige regretted the last part as soon as the words left her mouth. She’d started the morning with a whole lot of uncertainty about whether Lucas regretted sleeping with her. And while he’d done a damn good job of reassuring her that wasn’t the case, they’d never finished the conversation, which meant Paige still wasn’t sure if their sex life was past or present tense.
“I already crossed one line by sleeping with a guest, Paige. I’m certainly not going to take advantage of you professionally too.”
“You’re not taking advantage,” she said. “You didn’t even ask. I offered.”
“Still no.”
“Lucas, this is what I do for a living, yes, but I also get a great deal of satisfaction from helping people bring order to their lives.” In Paige’s opinion, a cluttered house meant a cluttered mind, or at least a mind under duress. One of the perks of her job was seeing the improvement not only to her client’s surroundings, but to their state of mind as well. “Nothing would make me happier than to help you and Maddie stay together.” She didn’t say it out loud, but she also hoped to bring Lucas a bit of peace. Many of Paige’s clients ended up in need of her services by letting things get out of hand following a tragedy or loss. She found they often turned a corner after getting things back on track. “Besides,” she cringed as she admitted, “Technically, I’ve already started.”
One corner of his mouth quirked up. “Yeah, been meaning to talk to you about that.” So he had noticed. “Who puts spices in alphabetical order?”
“It just makes good sense.” Realizing he was teasing, she blushed. “Sorry, occupational hazard.”