Wyatt (7 Brides for 7 Soldiers #4)

by Lynn Raye Harris

  So she was still here, and he was still taking her to bed every night and losing himself in her. If he could just stop doing that, the ache would get better.

  But he couldn’t. Damn him, but he couldn’t.

  Since Hawk was shorthanded, Wyatt had been thinking hard about how he could make a difference in that regard, at least in Washington State. Paige was right that he could do something here. He knew plenty of former Special Forces guys. Some of them might like to put their skills to use. Eagle’s Ridge was getting more popular as a tourist destination, and there was also the surrounding area to consider. Executives from Seattle had vacation homes here. They often brought their own protection, but what if they could hire a local firm?

  It wasn’t what he’d thought he might do, but the more he considered it, the more feasible it seemed. He might explore the possibility after Paige was gone.

  Paige.

  She’d made him think about going to Seattle, but he’d shoved the idea way. It wasn’t in his plans, and he resented that she’d even planted the seed. But he’d still thought about it. Hell, he couldn’t stop thinking about it. Today was July Fourth, but tomorrow was the fifth, and that meant Hawk would probably have someone available quite soon.

  As if thinking it made it happen, his phone rang. It was Hawk.

  “I’ve got someone who can take over tomorrow,” he said. “Greg Spencer will send a company plane for her. Her new guard will be onboard.”

  Wyatt rubbed his chest. “That’s good. Who is he?”

  “Former Ranger. Name is Eric Reynolds. I’ll send over details of the exchange.”

  “Yeah, sounds good.”

  “You think any more about coming to work for me? We could use someone with your skills.”

  Wyatt frowned. “Actually, I was thinking about opening my own protection firm. Right here in Eagle’s Ridge. We get enough traffic during the high season to make it worthwhile.”

  “That sounds like a good idea. Let me know if you need anything. I’d be happy to help—and happy to send clients your way too.”

  “I appreciate that. I’ll let you know if I go through with it.”

  Paige emerged from her room. Her phone was in her hand.

  “I’m going home tomorrow,” she said.

  “I know.”

  Her eyes seemed to sparkle. “Ah, okay. Didn’t realize you knew.”

  “Hawk just called.”

  “I just spoke to Daddy. He’s sending a plane—and a new bodyguard.”

  “Yeah.”

  They stood there staring at each other. He didn’t know what to say, but he felt like he needed to say something. Like if he didn’t, he’d burst with the effort of holding it in.

  Before he could manage to find the words, his phone rang again. He answered with a clipped, “Yeah.”

  “Wyatt William Chandler, is that any way to greet your grandmother?”

  “Sorry, Gran.” Paige was still staring at him. He couldn’t take his eyes off her either. Finally he forced himself to turn away. “What’s up?”

  “Today is the big day. Fireworks, the parade, and I’ve heard nothing from you yet. Are you even coming to the celebration? Hildie needs your opinion about the Navy float.”

  Wyatt rolled his eyes. “Gran, half the town is former Navy. She can ask one of them. She doesn’t need me.”

  “You are the most recent Navy person to return to town and it has to be you. She needs to know what you think.”

  “You’re messing with me, Gran.”

  “I’m not. But even still, you haven’t been in town for the Fourth for twelve years, not since you went off to the Navy. You need to be here. You’re one of our veterans, and we want to honor you. All your friends will be here.”

  Wyatt closed his eyes. Hell, maybe it was a good idea. Take Paige to the park, forget about the fact she was leaving tomorrow. Part of him wanted to strip her naked and spend the next twenty-four hours in bed with her, but the other part—the logical part—said that going to the celebration was the best, most distracting thing to do.

  Time to move on with life, right? Because nothing was changing about the situation. She had her life in Seattle. His was here. What they had going on wasn’t serious enough to warrant him asking her to stay. It was sex.

  “I’ll be there.”

  “Excellent. I’ll tell Hildie. I’m going to assume you’re bringing Paige.”

  “Yes.”

  “So can we call her Paige now or is it still Nicole?”

  “Whatever she’s comfortable with.”

  Gran huffed. “You are very curt today, young man.”

  Wyatt rubbed a hand over his forehead. “I don’t mean to be. Just have a lot on my mind.”

  “If you ask me, you need to quit being stubborn and see what’s right in front of your face. I have eyes, Wyatt. I can see. You and Paige are crazy for each other—”

  “We aren’t.”

  “Don’t you interrupt me, Wyatt William.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “I know you’ve only known her for couple of weeks, but there’s something there. When I met your grandfather, he swept me off my feet. I knew he was the one from the very first. Even though he was fifteen years older than me, it didn’t matter. He was the one. And we were married within a month.”

  “Gran.” She was beginning to sound upset. He didn’t like it.

  “I’m just saying. Don’t be so hidebound you can’t see what’s in front of your eyes. You’ve been through a lot the past few months, and you’re carrying around something that you won’t share with me. But you can’t take your eyes off her, honey. I think she means something to you. And I think you’re fighting it.”

  “I’m not fighting anything.”

  She sighed. “Fine. I tried. When will you be here? I need to tell Hildie.”

  “Give me an hour.”

  “Wonderful. And Wyatt?”

  “Yes, Gran?”

  “I love you. I want you to be happy.”

  “I love you too.”

  Paige was sitting on the arm of the couch when he turned around again.

  “Everything okay?” she asked.

  He shoved his phone in his pocket. “Yeah. Gran wants us to come to the celebration. And Hildie apparently needs my opinion on a float.”

  Paige smirked. “I didn’t know you were an expert on floats, Wyatt.”

  “I’m a man of many talents,” he said wryly.

  She smiled, but there was a hint of sadness to it. “I can attest to that. So, when do we go?”

  “You don’t mind?”

  “Of course not. Everyone’s been telling me the fireworks and parade are not to be missed. And since it’s my last day in Eagle’s Ridge…” Her gaze dropped. She nibbled her bottom lip. His groin began to ache.

  “You can come back. Come visit us. Gran would love to see you.”

  Her eyes blazed as she lifted her head. “And you? Would you love to see me too?”

  “I would.”

  “Until you wouldn’t.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  She shook her head. “Girlfriends, Wyatt. There’ll be one eventually.”

  His gut churned. “Look, I don’t want to talk about this. Let’s just go to the celebration and try to have a good time.”

  “You never want to talk about it. About anything. Did you ever think that maybe you need to stop avoiding the things that bother you and face them head-on?”

  “I’ve spent the past twelve years of my life facing things you can’t imagine. I think I’m good.”

  She got to her feet. “Oh yes, play the Navy SEAL card. Of course you’ve seen terrible things. But that doesn’t mean you get to use that as an excuse to avoid the important things in your life.”

  “Maybe this isn’t all that important. Did you ever think of that?”

  The look on her face made him feel like shit. He wanted to call the words back, but it was too late. They’d done their damage. She turned away an
d went to pick up her purse. She stopped and petted her cat, bent down and kissed his head, then straightened and faced Wyatt with pale cheeks.

  “I’m ready when you are.”

  Say something. Apologize.

  But maybe it was best if she was angry with him. It’d be easier on them both if they just made a clean break.

  Eagle’s Ridge was decked out for the Fourth. The bunting was everywhere. Sentinel Park was alive with laughing children and adults enjoying the carnival rides and eating things like fried Twinkies on a stick and funnel cakes.

  Paige avoided those foods, though she did go for some messy ribs with corn on the cob and coleslaw. The parade was fun too. Kids and adults alike cheered for the floats, the bands, the horses and riders with their flags. Mary Beth rode her horse down Main Street with the other equestrians, waving like a princess.

  Paige laughed and waved back. Wyatt waved too, though she could feel the tension in him as his grandmother went by on a twelve-hundred-pound animal subject to spooking from any number of surprises coming at him from all directions.

  But the horses in the parade were calm, and the procession kept on going. The Navy float sailed by, a gray ship with sailors on its deck. Hildie had tried to talk Wyatt into riding the float, but he’d refused. She’d eventually accepted his reasoning that he had to stay with Paige.

  Everyone knew her real name now. Wyatt had asked her if she wanted to tell them or stay incognito. She’d come to like the people in Eagle’s Ridge, and it felt wrong to continue to let them think she was Nicole from Virginia, or that she and Wyatt were a thing.

  They were definitely not a thing, though she wanted them to be. But she was apparently the only one who did.

  His words earlier still rang in her head. That what they had wasn’t important to him. It was sex to him. A fling. They’d had a good time, but it was over. Tomorrow she’d get on her father’s plane and head back to Seattle with a new bodyguard. Wyatt wouldn’t miss her at all. He had plenty of prospects to replace her in his bed, judging by the women who said hi to him while they walked through the park.

  She tried not to think of those things, but she couldn’t quite help it. They ran into Claudia again, who said she’d been thinking about what Paige had said and she wanted to talk. Paige would have been excited if not for the ache in her heart that Wyatt had caused. They set a time to talk on the phone, and then Paige and Wyatt moved on.

  Diana Wood was there, standing with a tall, somewhat nerdy-looking guy with glasses and a mop of unruly hair. But then they got closer and Paige realized it was August Kensington. He was actually very attractive. There were muscles under that button-down. Quite a lot of them, in fact. The women in her circles in Seattle were always trying to get Augie out on dates, but he was too focused on his tech company to comply. What was he doing in Eagle’s Ridge?

  “Hello, Augie,” Paige said as they got closer.

  “Hi, Paige. Where’s your father?”

  “Still in Seattle, I imagine.”

  Wyatt seemed a little taken aback. “You two know each other?”

  “My dad buys software from Augie’s company. You know Augie?”

  “We grew up together,” Wyatt said.

  “That’s right,” Augie replied. “Born and raised in Eagle’s Ridge. I live in Seattle now…” He glanced at Diana, who was smiling at them all politely. “I’m thinking of moving back though. I can run operations from here. And I’d like a change of pace, I think.”

  “Well,” Diana said. “It was lovely to see you again, August. But I need to get going. I promised to meet some friends for dinner.”

  “Miss Wood,” Augie said. “It’s always nice to see you.”

  Paige thought he looked at Diana Wood with the same slack-jawed look Wyatt had given her in Claudia’s shop, but then she thought maybe she was wrong. Augie seemed cool and collected. Maybe even oblivious.

  Diana glided away in a cloud of elegance in spite of the down-home atmosphere of carnival rides and fried food on sticks. Paige wished she could bottle that and sell it, because she’d make a fortune in no time. They talked to Augie for a bit longer and then he too had to go.

  Wyatt introduced her to so many people that she felt like she might never remember them all. There was some laughter over the way everyone had thought she was his ex-girlfriend from Virginia, but Hildie had already disseminated the fact that she’d known all along and had only been helping Wyatt to protect Paige. They even treated the rumors of kissing as if they were part of the cover. After all, Hildie was the only one who’d caught them at it.

  They finally caught up with Mary Beth at the horse trailers. The stable had trailered in the horses for the parade, and now they were taking them back again. Zeus was in a trailer munching hay as they walked up, and Mary Beth had changed back into regular shoes with her jods instead of boots. She turned with a smile on her face and opened her arms for Wyatt. He walked into them and gave her a hug, and Paige tried not to let envy get the best of her. Envy because he clearly loved someone, even if that someone wasn’t her.

  A moment later, Mary Beth patted him on the back and stepped away. Then she opened her arms for Paige.

  Paige went into them without even glancing at Wyatt. She wasn’t going to let him ruin this for her. She might not know Mary Beth all that well, but she adored the woman. At seventy-eight, Mary Beth was an inspiration. Active, vibrant, and full of fun and sass.

  “Did you enjoy the parade, my dears?”

  “Yes,” Paige replied. “It was lovely. Everything is amazing.”

  Mary Beth laughed. “Well, I expect you haven’t had too many small-town Fourths. I think many of them are the same, but I’m certainly partial to ours. Maybe you’ll come back for our fall harvest event.”

  Paige’s throat ached. “I’d like that.”

  Mary Beth squeezed her hand. “You are welcome anytime. And now, why don’t we go and enjoy the carnival? It’s a few hours until the fireworks, and we’ll want to pick out a good spot.”

  “Shouldn’t you rest for a while, Gran?”

  “For heaven’s sake, Wyatt, I just rode a horse at a walk for an hour. I don’t know how I could get more rested. If we were trotting, different story. But Zeus could put anyone to sleep at a walk.”

  Wyatt held up both hands. “Fine. Just a suggestion.”

  “I suggest you stop worrying about me and start having a good time. Paige is leaving us tomorrow. I think we should have fun.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Then let’s get the lawn chairs and go find our place.”

  Fun. It wasn’t exactly fun hanging around with Paige and Gran, watching the two of them laugh and talk like they’d known each other their whole lives. Wyatt trailed behind, carrying the bag chairs on one shoulder and tugging the cooler on wheels. Gran had a bag with a picnic blanket and supplies, but Paige took it from her as they walked.

  They found a spot under a tree. Not too far under the tree or they wouldn’t see the fireworks. Other people were staking out their spots as well. Gran spread the blanket and Wyatt set up the chairs. Paige unpacked the bag for Gran.

  By the time they were done, Gran had produced an entire picnic with cold fried chicken, potato salad, and some sort of marinated vegetable salad. She had wine and acrylic glasses as well as bottles of water and some of her homemade iced tea. Wyatt was surprised that his stomach growled, but it had been hours since they’d eaten barbecue.

  “This is amazing, Mary Beth,” Paige said. “You thought of everything.”

  Gran winked. “I even have dessert. Sugar free, of course.”

  They fixed plates and ate while the sun sank in the sky and people began to pack the area with their own chairs and coolers. Wyatt sat back and watched the activity around him. He’d missed this. It had been years since he’d experienced July Fourth in Sentinel Park. He used to come with Gran and Gramps when he was little. When he was older, he hung out with his friends. They snuck beers and dared each other to do things that wo
uld get them in trouble if caught.

  Hell, they’d even pranked Augie one year. They’d jammed the door to the portable toilet closed and left him in there for an hour. They’d gotten in pretty big trouble for that one. It was a wonder Augie didn’t hold a grudge, but he really didn’t. One of the nicest guys you’d meet. And one of the richest.

  Wyatt slanted a glance at Paige. Now Augie was the kind of guy she should be hanging out with. Wealthy, self-made. A real self-starter.

  The idea of her with Augie made his teeth snap together and grind. Augie Kensington was a great guy, but he wasn’t enough of a challenge for Paige. A woman like Paige would walk all over poor Augie.

  She sat talking to Gran and laughing about something—but then her face went white and he shot up from his chair, his instincts on high alert as he scanned the crowd.

  “What’s the matter, dear?” Gran was saying. “Are you feeling okay?”

  “I… Yes, I’m fine.” Paige smiled and set her plate on the small folding table Gran had managed to pack in that giant bag of hers. “I just… I thought I saw something. It was nothing though.”

  Wyatt was at her side in half a second, taking a knee beside her and making her look at him. Her eyes were a little wide, a little scared.

  “What did you see, Paige?”

  “I…” She closed her eyes. “It’s nothing. I’m seeing things because I’m still rattled. There was a man… he looked familiar. But it wasn’t him. I was mistaken. He couldn’t know I was here anyway. I haven’t told anyone back home.”

  Wyatt stood and cast his gaze around the crowd. It was a damned protection nightmare and he’d let himself be led right into it. The crowd was big, it was getting dark, and he had two women he needed to watch, not just one. He couldn’t abandon Gran to take care of all this stuff by herself while he escorted Paige out of here.

  And he couldn’t leave Paige while he went and searched the crowd. She dug her fingers into his arm and forced him to look at her.

  “I was mistaken, Wyatt. Don’t get yourself worked up over this. There are so many people here, and I glanced into the crowd and let myself get scared over nothing.”