“What’s going on?” Jackie asked, springing from her chair.
Lydia smiled. “She’s making progress. Probably won’t be long now. She was pushing when I left.”
At three a.m., Travis strode through the doors carrying two wrapped bundles.
“I would like for you all to meet Austin and Britney Montgomery.”
Chapter Three
It was close to three in the morning by the time Paige finished work at Leo’s bar. Every muscle in her body screamed in exhausted agony. Her eyes felt like someone had sucked out all the moisture and replaced it with sand. Her feet and hands cramped. She knew she’d be making drinks all night long in her dreams.
She let herself in and headed straight for the shower to wash away the smell of booze and sweat. It’d been a rough night, but then Thursday nights were usually cram packed with partiers and tonight had been no exception.
Giving Leo a hand when he was short-staffed or busy wasn’t a problem. She’d do just about anything for her older brother. Besides, it wasn’t as if her social life was booked solid. She didn’t date. Didn’t belong to social clubs. Wasn’t part of the Whispering Springs Junior League. Wasn’t involved in the women’s groups at church. Crap. Now that she allowed herself to think about it, she didn’t much of a life at all. How pitiful. She really needed to do something about that.
Bending at the waist, she slid her soapy cloth down her legs and for some reason the image of a couple of cowboy hats passing through the crowd flashed before her. A definite tingle hit the area between her thighs. When she’d gotten a fast glimpse of Cash walking alongside his brother, a punch to her chest had slammed the air from her lungs. Damn Cash Montgomery. She hated that he could still make her breathless with need.
She dragged the wash cloth up her leg. Part of her had been disappointed that he was on the way out. Mostly, however, she’d been glad to see him leave. If last night was any indication of how much he was drinking these days, he didn’t need to be in Leo’s, or any bar. He’d been a party hound back when she’d known him better. She’d hoped he’d outgrown some of that. Sadly, it seemed he’d only gotten worse.
She stepped from the shower and snagged a towel from the linen storage. Her arms were almost too tired to rub the water off. Thank goodness, she had Friday off. Her to-do list was almost as long as her arm.
After putting on her favorite sleep shirt, she headed for her bed. Of course, Ruby had beaten her there and was curled into a tight ball on one of the pillows. Paige took the other one and crashed.
Friday passed in a blur of errands. She spent the evening at Leo’s Bar and Grill, another nail in her I-have-no-life coffin. When she got home at midnight, she scooted her bed-hog kitten over and climbed under the covers.
That was the last thing she knew until the Saturday morning sun burned into her eyelids. Paige moaned and rolled away from the window, trying desperately to get back into her dream involving a cowboy, some rope and a feather bed. After noticing the small movement from her owner, Ruby wrapped her tiny fur body around Paige’s head and turned on the purr machine.
Paige shoved Ruby off her head with a laugh. “I’m up. I’m up,” she said, swinging her bare feet to the floor. She stretched her arms toward the ceiling and looked around her room and smiled. Her own room in her own house. No sharing the hot water with anyone. No dirty dishes in the sink that didn’t belong to her. No bra required if she didn’t feel like putting one on. In fact, she could walk around in nothing but her extra-large T-shirt that read Rope Me, Cowboy and a pair of panties. No robe needed. Freedom to do whatever she wanted.
Staying at her Uncle James’s house for these past ten months had been great, but she’d never forgotten she was a guest, even when she’d been there alone. But this place? This was her place. Caroline had told her to make herself at home, and Paige intended to do just that.
After sliding her feet into a pair of scuffs, she headed for the kitchen to start a pot of coffee. She’d make a list of things she still needed to do and supplies she needed to buy while she got her morning caffeine fix. As the coffee dripped, she turned the oven on to preheat and started bacon frying in a large skillet.
She stole the first cup of java before the pot finished filling. Her eyebrows shot up with the first sip. Stout, to say the least. She added a little water to the coffee maker’s reservoir then cracked open a can of biscuits. When the preheat bell chimed, she slid a cookie sheet loaded with biscuit dough into the hot oven.
She flipped the bacon and then sat at the table with a notepad and pencil. Other than the sizzle from the bacon and the slight tick of the coffee maker, the peace was comfortable. Leaning back in the high-backed kitchen chair, she stretched out her legs and took a long sip of black coffee.
Across the table and directly in front of her, the door to the back bedroom banged open and a half-dressed man ran out, a tennis racket raised high above his head, all while he yelled, “What the hell are you doing in this house?”
Paige jumped from her chair, sending it over backwards. She spat the coffee in her mouth across the table while at the same time tossing the mug of hot liquid at her attacker. The man leapt to the side, avoiding most of the scalding java.
“What are you doing here?” she gasped out, barely able to catch her breath from the sudden adrenaline jolt, not to mention the masculine sight standing in front of her. Her heart grabbed her ribs and rattled. She struggled to focus as her mind refused to accept what she was seeing.
Cash Montgomery wore only a pair of white boxer briefs. Angry long scars crisscrossed his chest, abdomen and arms. But even those couldn’t diminish the impact of his naked, chiseled six-pack. Paige swallowed hard against the rising lust.
“I live here,” he answered, lowering his impromptu weapon to his side. Confusion covered his face and his brow furrowed. “Paige? Paige Ryan?”
She nodded. “That’d be me.”
His gaze roved down her body and back up to her face. “Why are you in my house? And why don’t you have on clothes? Not that I’m complaining, mind you.” A wolfish grin spread across his mouth. “Nice T-shirt slogan.”
Paige looked down and felt the flush of embarrassment as it climbed her neck and face. Both nipples protruded through the thin material far enough to be used as hat pegs. Her gaze flew back to him. “I’ll be right back.”
She hurried from the kitchen, tugging down the hem of her T-shirt over her purple panties. She could barely think about the need for a robe when her mind swirled like a blender, mixing her thoughts and emotions like a smoothie.
What was Cash Montgomery doing in her house?
And more importantly, why was she kind of excited to see him? The man had practically ruined her life. Well, maybe not ruined as much as shoved her onto a new life path. Still, he’d let her fall in love with him, taken her virginity and then treated her like she had meant nothing to him. He’d broken her heart and hadn’t seemed to care one whit.
Of course, she’d felt sorry for him passed out in the bar, just like she’d feel sympathy for any injured animal. And of course, she’d been crushed when she’d heard about his accident, but that didn’t mean she wanted to be in close proximity to him.
Cash Montgomery was a dangerous man. Dangerous to her positive self-esteem, which she needed to prosper in the intensive graduate nursing program she’d be starting in three months. Dangerous to her plans to stay focused only on her career for now. And dangerous to her self-preservation, as her heart tended to overrule her mind when it came to Cash. Nothing good could come of him being here.
She’d thought she would be able to handle seeing him, but she’d possibly misjudged. He had to go before any decisions were made by her heart and not her head.
After grabbing her chenille robe off the bathroom door, she stood in her bedroom collecting herself before walking calmly back to the kitchen. The coffee spewed and thrown at him ha
d been cleaned up. Her overturned chair was back upright and in its place. Cash had put on a pair of jeans and a black T-shirt that stretched to cover his broad shoulders. She’d been wrong when she’d thought he’d looked emaciated the other night. Must have been positional, because every movement had another muscle popping out somewhere new on his body.
He sat at the table, his legs stretched out in front of him, his bare feet crossed at the ankles. He nursed a cup of black coffee like it was any morning in any town, USA. She clutched both sides of her robe, pulling them together like a virginal prude.
A battle raged in her mind.
Don’t pull that robe together like you’ve never been with a man before. You’re being ridiculous. He’s seen everything you’ve got.
True, the opposition retorted, but he was pretty drunk that night and seven years have passed since then. And he took your heart and stomped on it with his size-fourteen cowboy boots.
“Are you just going to stand there and stare at me?” Cash asked with a lift of an eyebrow.
Paige whipped around to get another mug from the cabinet. After pouring her second cup of the day, she sat down.
“Let’s get one thing straight,” she said, sounding all the world like a school teacher reprimanding a student. “This is my house. Caroline rented it to me on Monday.”
“Travis told me I could stay here for a while.”
“Well, this isn’t going to work at all,” she said in a stiff voice that would have made a nun proud. “You’ll have to make other arrangements.”
He sat his cup on the table and leaned toward her. If he meant to intimidate her, it wasn’t going to work. She held her position and returned his stare with one she hoped conveyed her determination to stay put in this house.
“You’ll have to make other arrangements,” he said. “My brother owns this house and he gave it to me to live in as long as I want.”
Her heart dropped into her gut. The boa-constrictor-like squeeze around her chest pulled tight. Drawing in air was an effort, as was forming coherent sentences in his presence.
“Sorry, cowboy. I’m here to stay. You’re the one who has to go,” she finally managed to squeak out. “You have family you could stay with until you buy yourself somewhere else to live. Use some of that butt load of money you made riding those damn bulls to get your own place instead of trying to steal mine.”
“Steal? Yours?” He gave her a derisive snort. Using his cup, he pointed around the room. “This house doesn’t belong to you. It’s Montgomery property.”
Shoving her chair back with a loud scrape on the hardwood, she stood. “I’m going to get dressed and run some errands. When I get back, I expect you to be gone. And you can rest assured that I’ll be calling Caroline today.” She turned and marched out of the room.
“One of your errands should be finding another place to live,” he shouted at her back. “I’m not leaving. And don’t call Caroline. She had twins early yesterday morning. Don’t bother them today.”
Paige leaned against her closed bedroom door, her hand pressed to her chest, her heart in a runaway gallop. Crap. Surely one phone call to Caroline or Travis would clear this mess up. But that wasn’t going to happen. How could she dump her Cash problem on Caroline with her still in the hospital after delivery…at least she assumed Caroline was still there. Today it seemed like new mothers and babies were punted out the door fairly quickly.
Then Cash’s words registered. Caroline had delivered twins.
She stepped away from the door and began sliding hangers in the closet. She was going baby-clothes shopping.
Cash hadn’t said if the twins were boys or girls or one of each and she certainly couldn’t go ask him. She’d just decided she wasn’t speaking to him.
She pulled a tan skirt off its hanger and found a simple white blouse to go with it. Throw on a pair of sandals and some light make-up and she’d be ready to face the world…or Cash, if she had to.
Lucky for her, she didn’t see her uninvited roommate when she left the house. After a stop to get flowers for the new mother and receiving blankets and sleepers—in green and yellow since she still didn’t know the sex of the newborns—Paige headed for the small local hospital.
Caroline was sitting up in the bed, one baby at her breast and the other fussing in a bedside bassinet.
“Knock, knock. Am I intruding?” Paige asked from the door. “I can come back later.”
Caroline looked toward her. Her smile was almost beatific. Her face radiated pure joy.
“Don’t go. Come on in. Your timing is perfect. Travis left to go home and change clothes and I’m here by myself.”
Paige stepped into the room carrying the two gift bags and the vase of flowers. She set the big bouquet of flowers on the window ledge with quite a few others. “Looks like my flower idea isn’t that original.” She held up the gift bags. “These aren’t either, but you’ll need lots of them,” She placed the bags on the bedside table. “You can look at those later.” She put her hands on her hips and grinned. “By yourself, huh? I’d say it’ll be years before you’ll be by yourself again.”
Stroking her newborn’s downy head, Caroline nodded. “And I’ll love every minute of those years.” She kissed the baby’s head.
“Looks like you’ve got an unhappy one over here,” Paige said walking to the squirming baby. “Hey, precious,” she cooed. “What’s the problem?” She stroked the baby’s head. “Can I pick him up? Or is it her? I didn’t even know you were having twins. You sure do know how to keep a secret.”
Caroline chuckled. “Let me introduce you. In my lap is Mr. Austin Montgomery. Wiggling under your hand is Ms. Britney Montgomery. And, yes, please pick her up but you might want to check her diaper first.”
“Hello, Britney,” Paige said in a soothing voice. “Let’s check that diaper.” Finding Britney’s diaper wet, Paige put on a fresh one before pressing the tiny infant against her chest. “Oh, she’s so pretty,” she said as she nuzzled Britney’s head. “I love the smell of newborns. I think they smell like innocence.”
Caroline chuckled again. “Yeah, well, if you’d pushed these two out, you wouldn’t think them so innocent.”
“That’s okay,” she cooed to the baby tucked under her chin. “Your momma doesn’t mean it.” She made her way to the room’s rocking chair and sat. “God, I love babies,” Paige said after setting the chair moving with her foot. “Especially those I can play with and give back.”
Caroline giggled. “Did you get into the house okay?”
Paige studied the glow on her friend’s face and knew there was no way she was going to bring any worries into this room.
“Not a problem.” If you don’t count the uninvited and unwanted and way-too-sexy roommate.
“I bet it was filthy.”
Paige shrugged. “Pretty much what you would expect for a house that’s been empty for a while.”
The door opened to admit a ridiculously happy Travis Montgomery. He stepped to the bed to kiss his wife before turning to Paige.
“Good morning. You’re looking mighty fine this morning.”
Paige laughed. “You’re in a mighty fine mood this morning.”
He took a sleeping Austin from his mother’s arms to snuggle. “That’s ’cause I’ve got a mighty fine wife and two—count ’em—two children.” He kissed the top of Austin’s head. “How’s my little man?”
“Your little man can poop like one of your horses,” Caroline said.
“Good boy,” Travis cooed.
“And your daughter can belch like her Uncle Jason.”
“Genetics comes through again.”
Paige stood. “I’ve got to get moving. I just wanted to drop off those gifts.”
“Hold on. Let me open them.” Caroline dragged both gift bags into her bed. From the first, she pulled the two receiving blankets an
d two newborn sleepers. “Thank you,” Caroline said. “I’m pretty sure we can’t have too many of these.”
“Check the other bag,” Paige suggested.
Caroline pulled out a long, sheer, sexy black nightgown. “Oh. That’s beautiful.” She held the gown up to Travis. “Paige got you something too.”
Travis whistled. “I’m gonna look good in that.”
Caroline rolled her eyes at Paige, which made both women laugh.
“Thanks again for coming by,” Caroline said. “I’m glad to hear my uncle’s place is going to work for you.”
“What are you talking about?” Travis said.
“I meant to tell you but it totally slipped my mind. I’ve rented Angus’s house to Paige for a while. You know I hated letting it sit there to rot. I’m thrilled someone’s making good use of it.”
“But—”
Paige gave Travis a pair of wide eyes and a subtle shake of her head. “Thanks again, Caroline. I’ll take good care of it.” She stood. “Do you want Britney back in the bassinet or in your bed?”
Caroline held out her arms. “Here.”
Paige transferred the now sleeping baby to her mother and headed for the door.
“I’ll be right back,” Travis said to his wife, laying a sleeping Austin in his crib. “I need to have a word with Paige.”
Caroline lifted her eyebrows. “About?”
“A couple of things about Angus’s house. Where the water shut-off valves are in case of an emergency, things like that.”
Caroline nodded. “Good idea.”
Travis followed Paige into the hall. “Listen, I don’t know how to tell you this—”
“You mean that you told your brother he could live in that house also?” Paige asked.
“Yeah. That’d be it.” Travis removed his hat and ran his fingers through his hair. “I had no idea that Caroline had rented it to you. I’m sorry. My little brother is going through a rough patch and—”
“I know. I’ve seen his rough patch, mostly passed out at Leo’s.”
Texas Twist (Texas Montgomery Mavericks) Page 4