Her Year of Aloneness was still the plan, but she couldn’t afford to do it yet, and the idea of spending another six months here did give her a little ugh feeling.
And otter yoga? Come on. That sounded really cool.
“How about I come for Tori and Josh’s wedding and we see how it goes?” she asked.
He shook his head, but he was smiling. “Can’t even commit to six months?”
“Six months is a long time.”
“Okay… six days. Promise six days when you come to the wedding. I want to really show you the bayou.” He lowered his head and kissed her neck, then dragged his mouth up the sensitive skin to her ear. “And everything you can have if you stay there.”
She arched into him, unable to help it. The stay there gave her pause. But he meant for six months. That wasn’t too long. Not long enough to mess up any plans, anyway. Probably.
Then he dragged his mouth down her neck, past her shoulder, to her breast. He pushed his shirt up and took her nipple in his mouth, and all she could think was I’ll give you six of whatever you want, Mitch Landry.
9
Paige rolled over and eyed her clock. Then sat straight upright. Nine a.m.?
Nine? How had she slept till nine? She had yoga…
Wait, no, she didn’t. It was the first day of the festival and everything else in town shut down.
She started to lay back down. Why was she so tired though?
Then sat straight up again.
Mitch.
She was tired because of Mitch. The sex. The talking. The sex. And geez, the talking.
She looked around. Where was he? His side of the bed was still rumpled, but it was cold when she touched the sheets, and there wasn’t a sound in her apartment.
Had he actually snuck out and left?
Had he realized that everything he said last night about her going to Louisiana for a few months was batshit crazy and gotten out before she woke up and he found himself with a live-in girlfriend he barely knew? And her twenty-three cats?
Hmm… the cats. She was going to have to figure something out with the cats. She’d thought she had a few months before she moved to Colorado and had been figuring out a way to take them with her…
She shook her head. She needed to focus. She didn’t need to figure out what to do with her cats when she went to Louisiana if Mitch had snuck out and taken off for Louisiana without her.
That would be such a good thing.
So why did she feel really disappointed?
Paige threw back the sheets and got out of bed. She was not disappointed. The whole conversation had come on the heels of major orgasm endorphins in the middle of the night. No rational life decisions should be made in that circumstance.
But two minutes later, she did at least admit to herself that she was looking for a note from him.
He couldn’t even leave a note?
She reached for her phone, thinking maybe there was at least a text. Maybe he’d waited until he was safely driving through Oklahoma…
Her phone rang just then.
It was her sister’s number.
“Hello?”
“Good morning,” Josie greeted brightly.
Paige leaned back against her counter. Josie was a morning person. Paige was not. Paige got up early. But she liked quiet and meditation and slow, gentle stretching first thing. Josie was bright and bubbly and thought the day should be started with caffeine and sugar.
It made the fact that she worked in the local bakery very convenient.
“Morning,” Paige said.
Josie was calling her to come help at the bakery. Paige could feel it. She often filled in at Buttered Up. It was a block away and sometimes they needed extra hands. She was happy to do it. Usually. Right now she was feeling very unbubbly and sweet this morning.
Which was so stupid. Mitch realizing his suggestion was crazy and getting out of town, thereby keeping her from having to tell him it was crazy and say no in the morning light when she wasn’t hopped up on endorphins was a good thing.
“You should stop by the bakery this morning,” Josie said.
She knew it. “You guys swamped?”
The bakery didn’t close completely on festival day, just early. But they opened so people could get breakfast and coffee before hitting the chilly town square. In fact, it was a big business day.
“We are,” Josie said. “You should stop by.”
“I’m not really hungry.” She was grumpy. About a guy. Wow, she needed… something.
“You don’t have to eat.”
“So what would I do?” Help at the register, probably. Which would at least take her mind off Mitch. Maybe that was good.
“You could just talk.”
“Talk?” Paige frowned. “We can talk later.”
“I mean to Tori.”
Paige froze. Then straightened away from the counter. “Tori?”
“Tori Kramer. She’s here with her fiancé. And his cousin. Who is hot. You should totally come down here and meet him.”
Tori was at Buttered Up? With Josh? And… Mitch?
Paige’s heart thunked so hard in her chest she actually lifted her hand and pressed it over the spot.
Wow. She was in so much trouble here.
But… fuck.
If Tori was there with Josh, then it would be clear that Mitch was not her fiancé, and if anyone walked in who thought he was—and that was very possible—they were screwed. Linda, Carol, Melanie, Mike, Larry… hell, the whole town…were regulars at the bakery.
As was Paige’s mother.
Ugh.
“I’ll be right there,” she said quickly, heading for her bedroom.
“Awesome,” Josie said happily.
Paige stopped. Crap. She’d sounded enthusiastic about getting down there to meet Tori’s hot cousin. But… she couldn’t deal with her romance-loving sister right now. “See you soon.” She disconnected and tossed the phone on the bed and headed for the shower.
Fifteen minutes later, Paige let herself in through the back door of the bakery. That was a friends-with-the-owner privilege that Paige happily used this morning. She couldn’t just walk in through the front without checking things out.
She came up short when she found the kitchen full.
“What are you all doing here?”
Whitney and Jane both grinned.
“Packing apple pies up for the booth at the festival.”
Every business in town had a booth in the square, including the bakery. Even though everyone had spent the holidays overeating and most of the town stopped in here this morning on their way over there. The stuff at the booth was taken home and saved for when people were in the mood for sweets again. Like in a couple of days.
Jane and Whitney didn’t work at the bakery but they were Zoe and Josie’s best friends. They had big boxes and tons of packing peanuts in front of them and were filling the boxes with little mason jars. Zoe had started doing cakes and pies in jars and they’d been a big hit. They were especially great for expos and fairs.
Paige focused on Whitney. She and Whitney had also become friends over the past few months. Whitney had been a regular at yoga and a few months back had reached out for a girls’ night out. Paige had turned her down the first time but since then they’d gone out a few times.
That first time, she’d had to decline because Tori was in town. With her fiancé. And his hot cousin.
Paige had also spilled about that hot cousin to Whitney over hard ciders at Granny Smith’s, the local bar.
She crossed the room, braced her hands on the worktable across from Whitney and narrowed her eyes. “What did you do?”
Whitney’s eyes widened. “About what?”
“What did you tell my sister about Tori’s fiancé and his hot cousin?” she asked, shooting a glance at Jane.
Jane kept packing her box. But she was clearly fighting a smile.
Shit. They all knew. Paige could tell.
Whitney shrugg
ed. “I just…” Then she blew out a breath. “You should have told me it was a secret.”
“You told Josie who Mitch is?”
“I just said that you had a hot night with a guy with a sexy Louisiana accent.”
Okay, so that would…
“And I might have said the name Mitch.” Whitney bit her bottom lip.
“You totally said the name Mitch,” Jane said with a snort.
Paige groaned. “Whit.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Why are you trying to hide this?” Jane asked.
“Oh, hey!” Josie swept into the kitchen just then from the front of the bakery. She gave Paige a big grin. “They’re right out front. He’s very cute.”
Paige shot Jane a glance. Jane met her eyes and gave a nod. Yeah, she got it. She knew Paige’s family. She knew Josie best, of course, and Josie’s romantic streak was just an adorable part of Josie’s adorable personality. When that romantic streak was about her own life. But when it was turned on the people around her and she wanted everyone to fall in love, it wasn’t quite as cute.
Jane had experienced that too.
“Have you talked to them?” Paige asked her sister.
“I waited on them,” Josie said with a nod. “But it’s crazy out there, so we didn’t really talk.”
“Oh, do you guys need help?” Paige asked. Hey, she was here now. She could pitch in. And avoid the table with Tori and Josh and Mitch and whatever they had told everyone about… whatever.
“Nope. Maggie and Cam both came in to help bake this morning,” Josie said of Zoe’s mom and brother—Whitney’s boyfriend. “And Grant and Aiden are out there helping Zoe wait on everyone.” Her smile was soft and affectionate as she mentioned her fiancé, Grant, and Zoe’s, Aiden.
Well, they really were covered. With all of those people, two of them big guys, there probably wasn’t room behind the counter anyway.
And, really, she probably did need to go find out what Mitch had told Tori and Josh about their little lie about Mitch and Tori being engaged. Paige’s cover wasn’t entirely blown because Josie still, apparently, thought Mitch was Tori’s fiancé.
Plus she wanted to see Mitch. She wasn’t able to forget the disappointment she’d felt thinking he’d hightailed it back to Louisiana. She liked him more than she’d wanted to admit.
“Go introduce yourself to the cousin,” Josie urged. “You and Tori are friends. Just go out and join them.”
Okay, so apparently Whitney had slipped about Mitch in front of Jane but not Josie? That was fortunate. She supposed.
And Josie was reading Paige’s hesitation as nerves about meeting a new guy. Well, that was better than her guessing that Paige was nervous that Mitch was going to upend all of her carefully laid plans.
“Oh my gosh!”
Paige had to jump back as the swinging door that led to the front of the bakery suddenly swung in, almost whacking her in the face.
“Hey, Kelsey!” Josie greeted Jane’s younger sister.
“Hi,” she said to everyone collectively. Then she focused on Jane. “Guess what?”
Jane turned and faced her. “What?”
“Look what Matt gave me for my birthday!” Kelsey held up the little heart-shaped charm hanging from the chain around her neck.
“Oh wow,” Josie said, moving in before Jane could. “That’s so pretty!”
Kelsey nodded, nearly squealing. “He said that now I can actually take his heart with me wherever I go.”
Paige caught herself before she rolled her eyes.
Josie, on the other hand, audibly sighed. “That’s so romantic.”
“Oh wow, Kels, that’s awesome,” Jane said.
Was it? Maybe. What did Paige know?
“That really is,” Whitney agreed.
Okay, so all of the women who were in actual relationships thought Matt had done something good here. Fine. The kid was a senior in high school giving another senior in high school a birthday gift after dating for about six months. He was Kelsey’s first serious boyfriend. There had probably been some pressure to make it meaningful. Paige probably needed to lighten up.
“His birthday is two days after mine,” Kelsey said.
“No way,” Whitney said.
Kelsey nodded. “Cute, right?”
They all laughed. “Very cute,” Josie agreed. “What did you get him?”
“It’s not as good as this,” Kelsey said, shaking her head. “I told him I’d play Warriors of Easton with him for an entire weekend.”
“That is good,” Jane said. “He loves Warriors and always wants you to play but knows you don’t really like it. That’s sweet. You’re putting him first and willing to do something that matters to him.”
“You think so?” Kelsey asked. “I mean, I’m going to suck at it.”
“How did he react?” Paige heard herself ask.
Kelsey looked over and shrugged. “He was thrilled, actually.” She looked back at her sister. “But it’s not something he can keep, like this.”
“It will be a memory.” Paige frowned. Why did she keep talking? But when they all looked at her, she tipped her head. “It will. You show up with all his favorite snacks and a Warriors of Easton sweatshirt and hat on to show him that you’re really committed to doing it right and truly settle in for the whole weekend, no interruptions. He’ll think that’s super hot.”
Then she winced. Oops, maybe she shouldn’t tell teenagers how to be hot.
But Whitney, Josie, and Jane were nodding.
“It’s true,” Josie said. “Our parents were all about making the little things sweet and romantic.” She shot Paige a smile. “Memories really matter. They do stay with you.”
Oh crap, Paige thought as Josie looked at her with what could have easily been described as pride. She was right. And her sappy, romance-crazy parents had rubbed off on her after all.
Dammit.
“I need to go.” She looked around. “Up front.”
At least up front she wouldn’t be opening her mouth in front of Josie and acting like she actually thought about romantic weekends and knew how to make things special and meaningful.
Paige took a deep breath and pushed through the swinging door to the front of the bakery. She immediately found Mitch in spite of the crowd of people.
I’d play stupid video games with him all weekend. For sure. Or go out on fishing boats on the swamp.
Dammit.
It seemed that he sensed her as well. He was sitting closest to the window at their table, not facing the kitchen door, but he looked over as soon as she stepped out. Their eyes met, and his mouth curled in a grin that sent heat skittering through her body. It was a knowing smile. A smile that said he knew her. Knew her body. Knew her thoughts. Knew that she would be here.
That idea made trepidation slip down her spine.
Turn around and go right back out of here. That was her first thought. Her first instinct.
But then he gave her a wink and leaned over, draping his arm across the back of the chair where Tori sat.
For some reason, that made Paige relax. So Josh and Tori were playing along? That was nice. And awkward. She felt bad. Her crazy family, and her own crazy commitment issues were causing Tori and Josh and Mitch to have to lie.
She sighed and made her way from behind the counter over to their table.
“Good morning.”
“Paige!” Tori bounced up from her chair and hugged Paige. “Hi!”
Paige squeezed her back with a huge smile. Tori Kramer, soon-to-be-Landry, was impossible not to like. She was sweet and kind and genuine and slightly awkward in a very adorable I-just-want-to-take-care-of-her way.
Over Tori’s shoulder, Paige noticed Josh watching them. He was smiling with an affectionate look that, if anyone had been looking, would have clearly said he was madly in love with Tori.
Paige let Tori go and grinned at her. “It’s so good to see you. But I didn’t know you were going to come over for the festiva
l.”
“Oh, it’s the perfect reason to come see you,” Tori said, taking her seat again. “When Mitch said that he was—”
“When he said how much he missed her but that he needed to stay to make sure all the electrical worked once things kicked off, Tori wanted to head right over,” Josh interrupted, sitting forward.
Tori pressed her lips together and nodded, glancing at Mitch. “Right,” she said. Then giggled. “I couldn’t stay away from him another day though.”
“Aw, love you, Tori,” Mitch said. Then he pulled her in and kissed her.
It was just a quick peck on the lips, and his grin was full of mischief, but Josh’s grin fell away and his body tensed.
Tori blushed.
Paige thought about knocking the rest of Mitch’s coffee into his lap.
10
Of course, all of those reactions were what Mitch was going for.
“Dammit, Mitch,” Josh muttered, too low for anyone else to hear.
But Mitch was focused on Paige. And she realized that he was trying to see how she’d react.
With jealousy. That’s how she was reacting.
With stupid, makes-no-sense-because-she-knew-it-was-a-lie jealousy. Even more, she couldn’t feel jealous over a guy that she didn’t want anything long-term with. That was her call. That was her rule. That was her decision. She couldn’t be jealous over other women or how he spent his time or if he didn’t text or call her every day.
Even more, she never felt jealous. That was the truth. She had never met, dated, kissed, or even had a hookup with a guy she felt jealous about over anything.
She was going to have to get a handle on her emotions about this guy.
And it was definitely a red flag that her emotions were not handled even when she knew that he was just messing around.
Paige made herself sit back in her chair, cross her legs, and smile.
“Got to sell it,” Mitch said to his cousin.
“I’m keepin’ track,” Josh told him. “I’m going to make you pay for every one of those.”
“I’m so sorry,” Paige said. She kept her voice low too. The bakery was busy and there was a lot of noise, but this was Appleby. It sometimes felt like the walls and trees even had ears. “He’s helping me out and I realize it’s ridiculous.”
Oh, Fudge: Hot Cakes Book Five Page 12