Chapter 39
39
COLE
I was lying to her, but I refused to feel bad about it. I didn’t need to work this weekend; she was doing a fantastic job. She’d been able to start using the computer again this week and scanned everything she’d been doing up until now. It was organized, and she even started putting in a new system so I could see the daily shit coming in and going out. It was the most efficient my company had ever run, and I finally had free time again, but I needed a break this weekend. Living and working together was a struggle when I had feelings that went well beyond professional, and she wasn’t in the same place. As soon as she walked into the kitchen tonight and arousal shot through my body like fire, I realized I needed some distance.
I just had to get through tonight, but that would be hard now that her hand was wrapped in mine. Every minute we spent together made me want more of them, but I made a promise to her, and I intended to keep it. For my own sanity, I purposely put space between us over the past few weeks, but tonight would change that.
We pulled into the lot in front of Hank’s and parked. We walked side by side in silence. Some of the awkwardness that lingered over the past few weeks was once again surrounding us.
Pulling open the door, I motioned for her to go in ahead of me, and she smiled over her shoulder while walking past me. Lately, I’d been seeing more of the old Paige. She was flirty, and it was easy to see her confidence was returning, which could only mean trouble for me. I had a hard time resisting her when we were fighting all the time, so I had no idea how I was going to do it now that we got along.
“There you are.” I smiled over her head when I saw Lanie coming toward us. She stopped in front of Paige, and they hugged before she said, “I was starting to wonder if you changed your mind.”
Paige gestured to me. “Nope, just running a little behind. Besides, as long as I have my bodyguard, I’m good.”
They both laughed, and she looked over her shoulder at me, her smile so big I couldn’t help but return it. I saw Jake coming toward us before the girls noticed him and knew what he was going to do, so I wrapped my hands around Paige’s hips and pulled her back a few steps. Just as I assumed, Jake lunged at Lanie and wrapped his arms around her from behind. With his hands over her very pregnant belly, he kissed her neck, and she squealed but was laughing with him. Paige took another step and pushed her back tightly against the front of my body, causing a flare of arousal that took me off guard.
“Jesus,” I muttered.
Paige relaxed into me and sighed. She skimmed her fingernails over my arm, wrapped her hand around mine, and pulled my arm across her waist. God, she felt good in my arms, just like I remembered, and I wanted to spend the rest of the night just like this, but it wasn’t a good idea. Maybe I wasn’t affecting her, but she was damn sure affecting me, and I needed to move away before she felt just how much.
Releasing her, I pointed at the bar. “I’ll go grab some drinks. Do you want something?”
“Yeah, maybe a glass of wine.” She took a step away and turned to face me. “Hopefully, I won’t need to take my migraine medicine tonight.”
When her smile faltered, I reached out and laid my hand on her waist. “You okay?”
“Yeah.” She smiled again, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “I’m good.”
“Alright, I’ll be back.”
“I’ll come too.” Jake kissed Lanie before moving to stand beside me. “That’s where I was headed when I saw you come in.”
“We’ll go to the table.”
Lanie linked her arm with Paige’s and started walking away just as Jake spoke. “Damn, there’s a lot of tension around you two. Did something happen?”
Surprised he noticed anything, I started to shake my head, but he cut me off. “Don’t bullshit me either. I know your history and what I’m looking at tonight.”
Sighing, I glanced at the table where Lanie and Paige were sitting before focusing on Jake again. “We made out a few weeks ago.”
“And...”
“And she friend zoned me.”
“Ouch.” Jake crossed his arms over his chest. “But I gotta tell you, brother, from what I just saw, she’s not friend zoning you now.”
“I don’t know anymore,” I admitted. “And I told her the ball’s in her court.”
“Cole.”
I turned when I heard my name and smiled. “Hi, Bridget.”
“Sorry to interrupt, but I’m supposed to meet Paige here, and I don’t see her.”
I gestured toward the table near the dance floor. “She’s at a table over there.”
She patted my arm and smiled at Jake. “Thanks.”
“Who was that?” Jake asked after she walked away.
I gestured toward the bar, and we started walking while I answered him. “She’s a vet tech at Andrew’s. He said she’s finishing vet school. It sounded to me like he’s trying to talk her into sticking around as a full-time vet after she graduates.”
Jake smirked. “Ahh, so you guys met her when you took Hazel to the vet. Like the name, by the way.”
I shook my head but felt my phone vibrate in my pocket and frowned. Pulling it out, I looked down and saw Luke’s name.
“Everything okay?” Jake asked.
I glanced up while tapping accept. “No idea.” I put the phone to my ear and gestured toward the door so Jake would understand I was going outside before I started walking. “Luke.”
“Where the hell are you?”
“Hank’s,” I replied just as I shoved open the door and stepped outside. “Why, what’s up?”
“We got him.”
I didn’t need clarification. “How?”
“Fucker attacked his girlfriend, did almost the same shit he did to Bailey and Paige. Would’ve probably gotten away with it again, considering this woman was never someone I linked to him.”
“But...”
“She has a kid. Nine years old. She was in bed, heard her mom scream, and called the police. She managed to stay out of sight too. They were there before he had a chance to finish the job.”
“Smart kid.”
“Yeah, she’s still in with the child psychologist we use to interview kids, but she was not afraid to say she did not like him because he made her mom cry a lot, and she is giving all kinds of details I guarantee you Lewis had no clue she knew.”
“Like what?”
“Just shit he’s said, and she’s overheard, including Paige’s name.”
“What about Lewis? Is he talkin’?”
“Singing like a canary. I sent Cam in to talk to him. Lewis took one look at him, decided he needed to be the alpha in the room, and told Cam how he keeps his women in line. Cam’s just letting him brag.”
“How did you know to approach him that way?”
“He’s a narcissist. He needs to be the center of attention, and he needs to be the smartest person in the room. Cam challenged that, Lewis took the bait, and the rest is history.”
I ran my hand through my hair. “Good. What’s he gonna get?”
“The list is long. We probably won’t be able to make all the charges stick, but if we can get a few of the felonies, we can lock him up for a while.”
“This is the best news I’ve gotten in a while,” I admitted.
Luke chuckled, and I could hear the relief in his tone. “Figured you’d feel that way.”
“You calling Paige?”
“Since I assume she’s there with you, I’ll let you do the honors.”
“She’s going to be so relieved.” I leaned my back against the brick wall of the building. “She puts on a good act, but it’s obvious it still weighs on her.”
“If this thing goes to court, she’ll have to testify,” he explained. “You think she’s up for that?”
I didn’t even have to consider that. “Absolutely. She'll want him to pay for what he’s been doing to women, and she’s stronger than she was after it happened.”
“That has a lot to do with you.”
“Just gave her a job and a place to stay.”
He laughed. “Yeah, sure.”
Shaking my head, I pushed off the wall. “I’m gonna head back inside so I can let her know.”
“Got it. I’ll be in touch.”
Without bothering with goodbyes, we both ended the call, and I shoved my phone back into my front pocket before pulling open the door to Hank’s and walking inside.
Jake headed toward me, but I looked past him at the dance floor.
“What’s goin’ on?”
“Need to talk to everyone.”
“Good or bad news?”
I saw the concern in his expression. It was the same damn expression everyone in our family had worn for months.
And I finally had the chance to tell him it was over.
“Good.” Grinning, I pushed past him and headed toward the dance floor.
He followed me to the table, and the weight I’d been carrying lessened with every step I took toward Paige.