11. Paige
Chapter 11
Paige
“ T hanks again, Winston, for sharing your ride with me this morning.” I reach back and give Bran’s old goat a hearty scratch behind his ears. He stares at me like he doesn’t want to be touched but the minute I move my hand he boops my shoulder until I pet him again.
“Geesh, Bran. Do you not show this guy enough love or what?”
Bran looks back in his rearview mirror and rolls his eyes at Winston who is currently nestled in the back seat. “No, you’re just a sucker is all.”
“I’m a sucker?” I repeat. “A goat sucker?”
He nearly chokes on a laugh. “No, Pigeon. Not a goat sucker. You’re a sucker for goats…in general. Given your penchant for feeding them cookies, falling into their pen, and well, giving this guy all the love he can get,” he says with a gesture of his thumb. “Now if I’m wrong and you’re admitting to me that you are, in fact, a goat sucker, as in someone who actually sucks goats…I think I need to stop the car and let you out right here because that’s creepy as fuck.”
“Alright wise ass. I get it. And no, I am not a goat sucker, but yes, I shall confess I am a sucker for this guy right here.”
And maybe the guy driving this old truck too.
“Well in case you didn’t know, he likes mints.”
“Mints?”
“Mhmm.” He nods. “Those red and white striped ones. I keep some in the glovebox.”
“I can give him one?” I ask, reaching for the glove box in front of me.
“He’ll hate you if you don’t.” He smirks.
“Well, we can’t have that.” I reach forward and open the glove box and Winston knows what I’m doing right away.
“MAAAAAAAAA.”
“I know, buddy. I know. Hold on.” I unwrap the striped candy and then hold it in my palm for Winston who takes it from me happily. While he enjoys his morning treat, I reach back and give him another scratch, this time under his chin.
Bran turns his head once he stops at the stop sign and glances at me. It’s not lost on me that his eyes rake down my body to my chest, to my shorts, to my legs, and back up to my eyes. But he remains steadfast and silent.
“What are you thinking about?”
“Who said I was thinking anything?”
“You looked at me.”
“Yeah, so?”
“So now I want to know what you’re thinking.”
“What’s your favorite color.”
“Yellow and teal, why?”
He huffs out a light chuckle. “Should’ve known.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Your display window. It’s nice by the way,” he tells me. “Been a long time since anything’s been in that window.”
“Really?” I sit up a little taller, excited to be talking about my design. “You really think it looks good?”
“Yeah.” He’s quiet for a minute and then says softly, “You have a good eye for putting random pieces together.”
His compliment brings a smile to my face and makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. “Thank you very much.”
It only takes another few minutes to get us into town and those minutes are awkwardly silent. I try to come up with something to talk about but nothing is coming to the tip of my tongue. I’m better at conversation than this. I could literally ask him anything but before I can say words he’s pulling up in front of The Cuckoo’s Nest.
“Well, thank you so much for the ride. I really do appreciate it.”
He’s staring out his windshield, his hands squeezed tightly around the steering wheel when he finally murmurs, “I forgot to ask you how you’re feeling this morning. I’m sorry.”
“Oh, uh, no apology necessary. I’m feeling okay this morning. At least for now.” I lift up my tote bag. “And I came prepared today so I should be fine. I’m really sorry, again, for yesterday.”
His brows furrow and he turns his head as I reach for the door handle. “Don’t apologize. I actually uh, I had fun last night.”
“You did?” A shy smile creeps across my face and I can feel my cheeks flushing.
He nods. “Plans after work?”
I almost laugh at his question as I hop down from his truck because why the hell would I have plans in a town I don’t know very well and have only met a small handful of people since arriving?
“Nope.” I shrug. “Just home. Maybe a book and glass of wine.”
“Meet me in the square at five.”
“Uuh…oooookay…” I close the driver’s side door and give him a curious glance.
He shoots me a half smile and puts the truck in reverse. “See you later, Pigeon.”
“Hey Bran?”
“Yeah?”
I cock my head, nervous to ask this question. “Why do you call me Pigeon?”
He gives me a full on smile this time but doesn’t answer me. “Have a good day, Pidge.”
And then he’s gone.
I’m fully aware I could walk myself across the square and be at his shop in no time, but instead, I stand in place and watch as he drives down the road and turns the corner.
“I didn’t say I minded that you call me Pigeon,” I mumble to myself as I unlock the door to the shop. “Just wondered why.”
I don’t know that I’ll ever be brave enough to tell him, but every time he calls me Pidge, my insides flutter and I want to close my eyes to savor the sound of his voice.
Pidge.
Pigeon.
Nobody has ever called me that before.
It’s like his own little name for me.
Like we have our own private bond.
Like he’s claiming me and I belong to him.
I didn’t really consider having any kind of summer fling while here in Tuft Swallow, but maybe getting to know Bran a little more wouldn’t be so bad.
“Knock, knock!” I hear at the door about twenty minutes after I open. I climb down from my stepstool to find Ro and Callie standing at the counter.
“Good morning, ladies! What can I do for you?”
Callie smirks, fanning herself with a folded newspaper in her hands. “Umm, we came for tea.”
I shake my head. “Oh, I’m sorry, I don’t have tea here. I mean, unless we get lucky and find some in one of those old teapots on the shelves back there.” I gesture to the bookshelf against the wall that is currently holding twelve unusual types of antique teapots. “And if that’s the case, I would suggest you don’t drink it because ew.”
“Not real tea, you silly goose,” Callie says with a laugh. “We mean the proverbial tea. The gossip. The info. The secret that nobody knew until today.”
“What secret.”
Ro swipes the paper from Callie’s hand and gives it to me with an excited smile. “Have you not seen the Nosy Pecker this morning?” she asks.
I scowl in confusion at the paper in my hands as I open it. “The nosey what?”
“The Nosy Pecker. Tuft Swallow’s gossip newspaper. Anyway…” Ro points to the small article and picture in the bottom corner. “You’ve been holding out on us, girlfriend. We want to know all the things!”
In the corner of this morning’s paper is a picture of Bran carrying me across the town square with a headline that reads,
PECKS IN THE CITY: OMG! BUDDING LOVEBIRDS? I PELI-CAN’T EVEN!
Now here’s something to squawk about! Our very own tit peepers spotted this happy couple making their way across the town square. Apparrotly, Winston’s hot dad was spotted carrying The Cuckoo’s Nest extraordinaire, Paige Starling, in his arms, across the square and right to his truck where he whisked her off to, well, hopefully somewhere swoon- worthy. Are they not the cutest tweet-hearts? One thing’s for sure, we’ll be keeping our eyes on this budding love story!
My eyes grow huge and my mouth falls open as I read the short blurb “Ooooooh shit.” I bring a palm to my forehead. “No, no, no, no ,no. Who wrote this? Why did they write this?”
Callie and Ro both appear crestfallen. “You mean you two aren’t, you know…”
“Budding lovebirds?” Ro finishes Callie’s thought.
“No.” I shake my head, my shoulders falling as I sigh. “It wasn’t like that at all and if Bran sees this he might be pissed and I really don’t want to be another inconvenience for him only this is so much bigger than an inconvenience. This is his personal life someone is talking about. I mean, he might never speak to me again if he thinks being around me is going to result in articles like this in the paper all the time. Ugh. Don’t people have anything else to do with their time than come up with inaccurate…gossip?”
Ro places her hands on my shoulders. “Okay, let’s take a deep breath.” She breathes in and then out with me. “Good. So, if he wasn’t carrying you because he likes you, and we’ll get to that part later, then what happened and are you okay?”
“Yeah. I’m alright. I wasn’t paying attention to what day it was and my period showed up and my cramps were so bad I nearly passed out.” I shake my head. “Or maybe I did pass out. I really don’t remember. One minute I was doubled over in pain and the next minute, I opened my eyes and Bran was standing over me laying on the floor all curled up and in pain.
Callie’s eyes bulge. “Whoa. Your periods cause you that much pain?”
“I have an IUD so, unfortunately, yes.”
“Ooooh, gotcha. I tried one of those several years ago. Had to have the non-hormonal kind and it was a bitch.”
“Yeah. Same.” I nod. “Anyway, he was all panicky and anxious and wanted to get me home but I had to explain to him that the pain was so bad I couldn’t walk. So, he carried me to his truck and took me home.”
Ro’s shoulders fall. “Aww, that’s so sweet of him.”
“It really was. He even went to the store for me and came back and made me dinner.”
Callie and Ro look at each other, their eyes widening, before gawking back at me.
“Girl, WHAT?” Callie says, beaming. “He made you dinner?”
“He went to the store?” Ro adds. “What did he buy? Oh, my God, this is more gossip about Winston’s hot dad than we’ve ever heard!”
“Wait, did you guys write this article?” I ask with a narrowed eye.
Callie laughs. “What? No way. The Nosy Pecker is well known for its gossip columns. They’ll write about anything and anyone in town if they think it could be a good story so trust me when I tell you that Winston’s hot but grumpy dad carrying a woman across the town square in his arms is steaming hot news. I’m just sorry it wasn’t accurate, though I suppose gossip rarely is.”
“He was actually genuinely nice. Not at all the grump he’s been since the day I got here. I thought maybe he was mad at me or hated me or something, but yeah, he took me home so I could sleep off the pain and when I woke up he was in my kitchen making macaroni and cheese.” I giggle. “Aaaand he had purchased about twelve different kinds of pads and tampons.”
Callie shrieks. “Get out of here! He did not!”
“Yeah he did! It was kind of cute, actually. And extremely sweet.”
“Is he a good cook?” Ro inquires.
I nod enthusiastically. “He’s amazing! It was some of the best mac and cheese I’ve ever had. And it was from scratch. Not the boxed stuff.”
My new friends sigh in tandem. “Wow.”
“Did he stay over?” Callie asks excitedly.
“No. We ate and talked for a while and then…”
We almost kissed.
At least I’m fairly sure that’s what was about to happen.
Or I’m just a horny woman who hasn’t seen action in longer than she cares to admit to anyone.
“And then…?” Ro urges.
“Oh, and then he went home. And he drove me here this morning since we left my car here last night.”
Callie slaps the countertop playfully. “Well holy shit! This is fantastic!”
“What’s fantastic?”
“He likes you! He has to like you.”
“What? Why? What do you mean?”
“Paige, since we’ve been here we’ve never seen…Bran…that’s his name, right?”
I nod. “Yeah.”
“Okay, we’ve never seen Bran do anything remotely close to what he’s done for you.”
“Well, I mean, we are neighbors and all. I’m sure he’s just being…you know, neighborly.”
Ro shakes her head. “The man carried you out of here like a damn superhero,” she says, shaking the newspaper in my hands. “Took you home. Let you sleep while he shopped for you. Bought you TAMPONS…”
I cringe as I add, “Aaaand a fuzzy blanket and slippers and a heating pad and chocolate.”
Ro Gasps. “Get out of town.” She shakes her head laughing. “There’s no way he’s not smitten.”
Bran?
Smitten?
Is that even a word that could ever be associated with a guy like him?
“I don’t know guys. He’s grumpy and…” I was going to say quiet but in actuality, he wasn’t all that quiet last night. He talked to me as if I were someone he’s known all his life. And he was easy to talk to.
“Okay but do you think he’s hot?” Ro winks at me and I smile.
After seeing his bare chest this morning coming out of the barn? Hell, yes he’s hot.
I could have a lot of fun licking those abs and nestling myself into his strong arms.
My cheeks heat just thinking about it.
“I mean, I don’t think he’s not hot.”
Totally a lie.
He’s hot as balls.
Wish I could’ve seen those too.
“Sooooo, if he asks you out?” Callie prods.
“Meet me in the square at five.”
Is that a date?
Did I agree to a date?
Nah. He would’ve said something.
“Uh…I guess I’ll have to cross that bridge when we get to it? But I’m not opposed to having a little summer fun if it feels right.”
“Eeeeek!” Callie jumps up and down. “I bet you would be so good for him. Maybe even help him out of his grumpy funk.”
“Yeah, maybe he’s grumpy because he’s sexually frustrated.”
“Pft!” I laugh. “Seriously?”
“Yeah! I mean, who knows! Also, I bet he’s a monster in bed. Do you think?”
“Oh, my God! I don’t know! I’ve given it literally no thought whatsoever.”
Callie smirks and nudges me with her elbow. “But now you won’t be able to stop thinking about it. You’re welcome.”