“He’s going to camp here?” Cooper said, shooting David a dirty look over his shoulder as he watched him unload his truck.
“Sure, he’s going to be here for at least a month, it only makes sense unless you have someplace else in mind.” She said, wondering again what had brought out the grump in Cooper.
Cooper was not pleased to hear that David would be sleeping only feet from Paige, just the two of them, but there wasn’t much he could do about it without looking foolish. So he just shrugged his shoulders and turned and walked away. Once back in the house, he tried to clear his head glad that Brandon was down at Marissa’s that day. He had no idea how to deal with this intense jealously.
He was tempted to hang out at the window and watch them, but instead he found the plans that Marissa had given him for the cabins they planned to build all over the park. The cabins were the first step in their plan and might be needed in the winter for the crew, so they needed to approve a design and soon. Thoughts of Paige finally receded once he had a task in front of him, and before he knew it there was another car pulling up into the parking area.
Relieved that his brother was finally there, he put away the designs, his mind nearly made up to go outside and greet his brother. At least with Calvin here he’d have a distraction from what Paige and David might be doing. It was silly for him to be jealous because all they’d shared was one kiss. But it had been an earth-shattering kiss for him and he’d thought for her as well, but seeing her with David had made him realize that he really didn’t know that much about her personal life.
Other than the fact that she had an eight-year-old son and no ring on her finger, he didn’t know anything about Paige. She hadn’t mentioned a boyfriend but that didn’t mean there was one out there, but he reasoned if she did she would have mentioned him at least once during all the time they’d spent together and she would have stopped that kiss last night, of that he was sure. She wasn’t the type to kiss someone when she was involved with someone else. No, he was sure that she was single, but the way David was looking at her, that might not last long.
He had a scowl on his face when his brother got out of the car, Paige and David had their heads together over some papers Paige had spread out on her camp table. They were deep in conversation and didn’t even hear Calvin pull up, which only annoyed Cooper even more. Stomping down the steps, he met his brother as he walked across the yard.
“This is pretty amazing.” Calvin said, looking at the house. “I remember being up here when we were little, but we never came up here again.”
“It’s pretty much the same as it was then, maybe a little cleaner. I’m going to have to get ready for winter eventually, but for now it’s fine. Don’t expect luxury though.” He said, leading Calvin in the house, but shooting one last look over his shoulder at Paige and David.
Calvin wandered around the rooms on the first floor, then joined Cooper in the dining room where he’d been working. “This house is great; it’s even got one of those old fashioned stoves in the kitchen.”
“That’s what we cook on.” Cooper said, suppressing a laugh at the look on Calvin’s face.
“You’re kidding.” Calving said, going back into the kitchen. When he came back into the room he was shaking his head. “This is crazy Cooper. Are you really happy up here living like this?”
“Believe it or not, I’m happy here and so is Brandon. There are more than enough kids to play with and wait till you meet Marissa and Scott, you’re going to love them.” Cooper said, genuinely meaning every word.
“Then why do you look so mad?” Calvin asked.
“I’m not mad, just a little annoyed.” Cooper had to admit, cursing himself for letting his feelings show. “But never mind, let me show you the maps I have of the dig site.”
Calvin wanted to ask more questions, but he knew his brother well enough to know when a subject had been closed. They poured over the maps for a couple of hours, then had lunch, but Calvin could clearly see that Cooper was distracted. Finally, he couldn’t stand it anymore, he was dying to see what they’d found in the forest behind the house.
“Are we ever going to the burial ground? I drove all this way to see it.” Calvin said, closing the map he’d been looking at. “I’ve been through these maps a hundred times, so let’s just go to the actual place.”
Cooper shot him a dirty look but said, “Okay, I hear you stop whining. Let’s go see if Paige and David are ready.”
Calvin caught something in the way Cooper said their names, either he didn’t like them or well, he wasn’t sure what else might be the problem. He followed Cooper out of the house and across the road where there were two tents set up, when he saw the couple sitting at the table he realized that they made a striking couple. But when the woman saw Cooper, she blushed and jumped to her feet, the blush gave her honey brown cheeks a pretty glow, and when she smiled her whole face lit up.
Watching his brother’s reaction, it became perfectly clear to him what was wrong with his brother. Cooper had never been very good at hiding his emotions and he was doing a terrible job right now. The scowl on his face couldn’t hide the mixture of jealousy and attraction he was feeling. Not waiting for his brother to introduce him, he stepped up to Paige and introduced himself, going so far as to take her hand and kiss the back of it.
When Paige actually giggled at the old fashioned move, Cooper made a strangled sound in his throat, making it difficult for Calvin not to laugh. Smiling he backed away from Paige and introduced himself to the man standing next to Paige. He could see why Cooper might be jealous, the man was the very picture of health and vitality, and his brown eyes sparkled with amusement when he shook Calvin’s hand.
“Are we ready to go to the dig, the day’s half over already.” Cooper said, clearly annoyed at Calvin’s theatrics.
Chapter 6
They walked single file down the trail, Paige and Calvin carrying on a conversation about the possible effects of the earthquake, and the potential danger they might have to deal with. “If the grounds aren’t stable, there’s a distinct possibility of another slide.” Calvin explained as they walked.
Cooper tuned out the discussion, which he normally wouldn’t have done, but since it was his brother he had complete trust in his advice, they’d do whatever he recommend. Instead he indulged himself in a few fantasies about Paige, who was walking in front of him looking unbelievably sexy in boots, jeans and a T-shirt. By the time they’d reached the dig site, all he could think about was pulling Paige into the trees and kissing her, and maybe a bit more than that.
Feeling slightly ridiculous, he turned his thoughts back to what was happening around him. They’d reached the site, and David and Calvin were in the middle of the shock and excitement everyone felt when they saw the hillside. Finding the log that he’d sat on the day before, Cooper settled down for a long afternoon of waiting while Calvin checked the safety of the site.
Paige followed Calvin around, asking question and making notes on her tablet. David found a spot away from everyone and sat down, then he bowed his head and said some words under his breath. Finally, he seemed satisfied and got up and came over to sit with Cooper.
“I’d like to explain what we’ll be doing tonight. It’s a quiet ceremony, but I’ll need a fire and a few other things, and they should be collected from here.” David said quietly, his earlier boisterous attitude suddenly gone.
It suddenly occurred to Cooper that they were sitting not more than a few yards from the remains of this man’s ancestors. Pushing back his annoyance, he gave David his full attention as he went on to explain the ritual he’d perform later that night. He also explained the ceremony they would use when it was time to rebury the remains that had been dislodged during the earthquake.
Despite his earlier dislike for David, his innate sense of curiosity got the better of him and he was soon deep in conversation with David. The man was clearly very intelligent and had a true love of his people and their traditions. He could
n’t help but develop a grudging respect for David. As much as he hated to admit it, he was glad that David was here to help them through this tricky part of the situation. Only now did he realize just how close they’d come to making a major blunder, angering the entire Native American Indian population of the west.
The sun was sinking low on the horizon before Cooper realized it, he’d been so engrossed in his conversation with David that he’d lost track of the time. Spotting Paige and Calvin up on the hill, he felt an immediate stab of desire when he saw her, but it was quickly replaced by a wave of jealousy when she reached out and put her hand on Calvin’s arm and laughed at something he’d said.
They looked much too cozy up there on the hill, so he got to his feet and yelled, “Are you two about finished, the sun’s going to set soon.”
They looked up started, then looked at their watches. Paige looked surprised when she saw the time, and Calvin looked completely besotted with Paige. “Sorry we lost track of the time.” She yelled back, “We’re coming.”
Cooper nearly went up the hill after them himself when Calvin took Paige’s hand to help her over a rock and then didn’t let go. David came up and stood next to him, a knowing look on his face. “She’s quite the woman. I had hopes once, but she doesn’t let anyone in. We’ve never talked about it, but I would guess that Justin’s father did a real number on her.” He said, watching Paige and Calvin come down the hill.
Cooper didn’t like what he was hearing one little bit. If David had hopes once, he probably still had hopes. But right now, his attention was focused on his brother and the hand that still held Paige’s. Tired of the whole situation, he promised himself that no matter what he was going to make sure that no one else made a move on Paige before he could secure his position in her heart.
Climbing up the last few feet to meet them, he took Paige’s other hand and gave Calvin a dirty look until he let go. “Well, is it safe?” He asked, trying to seem normal as he kept a firm grip on Paige’s hand.
She shot him a strange look but didn’t pull her hand away, again confused by his mixed signals. One minute he seemed to like her and the next he was mad at her, now he was holding on to her hand like she’d fly away if he let go. But his hand felt so nice wrapped around hers that she decided to just enjoy the feeling, including the little sparks of pleasure that began forming in her belly when he stroked his thumb across her palm.
I won’t know about the cave until we get inside, but I’d say that as long as it doesn’t rain and we’re very careful, we should be able to clear a path without any extra shoring up.” Calvin said, trying not to laugh at Cooper’s clearly possessive behavior with Paige.
“Good, then we can get started tomorrow, as long as that’s okay with David.” Cooper said, looking to the shaman for the final decision.
“I don’t see why we can’t.” David said, picking up his backpack and getting ready for the trip back to camp. “Let’s go back to camp and have some dinner, then we’ll come back up and perform the ceremony.”
They all agreed and set off up the trail for camp. Cooper fell in step behind Paige, finally forced to let go of her hand. The whole way back to camp, he was going over the speech he was going to give his brother about keeping his hands off Paige. He was pretty sure that his brother was only riling him, but he’d seen that look on Calvin’s face before and it usually meant that he was falling for a woman.
He had a brief moment when he thought that it might not be worth the effort, but then Paige turned around and asked, “Do you and Calvin want to join us for dinner? It won’t be anything fancy, but it’ll fill you up.” Then she flashed him a big smile, clearly pleased with the evens of the day. “We should celebrate.”
His heart did a little flip flop and he couldn’t help but agree to dinner, although he’d planned to use that time to lecture Calvin about the man code. When they all got back to camp, they went their separate ways to clean up, promising to meet back at Paige’s camp for dinner. Cooper made sure he was the first one in the shower, a tricky homemade contraption he’d rigged up to get them through the summer, then was out the door before Calvin could even get into the bathroom.
He found Paige making dinner. She’d changed her clothes and let her hair down. It fell in thick waves over her shoulders, so glossy he wanted to run his fingers through it, instead he asked, “Can I help?”
“Sure, you can start cutting up those potatoes.” She said, smiling at him.
“I thought today went well.” He said, then added. “David is a good guy; he’s going to be a big help.”
“I’m glad you think so. I’ve known David for a long time and he’s always been there when I needed him.” She said.
“You two never....” Cooper trail off hoping she’d understand what he was asking.
“David and I, no. He’s more like the big brother I never had.” She said, completely unaware of how David really felt.
“Oh, well I just thought, the way you act together.” Cooper wanted to know for sure that she wasn’t interested in David.
“Well, we’ve been through a lot together; digs can be a dangerous lonely place, but I’ve never really thought about him that way. It’s not usually a good idea to get involved with people you work with. It’s a small community and small problems can get big fast.” She said, finally beginning to understand what was wrong with Cooper today — he was jealous.
Turing away to hide the smile that thought brought her, she put the meat she’d been cutting in the pot, then added the potatoes Cooper had cut. Finally, unable to resist, she met his eyes across the table, sucking in a breath when she saw the raw desire in his eyes. Suddenly flustered she moved around the table toward the fire pit, but Cooper caught her arm and pulled her to him.
She went into his arms willingly, looking up to meet his eyes again, her legs turning to jelly at the intensity. “I don’t know what happens to me when I’m around you but all I want to do is kiss you.” He said, then his mouth came down on hers in a possessive kiss that was only broken when they heard a car on the road.
When she tried to pull away, he held her close to him and whispered in her ear, “We’re not finished yet.” Then kissed her once more before he let her go.
She almost stumbled when he let her go, her knees still weak from the rush of pleasure his kisses had just created deep inside her. “Umm, okay.” She mumbled, then smiled up at him shyly.
When she smiled at him like that, he wanted to pick her up and carry her across the road to his bed, but instead he crossed the camp to the car that had just pulled up. It looked like this day was never going to end. Paige came up and stood next to him, only shrugging her shoulders when he shot her a questioning look. But when the man who was driving the car got out, she let out a little squeal and ran over to him, and gave him a huge hug.
“Steven, you’re here already. I knew you’d be up here fast, but I didn’t think it would be this fast.” She said, linking her arm in his and leading the way over to where Cooper was silently fuming.
When they got to where Cooper was standing, the man shot out his hand and said, “You must be Cooper Montgomery. I can’t thank you enough for inviting me and the team up here; this is a unique experience that could teach us a lot.” Steve said, his pleasure clear on his face.
Cooper glared at the man, wondering if that pleasure came from being near Paige or the prospect of watching the wilderness come back to life. The way he had his arm around Paige he was sure it was the first reason. Tramping down his annoyance at the entrance of another good looking man into their little group, Cooper reminded himself that he had just been kissing her and she’d definitely been responding to him, and acting like an ass wouldn’t gain him anything.
Paige watched Cooper face, realizing for the first time that if she watched him carefully she could read his emotions. Right now he was trying desperately not to show how jealous he was, so she carefully stepped away from Steve, wanting to laugh when his face immediately relaxed. It was unb
elievably sweet that he was so jealous, but it also surprised her since they’d only had two brief kisses. She’d always thought jealously came with much stronger emotions.
Over dinner, Steve explained to Cooper what he wanted to accomplish while he was there for the summer and they decided that he would set up his headquarters farther down the mountain, closer to Honey Hills. Until his crew arrived, he was going to share the field with Paige and David, but then he’d move.
“We won’t really be in your way; you’ll barely know we’re here.” Steve assured Cooper.
Cooper simply grunted at Steve and finished his dinner. “What’s one more group of people running around here?” He said, giving Steve a smile that was clearly forced.
After dinner, Paige walked Cooper to his house to get ready for the ceremony at the dig site, thinking that it might calm his ruffled feathers. She’d seen the way he’d reacted to Steve and while it was still charming, it was going to be a long summer if they didn’t come to some kind of understanding. When they got to the porch, she sat down on the bench against the wall.
“It’s really good of you to put up with all these people climbing over your land, it’s got to feel like an invasion.” She said, making him instantly feel bad about the way he’d been behaving.
“I’m sorry. I know I’ve been behaving badly but....” Cooper tailed off not able to put what he was feeling into words. If he told her that he thought he was falling in love with her, she’d think he was crazy.
She waited for him to reply, hoping that he’d tell her how he felt, but instead he did the only thing he could think of and pulled her into his arms and lowered his mouth to hers. Paige was tempted to pull away, but only for a second as the heat of his tongue filled her mouth and delicious tingles of pleasure spread from her core. She melted against him unable to resist the pull of his body, then wrapped her arms around his neck and gave into the wave of sensation rocking her world.
I Love You Page 6