“My daughter is deployed right now. She’s air force—stationed in Afghanistan at the Kandahar Airfield.” Frank plopped back down, and the false face slipped away to reveal the haggard lines of a worried father. “No games.” His eyes slid to the burn scars on Ryan’s neck and quickly turned back to his computer. His fingers flew over the keyboard for a few seconds before he turned the screen to Ryan. “Here’s the best I can do.”
Good ol’ Frank had managed to take a good chunk off the sticker price for him. “Done. Can you take the old truck off my hands? All the paperwork is in the glove compartment.”
“We can, but you won’t get much for it in trade.”
“I don’t care about that.” Ryan rose and wiped his palm on the front of his jeans before offering his hand to Frank. “Thanks for understanding. How long do you need to get everything ready?”
“Give me an hour.” Frank stood and shook his hand. “I’ll run this through and make a copy of your license and proof of insurance. Wait here a minute.” He picked up the pile of plastic Ryan had set on the desk.
Staring out the floor-to-ceiling window, Ryan tried to tune out the raucous family. He spied a barbershop a block down. Summers in Indiana were hot and humid, and his thick hair had to go. Another item to check off his to-do list. Haircut first, then he’d find a restaurant with a corner booth where he could have dinner and hide out.
How would Paige react to his new pickup? She’d look good riding shotgun. That image led to thoughts of making love to her on the brand-new leather backseat. Were they too old to contort?
“You’re going to love that new truck. It has a really nice ride.” Frank interrupted his fantasy. “Here you go.” He handed him back his stuff.
“I know I will.” Ryan put everything back into his wallet. “I’ll be back in an hour.”
True to his promise, Frank had everything ready to go by the time he returned. His shiny new truck was parked by the front doors with the temporary license slip stuck to the rear window. A mixture of excitement and buyer’s remorse churned through him. He’d just taken a huge chunk out of his savings for something that would lose value the minute he put it in gear. But hell, it would last him for the next ten years, and he was way overdue.
Ryan straightened his shoulders, walked in, and did all the signing and glad-handing he could stomach. Then he climbed into his new Colorado, found some tunes on the radio, and headed home. Frank was right—the new truck rode like a dream, and the leather seats cozied up to his backside like it had been custom-made for his ass. Tomorrow morning, he’d offer to drive the carpool.
Pulling into the Langfords’ driveway, Ryan tamped down the urge to find Paige and show off his shiny new toy right away. How would she look in his cab? He imagined her spread out on the backseat, naked, her creamy skin and tawny-blonde hair next to the cashmere-colored leather…Oh, Lord. Had he chosen the truck to match the girl?
Speaking of the girl, there she was on the porch, with Toby in her arms and Lucinda beside her, talking to Noah and Ceejay. His heart and stomach did their leapfrog routine at the sight of her, and anticipation lit him up as he parked. She’d love the truck. He just knew she would. No more worries about his vehicle breaking down. He was the man, providing a safe ride for his woman.
Noah and Ceejay came down the stairs as Ryan climbed out. Unable to contain the urge to strut, he sauntered around the hood and nodded to Noah. “You two on your way to play poker?”
“We are.” Noah walked over to take a look at his new Chevy. “Nice ride. This must’ve set you back some.”
“Ohhh, leather seats,” Ceejay gushed as she peeked in at the interior. “I like it, Ryan.”
From the corner of his eye, he watched Paige approach. He liked the way she looked with a child in her arms. Sweet, soft, and utterly feminine. His chest tightened with the longing for a family of his own. A longing he hadn’t felt in years. He waited for the appreciation he had coming.
She eyed his truck, and then her gaze swung to him. “You cut your hair.”
“My hair? I just dropped a bundle on this new truck, and all you noticed is the haircut?” Ryan ran his hand over his face and growled low in his throat.
Noah laughed and took his wife by the hand. “We’ll be home by eleven, Paige.” He sent Ryan a look of sympathy. “Are we taking your new pickup to work tomorrow?”
“It hardly matters, does it?” Ryan muttered. “It’s Paige’s turn to drive. Let’s see how many clowns we can stuff into her teacup vehicle.”
“Hey.” Paige scowled. “My car has a BMW engine.” She gave him her back and headed back up the steps of the porch.
“Well, lah-dee-fucking-dah.” He kicked a pebble.
“Malloy,” Paige called from the front door.
His head came up. “Yeah?”
“I love the new truck.”
“I knew you would,” he called back, but she’d already disappeared. Grinning like a fool, he walked back to his apartment, unaware of the ground beneath his feet.
Paige sat on a stool behind the shop counter, the new desktop computer open to L&L’s retail software. A few more items to code and price, and then the window dressing, and things would be close to ready.
As she surveyed the showroom, a deep satisfaction filled her. Each matching suite had been set up like a nursery, complete with handmade quilts draped over the railings and plush stuffed toys filling the corners. One wall had been lined with shelving to display the glass vases and bowls. At some point, they would have more to display, but for now, everything looked pretty darned good.
Lamps. The place needed nursery-appropriate lamps, and she’d look for some for the next sale. She hummed as she worked, smiling at the memory of Ryan driving in with his new pickup. He looked so damn sexy standing next to that shiny black truck with his new haircut. It was all she could to do to keep from dragging him to the leather seat in the back to break it in properly. Hmmm. She’d never done it in a vehicle, and they were going to go on a road trip…
Her phone vibrated in her back pocket. Probably her mom asking for the fifth time when she’d be arriving. She pulled it out and checked the caller ID. An adrenaline surge hit her bloodstream at the John Deere name and number displayed on the screen. “Hello?”
“Ms. Langford, this is Janice Pederson. I’m calling about your recent application to John Deere for the account executive position. Are you still interested?”
“Yes, I certainly am.” Paige’s hands shook.
“I see on your cover letter that you live in Philadelphia. Can we set up an interview for sometime next week?”
“My permanent address is in Philadelphia, but I’m currently working in southern Indiana as a marketing consultant. I have to be here next week for an event we have planned. Can we set up the interview for the following week?”
“Do you have Skype?”
“I do, yes.”
“Would you be willing to do a Skype interview next week? We can be flexible about time.”
“That would work if we can set it up for first thing in the morning your time.”
“All right. How about Wednesday morning, nine a.m. eastern standard time?”
Paige wrote the appointment down on a scrap of paper on the counter. “Perfect.” Her mind raced. She could get to work a little early and set up her laptop on the second floor, where the Wi-Fi signal was the strongest.
“After the first interview, we’ll narrow the pool of candidates and set up second interviews. If you make it through the first cut, we’ll fly you to our headquarters here in Pennsylvania,” Janice informed her. “Let me give you our Skype information, and I’ll need yours.”
Janice rattled off their account address, and Paige wrote it all down and gave the HR rep her information in return. “Thank you, Janice. I’m looking forward to the interview on Wednesday.” They said their good-byes and ended the call. Paige jumped up from the stool. Excitement buzzed through her, and she wanted to share her good news. Ryan. She wanted to te
ll Ryan.
Her stomach dropped. Why bother? She knew exactly what he’d say. “Are you passionate about tractors, Paige?” she muttered under her breath.
No, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t learn to appreciate them, and it didn’t mean she wouldn’t be stellar at the job. “It’s just sales. What difference does it make what you sell as long as you’re good at what you do?” He didn’t understand. Telling Ryan was out for now. She’d bring it up while they were driving to Philly.
Paige plopped back down on the stool, put her elbows on the counter, and rested her chin on her fists. Who could she tell? Noah and Ted wouldn’t exactly welcome the news. She reached out a finger and spun her cell phone like a top. “I’m pathetic.” She bit her lower lip, stopped the spinning phone, hit speed dial, and brought it to her ear.
“Paige?” her mother answered after the third ring.
“Hi, Mom.” She sighed. “Are you busy?”
“No. What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I called to share good news.”
“Huh, you don’t sound very happy about your good news. What’s up?”
Mothers were too damned intuitive. “I have an interview with John Deere next week. They have an opening for their Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Delaware region.” She waited several seconds for the expected squeal of delight from the other end. It didn’t come. “If I get the job, I’d be moving home. Isn’t that good news?”
“Noah told us he made you VP of marketing for L&L. Aren’t you happy working for your brother?”
“Sure I am, but it’s not what I want to do forever.” Paige swallowed the disappointment. “I told Noah that when I accepted the job. He knows it’s temporary.”
“Your father and I didn’t know it was temporary. We think it’s the perfect job for you, and Noah is beyond thrilled to have you there to help them grow their business.”
Right. Foist me off on my big brother, and LPS is no longer a bone of contention. No wonder they both thought this job was so wonderful for her. “The perfect job?” She wanted to throw her hands up in the air. “Don’t I get to decide what’s right for me?”
“Of course you do, honey. Why are you being so defensive?”
“I’m not being defensive, Mom.” Paige rolled her eyes at the whopper she’d just told. “I thought you’d be excited for me, and clearly you aren’t, that’s all.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. Of course I’m excited for you. This just came as a bit of a surprise. I’d love to have you here in Philly.” She paused. “Let me take you to lunch on Saturday. We can talk more then.”
“I’ll have a friend with me.”
“Invite her too. My treat.”
“It’s a—”
“Oh, I have another call coming in. I have to take this, Paige. I’ll see you on Saturday.”
“All right, see you then. Bye.”
Her mother ended the call, and Paige set her cell back on the counter. Wasn’t anybody on her side? She started twirling the phone again, propping her chin on one fist.
“Where do you want this?” Ted walked into her domain with a large piece of plywood painted dark brown with fancy gold lettering and columns for each type of wood: oak, maple, ash, and black walnut. Under each heading were several blocks with the different finishes available.
“Over on that wall.” She pointed to the space on the opposite side of the door leading to the back. “You can see where I left space.” She blew out the last self-pitying breath allotted to her for the day and got up to help him mount the display.
“What’s eating you?” Ted leaned the board against the wall and sent her a sharp glance.
“I’m feeling sorry for myself. Not very attractive, I know.”
He looked around the store, coming back to her. “Trouble with Ryan?”
“No. The trouble is with me.” Should she tell him? Surely Noah had mentioned her temporary status. “I got some good news today and have no one to share it with.”
“You can share it with me.” Ted pulled a tape measure and pencil out of his tool belt and marked the wall. “We’re still friends, aren’t we?”
“Yeah, but it affects L&L. Or it might, anyway.”
“Noah already told me you don’t plan to stick around forever, Paige. Go ahead and share your good news. I’d love to hear it.”
His mouth tightened, and she couldn’t tell whether it was because he was concentrating on his task or if he didn’t really mean what he’d said. Either way, she wanted to be forthright with everyone at L&L. “I have an interview with John Deere next week. They’re looking for an account executive.”
He handed her a bunch of hardware to hold while he drilled. “So, you and Ryan aren’t all that serious?”
“That’s what you come away with?” She blinked. “Not, ‘Oh, you might be leaving us soon,’ but…” She gasped. “You didn’t want to hire me in the first place, did you?”
“No.” He shrugged. “Not really.”
“Why not?” She straightened. “Don’t you think I can make this place grow like gangbusters?”
“I’m sure you can.” He kept working. “You know how I feel about you. Do you imagine it’s easy for me to watch you and Ryan all day long?”
“What do you mean? He and I hardly talk during the day.”
“You don’t have to talk.” He snorted. “The pheromones and hot looks are bad enough.”
She crossed her arms in front of her. “I do not—”
“Yep. I’m surrounded by idiots.”
“How did I jump from sending hot looks to being an idiot?”
“You and Ryan—”
“Need help back here?” Ryan strode around the edge of the wall, his posture all tense and his glance bouncing between the two of them.
Ted shook his head and muttered, “Idiots.” The corners of his mouth turned down, and his jaw muscle twitched.
“That’s it.” She did throw her hands in the air this time. “I’m going to lunch.” Men and their stupid testosterone. Reaching for her purse on the way, she stomped toward the front door.
“It’s only ten a.m.,” Ryan called after her.
“Brunch, then. I’m going to brunch.” She swung the door wide and marched out with no idea where she wanted to go. Slamming the door behind her, she looked down the street. The Perfect Diner caught her eye. She wasn’t hungry. Mostly, she needed a place to cool down, and it would be nice to see Jenny. Life just wasn’t going the way it was supposed to go, and that pissed her off.
She opened the door to the diner and stepped in. The scent of waffles, maple syrup, bacon, sausage, and coffee wrapped her up and drew her in. Several tables were full of farmer types chowing down on their hearty breakfasts or lingering over coffee and conversation. Paige took a stool at the counter and hung her purse over the backrest.
“Morning, Paige.” Jenny put a glass of water and a menu down in front of her. “How are you doing? I heard you’re L&L’s new VP of marketing.” The corners of her eyes crinkled with warmth. “We’re all thrilled about that.”
The sudden sting of tears took Paige by surprise. Her throat closed, and she tried to swallow the tightness. She snatched a couple of napkins from the metal dispenser and brought them to her face. Unable to speak, she fought to get herself under control.
“Oh, my.” Jenny hurried to the end of the counter, where her assistant manager was wiping down the ketchup bottles. “Carlie, honey, you’re in charge. Paige and I are going to take a little walk.” Jenny came back to her, snatched a few more napkins, and took her arm. “Come on, now. It’s a lovely day. You and I are going to go have a little talk.”
Paige rose obediently and followed Jenny through the back of the diner to the door leading out into the alley.
“Let’s head for the park and sit a while.” Jenny put her arm around Paige’s shoulders and steered her to the intersection. “Take a deep breath, and then tell me what all those tears are about.”
She wiped her eyes and blew her nose. “I do
n’t even know where to start.”
“Start with what brought you here in the first place.”
“I…I got fired.” The floodgates burst, and the whole story poured out. She bared her soul, and by the time she got to the part where Ted admitted he didn’t want her working at L&L, they’d reached the park.
Jenny led her to a bench and sat her down. “You surely are going through some growing pains.”
“I know.” She sighed.
Jenny chuckled. “You don’t like your job at L&L?”
“No, I love it, but that’s not the point. I have dreams and goals, and nobody understands what they mean to me. Or they don’t care.”
“Huh. When you say ‘nobody,’ who all does that include?”
Heat flooded her face, because when it came down to it, she knew her family understood. They just didn’t agree with her career track. The one person she wanted on her side, the one whose stubborn refusal to cheer her on…Crap. She couldn’t tell Jenny that, so she said nothing at all. Biting her lower lip, Paige studied the ancient playground in the center of the park.
“I’ve noticed Ryan is making some pretty drastic changes lately.”
Her heart raced. “Yeah. He’s going to group with my brother tonight, and he’s starting therapy at the VA center this week.” She glanced at Jenny out of the corner of her eye. “Did Ceejay tell you what happened? How I found him with the suicide letter and gun?”
“She did.” Jenny patted her arm again. “I’m so glad that all came out into the open. Your coming here has been a real turning point for him. You’re having quite an impact.”
“I don’t think I had a lot to do with it, other than telling Noah what was going on.”
“Don’t you?” Jenny stared off into the park. “He’s shaving now, and I noticed he finally cut off that mop of hair.”
“He bought a new truck too.” Paige smiled, remembering how he strutted around the shiny black pickup. “It’s really nice.”
“So, is Ryan on your list?”
The Difference a Day Makes (Perfect, Indiana: Book Two) Page 21