“Yes, the Andersons are going to pay for damages to your house, and the boys are going to spend the summer working to pay their grandparents back. It’s all arranged.” Paige seems happy with the arrangement, but I’m unsettled. My only excuse for keeping her under my roof has just evaporated. Time to start thinking and fast.
Terry laughs, and we both look over at him. He shrugs. “I’m just happy I don’t have to arrest Mrs. Jacobs. She was my number one suspect before we figured out it was the Anderson boys. Damn, I’d have the entire Juniper Baptist Church out for my blood if I arrested their choir director.” He shudders, and I realize the sheriff dodged a huge public relations nightmare.
On our way back to my house, Paige turns to me. “Now that I can go home, would you like to come over tonight for dinner? We can finally have the dinner we missed the other night, and I can start to pay you back for taking care of me.”
Thinking fast, I come up with the perfect excuse. “Since you’re all set up at my house, why don’t you stay until next Friday when Todd gets the security system installed? I’ll sleep better once I know you have it.” I look at her with my most pleading look, and it works.
She smiles and bites her bottom lip for a second before shrugging. “If you really don’t mind. I would like to get the security system. I know it’s crazy, but ever since the shooting, I’ve become nervous.” Thank God, she gives in. I’d hate to have to keep her locked up.
When Thursday comes around, I’m dreading my work shift. I took a vacation day earlier in the week, so I didn’t have to leave Paige, but I can’t take another one without raising suspicion. Since I work twenty-four shifts, I’ll leave early before breakfast and won’t see her until tomorrow after I stop by her house to talk to Todd about the security system. I know she’ll be safe in my home with Roger and the security system, but I’ll still spend the night missing her.
Roger slides past me and looks at me with an evil glint in his eye. I’m sure he’s going to take his anger out on some piece of my furniture while I’m gone. Since Paige has been staying with us, he’s been sleeping downstairs in his cat condo instead of at the foot of my bed as his sign of protest. “Do you have time for breakfast?” Paige calls from the kitchen.
After dropping my bag by the door, I kiss her, and it’s getting harder to talk myself into going to work. “I have a few minutes.” Who cares if I’m a few minutes late? Those fuckers will just have to wait on their donuts.
“It’s about fucking time. Hey, where’re the donuts? You get a girlfriend and suddenly forget to bring in the donuts,” Logan complains as I walk through the door, and I flip him off as I continue walking to my office.
When I walk by Martha’s desk, I wink. “Good morning. When the donut delivery comes, make sure dickwad doesn’t get any, just for being a whiny ass.” After staying to have breakfast with my girl, I was running too late to stop for donuts like I usually do, so I arranged to have them delivered.
The rest of the day passes at a snail’s pace. My friends get on my nerves at an alarming rate. I’m missing my girl when she texts me a picture of Roger with a teddy bear and a new collar. Fear hits me, and I quickly dial her number. “How many scratches and bites did you get trying to get that collar on him?” I ask as soon as she answers.
Her laughter soothes me. “None. Roger and I are becoming friends. How’s your day going?” The rest of our conversation centers around my boring day. She promises to text me after she sets the security alarm for the night and then blows me kisses. I’m amazed I can miss someone so much who I’ve known for less than a week. I wonder if I’m losing my mind.
The next morning finally comes, and I’m on my way out of the station when Martha stops me. “Hey, young man. Your mom called me.”
Looking up at the ceiling, I count to ten before I turn to her and attempt to smile. “What did Mom want?”
“She said she’s been calling you for three days, and you haven’t returned any of her calls. I promised her to either make you call or to tie you to your desk so she can come up here and deal with it herself. How are we handling this situ-ma-gation?” Jesus. I know my fucking brother has been running his damn mouth.
“I have an appointment at my girl’s house, and then I promise I’ll call her.” I give Martha my most innocent smile, but she’s known me since high school, and it doesn’t sway the woman one bit.
She points at the chair opposite her station, and I glare at it as I walk over and drop down. After pulling my phone from my pocket, I dial my mom and prepare myself. The conversation is short. I apologize profusely for breaking her heart and making her find out about my love life from my big-mouthed brother, and then I agree to bring Paige by for dinner later in the week. Once my mother is satisfied, Martha smiles and waves me out the door. Fucking life in a small town.
I stop by Paige’s house on my way home, and Todd is waiting in the driveway when I arrive. He goes over the system he plans to install, and I approve it and let him know I’ll be back a little later with Paige to check on his progress. I need to get back to my house and see my girl. It’s been too long since I’ve seen her.
Shock runs through my system when I walk through the door and find Paige stretched out on the leather sofa with Roger lying across her chest. That fat cat has never laid in anyone’s lap, ever. “How did you manage to get him to do that?” I whisper against her lips as I lean down for a kiss. The television is on in the background, and she looks so cuddly in her hot pink flannel pajamas with bunny slippers on her tiny feet.
She looks a little embarrassed. “I laid down to watch the morning news on television, and he came over and crawled up on me.” As Paige answers, Roger yawns and stretches on her chest. He opens one eye to glare at me, and I laugh at the disgust on my cat’s face.
“I think he’s mad at me for disturbing you guys.” Looking down at my pet, I joke, “I refuse to compete for my girl’s attention. You’re going to have to realize you come second.” The cat completely ignores me and stretches more before getting comfortable. Before long, his snores fill the living room.
Paige looks at me with a raised eyebrow and runs her hand slowly over my cat’s fur. “At least we’ve bonded. He’s actually very charming when he puts his mind to it.” The little shit is going to learn he doesn’t get to steal my girl.
“If the asshole wants to turn on the charm, I’ll go get him a female cat to share his condo, but he can’t have mine.” Her eyes darken to dark blue before she wraps her hand around the back of my head and pulls my face down. As her soft lips press against mine, all thoughts flee from my mind, and my cock instantly hardens. Roger doesn’t like being crushed between us and hisses before squirming out and running away.
Using all of my self-control, I pull back and lean my forehead against hers. “That’s the best welcome home I’ve ever gotten. Roger usually just rolls his eyes and hisses for food.”
Paige smiles and stretches. “How about if I get you some breakfast? I already fed Roger his. That’s part of the reason I’m his friend this morning.” Her cute little wink sends the blood roaring back to my dick, and I groan in the back of my throat.