He leveled a look at her. “Sit down, Paige. Please.”
Always a sucker for manners, Paige sat in the chair he’d vacated next to Rosie.
“Oww-ie,” the little girl said as she squeezed a lump of dough between her fingers.
“That’s right,” Paige agreed. “I have an owie. Just a little one. I’ll be fine.”
Shep brought over the plastic box that held the first-aid materials. “Band-Aid and antibiotic anointment,” he murmured, leafing through the contents.
“A Band-Aid is plenty.” Paige lifted the paper towel off the cut, then pressed it down again when a line of bright red blood appeared on her skin.
“Humor me,” he said and fished out a small tube of an ointment and a box of bandages. Pulling up another chair, he sat across from Paige and took her hand in his big one.
Rosie watched with interest, acting as narrator to the scene with her nonsensical chatter. His hands gentle, Shep efficiently cleaned the wound then secured a flesh-colored bandage around her finger.
“I’m going to Cole’s tonight,” he said, still holding her hand. “With Rosie.”
Paige swallowed, feeling like eight kinds of an idiot. “Not a date, then?”
One side of his mouth curved. “Dating is the last thing on my mind right now.”
“Of course,” she agreed, willing her face not to heat under his scrutiny. “Well then, you two have fun.” She tugged her hand away from his and stood. “Let’s get your face and hands cleaned up,” she told Rosie, making her voice cheery.
The girl rubbed her chubby hands together, bits of dried Play-Doh flaking to the high chair.
Paige loosened the straps around Rosie’s waist and unhooked them, ignoring Shep’s presence behind her as she lifted Rosie from the chair.
“Come with us,” he suggested, his voice a low rumble.
She pulled her hair from Rosie’s messy grasp as she turned to look at him. “To your brother’s?”
“Sure.” He nodded, hands on hips, as if warming to the idea. “Sienna will be there. Her brother, Jase, and his wife, Emily, are coming, too.”
“I know Jase and Emily,” Paige reported for no reason other than she wasn’t sure what else to say.
“Perfect.” Shep took Rosie from her, shifting his hold on his daughter so that she faced forward, her back against his chest. Paige glanced down at her white T-shirt, now covered with fragments of blue dough, and realized that Shep knew what he was doing.
“I’ve already seasoned the chicken,” she said quickly, not sure why she was putting up an argument. She missed seeing Sienna every day, as she had when her friend had been staying at The Bumblebee. Now Sienna had moved into Cole’s house on the other side of downtown. She still called Paige for coffee a couple of times a week, but it wasn’t the same. Paige even liked Emily, although the beautiful blonde was still intimidating.
Paige hadn’t done a great job of making friends since she’d come to Crimson. She liked the women she’d met—from Olivia who ran the community center to Katie at the bakery to their extended circle of friends, all of whom had been consistently kind and welcoming. But it wasn’t until Sienna that she felt she’d made a true friend.
Cancer had made her feel like an outsider in high school, and the stigma of that had clung to her like a spiderweb even after the treatments ended. Most people in Crimson didn’t know about her history with the disease. Nana’s friends remembered, of course, but she’d essentially started life over once moving to town. Still, she couldn’t let go of her identity. It wasn’t the way she wanted to be seen but couldn’t quite manage to quit viewing herself in that light.
“Will it keep until tomorrow?” Shep asked as he moved toward the sink with Rosie.
“Well, yes, but I don’t want to impose.”
He chuckled at that. “Trust me, Cole and Sienna would probably rather spend the evening with you anyway. I got the invite because I’m family. Cole feels sorry for me since I’m so obviously over my head with fatherhood.”
“You say that,” she observed, “but you seem to be doing fine from where I’m standing.”
He grinned over his shoulder as Rosie held her hands under the faucet. “Then don’t come any closer.”
Words to live by, Paige thought.
“Come with us,” he coaxed, turning off the water and grabbing a paper towel to dry off Rosie’s hands. “You know Sienna will have a million questions about how we came to be living together and why you’re helping with Rosie.”
“Don’t say living together.” Paige pressed a hand to her chest when her heart started to stammer.
Shep quirked a brow. “What would you call it?”
“You’re staying here,” she told him. “Staying as in visiting. You’re a visitor. Not living here like it’s your home.”
His head snapped back like she’d struck him and his expression went carefully blank. She wasn’t sure what she’d done to offend him, but she had.
“Anyway,” he continued, a muscle ticking in his jaw. “I’m sure you can explain the situation better. The fact that this isn’t my home, for example, even though I own the house.”
If Paige hadn’t been so preoccupied with her body’s reaction to the verbal reminder that she and Shep were now living under the same roof, she could have given more thought to the odd catch in his voice.
“You know what I mean,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest. “This place is just an investment. It doesn’t mean anything to you.”
“Nothing at all,” he agreed too quickly.
There was something off, but she had no idea what it was. “Thanks for including me,” she said after a moment. “I need to clean up in here and change clothes. Then I’ll be ready.”
He nodded, his gaze focused somewhere beyond her left shoulder. “Rosie needs a diaper change. We’ll leave in twenty minutes?”
“Sounds great.”
He walked past her, and she tried to ignore the fact that it felt like a winter wind blowing by.
Chapter Six
Paige gripped the salad bowl she held, trying not to fidget as they waited for someone to answer the door at Cole and Sienna’s house.
It was ridiculous to feel this nervous visiting her friend. She’d been to the house several times since Sienna moved in.
But tonight was different. Sienna didn’t particularly care for Shep due to his strained relationship with Cole.
Would the bargain Paige had made with him be seen as colluding with the enemy? Of course. He was the enemy, even though she tended to forget that when his warm whiskey gaze fell on her.
Not that there was anything warm about him tonight. He’d been polite but distant since their conversation in the kitchen. Maybe he regretted inviting her. If it weren’t for the fact that she was good with his daughter, Paige knew she’d hold little interest for Shep.
Men like him didn’t notice women like her.
“You need to relax,” he said quietly. “Everyone will think I forced you into our little deal with how tense you are.”
“You did force me,” she countered.
He let out a huff of frustration. “It was your idea.”
“Only because—”
She broke off when the door opened. Cole Bennett stood on the other side, his gaze darting between the two of them. “This is a surprise,” he said slowly, taking a step back to allow them to enter. “Hey, Rosie. How’s Uncle Cole’s best girl tonight?”
Rosie flashed a shy smile then buried her face against Shep’s soft cotton shirt.
“I hope it’s okay that I came along,” Paige said when Shep remained silent. “I brought a caprese salad.”
“My favorite,” Cole told her with a wink. “You know you’re always welcome.” He took the bowl from her, wrapping an arm around her shoulder for a quick hug.
Paige blushed when the gestur
e elicited a low growl from Shep.
“Interesting,” Cole murmured as he stepped away.
“I need a beer,” Shep announced. “Aren’t you supposed to be playing host?”
“I am.” Cole eyed his brother, a familiar smile turning up one corner of his mouth. “Everyone’s in back. Right this way.”
“Who needs to act normal now?” Paige demanded in a harsh whisper, following close on Shep’s heels.
So close that she plowed into his back when he stopped walking, and she imagined that was what it would feel like to walk directly into a wall of granite.
“This is me being normal,” he said, turning to her with narrowed eyes. “I’m a jerk, remember?”
“How could I forget?”
She elbowed her way past him and hurried after Cole, drawing in a deep breath as she entered the open-concept kitchen behind him.
Sienna lifted one delicate brow in a silent question at Cole, but then covered her shock with a quick smile. “It’s a surprise to see the two of you together,” she said, coming forward to wrap her arms around Paige.
“Hey, Shep,” Sienna said as she released Paige, her tone cool before she added, “Well, hello, Rosie-girl,” in a much sweeter tone.
Paige gave a mental groan and didn’t turn around to meet Shep’s gaze even though she could feel it boring into her back.
“Can I get you a drink?” Jase Crenshaw, Sienna’s brother and Crimson’s popular mayor, asked. “There’s a cooler with beer on the back porch and wine in the fridge.”
“You look like you could use a shot of something dark and strong,” Jase’s wife, Emily, added as she came to stand next to him.
“Wow.” Paige felt her eyes widen as she took in Emily’s round belly.
“It’s not twins,” Emily said with an eye roll. “Despite how I look.”
“I... I mean,” Paige stammered, “you look great. Glowing and all that.”
Emily laughed, her blue eyes crinkling at the corners. Despite being pregnant, Emily was one of the most stylish women Paige had ever met. She had the air of Grace Kelly about her, somewhat cool and untouchable yet relatable at the same time. “Has anyone ever told you that you’re a terrible liar?”
“She’s not as bad as you might imagine,” Shep offered, none too helpfully.
Jase draped an arm around his wife’s shoulder, dropping a kiss on the top of her head. At well over six feet tall, Jase towered over most people and was a giant compared to Paige. He was also so down-to-earth and easygoing that Paige never found him intimidating in the least. After her nana’s funeral, he’d welcomed her to Crimson, both as a member of the community and a business owner.
“I don’t believe that for a second,” Cole offered, joining the group with two bottles, a beer he handed to Shep and a hard lemonade for Paige.
“Thanks,” she said and took a drink, hoping the icy liquid would help cool her. Now she remembered why she hadn’t wanted to attend this dinner party with Shep. It was somehow easy to get along with him when they were alone with just Rosie but a group setting was a different story altogether.
Rosie, who hadn’t made eye contact with anyone since Shep joined the conversation, suddenly straightened and reached for Paige.
Paige set the bottle on the counter and took the girl from Shep with a smile, smoothing the soft hair away from Rosie’s face.
She looked up to find everyone in the kitchen, other than Shep, staring at her.
“Toddler whisperer,” Shep announced to the group in general then took a long pull from his beer.
“Impressive,” Emily murmured.
“She’s so comfortable with you,” Sienna added, moving closer.
“It’s not a big deal,” Paige insisted. “Kids like me.”
“Along with squirrels,” Shep added, drawing a laugh from Cole.
“You should hire Paige as your nanny,” Cole suggested.
“I did,” Shep answered without hesitation. “Do you want me to check on those burgers?”
Paige swallowed as Sienna let out a startled gasp. “What is he talking about?” her friend demanded. “You didn’t mention that to me.”
“It’s kind of a new development,” Paige said with a shrug. “I’m going to take Rosie out back, too. She likes nature.”
“Paige is not a nanny.” Sienna held up a hand. “You’re getting ready to open the inn.”
“Actually,” Shep corrected, “her mother sold the property to me.”
“She’s going to change that,” Sienna argued, pointing an angry finger at Shep.
“Fun dinner party,” Cole reminded his fiancée with a nod. “Remember?”
“Not fun if your brother is taking advantage of my best friend.” Sienna put her hands on her hips and braced her legs, superhero-style.
Shep tipped his bottle toward Cole. “You should get her a lasso and gold bracelets.”
“It’s like you’ve got a death wish,” Cole muttered.
Sienna glared at Shep, who calmly drank his beer. Paige wanted to strangle him herself. He was purposely baiting Sienna, just as he’d done to Paige earlier. It was a defense mechanism, she realized, a way to distract people when the conversation became too emotional for him to handle.
“My water broke,” Emily announced into the awkward silence.
Everyone turned to stare at her.
“Are you serious?” Jase asked, his voice an octave higher than normal.
She grinned. “No, but someone needed to break the tension in the room.”
Paige huffed out a laugh as Sienna closed her eyes and sighed. “I don’t understand what’s happening here.”
“It’s okay,” Paige told her friend, reaching out a hand to squeeze Sienna’s shoulder. “It was my idea, in fact.”
“I don’t believe it,” Sienna said, opening her eyes. “You would never—”
“Trust me.” Paige glanced at Shep, willing him not to have some condescending smile on his face. On the contrary, he was studying her with such a quiet intensity it made her breath catch in her throat.
Clearly he expected her to throw him under the bus with the group assembled here. And if she did, the rest of the town would hear about it. His reputation would be in even worse shape than it already was. And although he’d pretend not to care, Paige knew it mattered. More than he’d ever admit.
“I approached Shep with the idea of hiring me to take care of Rosie.” She held the girl tighter. “They’ve been through a lot already, and he’s doing his best to be a good dad.”
Sienna’s mouth tightened but she didn’t argue.
“In exchange for my help as a nanny and hiring someone on a permanent basis, he’s going to give me time to open the inn and eventually buy it from him.”
Cole nudged Shep’s arm. “Good for you, man.”
Jase nodded. “I’m glad to hear it, too. I understand the thinking behind secondary access to the ski mountain, but it would be a shame to lose a historic property like The Bumblebee.”
“No final decisions have been made,” Shep said, his voice tight.
“One thing we know for sure is that this little one sure likes Paige.” Emily reached out a hand and stroked a finger down Rosie’s exposed leg. Paige was happy when the girl allowed herself to be touched.
Davey, Emily’s six-year-old son, walked into the room at that moment, approached his mother and placed a hand on her belly. “I’m hungry,” he stated, his gaze trained to the floor.
“We’ll eat soon,” Emily promised, her voice gentle.
“Good call, Davey,” Cole told the boy before grabbing an empty plate from the counter. “I bet the burgers are ready to come off the grill.”
“I’ll supervise,” Jase said then pointed to Shep and hitched a thumb toward the sliding doors that led to the back patio. “Come on. It takes at least three guys to
handle an open flame.”
Shep huffed out a laugh then looked to Paige.
“Go on,” she told him. “Rosie’s fine in here.”
“Thanks,” he whispered and followed the others out back.
“Hi,” Rosie shouted a moment later, waving frantically. For a moment Paige thought the girl was calling for her father, but then she realized Rosie’s bright blue gaze was fixed on Davey, who still stood at his mother’s side.
“Babies like my son, too,” Emily said, pride evident in her voice. “He’s good with little ones.”
Paige knew from Sienna that Davey had a mild form of Asperger’s syndrome and had struggled socially before coming to Crimson.
“I can show her my dinosaurs,” Davey offered, walking with purpose from the room before Paige could answer.
“He has a backpack full of them he brings everywhere,” Emily explained. “They’re his latest obsession.”
“Bring Rosie over to the family room until the men come back,” Sienna suggested, indicating the carpeted room that connected to the kitchen through a wide doorway. “The sides and salads are ready. As soon as they bring in the hamburgers and hot dogs we’ll eat.”
Paige carried the girl over and sat her on the edge of the carpet. Rosie immediately crawled toward the coffee table and pulled herself up to standing.
“I need to childproof the inn,” Paige said as she lowered herself to the couch. “I have outlet covers but the furniture isn’t safe for little ones. I’ll need baby gates while Rosie is staying there.”
She didn’t realize how much she’d admitted until she looked up to find Sienna and Emily staring at her, mouths agape.
“I have the dinosaurs,” Davey announced, returning to the room with a plaid backpack slung over his shoulder.
Rosie bounced up and down happily and flashed a wide, toothy grin. She dropped to her knees and crawled toward Davey.
“Sit there,” he told her, pointing to the edge of the carpet. “I’ll set them up.”
“Davey,” Emily said gently, sitting on the sofa opposite Paige, “remember Rosie is a little girl. She may want to touch the dinosaurs or hold one.”
The boy paused, staring into his backpack for several moments. Then he pulled out a small plastic figure of a T-rex-looking dinosaur. “You can hold this one.” He put the plastic figure on the carpet.
Anything for His Baby Page 6