Fix Me Not

by Carey Heywood

He presses his lips to her forehead. “I know.”

  With a growl, she jabs him in the gut and he coughs, “I mean I love you too.”

  “That's more like it,” she replies.

  I interrupt. “Are we going or what?”

  Finley pulls away from him. “You're right. Let's go.”

  We take Noah’s truck since Finley will be more comfortable driving it back.

  The parking lot is packed, which is no surprise. The Drunken Moose stays fairly busy most nights and even more so on the weekends.

  Finley snorts when she sees the sign. It's a moose wearing sunglasses with a barrel of whiskey hanging around its neck.

  She pulls out her phone. “I need to text my mom a picture of this place.”

  Once she's done, we head inside. Seating is at a premium but Paige notices us the moment we walk in the door. Coming over to us, she links arms with Finley before leading us to one of the few open tables.

  It strikes me in that moment how much I misjudged Paige in the beginning. Finley didn't and I regret the time I lost thinking the worst of her.

  Once Finley and Noah are seated, Paige stands in front of me. “Hi Asher.”

  It's no shock my being here, especially with Noah and Finley, has made us all the subject of everyone else’s attention in the bar.

  Since they're all looking, I might as well give them something to see. Cupping the back of her head, I dip mine and press my mouth to hers. Her lips are still as soft as they were earlier today. All at once I wish we were back at my house instead of here so I could take my time and kiss her thoroughly. One thing I'm coming to learn about Paige Sullivan is, I want more.

  Her eyes are heated when I break our kiss.

  “I was expecting a Hi Paige,” she breathes.

  My hand slides down to the back of her neck and my thumb slides up and down her smooth skin. “You complaining?”

  She grins and before I can stop myself I kiss her again.

  “Paige.”

  We separate, both looking toward the source of the shout.

  Malcolm stands behind the bar looking annoyed. “Stop making out with your boyfriend and get back to work.”

  “Calm your tits Mal,” she shouts back.

  His expression softens as he shakes his head at the both of us. Then his attention goes back to someone sitting at the bar.

  Paige only has eyes for me. “We need to have a conversation about all this kissing.”

  “You want to discuss our kissing?” I ask.

  She nods. “Yes, but not now. I have to check my other tables. I'll be back in a minute to get your orders.”

  She's gone before I can ask her more about what this kiss conversation will entail.

  “Real subtle bro,” Noah drawls as I sit.

  “What?” I ask.

  “Pissing on her leg would have been more subtle,” Finley explains.

  “It must be a Thompson trait,” Noah says, his eyes on Finley.

  “How so?” She asks.

  He motions to Paige. “Asher’s mind is made up. When we Thompsons meet the women of our dreams, we do whatever it takes to win her heart.”

  I can't argue the fact that I want Paige, but it might be stretching it to say she's the woman of my dreams. “Noah. “

  “Look at how Eli was before he convinced Brooke to date him, and how I was with Fin.”

  “But we’re nothing alike,” I argue.

  “How so?” Finley asks and then answers for me, “She's a hard worker like you, loves your lake almost as much as you do, and she believes in taking care of her family like you. If you really took the time to think about it, I think you'd be surprised by how similar you are.”

  While I mull over her words, she looks at Noah. “What did Eli do to convince Brooke to date him?”

  He shakes his head. “That's a story for another time. Besides, Paige is coming over to take our drink orders.”

  Looking up, I watch her approach. When I saw her before, I was so focused on her face I didn't notice what she was wearing. It's a dress I've never seen before, which isn't a surprise since I've only recently started looking.

  It's a blue so dark it reminds me of a cloudless night sky the moment a day shifts to twilight. It clings to her hips, showcasing her toned legs. The top part drapes around her neck, one side of it slipping off her shoulder, exposing the skin of her collarbone. I'd like to shove my face into the spot where her shoulder meets her neck and taste her.

  “What can I get each of you to drink?” She asks.

  My gaze moves past her to where Malcolm stands, watching us. Now is not the time to succumb to my desire to tug her into my lap and start that conversation on kissing.

  “I'm DD. Can I have a Shirley Temple?” Finley asks, then adds, “With extra cherries?”

  Paige’s smile lights up her entire face, briefly dimming everything else around her. “Sure thing.”

  “Do you have any ales on draft?” Noah asks.

  “We have a great summer blend from a local brewery,” Paige says.

  “Sold,” Noah replies, tapping the tabletop.

  Paige directs her gaze to me. “And for you Mr. Thompson?”

  Her voice takes on a sultry quality normally reserved for foreplay.

  “I'll take the summer ale as well,” I reply.

  She gives all of us a nod. “I'll be right back with them.”

  She's true to her word and returns with our drinks right away. While she works, Noah and Finley talk about what they both want for their wedding. Since the conversation doesn't need my input, I find my attention more on Paige as she works than on them.

  Once she has checked all her tables, she comes back to ours. “Hopefully you both like the ale.”

  “It's great, thanks,” Noah says, lifting his ale to show how much he’s already had.

  “Whew. It would have sucked if you didn't like it,” she replies, sliding into the chair next to mine.

  “Are you on break?” I ask.

  She shrugs. “I've got about five minutes before I need to do another round.”

  “Five minutes where we don't have to talk about wedding stuff,” Finley says raising her arms in the air.

  “That bad?” Paige asks.

  Finley nods. “Before we can set a date we need a location. That's proving difficult.”

  Paige tilts her head to the side. “How many guests are you thinking?”

  It's Noah who answers. “Somewhere between seventy-five to a hundred.”

  Paige smiles, and then asks, “Church wedding?”

  They both shake their heads.

  “Super swanky feel?”

  They both laugh and shake their heads again, this time clasping hands and resting them on the table.

  “Swanky is not our style,” Noah says.

  Paige folds her arms across her chest and leans back in her chair. “Why not have it on the beach at Asher’s?”

  They both blink, look at each other, and then look at me.

  A wedding? At my place?

  Finley presses her lips together and gives me a hopeful look.

  Noah watches her and reads her expression, then looks back to me. “What do you say Ash, can Fin and I get married at your place?

  I hate that he’d even think he had to ask. “You want it man, you got it.”

  Finley starts wiping at her eyes. “Why didn't we think of it before? Are you sure Asher?”

  Her first question wasn't one she expected an answer to, as for her second question. “Sure, I'm sure.”

  “The lake will make a gorgeous backdrop. Plus, his place is convenient to Woodlake. You can rent canopies if weather is a concern. If the brush by the grassy areas around the beach was cleared there'd be plenty of room for seating for a hundred. You might need to hire someone to clear it though.”

  “Hell, we could get Gideon to use his destroyer spray on it.”

  “Before he sprays shit near my lake I need to know what's in that spray,” I reply.

  Noah n
ods. “I doubt there's anything bad in it but if there is, I can come clear it.”

  “With my help,” Finley adds.

  He lifts her hand to his lips and kisses it. “I wouldn't have it any other way.”

  Paige watches them with avid interest, her face soft.

  I turn and look at her. “I'll need your help.”

  She turns her face to meet my gaze, her lips parted. “What?”

  “I'll need your help making sure the space is perfect for what they need,” I explain.

  She gestures to them. “I'm sure Finley and Noah could--”

  I shake my head. “You're the pro and I trust you with my land.”

  She gulps. “You do?”

  I nod.

  Emotions cross her features, many I can't read. She looks at each of us before glancing down at her hands.

  Bracing them against the table’s edge, she pushes her chair back. “I need to get back to work.”

  Worried I overstepped I try to stop her. “Paige.”

  She shakes her head. “It's okay. I will help. It means a lot that you asked.”

  As soon as she's gone, Finley breathes, “You need to date her, and then marry her, and then have babies with her.”

  My brows come together. “I need to what?”

  She takes a sip of her Shirley Temple and shrugs her shoulders. “If they get your build and her coloring they'd look like baby Thors.”

  Noah chokes on his beer. “Baby Thors?”

  She points at me but keeps her eyes on him. “Tell me I'm wrong.”

  Noah turns his face to look at me, then his gaze moves past me to where I can only assume Paige is. “You are not wrong.”

  “I think we can all agree it's too early to joke about any kids we might have,” I say.

  Finley smiles at me. “It's never too early and, it's fun. Noah and I like to try and guess who will be the next to take the plunge. We both had our money on Gideon since you're such a hermit. But, after your literal plunge today, you moved to the top of the list.”

  “Why Gideon and not Abby?” I ask.

  It's Noah who answers. “Abby is, shall we say, more selective than Gideon.”

  “What he means is, Gideon gets so much attention, who knows if he might stumble across the right woman for him out of dumb luck.”

  I can't argue their logic. “And since I--” I avoid using the word hermit. “Mainly stay on my land, I wasn't in the running at all?”

  “We disagreed on this,” Finley replies after a bit too much silence. “I thought you'd still end up hitched before Abby.”

  Noah makes a production of staring up at the ceiling and groaning.

  When I shoot him a puzzled look, Finley explains, “See, you're so hot I figured any woman who happened to see you was a goner.”

  I cough, not expecting my brother’s fiancée to call me hot. “Thanks, I think.”

  Noah looks back at me. “It's weird for me too.”

  Finley rolls her eyes. “It's not like I think he's hotter than you but even you can admit Asher is seriously hot.”

  Pushing back my chair, I stand. “Want another round?”

  “No need to get up,” Paige says from behind me.

  “He was trying to escape because Finley keeps talking about how hot he is,” my ever-helpful brother replies.

  “You're the one who said it this time.” Finley smiles, pointing at him.

  “You didn't know you were hot?” Paige jokes.

  “You think I'm hot?” I ask.

  She blinks and then says, “No, I mean I guess.”

  Then flustered, she spins on her heel and is gone before I can say another word.

  “You think I'm hot? Real smooth man,” Noah jests as I slide back into my seat.

  “Maybe I should have put Abby ahead of you,” Finley says, rubbing her chin.

  I frown. “I don't know what was wrong with what I said.”

  Noah’s brows come together as Finley shakes her head.

  “Are you a virgin?” Finley asks.

  I fumble with my glass, coming close to dropping it.

  “Fin,” Noah sighs.

  I cough to clear my throat. “No.”

  Finley opens her mouth to say something but is silenced by a kiss from Noah.

  When he's finally done kissing her, she says, “What was I saying?”

  “Nothing,” he replies.

  “Enjoy,” Paige says from beside me as she plunks down our ales with enough force that some spills down each side.

  “Paige. I'm sorry I said that,” I reply.

  She waves me off. “It's fine and for your information, yes, I think you're nothing to sneeze at.”

  Both Finley and Noah burst out laughing.

  Paige and I both look at them in confusion. “What’s so funny?”

  Noah is the first to stop laughing. “Inside joke.”

  Finley wipes at her eyes. “Yeah, you wouldn’t get it.”

  I frown while Paige shrugs and directs her full attention at me. “Yes, you’re hot. Just don't go getting a big ego over it.”

  “I think he's ego proof,” Finley says.

  I stay focused on Paige. “How's your shift going?”

  She rests her hand on the back of my chair. “I think I like it better when you're in here instead of sitting in the parking lot. Though, I can't lie, I like your glasses.”

  My glasses?

  “Wait, you wear glasses?” Finley asks, drawing our attention across the table.

  I frown. “For reading.”

  Finley looks at Noah. “How come you don't need reading glasses? You're older.”

  “Thanks,” he mutters, smirking at her.

  I shift my gaze back to Paige. “Do you want me to start coming in every night?”

  “Every night?” Noah asks.

  “He waits in the parking lot for my shift to end every single night,” Paige replies, not taking her eyes off of me. “It pissed me off at first.”

  “And now?” I ask.

  She leans down and presses her lips to mine. “I like it.”

  It’s the first time she’s initiated a kiss. I want to throw her over my shoulder and carry her out of the bar and kiss her privately to celebrate.

  “You drive out here just to follow her home each night?” Finley asks, her hands pressed to her chest.

  Paige nods.

  “That's the most romantic thing I've ever heard,” Finley sighs.

  “More romantic than renovating your house?” Noah asks, clearly not liking Finley’s attention on someone other than him.

  “Our house,” Finley corrects him. “And, I guess it's the second most romantic thing I've ever heard.”

  “That’s better.” He nods, and picks up his drink to take a long swig.

  Twelve

  Paige

  It’s been three weeks since I first met Finley. Now I’m sitting in the den of her gorgeous home, helping her plan her wedding.

  “Bridesmaids?” I ask.

  “We were thinking three bridesmaids and three groomsmen.”

  I jot that down on my notepad. “Their names?”

  “Abby is my maid of honor, my cousin Heather, and my friend from back home, Melody are my bridesmaids. Then Jon, his partner for his best man, and Asher, and Gideon for his groomsmen.”

  “Not Eli?” I ask, surprised Noah would have two of his brothers stand up with him and not the third.

  Finley cringes. “They don't always get along and, he'd like to avoid any drama.”

  “Fair enough,” I murmur.

  “You truly think we can pull all this off by next spring?” Finley asks.

  I nod. “You just need to worry about finding the perfect dress.”

  She reaches across to grab my hand. “I didn't tell you. Abby is flying with me to Texas for a long weekend and my mom is going to take us dress shopping while we're there.”

  It's an effort not to frown when she says Texas. My plans, since I agreed to help her plan this wedding, have i
ndefinitely been put on hold. I could lie to myself and say it was the wedding, and not Asher who I stayed here for. At least saying the wedding wouldn’t make the decision to stay feel like a mistake.

  “That sounds amazing,” I reply, hoping my voice doesn’t betray me.

  “Since Heather and Melody will be there, they can try on bridesmaid dresses.”

  “Perfect,” I say.

  “Is there anything else we need to plan or schedule today?” she asks.

  I close my notebook with a snap. “Nope, we’re already off to a good start but, I'll email you later this week to see what your schedule looks like to check out some caterers.”

  “Oh, like taste testing?”

  When I nod, she grins. “That's my favorite kind of planning.”

  I start to stand, and she stops me. “You don't have to leave do you?”

  Since my timeline for moving out of my mom’s house has been extended, I'm taking less shifts at The Drunken Moose. “I don't have to work tonight.”

  “Good,” she replies. “I made cookies. Want one?”

  It's my turn to grin. “Is no even an option?”

  She stands and motions for me to as well. “Follow me.”

  We walk from her den into her kitchen. “I didn't get a chance to say this earlier, but your house is stunning. Did you and Noah really do all the work yourselves?”

  She blushes and nods. “It was a total labor of love. It's crazy to think of what this place looked like before. I have some pictures if you'd like to see them.”

  “I'd love to.”

  Once we’re in the kitchen, she grabs a plate from a cabinet and loads it up with cookies from a cooling rack. “I have chocolate chip and white chocolate macadamia nut.”

  “They smell so good,” I reply.

  “Want a glass of wine to go with?”

  “Are you hitting on me?” I joke. “Because cookies and wine are the way to my heart.”

  “Oh, I'll be sure to tell Asher,” she says.

  I freeze. “I'm not sure that would be necessary.”

  She pauses the progress she was making in uncorking a bottle. “How come?”

  If I only knew the answer to that. Three weeks ago he kissed me in front of everyone at the bar, he's blown me off ever since.

  Sure, he’s still there each night I get off work, but he hasn't said one word to me, and he canceled my swimming lesson. The last two weeks I've gone up there to deliver his groceries, mail, and clean, he hasn't stepped foot out of his workshop.