by Penny Harmon
“Well, someone is going to come and grab them soon…I just know it. If you want them, you need to make up your mind,” she said in a curt tone.
“If you are so worried about them, why don’t you take them?” he asked.
He watched as her eyes flashed in anger. “Me? You saw my place. It’s too tiny. That wouldn’t be fair to them.”
Well, she obviously didn’t like it when her words were thrown back in her face. His intention wasn’t to make her angry, but to try to open up her mind to the possibility of taking them herself. So much for that.
“So you came by yesterday?” he asked, hoping a change of subject would mellow her out. Her hands were still in her lap, her fingers twisting away at one another. It was all he could do not to try to reach out and grab them.
“Susan and I came together…she was the one who told me, but it wasn’t until your mother called me that I decided to come.”
“What?” His mother called her? What the heck was his mother thinking? Hell, Paige was skittish as it was. His mother could easily scare the poor girl even if she didn’t mean to. His mother meant well, but there were times that she could be a little pushy.
“Yeah, she thought…well…it doesn’t matter, but she thought I should come see you.”
“Well, I’m glad you did, but if my mother made you uncomfortable I’m sorry.” He watched the smile creep across her face.
“Uncomfortable? It seems to me like you’re the one who is embarrassed that your mother called me.”
He tried not to laugh, knowing how much it would hurt, but he couldn’t help it. The pain in his side was worth it, though, as he got to see the Paige smile one more time.
When she noticed his pain, she immediately stood up and came to his side. “Can I get the nurse?”
He’d learned real pain management was all in the breathing and took a deep breath in through his nose and exhaled through his mouth. “Nope…I’ve had enough of nurses. I just want to get home.”
“Get home? Clark? You were just shot. They’re not going to let you home yet!”
With a deep sigh, he looked at her in the eyes. “I know, but I’m not letting them know if I’m in pain. They might try to keep me longer.”
She reached her hand out and rubbed his shoulder. “Just do what they say so you can get out of here quicker, but don’t try to pretend you don’t hurt. I’m sure they know the difference anyway. Do you realize that your heartrate and blood pressure go up when you’re in pain? Keep taking the pain meds and they’ll probably let you out sooner.”
He saw the concern on her face and gave her a grin. “You’re probably right. I didn’t think about that.”
“Well, I’m not just another pretty face, you know?”
He reached out and grabbed her hand, holding it close to his side. “I’ve already figured that out.”
Chapter 13
By Thursday, Paige’s frustration level was at an all-time high. She hadn’t heard from Clark, but yet she didn’t want to reach out to him. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to talk to him. It was more that she was afraid.
When she’d gone to visit him on Saturday with Susan, she’d met his parents and felt an immediate connection. His mother had told stories of when he was young and she’d loved it. Even Susan couldn’t keep from laughing.
On Sunday when she’d gone alone, it had been different. Clark had been awake then and it had been hard talking to him knowing that she could only be friends with him.
However, if he’d really been serious about wanting to be in a relationship, wouldn’t and shouldn’t he be the one to call? She didn’t get it. She hadn’t really been in many relationships, but from everything she’d seen, if you were the one who wanted a relationship with someone, you had to actually work at it.
So what if he hadn’t called her? It wasn’t like she didn’t have a life. She’d gone out for pizza with Susan and her daughter last night. She’d actually thought it was strange how quickly she and Susan had connected considering the age difference. She’d expected to at least like Susan’s daughter, Samantha, but it just wasn’t possible.
She’d found Samantha to be rude, obnoxious, and a little bit condescending to her mother. There had been one moment when Paige had wanted to say something, but she’d learned from past mistakes on how quickly that could backfire. Instead, she’d shut her mouth and wondered how Susan put up with her.
The one thing she promised was that she would never go out for dinner with Susan and her daughter again. She couldn’t do it. If she had to, she’d say something to Susan, but she didn’t think she would be asked again…even Susan had looked embarrassed.
As for Clark, if he wasn’t going to call her, it would make things easier. The problem was that for several weeks, she’d allowed him to be a small part of her world and now she was feeling his absence.
It wasn’t until that she arrived home that she realized just how lonely she was. Her phone rang and she jumped to answer.
“Paige? Is that you? This is Clark’s mother, Barb.”
“Yes, this is Paige. How are you?” Sitting back down on the couch, she was read for just about anything or so she thought.
“Frustrated as hell, Dear. That boy of mine knows how to press my buttons,” she sighed.
Paige didn’t know whether to laugh or not. Instead, she replied, “I’m sorry.”
“That’s okay. I was just wondering if you would think about visiting him tonight. They let him out today and he refuses to let me stay.”
“I take it he’s doing good, though?” She couldn’t believe they’d let him out of the hospital already.
“Yes, but he pushed the doctor into letting him get out. I’m his mother. I know she shouldn’t be home alone and he insisted I leave,” his mother cried.
“You know what? Don’t worry about a thing. I’ll go over to his apartment and see what I can do. If something happens, I’ll call you immediately.”
After reassuring his mother that she wouldn’t tell Clark she called, Paige put on her shoes. She wondered what the hell she’d just gotten herself into, but there was no way she could ignore Barb’s pleas for help.
An hour later, she regretted her decision. She stood outside knocking on Clark’s door. Five minutes later she was still there. He was obviously in there. He just didn’t want to answer. A half hour later, he finally answered the door.
“What? How did you know I was home?” he growled.
Taking a step back, Paige snapped, “You’re not at the hospital. I assumed you were here. Now I’m leaving!”
Clark opened the door wider. “Sorry. My mother has been driving me insane. I’m not used to all this attention and, honestly, I could probably do without it.”
“Well, too bad, because I’ve designated myself as your caregiver for the evening…unless you’d prefer your mother to come back?”
Clark grinned. “Come on in!”
Two hours later, after she and Clark had devoured one of the casseroles she’d found in the fridge, they curled up on the couch to watch a movie.
Clark reached out to take her hand in his and she squeezed. It was funny how comfortable she felt with him, but the same thought saddened her as she knew it was not going to last.
“Are Sophie and Sarah still available?”
Paige sat up straighter. “Are you going to take them? Oh my God! That would be perfect.”
Clark sighed. “I want to. Believe it or not, I’ve thought about them every day. I’ve thought about you a lot, too.”
Paige pulled her hand away. Should she tell him now? It would seem cruel to tell him now that she only wanted to be friends, but she didn’t want to lead him on either.
“I’ve actually been thinking about you, too. I think we need to just be friends.” She held her breath not daring to look at him.
Clark was silent for a bit before he answered her. “If that is what you want.”
Her eyes met his and he smiled. “Good,” she said. She couldn’t belie
ve she’d been worried all week about how to say it to him. It didn’t seem like it mattered to him at all.
Feeling a little perturbed at his nonchalant attitude about it, she leaned back on the couch and tried to focus on the movie. Clark moved to get comfortable, or moved to get closer, she didn’t know, and suddenly she was more aware of him than ever.
His leg was only six inches or less away from hers and the heat just radiated from him. She struggled to move without making it seem like she was trying to move away, but each time she moved within a second or two he would move again.
Clark reached out to grab the remote between them on the couch and his hand brushed against her thigh. She jumped, startled by the touch, but didn’t take her eyes off the television. Her pulse quickened and she worked hard to keep her breathing in balance.
The last thing she wanted was for him to figure out the effect he had on her. Pretending to watch the movie, she was aware of his every move and when he suddenly moved his arm to rest it on the back of the couch behind her, she groaned.
“Problem?” Clark asked with a smile plastered on his face.
“Not at all,” she replied smugly and leaned back.
Close to her ear, Clark spoke quietly. “It seems like you have a problem sitting this close to me. Could it be that this friend only thing isn’t supposed to be?”
Paige didn’t dare to move. If she turned her head to look at him, her lips would be inches from his. If she got up, he’d know he was having an effect. She chose to ignore him.
“Paige? Aren’t you going to answer me?” he teased.
Paige shook her head and looked straight ahead.
“Why?”
She still didn’t answer him and when he pulled her toward him, twisting her around so she faced him, she gasped. She was even more surprised when he leaned in and his lips took hers.
His taste, his smell, his touch…it was as if someone lit a torch underneath her and she matched every move he made with one of her own. This kiss was nothing like she’d ever experienced before.
The only way she could describe it was mind-numbing. Every thought drifted out of her head when he deepened the kiss and pulled her into his arms. The only thing she could think of was getting closer without hurting his injuries.
Chapter 14
Clark woke to the sound of his alarm. He forgot about setting it last night so that he could be at the doctor’s by nine. Six o’clock and he reached out to the other side of the bed to find it empty. She’d gone without saying goodbye.
A smile drifted across his face as he recalled how Paige had fallen into his arms. Yes, she told him she only wanted to be friends, but he knew better. He certainly wasn’t an expert on women, but he knew when one was interested.
The only thing that scared him was the feeling that she may regret her actions this morning. Once he took a pain pill, he had drifted off to sleep and never heard another sound. He assumed she’d snuck out right after.
Groaning as he sat up, he slowly moved his legs over the side of the bed and sat up. His doctor probably should have told him no sex for six weeks because he was feeling it this morning.
In the bathroom he splashed water on his face, wishing like hell he could take a shower. Hopefully, the doctor would have news on that today. If not, he was doing it anyway.
The doctor had also told him no driving, but he was driving himself there this morning. On his way back, he even thought about stopping by the shelter to visit Sarah and Sophie. That would be his excuse anyway.
Two hours later, he’d received word from his doctor that showers were a go and he could basically do whatever didn’t cause him pain. He’d almost asked about sex, but seeing as he’d already had sex, there wasn’t a point.
He pulled into the shelter parking lot disappointed that Paige’s Subaru was not there. He wondered if she’d called out due to the lack of sleep and he couldn’t help but smile at the memory of what kept her awake all night.
Inside the shelter, he spoke to the receptionist to see if it were possible to just visit with the two dogs he’d grown attached to. As he rounded the corner, Susan came out of her office.
“Clark! How are you feeling?” she asked her voice filled with concern.
“I’m good…getting better every day. I just stopped by to see Sarah and Sophie and…well…”
“Paige? I know I shouldn’t tell you this, but I know you two have gotten close. She left this morning. Came in to say she had to leave…something about affordable land in Arkansas or something like that.”
“What? She left? As in quit?” Clark couldn’t breathe. Arkansas?
Susan sighed. “Yeah, she came in this morning and gave me her key. I’m devastated over it.”
Clark shrugged. “Did she say anything else?”
“Just that she was going to call me when she settled somewhere so I could send her last check to her.”
“I got to go,” Clark mumbled and hurried as much as he possibly could back to his car.
What the hell was going on? Last night was incredible. He’d made love to her. Hell, she’d made love to him. She couldn’t keep her hands off him and now she’d run. He shook his head. He had to find her.
As he pulled into the resort, he had a feeling he would find her parking spot empty so he wasn’t surprised to find it that way. He walked up the steps and opened the door knowing that it was already cleaned out.
Inside he looked around not surprised to find it spotless. Paige wasn’t someone who would leave a mess behind. He hadn’t known her that long, but he knew that about her. She took good care of her things and everyone else’s.
Wandering into the kitchen, he found a pad of paper and a pen sitting on the counter. He picked it up and saw the indentations. With any luck, he’d be able to figure out what was written on the previous page and he stuck it in his pocket.
Her bedroom was spotless as well, no different than the other rooms and he sat down on the bed. The pain in his side was stronger now, but he wasn’t giving up. Right now, he had to find her.
An hour later, Clark had packed a bag and had filled his gas tank. He’s struck gold on the pad of paper. In her handwriting, he had found an address in Arkansas. The address was to an apartment building in just outside of Little Rock. Apparently, he was taking a road trip.
He could just imagine what his father would say if he told him he was running after Paige. “What the hell are you doing? You don’t chase pussy, Son.” While he loved his parents, they were a little old fashioned and it wasn’t what he wanted in his own relationship.
One of the things he loved about Paige was how independent she was. He wasn’t happy about the reasons for it, though. No, he didn’t know her whole story, but he’d seen a lot in the time he’d been working in law and his imagination often got the best of him.
Maybe he was being stupid for following her, but what we he supposed to do? He’d been in a few relationships and none of them had made him feel the things that he felt with Paige. His grandmother once told him that true love came once in a lifetime. He knew he had to find her because if he didn’t, he might just lose his one shot at it.
Was it love? He had no way of telling. He couldn’t say he’d ever been in love before. But the one thing he knew is that he’d never felt like this before.
Driving through Georgia, Clark thought about what he would say when he found her. He thought about joking with her, but couldn’t find one that would suit the situation. The only thing he could do is try to be honest with her.
Glancing at the clock on the dash, he winced. It was already noon. With any luck, he would find her by the end of the night. The downside was that he didn’t know if she planned on driving straight to the address he found or if she planned on stopping somewhere. It was less than an eleven hour drive, but she did have the two cats with her.
Two hours later, Clark was driving through a small town on the outskirts of Atlanta. As he drove past a small motel and restaurant and saw Paige’s car park
ed in the lot. Pulling into a gas station down the road, he refilled his tank.
He’d thought about pulling right in and waiting beside her car for her to come out, but he also didn’t want to scare her away. She ran for a reason. He just wanted to find out what it was.
Deciding his best course of action would be to watch from a distance for a bit, Clark parked his vehicle discreetly in the motel parking lot. If she came out and got into her car, he would see her without being noticed.
A few hours later and he still sat there in the heat. Where was she? Had she gotten a room for the night? Seemed kind of silly to get a room so early in the day. She could be in Arkansas before bedtime if she left now.
Chapter 15
Paige threw herself down on the bed determined not to cry. The cats were sniffing around the room. Sadly, they were rather used to this and didn’t seem to be too perturbed over their new surroundings. They were probably just happy to be out of their carriers.
The plan had been to leave South Carolina and drive straight into Arkansas by nightfall, but the landlord of the apartment house she’d planned on renting from called her and told her he’d rented it just an hour after talking to her.
Frustrated and ready for a mental breakdown, she’d seen the sign for the motel and restaurant and pulled in. Again, it seemed as though she had no final destination in mind and it was killing her.
Her search last night had provided her with just enough information to know that Arkansas had cheap land available. She might not have enough right now, but if she kept her expenses low, she could have enough in less than a year.
The truth was she was tired of running. She really Endings would be it for her. Susan was the best boss you could have and she’d sort of made friends with some of them at the resort as well as Clark.