6. Paige
Chapter 6
Paige
“ P hew!” Callie tugs at the front of her shirt like she’s overheated but turns directly toward me. “What the hell was that?”
“What?”
“That…look?”
“What look?”
“Girl, he was staring at you like you were his next meal. Did you not see that?”
Oh.
So, it wasn’t just my imagination?
“Uh…”
“Do you know Winston’s dad?” Ro asks, eager to hear my answer.
My brows pull together and I suddenly feel nervous as Eve brings our drinks to the table. “Alright which one of you does Winston’s hot daddy have the hots for?”
“Uh, that would apparently be Paige here.” Callie chuckles, giving me an inquisitive look. “Because her face is red and he certainly hasn’t ever looked at any of us that way.”
Eve slides into the booth next to me. “Amazing. I’ve never seen that look on his face either. You have to tell us everything. What’s his story? Why doesn’t he say much? Is he grumpy? Does he have a real name and do you know it?”
Callie squeals and quickly adds, “Have you two kissed? Is he good at it? I bet he’s an excellent kisser. How is he in bed? God, please tell me he’s a man of few words on the inside but a dirty fucking talker in the bedroom.”
I put my hands up in defense. “Whoa, whoa, whoa. Uh, it’s not like that at all. I don’t really know him.”
They all sit back, befuddled. “You don’t?” Eve asks.
I shake my head. “Nope. He’s my neighbor. Lives across the street. I met him the first night I got into town because I almost hit Winston with my car.”
Callie laughs. “That sounds like Winston.”
“Yeah so I didn’t know what was up with some stray goat and I didn’t want to leave him in the middle of the road in the dark and in the rain, so I walked until I found what I assumed was his home and I was right. But trust me, Brannon didn’t have much to say that night either.”
“Brannon?” Ro’s brows narrow. “Who’s Brannon?”
I look from Ro to Callie and back to Ro, a bit confused. “Uh. That’s who we’ve been talking about…right?” I ask, cocking my head and hitching my thumb behind me gesturing outside. “Winston’s Dad.”
Ro’s jaw drops and she turns to Callie whose expression matches hers... “Is that his name? Brannon?”
“I mean, he did say he’s always gone by Bran, but…yesssss? You guys really didn’t know his name?”
All three of them shake their heads and Callie explains, “From what I had heard, it didn’t sound like anyone really ever knew his name. Except maybe Mrs. Woodcock, but if she’s used his name, I’ve never heard her do it.”
So why did he tell me?
“Well, has anyone ever asked him his name?” I prod.
Callie, Rowena, and Eve glance at each other before Eve shrugs and says, “I guess I really don’t know the answer to that.”
Callie cringes. “I’ve just always referred to him as Crankshaft because you know, he always seems cranky and he works with cars so...”
“Order up, Eve!” another woman calls from the counter.
Eve slides out of the booth. “Ooh I’ve got to go. But this conversation must be continued because after what we all just witnessed, I am one hundred percent invested. I’ll be back when your orders are ready.” She smiles and then greets another couple that just walked in.
“I fear her investment is going to lead to disappointment,” I tell my new friends. “I think if anything, Brannon may be upset with me.”
“Why would he be upset?”
“Because the night I got to town, to avoid hitting Winston, I ran my car off the road into the mud. Apparently Bran went out during the night and pulled my car from the ditch and towed it back to my house. I found out about it the next morning obviously and wanted to pay him for his service and he refused my money.”
“Aww, that’s so sweet.” Ro brings a hand to her chest. “It’s like he saved a damsel in distress.”
“Yeah well, I tried taking him a few treats from the bakery as a thank you, but he wasn’t home. His goats were in their pen so I walked over to say hello and one of them made me drop the pie and cookies I had into the pen. Then I freaked out because I didn’t know if pie or cookies would be bad for goats and I didn’t want them to die because of me and then one goat grabbed the pie plate and I didn’t want him to rip it apart and eat it so I uh…I jumped in the pen and ran after him.”
Callie’s eyes bulge. “You jumped in and ran after them?”
“Yeah.” I bow my head. “I’m not super proud of that moment but I didn’t want the poor things to get hurt. The tin of those plates could’ve ripped up their insides and that would’ve been horrible.”
“I guess that’s true. So, did you get it back?”
“Yeah. After falling twice and becoming a muddy mess. And of course, as I was trying to get out of the pen with zero treats left in my hand, Bran pulls up in his truck with Winston.”
Ro brings a palm to her forehead but chuckles on my behalf. “Oh no.”
“Yeah.” I nod. “Not one of my finer moments, I assure you.”
“What did he say?”
“He didn’t say anything. Well, that’s not true. He did ask if I was okay. And then before I sheepishly walked away I asked if he had a real name. Maybe he took pity on me because that’s when he told me his name was Brannon, and we haven’t spoken since.”
“Hmm…” Ro pinches her chin between her thumb and forefinger.
“Wow.” Callie giggles. “Well, you’ve certainly made a lasting impression on him it seems.”
Good or bad, I suppose.
“Yeah. I guess.”
After lunch I say goodbye to Callie and Ro, thanking them both for a great lunch, and make two stops before heading back to work. First is at the Bun in the Oven bakery right next to my shop where I purchase another dozen butterscotch oatmeal cookies explaining to the same woman behind the counter, much to her amusement, why I’m buying them again. From there I hike up my big-girl-brave panties and walk those cookies across the square to ImPeckable Auto so that I can finally give Brannon some form of thank-you for helping me out with my car. Halfway across the square, though, I get a cramp in my stomach that causes me to stop walking altogether.
No, no, no, no, no.
Not today.
Not now.
I squeeze my eyes closed praying to God nobody is spying on me with their binoculars and remind myself to breathe through it. It’s an all too familiar warning that has me cursing under my breath, irritated that in all the chaos these past few weeks, I’ve obviously forgotten what day it is.
“Not today, uterus. Not today.”
I take a deep breath and wait for the cramp to subside enough to keep walking and head the rest of the way across the square, cursing myself for ever agreeing to the IUD my doctor recommended. It’s been nothing but a horrible experience from the beginning but he refused to take it out until I’ve tried it for at least six months.
Fucking doctor.
Promising myself I will find a doctor here who can help me now that I’m on my own, I continue across the square to make the special delivery because I’ll be damned if I mess this up again.
The garage door at ImPeckable Auto is open, so I walk inside but I don’t see Mr. Tall, Dark and Handsome anywhere.
“You’re the girl from the antique shop.” A burly older man stands just inside the shop’s extremely clean and well-organized office. He’s a stout man not too much taller than myself and he’s got graying hair and a matching beard. He sort of reminds me of Santa Claus. That thought alone has me assuming he’s a relatively nice guy.
“Uh, yes.” I smile. “I’m Paige Starling. Rosie and Javan’s niece.”
He returns my smile and offers me a gentle handshake. “Well, it’s nice to finally meet you, Paige. I’m Larry. Good friend of your Uncle Javan’s. What can I do for you?” He spies the bag in my hand and says, “I see you’ve found your way to Bun in the Oven.”
“How could I not? It’s right next door and I smell what’s baking all day long. I couldn’t resist.” I hold up the bag. “But this isn’t for me. Actually, it’s for Bran. Is he…here?” I turn my head left and then right. “I didn’t see him in the garage.”
“Nah. He just stepped out to help Chief Woodcock with one of the town’s police cars. He shouldn’t be too long though.”
“Oh. Okay. Well, do you think I could leave these for him? I sort of owe him for helping me with my own car the other night.”
“I heard,” he replies with a nod. “And I also heard Bran say he didn’t want your money. And I can promise you that man means what he says.”
“Well, good thing there’s no money in this bag then, right, Larry?” I pass him a smirk and his round belly shakes like a bowl full of jelly as he laughs.
Santa Claus for sure.
“You got me there, sweetheart. You clearly know the way to a man’s heart.”
“Well, I wouldn’t go that far, but I like to think I at least know a way to one’s stomach and I heard butterscotch oatmeal are his favorite.”
“Indeed, you are correct. I reckon those cookies will be devoured before he ever leaves work tonight.”
“Good. Better him, than goats,” I tell him with a quick wink as I hand over the bag of cookies. “It was great to meet you Larry. Thanks for making sure he gets those.”
“Pleasure meeting you my dear. I promise you I’ll tell him the minute he gets back.”
“Thanks again!” I smile and wave as I head back across the square.
The moment I step inside The Cuckoo’s Nest, my cramps strike again.
And again.
And again.
I pull up the calendar on my phone to see the date of the last period and shake my head.
I should’ve known it would come today.
Because suffering through this blasted IUD isn’t enough.
Now my body is about to send me to hell and back and there’s not a damn thing I can do about it.
Reaching for my purse and water bottle, I grab a few Tylenols and swallow them back hoping to lessen the pain I know will be hitting me for the rest of the night. But for now, it’s no use. I run to the bathroom as quickly as my body will let me to make sure I’m prepared, but by the time I walk back to the front of the shop again my cramps hit so hard I can’t stand up straight and crumble to the floor.
“Fuck!”
Please don’t do this to me now, body.
Please!
My powerless pleas to Lady Uterus are the last thing I remember before my world goes black.