17. RHETT
17
RHETT
Mid-knock, I stop to stare at my hands, which are still dirty. My boots are muddy, my shirt is torn, and I’m pretty sure there’s blood—my blood—on my jeans. Damn, I never cleaned up. I just heard Paige was upset and raced over here like a jackass.
The door swings open, and Sylvia crosses her arms. “You gonna stand out here all night, or are you coming in?”
I take off my grimy baseball cap. “Thank you, but I’m pretty filthy. Maybe I should wait out here. Can I speak with Paige?” I don’t know why I’m nervous, but with the way Sylvia’s glaring at me right now, I should probably make sure she’s not carrying any weapons.
She points behind her to the couch. “Sit.” I do as she asks, expecting she’ll get Paige. Instead, she perches on the coffee table across from me. “We need to get one thing straight. Paige might not be my daughter, but I love her like one. As her surrogate mother, I’m wondering why she was sleeping in my house two nights after she married you.”
I knew Sylvia was gonna grill me.
“It’s a long story.” Her no-nonsense expression tells me she’ll wait until I tell her everything, so I do. Minus the fact that I left Paige naked in the hot tub after one of the most explosive sexual encounters of my life.
“I see.” She crosses her legs. “I’m going to be honest, Rhett. I know you and Paige are up to something. It’s not every day the town’s biggest bachelor up and marries someone no one has ever seen him date.”
Shit. “Sylvia, I?—”
“Stop talking.” I clamp my mouth shut, and she points at me. “I went along with your shenanigans because I love Paige, and I didn’t want her to be embarrassed by some half-assed wedding.”
That explains a lot. “Yes, ma’am.”
“I just wanted my girl to have one day where she felt like a princess. Because she is a great young woman with a huge heart, and she deserves all the good things this world has to offer. Irma treats her like shit and has for years, and if you add one ounce of pain to the burdens that girl carries, so help me God, you will regret it.”
Shamed, I stare at my dirty boots. “I didn’t mean to hurt her, I swear. I care about her, and I promised Danny I’d look after her.”
“Maybe start by not ditching her at an isolated cabin.”
I nod, hating that I disappointed Sylvia, but more disappointed in myself for hurting Paige. “I’d like to make it up to her if she’ll let me.”
“If you were wondering, the correct way to handle that situation was to bring your wife with you and let her face your ex with you . And, for the record, she didn’t tell me those details. Like a good mother, I eavesdropped on her and Baylee.” She studies me a moment. “You know I get feelings, right? That I can sense things?”
All the hair on the back of my neck stands on end. I nod because everyone knows Sylvia has a sixth sense. I don’t usually go for that mumbo jumbo, but then again, I’ve never had Sylvia Reyes staring me down like this before.
Reaching out, she clasps my hand. “If you don’t embrace this marriage and try to make it work, I don’t see this ending well.” She turns my hand over, looks at my palm, and mutters, “Stubborn as the day is long.” After she studies it, she sits back. “Rhett, you can be happy in love, but not by doing what you’re doing.”
I promised Paige we wouldn’t tell anyone what we were up to, so I can’t explain to Sylvia that this marriage isn’t about love. I let out a frustrated breath. “I’m doing my best.”
She stands. “It’s not your best. You just think it is.”
Then she disappears down the hall.
Coming here was probably a mistake, but Sylvia is right about one thing. I need to treat Paige better.
“Hey.” Paige shuffles into the room in a white t-shirt, shorts, and fuzzy socks. Her hair is pulled back in a long ponytail, and her face is free of makeup. Fuck, she’s beautiful. “What are you doing here? Did you need me for something with Harlan?” Why is she confused to see me?
I stand, but when I take a step toward her, she steps back, and my heart sinks. I clear my throat. “I’m sorry about last night. I didn’t mean to leave you like that.” I explain what happened with Amber and how her freakout upset the boys to the point that Austin started vomiting.
“I’m sorry he was sick.” She tugs at the hem of her t-shirt. “Did Beau give you my message?”
“That you don’t want to be married to me? Yes.”
Paige fights a smile and rolls her eyes. “I’m thinking maybe I should just come over if you need me for Harlan. That way, I won’t be in your hair or upsetting your kids or your wife.”
“My ex -wife. Pretty sure you’re my current wife. Besides, I thought you needed a job. Don’t you wanna work in my office?”
“We both know you don’t need me for anything except appearances with your banker. I’ll just help Sylvia at her salon. She needs someone to wash hair, do laundry, and clean up. So maybe I’ll do that.” She gives me a fake smile that’s so removed from the carefree smiles she gave me in the hot tub, it makes me flinch. “I’m not your concern, Rhett. I can take care of myself.”
I scrub a hand over my face. This is not going the way I hoped it would. But she’s not getting rid of me that easily. “Can we sit, please? I haven’t slept since our wedding night, and I’m about to fall over.”
Her eyes grow concerned. “You didn’t sleep last night?”
“I was up with Austin. Then some asshole cut our fences again, and we had to track down a dozen cattle, one of whom we chased for hours.” I sit on the couch again, and she sits on the opposite end. Fuck this shit. I reach over and tug her into my lap.
“Rhett, what?—”
“Shut up and listen.” I angle her so I can look into her eyes. “I’m sorry I was an asshole. I’m not handling Amber or my kids or all the crap I need to deal with on the ranch very well. I’m especially not good at having a new wife.” I cup her beautiful face. “But I don’t want you to feel like I don’t need you. I do. I…”
I debate what to say, but maybe Sylvia is right and I need to go about this differently. My instinct is to be the asshole I’ve always been. Except I don’t wanna be that hardass with Paige. I stroke her soft cheek with my thumb. “I like being around you, Paige. We had fun at the cabin before everything went sideways, right?”
She reluctantly nods. “But you don’t need me hanging around. I’d just be in your way, and I don’t like to be where I’m not wanted.”
I did this to her. I made her feel unwanted. If I could kick my own ass right now, I would.
“Wildflower, I always want you around. I realize our situation is unique, that you’re leaving at the end of the year, but you’ve always been special to me, and it pains me to hear that I made you feel this way. Nothing could be farther from the truth.”
When she doesn’t say anything, I take her hand in mine. “Please come back to the ranch with me. Let me make it up to you. I promise we’ll figure this out.” I kiss her wrist. “Come help me organize my office. It’ll be easier on your ankle than cleaning Sylvia’s salon.” And if I had to guess, Sylvia doesn’t really need the help.
Her eyes get glassy, and she whispers, “I don’t want to get attached to you. We agreed this isn’t forever.”
I don’t know why, but it hurts to hear that. I try to save face by cracking a joke. “So what you’re saying is you need me to be a little bit of an asshole.” She laughs, and I kiss her forehead. “Let’s try to be friends like we said we would. Once you’re healed up, you’ll go to Boston or to whatever cheer camp is lucky enough to have you.” I feel the need to underscore this point. “Paige, I can’t stay married, and that’s all about me and my issues. But it would make me really happy to have you around in the meanwhile. To make sure you get back on your feet again. Let me take care of you until you leave, sweetheart.”
A long silence stretches, and I hate that I brought up divorce. Except I was a terrible husband, and I don’t wanna make the same mistakes again. Especially with my best friend’s little sister, who deserves someone who will make her the center of his universe.
“Okay, but…” She sniffles, and the regret in her eyes kills me. “You were right about the other stuff. I don’t think we should sleep together.”
That’s fucking tragic. But she’s right. “Then we won’t sleep together. We’ll pretend we never saw each other naked.” Fat chance.
Paige nibbles her delectable bottom lip. “All right, husband.”
“All right, wife.”
Damn, I shouldn’t love how that sounds.
Feet stomp down the hall, and Baylee, who looks angrier than that bull I chased this afternoon, storms in. “Rhett Walker, please tell me you’re gonna stop being a giant dick.”
“I am, I swear.” From the bottom of my cold, black heart.
She looks at Paige, and they have some kind of silent conversation before she turns back to me. Baylee holds up two fingers to her eyes and then points them at me. “I’m watching you.”
“Wouldn’t expect anything less.”