Thirteen

THIRTEEN

Aria

Sasha was beyond thrilled to have me home early. She'd gotten spoiled with having me home all day yesterday, so only needing to work at the deli today was a great way for me to ease her back into my work-life balance.

After I got home and spent some time with Sasha, doing it while thinking constantly about Paxton and how everyone around us seemed intent on tossing the two of us together like a married couple, I needed to distract myself. So, I decided to get to work on things I'd been delaying doing ever since I'd arrived in Steel Ridge.

Or, perhaps it was just one specific thing.

Unpacking.

When I first arrived and settled in my new place here in Steel Ridge, I'd focused on unpacking only the essentials—clothes, toiletries, bedding, towels, and Sasha's things. Everything else remained in containers in the garage. And while there wasn't a ton of stuff to go through, there was plenty to keep me busy for a few hours.

So, I opened my garage door to allow the sunlight and gentle breeze into the space, and I got to work.

I hadn't anticipated it to be so emotional, but then I opened a container that held some of the paintings I'd done, and a wave of sadness washed over me. Something unpleasant and unwelcome settled in the pit of my belly as my eyes scanned the paintings.

I'd always loved them. They'd always put a smile on my face. But seeing them now was like torture—a brutal reminder of the faith and confidence I'd had for no good reason.

"Hey, you."

Quickly, I spun around to find Paxton standing at the entrance to my garage. Seeing him again after how much I'd been thinking about him sent my heart racing. "Hi. What are you doing here?"

He tossed his hand off to the side in the direction of his house and explained, "I just got back home from work, and I saw your garage door open. It was unusual, so I thought I'd stop over and say hello if you were out here."

Though his movements were casual and nonchalant, there was a hint of concern in his voice. Something inside me warmed to hear it, to know he cared like he did, like maybe I wasn't the only one experiencing feelings that went beyond simple neighborly friendship. "Oh. Yeah, I only had to work at the deli today, so I thought I'd take advantage of having the afternoon and evening off."

His eyes dropped to the containers behind me. "Unpacking still?"

I shrugged, unwilling to draw attention to the paintings. " Kind of. I'm not really sure what I plan to do with most of this stuff. But I started going through it, and I didn't realize just how much time had passed."

"Well, at least you didn't get caught up in something before you needed to go to work. That would have been a problem," he reasoned. "Then again, I might have gotten a call from Mallory, concerned about you, and I'd have been able to come back and see you sooner."

And the playful, flirty guy was back. God, I loved when he was like this, but it certainly felt like foreign territory for me. Ignoring the butterflies he made me feel, I said, "True. But I probably wouldn't have started the project if that had been the case. Anyway, I'm glad you stopped over. I had a surprise when I was at work earlier."

"Oh?"

I hesitated.

Was it wise to bring this up? I didn't think I could tell him about what happened today without giving him the full story. Would he assume the worst?

Noting the expectant look on his face, I blurted, "I met Avalon and Liv."

"Ah, yes. Avalon mentioned they were going to stop in at the deli. I assume they introduced themselves to you."

Okay. So far, so good. Nodding, I confirmed, "They did. But they went beyond that, too."

He cocked a brow. "What do you mean?"

My eyes roamed over his handsome face, the conversation I'd had earlier with Avalon, Liv, and Mallory sweeping through my thoughts. I might have insisted Paxton and I were just friendly neighbors, but deep down, I had to admit I'd thought about what life could be like if there had been something more between us. He was already such a good man. Was it possible he'd be even better in a relationship? Would I even be worthy of a man like him?

"Well, I don't want you to get the wrong impression, but Avalon mentioned she'd already spoken to some of the other women in the group, and she's working on planning a time for all of them to get together again. She wants me to join them."

Seemingly unbothered by this news, Paxton declared, "That's great. It'll be a wonderful way for you to meet a whole bunch of great women here."

"Yes, I'm very excited about it. But I wanted to make sure you knew that I didn't make any claims to them about… well, about you and me. I'm aware this group of women is comprised of those who are married, engaged, or dating Harper Security Ops men. I just want you to know that I didn't claim you and I were anything more than friends."

One half of Paxton's mouth quirked as he crossed the garage and closed the distance between us. My heart hammered with each step he took, and I shifted back and forth on my feet. When he came a stop in front of me, his eyes searched my face, something warm swirling in the depths of his irises. "I wouldn't mind if you had."

Suddenly, my throat was dry. "What?" I croaked, feeling the flush creep over my skin.

Continuing to appear unaffected by the whole situation, Paxton said, "It doesn't bother me at all. I think there are worse things that could happen in my life than a gorgeous woman telling some mutual friends that she was dating me. In fact, if that had been the case, maybe it'd prompt me to do what I had to do to see to it that she wasn't proven to be a liar. "

Gorgeous? He thought I was gorgeous? I was so stuck on that, it was a wonder I managed to take in anything he said after that.

But it was a good thing I had. Because if I hadn't been mistaken, Paxton had just admitted he would have wanted to seriously date me if I had indicated to those women that he and I were dating.

I was too much of a chicken to press him on it.

"Well, I'm not a liar, so I didn't say anything of the sort. But I wanted to make sure you knew that, in case people started talking and something got misconstrued along the way."

Paxton reached his hand out to my arm, his fingers curling around the outer part of my shoulder. With a laugh and a gentle squeeze, he insisted, "I wouldn't have assumed the worst, Aria. I promise."

And there was that touch again. Did he know how much it drove me wild whenever he put his hands on me like this?

"I appreciate that."

Jerking his chin down, he removed his hand from my shoulder and asked, "So, do you need any help with this unpacking? It looks like you've got a lot of cool artwork to hang on your walls."

Twisting my neck, I looked down at the containers holding my paintings before shifting my attention to the one still clutched in my hands. Cool artwork. He was probably just being nice about it, not wanting to insult what he believed was my taste. I could imagine what he might have said if he knew that I'd been the one to paint all these canvases. That was the last thing I wanted. I did not want to get into any of this with him. I didn't want to talk about my painting, nor did I want it hanging on my walls.

Fraud.

I was merely a fraud.

And I was willing to do anything to avoid the topic. With my mind made up, I lifted my gaze to Paxton's face and said, "Oh, um, yeah, I don't know yet if I'm going to be hanging these. I haven't decided on the aesthetic I want in this place. Plus, I have no idea where I'd want anything yet anyway. It'd be a huge waste of time."

He shook his head. "Are you sure? I really don't mind helping. I just need to run home quickly to let the dogs out and check on everyone."

As soon as he got the words out, my eyes widened. This was the perfect opportunity. "I'm totally sure. But I wouldn't be opposed to finally taking some time to meet the rest of your crew, if you're up for a quick visit."

Paxton's head jerked back, a smile forming on his face. Based on the way his brows shot up, it was clear he was surprised. "You want to come over now to meet them?"

"Sure. Why not? Unless, well, unless you have something else planned."

"Not at all. I'd love to introduce you."

Without wasting another second, I set down the paintings I'd been holding, and said, "I'm all yours."

Paxton's eyes darkened, something intense whirling in his stare. I hadn't quite intended for my words to come out the way they did, but he certainly didn't disappoint with his reaction.

I nibbled on my bottom lip as I felt my cheeks turn pinker. This man was capable of making me feel so much with just a single look .

He eventually brushed off whatever thoughts were going through his mind, turned his body sideways, and swept his hand out in front of him to indicate I could walk ahead of him.

I happily went, Paxton falling into step beside me.

Crisis averted.

We made it to his place in a comfortable silence, the excitement I felt being around him again palpable.

Once we were at the door, Paxton warned, "They'll be a little wild, but I promise nobody is going to hurt you. If I thought you were unsafe, I wouldn't even expose you to them."

I knew he was only talking about his pets, but I couldn't help feeling like his statement would hold true in other scenarios, too. That was just the kind of guy Paxton was. Wanting him to know I felt reassured by him, I smiled and dipped my chin with understanding.

Though he'd done his best to prepare me—and I'd already met Brutus—there was no way I could have prepared myself for the greeting we received upon entering. As expected, Brutus was wild, barking like crazy. The only thing I could do was laugh, because Brutus looked and sounded ridiculous, especially once Tiny came to a stop beside him. The stark contrast between their sizes and demeanor was amusing.

I couldn't focus too much on the two of them, though, because Patty had walked right up to us and was doing everything she could to get us to show her some love. Wanting to have as many of Paxton's pets on my side as I could, I was quick to crouch and give her the attention she was demanding.

Paxton scooped Brutus up in his arms and hushed him with a few scratches behind his ears. Tiny was patient, clearly having learned the pecking order in the house, but once it was his turn for some love, he happily gobbled it up.

"Ready to go out, guys?" Paxton asked as he set Brutus back on his paws.

The three of them tore off in the opposite direction, a clear response to his question. Once he opened the door and they dashed off into the backyard, I smiled at him and said, "What a welcome home."

The corners of Paxton's eyes crinkled with his amusement, a smile spreading across his face. "Yeah, they make it worth it. And while they're outside handling business, I've got the rest of the gang here to hang with me."

"That's right. Where are they?"

Paxton jerked his head to the side and said, "This way."

A moment later, I was in the presence of two pretty kitties and a parrot. Though the bird was beautiful, I just couldn't help myself when it came to the cats. I crouched low and offered my hand. As both felines strutted over and sniffed me, I asked, "What are their names?"

Pointing to each, Paxton replied, "That's Flash, and that's Bell."

"Those are unique," I said.

"Flash already had his name when I rescued him from the shelter, so he didn't get that from me."

"And Bell? Where does her name come from?"

"That's how she got my attention. I have a couple of chairs on my front porch, and one of them was close to the door at the time. One day, the doorbell rang and rang, and when I opened the door, there she was. And even once she saw me standing there, she didn't stop with the bell. That's where she got her name."

"Aw. She just showed up here?"

He nodded. "Yeah. And she was injured, had no collar, and wasn't reported missing by anyone. So, I took her in."

After giving both Flash and Bell some pets, I stood, focused on the bird, and asked, "And who's this fine gentleman? Or wait, is it a boy?"

"I named him Franklin, so I think so."

"Hi, Franklin. Do you talk?"

"Sadly, despite all the noise in this house, Franklin does not talk yet. I try practicing with him regularly, but we haven't found a word that sticks yet. I'm still holding out hope he'll talk one of these days."

"Can I hold him, or does he not like it?"

Paxton reached for my hand, folded three of my fingers into a fist and kept the other out. I was doing my best to focus on where he was directing my hand and what we were doing, but I was slightly distracted by the feel of his fingers on me.

"Put your finger right up to his feet, and he'll happily climb on," Paxton explained while urging my hand toward Franklin's feet.

The next thing I knew, I was holding a bird for the first time. "This is so exciting," I bubbled. "I've never done this before."

"No?"

I shook my head.

"Give it some time, and he'll get comfortable enough to leave your finger, walk up your arm, and hang out on your shoulder. He likes to hide his beak behind my ear sometimes. And he's stood on top of my head once or twice before, too."

"And I thought the dogs were crazy," I murmured.

Paxton laughed. "Oh, don't worry. They are."

As I gently stroked my opposite finger along the top of Franklin's head, I asked, "Where did your love for animals come from? I mean, I get having a dog or a cat, but this is… this is a lot."

He shrugged, a smile playing at his lips. "I didn't wake up one day with the intention of having three dogs, two cats, and a bird. It just sort of happened. I've always loved animals. I had a dog as a kid, too. But my parents heard me begging constantly to have more animals of all kinds of varieties. I guess, now that I'm on my own, I get to say what's here and what's not. And in each of these situations, I just couldn't walk away from them. So, they're mine now."

If only these animals knew just how lucky they were. Maybe they did.

"You're a really great guy, Paxton. I hope you know that. And your pets are extremely lucky to have you."

"That was nice of you to say, Aria. Thank you. Sasha is just as lucky as they are, because she's got you."

Sending a look of disagreement his way, I mumbled, "As much as I appreciate you saying that, I think Sasha might disagree with you."

"I don't believe that."

"I'm serious. I think she likes me less now that we've moved here."

"That can't be true. What would make you say that?"

Shit.

I hadn't been paying attention to what I was doing. I'd gotten caught up in speaking so freely with Paxton that I hadn't considered where I was making it possible for the conversation to go.

I needed to backtrack in a way that wouldn't lead to me needing to share things I didn't want to.

"Well, I think working two jobs now that keep me out of the house isn't making her happy," I explained.

"Did you used to work at home when you lived in Birch Creek?"

Please don't ask what I used to do, I thought.

"I did. I worked from home, but I also spent some time out of the house. It's just that I'm out of the house more now than I was then. In the long run, being here is better for us, and Sasha is taking her time getting used to the change."

Paxton parted his lips to ask another question, but he heard what had to be a familiar noise for him at the back door. Apparently, the pups were ready to come back inside. "It's dinnertime," he said as he moved in that direction.

I held Franklin back up to his perch, and he stepped right off my finger. Then I followed behind Paxton.

The dogs came bounding back inside, Patty looking for more love while Brutus expressed his displeasure over his dinner not being ready for him.

I laughed, feeling glad for the timing Paxton's dogs had. There was no question our conversation was going to lead to him asking me more about my former job. And while I didn't doubt there was the potential for it to go there again at some point, I was grateful I had avoided it for now.

Sure, I didn't need to tell Paxton all the details. I could merely tell him that I used to paint. But I didn't trust myself not to get emotional about it. Plus, if he asked why I stopped or if any of the paintings in my garage were originals, I'd want nothing more than to find a way to hide the truth. It'd kill me to lie to him. I wasn't a liar.

But I didn't know what other option I had.

Because if Paxton knew the truth, if he knew what I'd done before I moved to Steel Ridge, it was likely he'd walk right out of my life almost as fast as he walked into it.