31. Paige
Pancakes for Dinner - Lizzie McAlpine
“ R ise and shine, newlyweds!” The sing-songy voice of Mags carries through the cabin in the early morning light.
“I’m going to murder your best friend.” I laugh at my crotchety new husband who has spent the last 12 hours wrapped around me like a koala bear.
“We’ll have to face them eventually, babe.”
The cavalry has arrived to clean up the aftermath of the wedding with Mags playing drill sergeant. She’s nothing if not effective. “Besides, we have to make sure Miles and Maggie don’t murder each other first.”
Cade rolls on top of me, laying kisses on every inch of exposed skin, an outburst of uncontrollable giggles following every tickle of his stubble against my flesh. “Stop! I’m going to pee my pants! Let me up.”
Cade reluctantly rolls back to his side of the bed, propping his hands behind his head and giving me a breathtaking view of my husband in all his naked glory. I rush off to the bathroom to take care of business before I change my mind an d jump his bones. When I come back out, Cade is dressed in sinful gray sweatpants and a black tee. I quickly dress in a pair of black leggings and an oversized sweater before we head downstairs to our friends.
The scent of fresh coffee and bacon fills the air as we round the bottom of the stairs to find Ivy making herself at home in the kitchen with a spatula in hand.
Rylin comes barreling towards me and crashes into my legs, motioning for me to pick her up. “Kitty?”
I carry her towards the spot where Goose likes to curl up in the breakfast nook. “There’s kitty, sweetie. You can sit right here and play with him., but be gentle.” I set her down on the bench seat and step over to the island where Cade is pouring two cups of coffee, talking to Ivy about the wedding. Suddenly, the back door swings open and in storm Mags and Miles, their voices raised in a heated debate.
“I don’t see how you could think that was funny, Miles.”
“Oh lighten up Mags, it was a joke!”
Ivy and I lock eyes across the island, her eyebrows drawn in confusion as we watch Mags and Miles go at each other. The tension between them is palpable. Mags crosses her arms, her stance defiant. “A joke? A fucking joke?”
Miles casually leans against the counter, a smirk playing on his lips. I get the sense that getting under Mags’ skin is amusing for him.
Ivy sighs, flipping another pancake onto the growing stack. “Can you two please knock it off? It’s way too early for this.” I shoot Ivy an apologetic glance, only now realizing that there are little ears nearby and there were definitely some adult words being thrown around. I mouth an “I’m sorry” towards Ivy, who just shrugs and returns to her task.
I round on Miles and Mags. “Listen, you two need to find a way to get along or stay away from each other.” I grit my teeth and speak quietly for this next part, “There’s a l iteral toddler in the room, yet you’re the most immature among us. Grow up.” I pin them with one last glare.
They both stay silent, glancing over at Rylin, looking sufficiently chastised. The unresolved tension in the room dissipates as we all settle in for breakfast.
“I don’t know if I got a chance to say it yesterday, so I’ll do it now,” I say, glancing around the kitchen at our friends. “Thank you so much for everything you all did to make the wedding perfect. I couldn’t imagine anything better. I appreciate you all so f —” the word fuck very nearly escapes my mouth before I can rein it in “— flipping much.”
Ivy places her hand over mine, giving it a squeeze. “It was our pleasure, Paige. Cade might love you the most out of all of us — don’t start, Mags — but we helped because we wanted to, because we love you, too.”
I hate that we’re going to have to say goodbye soon. Every single person in this room means so much to me, but Mags and I have a flight to Toronto booked in a few days. I need to pack my things and we have to get the immigration paperwork filed. The absence of my husband makes this task seem daunting, but he’s needed here at work.
I’ll be gone for at least a few weeks while I move the last of my things out of Mag’s house, and decide what I’ll be bringing with me to Kentucky once our petition is approved. It will likely be months before I can officially call Oak Ridge my home, but I’m leaving a piece of my heart behind every time I leave. There’s no doubt that the visits won't be enough to satisfy me.
“Soooo…” Mags is hesitating, and I’m slightly worried about what’s about to come out of her mouth next. “You can say no, but what if we book a hotel suite in Nashville the night before our flight. Let’s go to Broadway, enjoy some music, and have one final celebration before you come back to your man.”
The id ea itself isn’t entirely unappealing. I’m not usually into big crowds and bars, but any excuse to spend time with everyone before I leave is a welcome one. I look at the hopeful eyes of my friends around the kitchen, and I know my opinion is completely pointless. Everybody looks so hopeful, even Cade, though I suspect we’ll be getting our own room for our last night together.
“Let’s go girls.”
Cade
It’s our last full day together in Oak Ridge, and the urge to kidnap my wife and hold her hostage in the basement has never been so appealing. Our entire crew is filing into Rosie’s and for the first time, we won’t all fit into our usual booth. Liam, Dean, and I work in tandem to push 3 tables together while the girls transfer over all the necessary chairs. Once we’re seated comfortably, I pull Paige’s chair as close to my side as possible, not wanting any distance between us.
“Well, if it isn’t my favorite newlyweds and their whole crew!” Rosie says, approaching our table with notepad in hand. “I didn’t get a chance to tell ya’ll congratulations after the wedding. It was beautiful, not a dry eye in the house.”
“Thanks Rosie, we appreciate all the help from you and Archie too. Cade told me he couldn’t have done it without you,” Paige says sweetly from beside me, her hand resting lightly on my thigh.
“Happy to do it, my girl. Now, what can I get ya’ll to drink?”
We all place our drink orders and Rosie disappears back through the swinging doors to the kitchen. Paige leans over to where Rylin is perched on Ivy’s lap coloring the kids menu.
“Auntie Paige color?” The word comes out like “kuh-wer” in her adorable little toddler voice and Paige picks up the yellow crayon to color in the egg yolk beside the bacon that Ry is scribbling over. Watching Paige interacting with Ivy’s daughter has an unfamiliar warmth spreading through me. Paige’s nose crinkles as Rylin whispers something in her ear and my heart leaps in my chest. That smile could bring a grown man to his knees.
“Cade? Did you hear me?” I glance across the table at Liam, who is looking at me with a knowing smirk. “You’re so fucked, dude.”
Yeah. I am.
“Sorry, what were you saying?” I ask.
“Did Connor tell you he’s coming into town soon? He said he wanted to talk to us about the bar.” A sense of dread washes over me at the revelation.
“He’s not closing it, is he?”
“No, I don’t see that happening.” I’m relieved but curious about what he could possibly need to talk to us about. Liam and I have been practically running the place since Connor moved out to Lexington last year, so we can’t really take on any more work. Unless he’s planning to hire a manager.
Before I can get too deep into my thoughts, Rosie comes back with Lisa in tow and they deliver all of our drinks. Lisa takes over our table so Rosie can get back to the kitchen, and we all place our breakfast orders. It’s not long before the conversation is drowned out by the sound of silverware on plates as we all devour our meals. Sneaking my fork over to Paige’s plate, I snatch a bite of her favorite pancakes.
“Hey!” she huffs, “I saw that, Cowboy!”
“Just doing some quality control, Sunshine.” Paige rolls her eyes in response as I rake a finger through the whipped cream before sucking it off, not once breaking eye contact. Her gaze turns heated as I lean in for a kiss, my tongue skating over her bottom lip, tasting the sweetness there.
“Mmmm,” she lets out a barely audible moan, and I’m suddenly very aware that we’re in public, surrounded by al l of our friends.
“Ugh, they’re so in love, it's disgusting,” Mags says from the head of the table.
Paige giggles then says, “It’s your fault, Mags, so you aren’t allowed to complain.”
“Actually, I don't think Cade has thanked me enough for that particular service.”
“Thank you, Mags,” I say. “I’m eternally in your debt.”
Paige squeezes my thigh under the table and lays her head on my shoulder as the bell chimes, signaling a new customer. Paige stiffens beside me, and I glance towards the door to find Diane Brooks-Walker — my mother — heading straight for our table. I place a lingering kiss on Paige’s temple before intertwining our fingers as she fidgets in her seat.
“Mom,” I say, keeping my voice deliberately neutral.
Her eyes flick to Paige, then back to me. “Cade, can we talk?”
The table falls silent; the tension reaching a boiling point. I stand, gesturing to a quiet corner in the diner. “Mom, can we do this later? We’re trying to have breakfast with our friends.”
“And I suppose all of the “friends” attended the wedding I was shut out of?” She crosses her arms, her voice dripping with disdain.
“We didn’t shut you out. You were invited and you chose not to come. That’s on you.”
“Because you didn’t give me enough time to prepare! You rushed into this like it was some sort of game, and for some girl you hardly know!”
“I’m sorry you feel that way, Mom.” My agitation at the whole situation is reaching a fever pitch. “I love Paige and I wish you would give her a chance.”
Paige approaches my side then, wrapping her trembling hand around mine. Just her presence eases the tension in my body.
“I think you should leave,” she says. “You’ve made your disapproval abundantly clear, and we don’t need to have this out in a public place when we’re trying to have a nice meal with our friends.”
“I wasn’t speaking to you,” Mom bites back at my wife and I see red.
The diner’s patrons are starting to take notice, their murmurs adding to the tension. Rylin appears at our side, tugging on Paige’s hand, eyes wide in confusion. She kneels down, giving Ry a reassuring smile before carrying her back to Ivy.
“I can’t do this anymore, Mom. This was my choice. You either accept it or you won’t be in our life. It’s that simple. I’m sorry it has to be this way.”
The boundaries are long overdue and I refuse to let her self-righteous indignation ruin our last day in Oak Ridge together.
“If that’s how you want it, I guess I have nothing more to say.” She turns on her heel and storms out of the diner, leaving a heavy silence in her wake. I stare after her, a mix of anger and sadness churning in my gut. Returning to my seat, Paige gives my thigh a reassuring squeeze but her body is rigid, and I know she’s more damaged by what just happened than she’s willing to let on.
The rest of the meal is stilted and quiet. The earlier mood replaced with awkward silence and the occasional murmur from the rest of the patrons. We say an awkward goodbye, then everyone pairs off to spend the rest of the day doing their own thing.
“So, it’s your last day in Oak Ridge. How does my wife want to spend it?”
The smile that had dissipate d with my mother’s arrival comes back in full force.
“Can we go home? I can’t think of anywhere else I want to be.”
I take her hand, leading her to my truck parked on the curb. As I’m pulling open the passenger door to help her into the seat, Rosie comes barreling out of the diner. She hands me a styrofoam container before pulling Paige into a tight embrace. “You take care of yourself, my girl. We sure are going to miss you ‘round here.”
“I’ll miss you too, Rosie. So much.” I watch as a tear escapes down her face.
Rosie gives me a pat on the cheek and a knowing smile before retreating to the diner. I open the container to find a giant slice of Rosie’s famous pecan pie with extra whipped cream.
“Let’s go home, Sunshine.”
Paige
Walking up the porch steps to the cabin, I feel a heavy weight settling in my bones; my impending departure casting a somber glow over my last day in the town I've come to call home over the past couple of months.
Cade presses a soft kiss to my forehead. “Movie night?”
“Sure, I’ll go make some popcorn.”
I’ve got my legs stretched out with my back to the armrest, my feet resting on Cade’s thighs. The bowl of popcorn is perched on my lap as Ever After plays in the background, but I haven’t been paying attention. It’s one of my favorite movies, but Cade’s fingers are digging into the arches of my feet and I’m completely blissed out.
“Mmmm,” I moan. “If you’re trying to convince me to stay, it's working.”
“You keep making noises li ke that, we’re going to have a very different evening.”
“Stop it,” I say, tossing a kernel of popcorn at his head. Before it can reach its target, Cade opens his mouth and catches it. “That was a fluke,” I tease.
“Pure talent, baby. Give me another one.”
I toss another and it bounces off his lip.
“Ha!”
“Lucky shot, try again.”
I toss another one and he catches it, giving me a smug smile. While he’s gloating, I let another one fly, hoping to catch him off guard, but it lands on his tongue, and the crinkling around his eyes melts me.
“Pfft. Whatever. It’s not that hard.”
“I’ll show you hard,” he says, before lunging across the sofa, tickling my ribs as I try to hold the popcorn out of the way.
“Cade! I’m gonna drop the popcorn!”
He grabs the bowl from my hand and places it on the coffee table beside us before positioning himself between my thighs, stealing my breath in a hungry kiss. We’re both panting heavily when we break apart.
“I’m going to miss you so fucking much.” His voice is strained and there’s an ache building in my chest. I had forgotten about the ticking clock, if only for a moment. A tear tracks over my cheek at the realization that my time here is limited.
“Fuck, I’m sorry,” he says, swiping away the tear before pulling me to his chest.
“I just have to keep reminding myself that I’ll be back. It’s not forever.”
“ We are forever, Paige. Remember that. You’ll go away for a little while and then you come back to me again. We’ll be okay.”
“I love you,” I say. Goo se chooses that exact moment to leap onto Cade’s back, startling us apart. “Apparently somebody thinks he’s being neglected.”
The little fur ball nuzzles his way between us, effectively cutting off our somber moment. We reposition ourselves on the couch, Cade laying on his back while I’m curled into his side, my head and hand resting on his chest while Goose makes himself at home on my hip. We fall asleep like that, wrapped around each other like we’ve been doing it for years.