Not Actually Engaged (Otherwise Engaged #1)

by Jan Hinds

  As she pulled up to the window, he took the money out of his wallet and handed it to her. “Paige Vaughn, you have a knack for making me smile.”

  She almost dropped the money out of the car window when he added, “And for the record, I did notice you’ve been getting trimmer.”

  Chapter Two

  Cooper ignored his cell phone as he gave Paige directions to the old Victorian house several blocks from downtown Fort Wayne. He glowed with pride that the two shades of taupe for the siding and the cream gingerbread trim made his grandmother’s house look brand new. The steps and front porch were restored to the original style using old family photos of the house. The cracked and broken sidewalk slabs were replaced with new concrete.

  Home. But only if he convinced Paige to help him.

  His father’s construction company did a great job on the renovation for him. His dad was cutting him a deal, in the hope that Cooper would join him in Jennings Construction. He knew his father, and when Matt Jennings wanted something, he was a force to be reckoned with; but Paige was right, Cooper did have other dreams.

  He directed her to park in the driveway. She had to like the house. Was he a complete heel that he was glad to hear about her financial problems and hoped that would give her incentive to go along with his plan?

  “We can go in the side door,” Cooper said as she pulled his crutch out of the back seat. “Less steps.”

  Paige grabbed the food and her purse from the car. She clicked the remote to lock the car doors and went inside after Cooper opened the door. He navigated the two steps up to the threshold into the mud room.

  When he turned on the lights, he stepped aside for Paige to enter the kitchen.

  “Wow. This is fantastic.” She ran her hands over the granite counters. “Whose house is this?”

  Cooper smiled as he leaned against the counter and took the weight off his bum leg. “It used to belong to my grandmother. She passed away last year. It’s mine now. I’m starting my own design business. I plan to offer both architectural and interior design. The company is called Jennings Design Services.”

  Her gorgeous blue eyes locked onto his. “That’s exciting, but I’m sorry about you losing your grandmother. You’ve had a rough couple of years.”

  Cooper shrugged and looked out the window over the sink to the shadows lengthening in the fenced in back yard. “Yeah, and it’s not over yet either. I’ve got another surgery coming up in December.”

  “Will that be the last one?”

  Gratitude flared in his heart that her face flashed a moment of concern, but held no trace of pity. He was sick of people feeling sorry for him. That was one of the things that drew him to Paige. She never pitied him. “They tell me it should be. They’re going to remove some of the pins. I won’t be able to sprint, but I may be able to jog again someday. At the very least, I’ll walk without much of a limp. And I won’t have as much pain.”

  “Fantastic. Although, if you keep using my lips to discourage other women, I might have to pray for a slow recovery,” she said with a sassy grin.

  Cooper smiled at the bright pink spots on Paige’s cheeks. He’d never known a girl who got embarrassed as easily as she did. He leaned on his crutch again and said, “We can eat in the breakfast nook.”

  They sat down at the round table in the butter-yellow room open to the kitchen. Paige divided the food and picked up a loaded fry. “So what did you want to talk to me about?”

  Cooper took a huge bite of his burger and used the chewing time to gather his thoughts and courage. After he swallowed, he paused to take a long swig of his milkshake.

  Paige raised an eyebrow at him. “If you take another bite before getting to the point I swear I’ll break your other leg.”

  Cooper’s eyes crinkled at her teasing, but he could also tell from her expression he’d better quit stalling. His phone rang before he spoke. He looked at the screen and held up a finger. “I have to answer this, but I promise I’ll tell you.” He accepted the call and held the phone to his ear. “Hello.”

  His father’s booming voice came through the phone so loud he knew Paige had to be able to hear him. “Where are you? Have you any idea how worried we are? What are you thinking not answering your phone? Your mother’s been waiting all afternoon for you to call her to come pick you up. She’s put her life on hold to help you and after all she’s done for you, what gives you the right to ignore her calls?”

  “Dad, calm down. I’m at Gram’s house with Paige. I’m fine. I’ll talk to you when I get home.”

  He grinned at the abrupt change in his father’s tone. “Oh, right. Well that’s different.” His father yelled to his mother, “He’s with Paige, Sweet Cheeks.”

  He heard his mother’s muffled reply. “Oh, wonderful.”

  Matt Jennings lowered his voice. “You need to reassure your mother. She’s been worried sick.”

  Cooper closed his eyes.

  “Cooper?” Sylvia Jennings said.

  “Hey, Mom. Sorry I worried you. I’m with a friend and I can’t talk right now.”

  Cooper winced at his mother’s enthusiastic voice. “Bring Paige by to meet us. I promise we won’t scare her off.”

  He opened one eye and noticed the grin Paige tried to stifle. “Mom, I have to go. Don’t worry. I’m fine. Paige will give me a ride.” He lifted his eyebrows in question and Paige nodded yes.

  He slid his phone into his back pocket. “Sorry about that. Ever since my injury, my parents have been taking care of me and since I can’t drive I feel like I’m back in middle school with my mom chauffeuring me everywhere I need to go.”

  “So move out. You’re a grown man. You can make other arrangements for transportation.”

  “Funny you should say that. I just posted a job opening today to hire a personal assistant.”

  Paige’s two-fisted grip on her burger stopped halfway to her mouth. “That was your ad I applied to?”

  He took his tablet from his backpack and opened up her resume. After perusing her resume, he looked into her eyes. “Ms. Vaughn, according to your resume you served as the office manager for a hardware store for two years. Can you elaborate on your responsibilities there and how you acquired the position at such a young age?”

  “You’re going to interview me now?” Her face turned pink as she smoothed down her sweatshirt and tightened her ponytail.

  “Relax. You look great. Now, tell me about the office manager position.”

  “When I was a sophomore in high school, my mother left for six months, and I took over her responsibilities at my dad’s hardware store.”

  All humor fled from his mind. “She left? Why?”

  She dropped her hands to her lap and fidgeted in her chair. “My mom and I are like oil and water. I could never do anything right in her eyes. I always took her criticism and ignored it, but one day she said something that made me snap. We both said some harsh things and the next day she cleaned out my college fund and traveled Europe on a culinary tour. She came home when she ran out of money. My dad almost didn’t take her back. I never talked back to her again.”

  “Paige, I’m so sorry.”

  “Why? You didn’t walk out on me, she did.”

  “Still, it must have been difficult.”

  She shrugged her shoulders. “My Aunt Marty, my dad’s sister, pitched in to help at home. I get all the positive reinforcement a girl could hope for from her and my dad.”

  “Are your parents still together?”

  “Oh, yeah. I talk to Dad and Aunt Marty all the time. I guess Mom and Dad still have moments, but I get the impression that it’s been better with me gone. I haven’t been home in two years.”

  “Has your dad been helping you with college?”

  She shook her head. “No. Mom made it clear if I wasn’t going to stay home, continue working in the store, and go to a community college, that I was on my own.”

  “You’re paying your own way through college?”

  “Dad still offer
ed to help, but I don’t ever want to cause friction between them again.”

  Cooper was in awe of the young woman sitting with him. “Look, you seem to be in a bind financially, and I’m going nuts with my parents constantly hovering over me. Not only that, I’m worried about my mother’s health. She’s wearing herself out trying to get me to all my appointments and classes. Why don’t we join forces and help each other out?”

  Paige frowned and pushed her food away. “Just how are we going to help each other?”

  Cooper rested his elbows on the table. “I want to hire you as my personal assistant. Mostly I’ll need you to drive me to school, business, and doctor appointments. According to your resume, you helped your dad with the bookkeeping of his store so, you’ll be perfect to help me launch my design business. Until I get my interior design degree, I’m just offering architectural design. This house will ultimately shelter the business on this level with living space in the upper floors. I’ll pay you enough that you won’t need another job. I have three bedrooms finished on the second floor. Two of them are ensuite. You’ll have complete privacy.”

  “You want to pay me to drive you around and you want to rent a room to me?”

  Cooper held up his hand. “I want to pay you to be my personal assistant. And I want you to live here rent free. With me.”

  “What?” Paige stood up and stepped away from him. “I’m not that kind of girl.”

  “No! I didn’t mean that. I have no interest in you that way. That’s why I picked you.”

  Paige’s face turned red. Only this wasn’t just embarrassment. She blinked rapidly and wouldn’t meet his eyes. Was she going to cry? He thought about what he said. Blast. He’d insulted her again. Even worse, he’d lied. Perhaps he wasn’t attracted to her when he formulated his plan, but the more he got to know her, the more he valued her friendship and wanted her in his life.

  “I didn’t mean it like that. Please sit down and I’ll try to explain it better.”

  She sat down slowly and narrowed her eyes at him, crossing her arms under her breasts, which drew his attention to her generous curves.

  “I—I didn’t mean that you were undesirable.” He pulled at the collar of his sweater. Had the furnace kicked in? “What I’m trying to say is I think you’re great. You have a fantastic sense of humor.”

  “Gee thanks. That’s polite speak for ‘she’s ugly’ and don’t you dare follow that up with telling me I have a great personality.”

  His mouth went dry. That was exactly what he’d planned to say. Now he’d hurt her and insulted her. He didn’t know if he’d find a way back from this.

  She tapped her foot in impatience. “How about you cut the crap and get to the point of what you did mean?”

  He’d insulted and angered her twice. She must hate him. He hated himself. “What I mean is that I don’t want to have a relationship with any woman.”

  “Oh,” she said in a small voice. Then her eyes went wide as if she figured out a deeper meaning to what he was saying. “Oh,” she repeated drawing out the word. “I didn’t realize you batted for the other team.”

  “What? No. I like women. I love women.”

  “Hey, no judgements here. If that’s what floats your boat.”

  “Paige, trust me. I love women. My past involvements have been so disappointing that I’m taking a prolonged break from relationships. I don’t even have the desire to date. I want to focus on my business and finishing the interior design degree. I want to assure you I respect you and I’d never compromise your virtue. I’m not looking for a relationship. What I’m offering is a business arrangement, but I also need someone who will be compassionate without going easy on me. Someone to help get me through the surgery in December.”

  “Can’t your parents help you?”

  “They will, but they’ve put their lives on hold for long enough. They have cancelled vacations, plans, and even trips to see their grandchildren. I heard them even talking about cancelling a cruise they have scheduled for their anniversary. I can’t stand watching them sacrifice any longer. Also, I’ll be on strong pain killers and I’ll need someone I can trust to handle business calls and keep me organized. I need someone who won’t baby me, who won’t let me start feeling sorry for myself. From our interactions, I think you’ll be perfect for the job. Plus, you can help me keep up with my classes.” He held his hands palms up in a helpless gesture. “I need you.”

  Paige shook her head. “You know you don’t need to pay me to help you with classes.”

  “I know. You’ve been generous with giving me copies of your notes without being asked from the start. It was one of the things that drew me to ask you. You’ve been a good friend and I haven’t had a lot of those. Please be my personal assistant and help me get through this next surgery?”

  “You posted an ad. Don’t you have other applicants to interview?”

  “To be honest, I never wanted anyone other than you. For a while I’ve suspected that you were struggling financially. I’ve seen how you often count out small change, and then give up on buying a soft drink. Even though you’ve lost weight, you’re still wearing the same clothes. I guessed things were tight and came up with this as a way we can help each other. I had this plan to find a way to show you the ad and surprise you by having you show up for the interview with me. When I saw you upset tonight, I…”

  “Tell me one thing. Is this job offer out of pity or compassion?

  “Neither. It’s out of friendship.”

  She studied him form a minute and he held her gaze. “I’m seriously considering the job, but I don’t know about living here.” She shook her head and stood up. “My Dad would have a fit if he ever found out I was sharing a house with a man I’m not married to. I don’t imagine my boyfriend will be too thrilled either.”

  Cooper felt like he’d been sucker punched. “You have a boyfriend?”

  Her hands went to her hips. “Is that so impossible to believe?”

  He tried to hide the disappointment burrowing in his chest. “Not at all. I’ve just never heard you mention him before.”

  “Well, to be honest, there isn’t that much to mention. He’s more a friend than boyfriend. I’ve been thinking about breaking up with him, but why break up with a friend?” She shrugged. “Why don’t you finish eating while I look around the house?”

  Cooper motioned to the untouched food on the table. “What about you? I thought you were hungry?”

  Paige shrugged. “I thought I was, but eating healthy has apparently ruined me for comfort food.”

  “Let’s put it in the fridge. We can reheat if for lunch tomorrow.”

  She shook her head. “I haven’t said yes.”

  Cooper winked as he stood with his crutch. “You haven’t said no either. Let me show you the house first. Then you can decide.”

  She put the food in the empty refrigerator and Cooper led the way to the front of the house. Paige stopped in front of two beautiful glass pocket doors, which had intricate iron designs inlaid between the layers of glass. “This will be your office.”

  Paige gasped. She slid the doors open and closed, “They’re so quiet. Did you know I have a weakness for pocket doors?”

  He grinned. “I believe I heard you mention that once or twice in class.”

  She opened the doors again, stepped into the room, and flicked on the light.

  He followed her, studying her face as she took in the floor to ceiling cherry bookshelves that covered the wall to the right. A cherry wood desk stood in the center of the room, with two Queen Ann upholstered chairs facing it.

  She walked to the burgundy leather chair behind the desk and sank into the soft leather with a contented purr. “It’s perfect. It’s exactly like the office I designed—”

  “Yeah. Last semester. I took a picture of your design on my phone.”

  Paige shifted in the chair and stood up. “This is starting to feel creepy. Just how long have you been planning to ask me to work for you?”
>
  “Honest. I just like the design. I intend to pay you for it.” His mouth quirked up in a grin as he echoed her words from earlier. “I swear you don’t need to take out a restraining order. I’m not stalking you.” He hitched his shoulder in a shrug. “Like I said, I’ve had some bad experiences with women and I have a lot of trust issues, but there’s something different about you. I feel comfortable around you. And as for the job offer, I guess I’ve been thinking about it since my last surgery. I honestly don’t think I’d have passed any of my classes without your help.”

  Paige looked around the room. “How exact did you copy my design?” She studied the bookshelves.

  A grin crept across Cooper’s face. He nodded. “All of it.”

  Delight lit up her face as she crossed the room to the shelf. Her fingers slid along the rich dark wood. She pressed on the center section, which swung open into the next room. Her face beamed with excitement.

  She stepped through the hidden doorway into a larger office with matching cherry furniture.

  “That’s my office,” he said. He ducked his head and followed her into the room.

  Her fingertips lingered over the upholstered Queen Ann chairs. “You even used the same coordinating fabric, wall colors, and flooring.”

  In addition to the desk, Cooper’s office also featured a drafting table and a counter with a partially finished model of a house.

  Paige frowned at the height of the counter and the wooden stool next to it. “That doesn’t look very comfortable.”

  He shrugged. “It isn’t, but I have to work with it. I’m behind on this project and have to finish before Thanksgiving.”

  She took her phone from her hip pocket and typed on it.

  “What are you doing?”

  “I’m making a note to shop for a more ergonomic stool for you.”

  “Does that mean you’ll take the job?” He hated that his voice sounded so needy.

  “Lucky for you that I’m desperate. I’ll take the PA job. You’re going to have to convince me about living here with you.” She motioned to the adjoining offices. “What you’ve done here with the designs you stole from me is incredible.”