“It’s not morning yet,” she answered, burying her face against his chest, hating herself even as she dodged answering.
She heard him let out a long sigh, felt him go a little bit slack. She’d hurt him, and she hadn’t meant to. He didn’t deserve that, just because she was feeling so unsure just now. She made herself meet his eyes.
“It wasn’t a mistake, Noah. And I don’t regret it. The opposite, in fact. You made me feel…more than alive, you made me fly.”
His arms tightened around her. “But?”
“I just want you to know that I…understand.”
“Understand what?”
“That you’re who you are, and I’m who I am.”
He went very still. “Meaning?”
“That you’re here today, somewhere else tomorrow, and I have a son to raise.”
“Funny,” he said, “I talked to that son. He kind of liked the idea of seeing the world.”
She fought down her gut-level reaction to that. “He has to finish school.”
“You know what else he said? He said he thought his mother would like to see the world, too, if she could ever get over being mad at his father for traveling so much.”
She stared at him. “Kyle said that?”
He nodded. “But you know what else is funny?”
“No.”
“I was talking to Josh about my job.”
“Your job?”
“Well, my job later. For a while I’m going to be here.”
“Here?” Paige was beginning to feel very stupid.
He nodded. “We found out who’d talked to Ares about you. Who told him you should be the spokesperson. Turns out he was just trying to get out of it himself.”
Her eyes widened. “Who?”
“Barry Rutherford,” he said with a grimace. “As manager, he was Ares’s first choice, but he convinced Ares that a pretty, respected woman would be better, and Josh isn’t too happy with him selling you out like that. He’s going to be back at Redstone explaining himself for a while.”
“And you’ll be here? Doing his job?”
He nodded. Paige felt as if she’d just gotten a stay of execution. He wasn’t leaving. At least, not right away.
“After that, Josh and I are going to redesign my real job.”
“Redesign?”
“Cut down on the travel. Or schedule most of it during holidays. Or summer. You know, when kids are out of school.”
“But you love your job,” she said, unable to quite believe what she was hearing.
“I did. For five years, I loved it. But now…”
“Now?”
“I love you.”
He said it so simply, as if it were a given. But the implications took her breath away. He loved her. He loved her, and if he had to change his life to have her, he’d do it. Unlike Phil, who wouldn’t have changed anything.
“I mean it, Paige,” he said. “I’ll do whatever it takes.” He gave her a lopsided smile. “I’ve realized in the past week that life’s too short and uncertain to be a workaholic. Josh can find somebody else to be his main point man. Or we’ll divide it. Something. Anything.”
“I’m sorry,” she said, suddenly realizing she owed him a large apology. “I got the actions confused with the man. I should have known you weren’t like Phil, that even if you had to travel for your job, you wouldn’t abandon your family.”
Noah shrugged. “As long as you know it now.” Then he frowned. “Do you think Kyle’s ready for a stepfather?”
“Are you ready to be one?”
He seemed to consider that. “Do you suppose it’s worse than terrorists?” he asked innocently.
She couldn’t help herself. All the tumbled emotions she’d been feeling burst free, and she laughed until tears were rolling down her cheeks.
“Noah Rider,” she finally said when she could speak again, “I’d bet on you over terrorists—or a stubborn teenager—anytime.”
Epilogue
Paige knew that if Kyle and Lani realized she could hear them, even from their spot on the other side of that hibiscus, they’d never be carrying on this conversation. She supposed she should get up and give them some privacy, but she was feeling too lazy. The grand opening of the hotel had gone off without a hitch. The party had been long and even more convivial than usual after word came that peace had been restored in Arethusa. And after that Noah had kept her up the rest of the night in the most delicious ways, and her body felt luxuriously sated. Besides, he was on the next lounge chair, holding her hand, and she wasn’t about to move.
“They’re really going to get married?” Lani was asking.
“Yep. As soon as his black eye’s all gone, Rider said. Isn’t that cool?” Kyle said. “I mean, I still miss my dad and all, but Rider’s a cool guy.”
“He’s a hero,” Lani said fervently. “But then, so is your mother.”
There was a pause before Kyle’s voice came. “Yeah. Yeah, she is.”
Paige was grateful for the sunglasses that masked her eyes, and wondered how she’d hide the tears if they started to spill over. Oddly, at that moment Noah’s hand tightened around hers, almost as if he’d heard, although she thought sure he was too far away.
“He’s going to travel to all the Redstone Resorts in the summer,” Kyle said happily. “And if I keep my grades up, I get to go along.”
“You’re leaving, then?” Lani sounded sad enough that Paige was sure Kyle would be flattered.
“Not for a while,” he said quickly. “Mom says she’ll fulfill her contract here, which is for two years. She’s big on keeping her word.”
“I’m glad you’ll be staying.”
“Me, too,” Kyle said.
And less than a month ago, I was the wicked witch for bringing him here and he couldn’t wait to get away, Paige thought with a relieved sigh. And again Noah’s hand tightened around hers. He must be able to hear.
“Do you think they’re sleeping together?” Lani said in a whisper that, in fact, wasn’t much softer than her normal voice.
Paige bit her lip. Noah’s hand clenched, so she knew he’d heard that, too.
“Must be,” Kyle said nonchalantly. “They’re always hugging and touching, and they keep disappearing when they think I won’t notice.”
“Doesn’t that bother you?”
“It freaked me out at first—I mean, it’s my mom, so it’s kind of gross—but I just kind of ignore it now.”
Paige felt Noah’s hand shake. And she knew he was fighting, as she was, not to burst out laughing.
“Lani?” Kyle said, sounding tentative.
“Yes?”
“Do you think…would you…be my date, for the wedding?”
The girl’s smile echoed in her voice. “I’d like that.”
Paige felt her eyes brim once more. Her wedding day was going to be complete; Josh had already arranged to fly her mother in, along with Noah’s sister and father, and now her son would be there in heart as well as body.
But most important, she was marrying a man she could always trust, when she’d once thought she would never trust again. A man who adored her and showed it every day. A man she adored and gave thanks for every day.
“Psst.”
That man was whispering in her ear. She turned to look at him, pulling down her sunglasses. He’d pulled his off, as well, and she saw the glint in his eyes.
“You think they’d miss us if we disappeared right now?”
Instantly heat bubbled up inside her, always at this man’s command it seemed. “I think they’ll just ignore our absence. Besides,” she added, matching him look for look, “I’m the teacher. I can excuse absences if I want to.”
“Then I,” he said as he rose and then pulled her to her feet, “plan to make sure you want to.”
Paige reached up and kissed him. He was the only paradise she needed.
ISBN: 978-1-4268-6787-3
JUST ANOTHER DAY IN PARADISE
Copyright © 2002
by Janice Davis Smith
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Just Another Day in Paradise Page 23