by Penny Harmon
What could she say about Clark? Was he the biggest mistake of her life? Probably. She knew he was someone that was going to stick with her for a long time.
The thing was she wasn’t angry at him. She was angry at herself. If she’d had a little more self-control, she wouldn’t have had to run. Why couldn’t she have just turned away?
Instead, she’d made a fool out of herself and pretty much mauled the injured man half to death. Less than a week before the man had been shot and last night she’d ridden him like he was a freaking rodeo bull. What the hell was she thinking?
After Clark had fallen asleep she laid there thinking about what would happen when morning came. Would Clark think that they were now a couple? Would he profess his love for her? The truth was she knew she couldn’t handle the disappointment when he looked at her and said that it was mistake.
This wasn’t the first time it would have happened to her. The last time had ruined her. She’d fallen into bed with Bruce right after he had told her he was falling in love with her. The next morning he told her it was nothing more than a mistake and they weren’t the right fit for each other.
Like any normal human being she’d asked him for an explanation and he’d politely told her that they had had some fun, but it was time to move on. It seemed like he was only interested in the actual chase. She’d played hard-to-get and it only had intrigued him more. Once caught, he was determined to throw her back.
Before she could hear those same words from Clark, she chose to disappear. The only regret she had was that she had to leave in order to get away from Clark.
Picking herself up off the bed, Paige found the boys sitting in the bathroom near the litter box she had just set up for them. “I’m going to get something to eat. You boys be good.”
Outside the motel room, Paige looked around. Maybe the restaurant would have a paper she could look at. While Arkansas had cheap land, she hadn’t even considered Georgia.
Walking into the restaurant, Paige couldn’t help but wonder how often someone actually cleaned the place and debated whether she really wanted to eat here or not. Before she could decide, a woman that was approaching elderly status came up to her. “Take a seat anywhere, dear. I’ll get you a menu.”
Choosing a small table by the window, Paige continued to notice all of the things that needed cleaning and silently pleaded for the food to be good. Maybe the kitchen was cleaner than the dining area? She certainly hoped so.
When the woman came back to the table, she carried a glass of water in one hand and a menu in the other. “Here you go. My name’s Marge. Do you want a cup of coffee or anything before you order?”
Paige smiled. “Thank you, but I’m good. What do you recommend?”
The woman laughed. “Honey, Harold will cook you anything you want whether it’s on the menu or not…just say the word. With the lunch crowd over, it will be quiet again until dinnertime.”
Paige looked around. “Is it busy in here at dinner?”
“Oh, you’re not from around here, are you? This place is standing room only for lunch and dinner every day of the week. I’m shorthanded right now, so it makes thing a little tougher.”
Laughing, Paige said. “Just passing through and I’m staying at the motel for the night so maybe I’ll come back later, too.”
“You do that, but for right now, what are you craving?”
It only took a second for Paige to state, “Cheeseburger with mayo and onions on it only.”
“I’ll bring it out when it’s ready. I’m just going to put my feet up for a minute while I can,” Marge said. “You ain’t looking for work are you?”
Paige nodded. “I am, but I was actually heading to Arkansas to see what I could find.”
“Arkansas? What do you want to go there for? Georgia is where you want to be.”
“I don’t know…are rentals high around here?”
“Yes, but if you work for me, you can stay at the motel for a cheaper rate. I own that, too.”
Paige’s eyes brightened. “Really?”
“Yes, really. I need help and you look like you’re capable. You ever waitressed before?” Marge looked her up and down.
“Yes, I have…a few jobs, actually.” Paige had worked more waitressing jobs than she would care to say, but didn’t want Marge to think she was a job hopper.
“I’ll take your word for it if you want the job. You could start tonight if you want and I’ll give you a seventy-five percent discount on your room. It’s up to you, Kid!”
Kid? It had been years since anyone had called her kid. For some reason, with this woman, it sounded like an endearment.
“I don’t know how long I’ll stay, but…yeah, I could use the extra cash and a place to live right now.”
Marge let out a whoop of joy that caused Harold to stick his head out of the kitchen. “What’s all the commotion about?”
“We got us a live one, Harold. This here’s…what’s your name, Kid?”
“Paige…”
“This is Paige and she’s working here now. Going to be staying at the motel, too.”
Harold gave her a thumbs up and asked, “What you eating today?”
Before she could answer, Marge yelled, “Go start a burger and I’ll bring you the order. This girl’s starting tonight.”
After Marge left, Paige just shook her head. What had she done now? She was the only one in the restaurant now. Was Marge kidding about it being standing room only? She hoped not, otherwise, she’d just made another mistake.
Chapter 16
Clark had been sitting in his vehicle watching when he’d seen Paige come out of a motel room and wander over to the restaurant. Less than an hour later, she had gone back to her room. At that point, he figured it was safe to go into the restaurant himself to grab a bite.
Surprised that there wasn’t any other customers, and pleased because he knew he could get served quickly, he simply asked for a burger and fries to go. The woman just smiled and gave his order to the kitchen before coming back to sit at the booth closest to the door.
“I think I just saw a friend of mine leaving here a few minutes ago. Thought I would check the place out. If Paige eats here, I know it must be good.”
The woman turned around to look at him. “You know Paige?”
He just smiled and nodded his head.
“Hmmmm…she told me she was just driving through. I hope she’s honest since I just gave her a job.”
Clark spoke up quickly. “Oh, she is. No worries there. I’m just traveling through myself, believe it or not.”
Marge chuckled. “Small world, eh? Is Paige a good worker? This place gets busy and you got to be strong to handle it. I don’t know if she’ll be able to keep up.”
He couldn’t believe that Paige took a job here, but he could understand why. This woman wasn’t exactly shy. With a nod, he told her, “She’s strong. Did she say how long she’s staying?”
“Nope, just said it wouldn’t be for too long…got her staying in one of my motel rooms at a discount for now.”
Clark didn’t say anything else. He just waited for his food to be brought out. Now what was he going to do? This woman was obviously going to tell Paige that she’d talked to someone who claimed to know her.
After taking his food back to his car, he sat and watched the door of her room, willing her to walk out. By the time he had finished one of the best burgers he’d ever had, she still hadn’t come out.
He thought about knocking on her door, but he didn’t want to risk screwing up the job she hadn’t even started yet. Granted, all he wanted was to bring her home to Endings. But he wasn’t stupid. If he pushed, she’d shove back or run until he couldn’t find her. Either way he’d be screwed.
Five minutes later Jade’s number came up on his phone.
“Jade. What’s going on?”
“Hey Cuz! How are you feeling? You getting some rest?”
“Let’s just say I’ve been sitting around most of the morning, so…yeah, I gues
s I am. What’s going on with you?”
“Well, nothing’s changed. Royce is still missing. My sisters are driving me nuts and I really want you to move here. Have you given it any more thought? Sheriff Richards still wants you.”
“I don’t know, Jade. I’ve kind of gone and gotten myself into my own mess. What the hell was I thinking?”
“What? What’s going on Clark? Are you okay?”
Once he explained the situation to her, Jade could do nothing but laugh and he threatened to hang up. “Wait. I have an idea!”
“What? Please give me something I can use…Christ, I feel like shit about it.”
“Well, the first thing you have to do is go knock on her door and let her know that you’re there. Stalking is not cool and you know it. Just tell her you want to talk when she gets out of work before you head back to Endings.”
“Okay, then what?” he asked.
“You talk to her,” Jade laughed. “My God, you can be so dumb about women.”
“Thanks for your vote of confidence. I know I have to talk to her, but that’s where I’m stuck. What the hell do I say to her?”
“Tell her how you feel. That’s all a woman really wants, Clark. Don’t listen to what other men say, either. They don’t know any more than you do. They just pretend they do.”
“What if she doesn’t want to listen to me? How do I get her to listen?”
“Clark, use your powers, Sweetie. What made her interested in you in the first place?”
“Funny, Jade. We actually started hanging out as friends. I went and ruined that, I guess.”
“Doesn’t have to be that way. It’s all in your hands now.”
“Thanks for listening,” Clark said with a grin.
“You know, I just want to throw this out there to you. You said Paige wants to start her own animal sanctuary? Perfect place for it is here in Maine. Christ, we could donate a couple of acres to her for that, but if she needed more than that you can get land up this way pretty damned cheap.”
Clark thought about how to broach the subject with Paige. He couldn’t just come out and say, “By the way, Paige. I know you just ran away from me, but would you be interested in moving to Maine with me if I gave you some land?”
“That’s nice to hear, but I can’t imagine how I could convince her to do that when I don’t even know if she’ll talk to me. Anyway, I’ll get back to you. Time to go knock on her door and see what happens.”
“Clark, call me back and let me know how it goes. Okay?”
Five minutes later, he stood outside the door to the room he saw Paige go into. His hand reached out to knock, but he hesitated. Should he wait until after her shift at the restaurant?
Pacing around outside her door, he thought about everything he would say if she gave him the chance. He was completely caught off guard when the door swung open and Paige stepped outside.
Her eyes widened when she saw him and she took a step back. “Clark.” Clark was not surprised that she didn’t look happy to see him.
“Paige, I just wanted to know if we could talk after you get off your shift tonight?”
“My shift? How? Have you been following me?” He saw the fear grow in her eyes.
“No! Well, not really. I went to the trailer after you left the resort and…never mind. It doesn’t matter. I just want to know if we can talk later.”
“Talk? I left Clark. I walked out while you were sleeping and you want to talk? Seriously?”
“Well, this obviously isn’t going how I expected it to. Can we just talk later?” Clark just needed five minutes…that’s all it would take.
“I don’t see why we have to talk, Clark. It’s over.”
“Over? You didn’t even give it a chance for it to start!” he raised his voice. So much for that, he thought, but he wasn’t leaving yet. Reaching out, he pulled Paige to him. He wasn’t leaving without one reminder of what things could be.
Paige gasped, but she didn’t pull away. He looked into her eyes just before his lips met hers. The taste of her lips and the feel of her body so close left his heart racing. When he was able to pull away, he gave her one last look and walked back to his vehicle.
Pulling out of the parking lot, he looked in the rear view mirror to see her still standing in front of her room with one hand covering her mouth.
Chapter 17
Paige pulled her shoes off and peeled off her socks. Massaging her feet, a groan escaped. Never in her whole life had her feet hurt so badly. Two weeks she’d been working for Marge and she felt like it had been a lifetime.
Marge and Harold were two of the nicest people, but they demanded perfection. When Marge had told her that it was standing room only during lunch and dinner hours, she hadn’t been kidding. Every day from eleven to one and four to eight the place was packed with people as tight as sardines.
Pulling her tips out of her pocket, she put them on the bed beside her. Another good day. In the short two weeks she’d been there, she’d pulled in almost fifteen hundred dollars. Granted, that was without a day off, but still.
Tom and Jerry had adjusted quite well to the close confines of the motel room. It really wasn’t much different in size than the trailer she had in Endings. Just the thought of the place brought her to tears.
She’d been moving around constantly from the time she was seventeen and never looked back. Every day was a struggle. From the moment she woke up until the time she went to bed she thought about Susan, Pam, and even Drake who often helped her out with walking the dogs when it didn’t fit into her schedule.
Clark, of course, was the one who took up most of her thoughts. He’d followed her to Georgia for Christ’s sake and all she could do is yell at him. And then he’d kissed her. It was a kiss that she would never forget.
She thought about what would happen if she went back, but that wasn’t her style. She never looked back and she berated herself for even thinking about it. She just had to figure out a way to move on.
Picking up her tips from the bed, she walked over to large plastic container she’d purchased to keep the dry cat food in. She couldn’t leave it in the bag because both cats would tear it open from one side to the other. It made the perfect place to hide her money.
The funny thing was that when she was at the resort, she never worried about someone breaking in. It was the one place she felt safe. Here, not so much. Marge wouldn’t even let her walk back to her room at night unless she or Harold watched her from the door.
Tonight Marge had pissed her off though. When she had finally had a chance to sit down after the dinner rush, Marge had sat down with her.
“When you going back to that guy,” she asked Paige.
“What are you talking about?” Paige sighed.
“The one who came in the day you arrived? You can’t forget him…I see it in your eyes.”
Paige rolled her eyes. “What did you see in them just now?”
Marge had leaned back in her seat and laughed. “You got it bad. I give it another week and you’ll be packing up your room and telling me goodbye.”
“Bite your tongue, Marge. I’m not doing that. The one thing I learned in life is that you can’t trust anyone but yourself.”
Marge became serious. “You ever heard that saying about loving something enough to set it free and if it comes back to you it’s yours? Well, think about this…he came back. They all don’t come back, Paige, but that one did.”
Since that moment, Paige couldn’t get him out of her mind. Marge was right. When she had walked out in the middle of the night, leaving him sound asleep in his bed, she had set him free. But he’d followed her. Did that mean that he was hers? She didn’t know what the hell it meant.
After a long shower, she picked up her phone. Every night it was the same ritual. She took her shower and then checked her phone for messages. Tonight, it set her off.
Why the hell was she checking for messages when not one person out there cared enough about her to send her one? Why w
ould they? It’s not like she let anyone get close. If they got close, she ran the other way.
It wasn’t until after a night of tossing and turning that Paige made up her mind. Six o’clock in the morning and she was packing her bags. She’d made her decision and it would be the first time in her life she went back, but she had to. If she didn’t, she could be missing out on something that would never come her way again.
Just before eight, she went over to the motel office where she found Marge talking with the front desk clerk.
Before she could even say a word, Marge said, “You’re doing it, aren’t you? You’re going back?”
Paige just nodded her head. While Marge and Harold were gruff on the outside, they had proven over and over again that they had big hearts. They’d taken her in and shown her proof that trustworthy people still existed in the world.
Marge stepped toward her and wrapped her big arms around Paige. “You are going to be just fine, Girlie…you just got to give people a chance…give yourself a chance. You’ve been too hard on yourself.”
Paige wiped a tear from her eye. “How can I ever thank you and Harold?”
“You don’t need to do anything. Just having you here with us for a bit was a blessing. Just be sure that you stop by and see us if you’re in the area again.”
“You can count on that,” Paige smiled.
“Well, let me go get Harold and we got to settle up with you on your wages, too. Give me just a few.”
As Marge walked out of the room and into the back of the motel which was where they lived, Paige sat down in one of the chairs. Was she really going to do this? Turn around and go back to Endings? To Clark?
By the time she said her goodbyes and got on the road, lunchtime had come and gone. Marge, of course, wouldn’t let her leave without a full stomach and Harold had told stories about how many times he and Marge had split up when they were younger. It gave her hope.
On the road back to Endings, she listened as Tom and Jerry scratched at their carriers. Evidently, this move had been too quick for them and they were already anxious to get out. She couldn’t blame them. It had been a mistake to leave and now she had to try to fix things.