Rosie crawled over, sat on her bottom and picked up the dinosaur, looking at it with rapt fascination.
“Maybe Shep should have hired your son as a nanny,” Paige said with a smile. “He could have paid him in toy dinosaurs.”
“They’re replicas,” Davey corrected solemnly, “not toys.”
“Oh, right. Replicas.”
“Davey is quite specific about his dinosaurs,” Emily said, affection clear in her tone.
“Maybe you want to be specific,” Sienna said, coming to stand at the back of the sofa, “about how you came to make your little deal with Shep and why in the world he and Rosie are staying with you.”
“Yeah,” Emily agreed, rubbing her hands together. “Start with the part about the two of you shacking up.”
“It’s not like that.” Paige clasped her hands tight in front of her, not wanting to be the center of attention in this way. “Things weren’t working out in the apartment he’d rented, and since I’m going to be taking care of Rosie, it seemed easier for them to be at the inn.”
“Easier?” Sienna’s tone dripped with disbelief.
“Yes,” Paige insisted, ignoring the fact that she’d thought it was a terrible idea just a couple of hours ago. “He owns it now anyway, and this gives me a chance to show him how great the house is.”
“So he won’t want to bulldoze it?” Emily asked.
“And ruin all of your dreams in the process,” Sienna added.
“He’s giving me a chance,” Paige said, grinning at Rosie when the girl looked over at her and held up the dinosaur. “I’m going to make a success of The Bumblebee yet.”
Sienna placed a hand on Paige’s shoulder. “How are plans going?”
Paige bristled at the note of concern in her friend’s voice. That concern sounded suspiciously like doubt to Paige, as if Sienna didn’t quite believe Paige had it in her to handle the inn.
“Great,” she lied, even though she’d been paralyzed by her overwhelming to-do list. Every time she went to work on the website or made a PR or marketing call, her heart began to thump wildly. She loved the idea of running the inn in theory, but the reality of it was a whole different story. “Now that I know I have a chance to save The Bumblebee, it’s full steam ahead.”
Wanting to avoid further questions from her friends, she scooted off the couch and down to the floor with Rosie and Davey. The boy paused in the process of lining up the dinosaurs, glanced at her out of the corner of his eye then resumed working on his display.
As he lined them up just so, he gave Rosie a detailed explanation of each dinosaur, the words coming out of his mouth technical for a boy so young.
Rosie stared with rapt attention, her gaze wandering over the colorful figures. She lifted the dinosaur she held above her head then down again.
“The meat has arrived,” Cole announced as he walked back into the house with Shep and Jase.
Sienna moved toward the kitchen, taking the plate of burgers and hot dogs from him as she did.
“Davey needs a minute to finish showing Rosie his collection,” Emily announced.
“No problem,” Jase answered immediately, winking at his wife. “I’ll make up a plate for both of you.”
Shep threw a questioning look to Paige.
“Would you get food ready for Rosie?” she asked. “I’ll bring her over as soon as we’re done here.”
“Sure,” he agreed, running a hand through his hair. “I can manage that.”
Paige glanced at Emily, who mouthed a grateful “Thanks,” before turning her attention back to Davey.
The boy completed his explanation of each dinosaur then methodically returned them to the backpack.
To Paige’s surprise, Rosie didn’t complain when Davey took the dinosaur from her hands. She thanked the boy, who nodded but didn’t look at her directly. The little girl seemed fascinated by Davey, making Paige wonder how often Rosie’d had a chance to socialize with kids, either her own age or older.
“Daddy has your dinner,” Emily told her son as he placed the backpack on the sofa next to her.
“I don’t like the ketchup to touch my hot dog,” he told her.
“He knows,” she said gently.
Davey nodded then headed for Jase.
“I appreciate you giving him time to finish his dinosaur presentation,” Emily said. “Transitions are sometimes still a challenge.”
“No problem.” Paige lifted Rosie into her arms. “This one might be a future paleontologist with how mesmerized she was by the whole thing.” She kissed Rosie’s cheeks. “Although I think it had more to do with Davey than the dinosaurs.”
“She’s quiet for her age,” Emily commented, studying Rosie.
Paige swallowed, not sure how much Shep would want revealed about Rosie’s history. “Yes,” she agreed slowly. “It takes her a bit of time to come out of her shell. Most of the reason Shep came to Crimson is because he felt like this would be a better place for her than California.”
“What about her mother?” Emily Crenshaw clearly liked to cut to the chase.
“Um...she’s an actress so she’s on location right now. Rosie had a less than great experience with a former babysitter. It...” Paige searched for the right words. “Changed things from what Shep told me.”
“Kids are resilient,” Emily said softly, pain clouding her blue eyes. “But it takes time to heal from certain wounds.” She looked past Paige to where Jase was settling Davey in a chair at the kitchen table. “Crimson is a good place for new beginnings.”
Paige let out a breath, surprised to feel such a strong connection to a woman she would have guessed she had nothing in common with. “I’m glad Shep and Rosie found their way here.”
“You, too,” Emily added.
“Right,” Paige mumbled, not liking the sense she got that Emily could see into her soul like some pregnant psychic.
“I can take Rosie,” Shep said, coming up behind her and placing a hand on her back.
Paige leaned in to the touch, feeling strangely grounded by his presence.
“Dada,” Rosie said, grinning widely and reaching for him.
“You three are cute together,” Emily told them.
“We’re not together,” Paige and Shep said at the same time.
“Well then.” Emily laughed. “You’re individually cute with Rosie while standing next to each other.”
Paige rolled her eyes. “Let’s all go eat.”
Chapter Seven
Shep made his way down the inn’s staircase after putting Rosie to bed later that night, oddly disappointed to find the house dark.
It was his own fault he’d missed his chance to spend some alone time with Paige. After they’d returned from Cole’s, he’d given Rosie a bath, changed her diaper and brought her to Paige for a good-night kiss. Then he’d returned to his daughter’s room to read her a story, and they’d both fallen asleep.
His watch read a quarter to midnight when he woke up. Of course Paige was already in bed. She probably thought he was in his room and maybe even avoiding her. His behavior earlier certainly hadn’t given her any reason to believe he’d be decent company tonight.
With her big, expressive eyes, creamy skin and dark curls, Paige had him turned all around. He’d never had such an intense reaction to a woman, even though he’d tended to have a date on his arm most nights. Paige was different than his usual women, and not just because of how great she was with Rosie.
It was more than physical attraction, too, although there was plenty of that between them. He admired her spirit and spunk, how hard she tried to stay positive even in the face of monumental adversity. Like the fact that her mother had sold the inn to him without Paige’s agreement. He hadn’t realized how much time and effort she’d put into her dream of reopening The Bumblebee until he’d spent a little time here.<
br />
Now he appreciated the high ceilings, the wood trim polished to a bright gleam and the homey, individual touches she’d added to each of the rooms.
Cole told him the old house had been a mess when her grandmother lived there, and Paige had spent the better part of the year fixing it up. Would the understanding of how hard she’d worked have changed his decision to buy or his plans for the place?
Probably not, which he knew reflected badly on him.
He stopped in his tracks as he walked around the corner of the dining room into the kitchen.
Paige stood at the counter, wearing nothing but an oversize T-shirt, methodically dunking a chocolate chip cookie into a tall glass of milk.
She took a bite of the cookie, and Shep’s mouth went dry as a soft moan of pleasure escaped her lips.
He must have made a sound, because she whirled toward him, wiping the back of her hand across her chin when a droplet of milk ran down it.
“I’m sorry,” he said, holding up his hands. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”
She yanked at the hem of her shirt, covering her upper thighs but revealing more of the pale skin of her neck and chest as the V-neck collar dipped lower.
“I couldn’t sleep,” she offered with a frown, still holding on to the shirt, crossing her legs as if that would hide her from view.
He took a step toward her. “I fell asleep reading to Rosie.”
“Oh.” The line that had formed between her eyes relaxed slightly. “I thought you were avoiding me.”
“No.” He reached out and grabbed a cookie from the jar shaped like a tuxedoed pig sitting on the counter. “In fact, I meant to come down after Rosie went to bed to thank you for tonight.”
“I didn’t do anything.”
She slowly loosened her death grip on the nightshirt, and Shep was careful not to stare at her shapely legs, no matter how much they tempted him. “You took responsibility for our bargain.”
“It was my idea.”
“I got a better idea of what the inn means to the town tonight.” He shrugged. “I didn’t realize there was so much history surrounding it.”
“Would you like to see more?” she asked suddenly.
“Um...sure.”
She flashed a shy grin. “Let me put on a robe then I’ll grab Nana’s photo album.”
Shep squeezed his hands into fists to stop himself from reaching for her as she walked by. One day and Paige had already been a huge help with Rosie. Just knowing he wasn’t alone made a difference, so he didn’t want to mess things up or scare her off.
Plus, if he had to admit the truth, Shep was curious about this house. He wanted to know more about it and its place in the town, even if the knowledge wouldn’t make him change his mind about razing it.
Paige returned a minute later in a robe that covered far too much of her and holding a leather-bound album that she placed on the counter and flipped open.
“These are the first photos we have of the inn,” Paige told him, moving close to his side. So close that he could smell her shampoo and the faint hint of cookie on her breath.
She didn’t seem bothered by their proximity, totally engrossed in giving him this pictorial tour of The Bumblebee’s history.
“It was called The Independence Inn when it first opened,” she explained, pointing to a grainy black-and-white photo. The couple who owned it had moved to Crimson from Alabama and the story goes that the mountains felt like freedom from their former life.”
“When did your grandmother buy it?”
“I was ten. My grandpa had died the year before. They lived in Grand Junction, which is about an hour west off the interstate. That’s where my mom grew up. Papa was a science teacher at the local high school for his whole career—only a year away from retirement. They’d planned to buy the inn as their retirement plan.”
“Not a very restful retirement,” Shep said as she flipped through the pages of the leather-bound album. The photographs showed guests at the inn in all different seasons through the years. Playing badminton in the backyard in T-shirts and shorts, and a couple on cross-country skis near the forest. The faded pictures were clearly full of love and laughter, and a strange ache started deep in Shep’s chest.
Paige traced a finger along the edge of one of the photographs, a woman in an apron and glasses holding out a plate of cookies, a warm smile on her face.
“Nana never stopped moving. Mom wanted her to come to Denver after Papa died, but she insisted on selling her house, buying this place and moving to Crimson. It was what Papa would have wanted and she saw her dream become a reality.”
“But she closed it a few years ago?”
Paige nodded, and he felt a change in her. A rigidity took over her body, like she had to gird herself for the onslaught of memories. “She had some medical problems and...” She paused then added, “Mental issues, too. She’d become a bit of a hoarder over the years. Things got bad around here.”
“I’m sorry.”
“It wasn’t your fault,” she snapped, closing the photo album.
“It wasn’t yours either,” he told her, wondering why he got the feeling she believed it had been.
“I stopped visiting the way I should have,” she said, smoothing a hand over the glossy cover. “Nana came to Denver to see me in her later years or we’d meet someplace in the middle. If I’d been up here, I would have known what was happening and how alone she’d been.”
“Maybe she liked being alone,” he suggested.
“Only because she didn’t have anyone she loved nearby.”
Paige moved around him to pick up the glass of milk from the counter. As she dumped it in the sink, Shep put the lid on the cookie jar.
“I can’t imagine she blamed you for not coming to see her,” he said when she turned back around.
He hated the bleakness in her eyes. “It doesn’t make me less to blame,” she whispered.
“You’re a good person, Paige.” He moved forward, took her hands in his, unable to resist touching her. Her skin felt soft, the tips of her fingers cool as he wrapped his hands around hers. “I have no doubt your grandmother knew you loved her. Look at what you’ve done with this house.”
“You could make it part of the resort,” she said suddenly, her eyes widening as if the suggestion surprised her as much as it did him.
He dropped her hands like they were made of venomous snakes and took a step away.
“I bought this place as a personal investment,” he reminded her. “Not through the company.”
“We could run it together.”
“Paige.”
“Not that I can’t do it on my own,” she added quickly. “But you have more resources than I do. That’s a thing now with corporations—owning houses to use for business purposes—family reunions or company retreats. The location is perfect. You could still have access to the back side of the mountain—”
“Not the way we need it,” Shep interrupted.
“You could make it work,” she insisted, hope flaring in her gray eyes. He didn’t want this. He didn’t want to be the man to ruin her dreams, but what was he supposed to do? He’d made a commitment to his board.
“You don’t understand the provisions of my plan for this property,” he said, rubbing a hand along the back of his neck. Why hadn’t he just stayed upstairs? He should have turned around the moment he’d seen her standing in the kitchen.
She stilled. “What provisions?”
“The whole reason the board of directors allowed me to buy the property on my own was because it makes things simpler on the books. But I’ve already agreed to lease the land to them. The money I make from that will ensure a nest egg for Rosie. I can give her a guaranteed future.”
“But what about our deal?”
“I don’t have a contract signed with Trinity yet,” he
admitted. “If you manage to come up with the money to buy the inn, I’ll honor that.” He sighed. “It’s the least I can do for how you’re helping me with Rosie. In the meantime, we’re not going to be partners.”
A hollow pit opened in his stomach as pain flashed across her face. He forced himself to continue, needing her to understand what kind of man he was. Needing her to keep a safe distance between them because he was too weak to accomplish it on his own.
“You can show me as many photos as you want,” he said, making his tone gentle, hoping that would lessen the sting of his message even though he had to deliver it. “You can cook the most amazing food every night. It won’t change who I am or what we are to each other.”
“I know that,” she whispered but the slight tremble in her voice belied the words. “Like I said, I don’t need you, Shep. I can do this on my own. I just thought you might want a long-term option so you could put down roots for Rosie. Give her a real home.”
“Rosie’s fine,” he countered.
“Before Davey tonight, when was the last time she played with another child?” Paige asked, lifting her chin as if she were challenging him. “Let alone one her own age.”
“She sees kids all the time.” Shep stepped back as Paige moved forward, wondering how the conversation had so swiftly lurched out of control. She had the ability to do that—put him on the defensive—especially when he was being a jerk.
It’s like she saw through to the very center of him, which was terrifying because Shep knew how hollow he’d become over the years. “When we’re in restaurants or the grocery. There are kids everywhere, Paige. It’s not like I’m raising her off the grid.”
“You saw how she warmed up to everyone tonight. I think it was because Davey made her feel comfortable. If she could be around kids her own age—a peer group—that might help with her socialization.”
“Are you talking about day care?” he demanded, something that felt oddly like panic roaring through him. “Does this mean you’re going to renege on our deal if I don’t entertain the preposterous idea of becoming your business partner?”
Anything for His Baby Page 7