Chapter 35
35
PAIGE
I carried Hazel down the stairs and into my office, laying her down on the bed I had for her behind the desk. That way, she could see me and the guys coming into the office. She seemed to really like people, so I didn’t want to leave her alone upstairs all day.
Yesterday afternoon, Bridget came by, just as she promised, and we gave her a bath. She did shockingly well for a cat. I expected some scratches but came away without any. She had to be the sweetest, most gentle cat I’d ever met. After she ate and had her bath, she fell asleep, and I decided to go downstairs to the office, but I only did what I absolutely had to before quitting for the day.
She ate and slept all night, and it kind of reminded me of my first weekend with Cole. I too, had needed sleep, and I’d needed to eat. He’d given me the space to do those things where I wasn’t afraid of every noise I heard. I wanted to give that to Hazel too, and I could tell she was getting stronger because this morning, she jumped onto my bed and meowed until I got up and filled her bowl again.
The door was pushed open just as I settled in my chair, and Billy walked through. “Hey, Paige. Can you let me know when they call about my order?”
“Sure.”
He looked down abruptly, which made me glance down to see Hazel rubbing against his leg. “Is that the same cat?”
I laughed. “Yeah, I know. I thought she was completely gray too, but she’s actually mostly white with some gray now that she had a bath.”
He squatted down and pet her gently. “I had a cat growing up. Man, I loved him. They’re the coolest fucking animals.”
“Can you tell Cole that?” I smirked and shook my head. “I think he’s afraid of Hazel.”
“Afraid of her?” Billy laughed. “Why?”
“I have no idea, but he won’t even pet her.”
“I’ll see if I can make him come around to the cat lover side,” Billy promised and stood.
“You know, Billy, we’re gonna have kittens soon.” I tapped my pen against the desk. “I’m just sayin’ it might be time to get yourself another cat.”
Billy grinned down at her, and I could tell he was already thinking about it. I smiled at Hazel when she wandered over to her food bowl to eat a little more before I faced my desk and got back to work.
I worked for a few hours while Hazel slept, and the sounds coming from the garage became a comfortable hum. I’d noticed that recently. I relaxed when I heard the all-too-familiar sounds of tools clanking, which meant I was surrounded by people I trusted.
When the bell on the office door sounded, I moved from my desk to peer out the side window and see who was there. When I saw Joe outside, I smiled and unlocked the door before pulling it open.
“Hi, Joe.” I opened the door wider so he could step through. “Come in.”
He smiled. “Hi, sweetheart.”
Closing the door, I locked it and gestured to the garage, a little confused as to why he came into the office. “Cole’s in the garage.”
“Not here to see Cole,” he answered. “I came because I heard there’s a new addition to the family.” Hazel walked out around the desk while he was talking, and he bent down immediately. She rubbed against his hand, demanding pets. “And here she is.” He picked her up and held her against his chest while he stood. When she began purring, his eyes widened, and he met my stare. “She’s nothing like Harper’s cat.”
“Harper has a cat?” I asked, surprised I didn’t already know that.
“She did when she was small. She found it outside and came running in with it, demanding we keep it,” he explained before putting Hazel back on the ground when she wiggled. “Damn thing was a terror, and it hated Cole.”
I snapped my fingers. “That’s why he doesn’t interact with Hazel. He won’t even pet her.”
He chuckled. “I’m not surprised.”
The door to the garage opened, and we both turned to face Cole walking through. He smiled softly at me before meeting his dad’s stare. “Saw your truck outside. What’s going on?”
“Came to meet Hazel.” He pointed at Hazel, who was rubbing herself all over Cole’s ankles. “She seems to like you.”
“It’s an act.” Cole watched her suspiciously, and I couldn’t help but laugh, trying my best to keep it under my breath. “Remember Harper’s cat was nice at first too, and then she turned.”
“I don’t remember her being as nice as Hazel.”
“Hmm...maybe not,” Cole replied, but he didn’t look convinced. “Anything else going on?”
“Your mother wants to have everyone over for dinner. Thought I’d stop by and see what works.”
Assuming this had nothing to do with me, I moved to my desk and sat down.
“When is she thinking?”
“She said to see what you and Paige can do first. The girls are more flexible.”
“Me?” My head snapped up.
Joe tilted his head to the side. “You didn’t think we’d have dinner and not invite you, did you?”
I glanced between Cole and Joe before focusing on Joe. “This sounds like a family dinner.”
“You’re living with Cole, sweetheart. That makes you family too.”
“Oh, but we’re not…” My face flushed when both men just continued to watch me. I didn't know how to say what we were. I didn’t know what we were anymore. The lines we’d drawn when we first met seemed blurred now. “We’re just friends.”
“Good friends are family to us,” Joe answered immediately.
When Hazel jumped on my lap, I frowned. “I’m not sure I should leave her since she could have her kittens any day now.”
“Cats have kittens all the time, Paige,” Cole said.
I met his eyes. “What if she’s scared?”
“Well...” Joe clapped his hands together. “That settles it, then. We’ll just have dinner here.”
“Here?” Cole’s eyes snapped from mine back to his dad’s. “Dad, I don’t have room for everyone in my apartment.”
“Sure, you do.” He flipped his hand in the air. “We’ll squeeze in. That way, Hazel isn’t alone, and we still get to spend time together.” Cole and I both stared at him while he continued. “I’ll tell your mother tomorrow night works, and I’ll call the girls.” He turned toward the office door and called out over his shoulder, “See you at six.”
He closed the door behind him, and I looked over at Cole. “What the hell just happened?”
Cole sighed. “He came with a plan.”
“What does that mean?”
“That means he wasn’t going to take no for an answer.”
I put Hazel on the floor before I stood, feeling a little panicked. “What are they expecting to eat? I can’t even make toast without burning it. I can’t cook for...” I paused, counting his family members in my mind. “Seven people.”
“If Bailey’s coming, I’ll bet Chase is too.”
“Eight people.” My eyes widened. “What are we going to do?”
He walked over and stood in front of me, putting his hands on my shoulders. “First of all, you can relax. You’re definitely not cooking.” My shoulders fell immediately. “And neither am I.”
“You're not?”
“No. We’ll order something.”
I nodded. “Okay, that seems smart.”
He grinned slowly. “You okay?”
“Yeah.” I gestured toward the door. “Is your dad always that...”
Cole finished my question for me. “Pushy? Stubborn? A complete pain in the ass?”
I laughed. “I wouldn’t say that...exactly.”
He laughed along with me. “He’s not usually intrusive. I think he just wanted to see for himself that you’re doing okay.”
“Me?”
“Yeah.” He dropped his hands. “He wasn’t kidding. He does consider you part of our family now.” He stepped away, but his gaze locked on mine. “So do I.”
He was gone before I thought of anything to say.
And even after an hour at my desk, going back over the whole conversation, I still had no idea how to reply.