Eight

EIGHT

Aria

"Okay, Sasha. I'm off to work."

I offered a few scratches to the top of Sasha's head before running my fingertips down along her back. My cat did not respond with purrs of happiness.

Nope.

She seemed to reserve those for Paxton, and Paxton alone.

"Look, I realize I'm only the one who's going to work to make money to support your lifestyle in our new home," I told Sasha. "The least you could do is pretend to not have a problem with it. Plus, I'll be back earlier today than yesterday, because I'm only working at the deli this morning and early afternoon."

Sasha allowed me to pet her for a few more seconds before she sauntered off to find a comfortable place to curl up and snooze for the rest of the morning. It seemed I could provide all the logic and reasoning to defend why I had to leave her every day, and she still wasn't having it.

Recognizing there was nothing else I could do for her at the moment, I released an audible sigh, grabbed my things, and walked out of the house.

As I made my way to my car, I glanced over in the direction of Paxton's house and wasn't entirely surprised to see he'd just walked out his front door as well. I lifted a hand and waved.

Paxton waved back, but he didn't continue his journey toward his vehicle. He moved in my direction, and the closer he got, the more I felt that trembling in my belly. The trembling wasn't the result of nerves, though. It was excitement. Something about being around him, talking to him, made my heart beat a little faster.

By the time he came to a stop a few feet away, I was grinning like an idiot. "Good morning, Paxton."

"Good morning, Aria. Off to work at this early hour?"

"I am. I presume the same is the case for you?"

"It is. I wanted to ask how your first day on the jobs went yesterday."

I had to keep reminding myself about the type of guy Paxton was. He was this kind and compassionate man, and he cared about everyone. He'd said it himself—he wanted to be able to positively impact the lives of the people around him. There was no question he'd already succeeded in doing that with me.

The problem was that I had to try not to let myself become consumed by how good it felt to have him show me that kindness. But it was difficult.

Because I was quickly learning that it was nice to have someone who looked out for me the way Paxton did. There were no expectations from him, no demands. Paxton simply cared for the sake of caring. He was a good man like that. And I felt fortunate to have wound up renting the home right beside his.

"It was wonderful," I told him. "I was at the deli late morning through the afternoon, and I enjoyed myself. Mallory was great, and I think it's going to work out for both of us for the long haul there."

"That's amazing. I'm happy to hear it. How'd it go at The Steel Pub?"

I grinned. "Fantastic. I enjoyed the work I was doing, and I really liked my coworkers. But imagine my surprise when I realized what a small world it is. You hadn't mentioned that I'd meet a significant other of another one of your coworkers there."

"Oh, right. Sawyer. Yeah, she's Jesse's girl."

Nodding, I replied, "And she was so sweet and welcoming."

"I'm not surprised by that. Sawyer knows what it's like to be the new girl in town," he returned.

I tipped my head to the side and eyed him curiously. "Oh? I hadn't realized she wasn't from here."

"She is. Well, she grew up here in Steel Ridge, but she left shortly after she graduated from high school. I can't recall the exact timeline, but I know it was more than ten years before she returned. It was only then when she and Jesse reconnected," Paxton explained.

"Oh, wow. So, they knew each other since high school, then?"

"Yep. And I guess they both liked each other back then, but neither one of them acted on it. They're both deliriously happy now, considering they just got married, so even if they lost some time in the middle, they're right where they were meant to be now."

I thought back briefly on my conversations with both Mallory and Sawyer yesterday and the day I'd had overall. Even now, I still couldn't shake that feeling of contentment and fulfillment I'd experienced.

"Maybe I'll be like Sawyer," I said, half paying attention.

"Oh yeah? How so?"

Bringing my full focus back to the conversation, my eyes landing on Paxton's again, I answered, "Maybe I'll realize this move here to Steel Ridge was the right thing for me, and I'll feel like it's where I was meant to be all along. It would be terrible to have made this move, only to learn I made a mistake."

Paxton narrowed his eyes on me, questions lingering in his dark stare. "We can't allow that to happen."

I raised a curious brow. "We?"

He nodded slowly. "I like having you as my neighbor. You don't even want to know about the guy who was there before you."

"Was he terrible?"

"The worst."

I let out a laugh and promised, "After what you've done for me, I wouldn't want you to have to experience that again. I'll do my best to try to find the good in everything I can here, so I don't wind up having any regrets."

"I could help with that."

"What?"

"Tomorrow's Saturday. Do you have to work?"

"I'm working tomorrow night," I told him .

He smiled and pressed, "Got any plans for your morning and afternoon?"

I shook my head. "No."

"How about you let me give you a little introduction to Steel Ridge? There are some spots around here in town that you just don't want to miss, and I'd be more than happy to show you around."

Okay.

So, Paxton wasn't intending to make it any easier for me not to focus on how great of a guy he was.

Then I realized, I shouldn't have to stop myself from focusing on that. He was nice. He was my neighbor. And he wanted to show me around town.

That he was breathtakingly handsome or made my belly flip nearly every time I saw him now had nothing to do with it.

So, I didn't hesitate to respond playfully. "You've got yourself a date."

If the mention of it being a date was something that made him uncomfortable, Paxton didn't let it show. In fact, he grinned at me and said, "Enjoy your day at work today and rest up when you get home. We're starting early tomorrow, because I'm taking you to breakfast."

It might have been early in the morning, but it was approaching mid-September, and the humidity already made it feel stifling outside. Despite that, a shiver ran over my body. Paxton noticed, and one half of his mouth quirked, taking him from handsome to heart-stopping.

The man was flirting with me.

It had been a long time since anyone had flirted with me, but I was certain that was what was happening.

It made me feel giddy .

All I could bring myself to do was spin around and move to open my car door. I'd already revealed far too much of how I was feeling—a foreign concept to me—and I didn't need Paxton leading me to the point I broke out into a fit of girlish giggles over the way he was making me feel. I'd be humiliated.

When I slid behind the wheel and closed my door, I chanced a glance at Paxton. He hadn't moved from the spot where he was. Instead, he stood there with his strong arms crossed over his broad chest while donning an amused grin.

I turned on my car, put it in reverse, and offered him a shy wave.

He chuckled and shook his head.

Then I backed out of the driveway and took off to the deli, thoughts of Paxton filling my mind the whole way there.

I had assumed that by the time I got to work and was tossed into the morning tasks to prepare for the day ahead, thoughts of Paxton would have diminished to the point I forgot about him completely.

But it wasn't long after I arrived, met Magnolia, and joined in the chopping of lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and other sandwich toppings that a seemingly innocent conversation turned into something I hadn't quite been prepared for.

"I have to admit, I'm a bit jealous of the two of you," I confessed as I worked on the tomatoes. "I think it's incredible that you both get to work with your best friend."

"Well, to be fair, I have certainly cut back on the amount of time I spend here these days," Magnolia admitted. " My family is growing, and the time with my kids is precious. But I like to give them some time alone with their dad, so getting to hang with Mallory while I give him that works out fabulously for all of us."

"How many kids do you have?"

"Three," she answered.

Mallory let out a laugh. "Yeah. So far. It's only a matter of time before that man of yours decides to put another baby inside you."

Magnolia rolled her eyes. "Like you can talk. Don't act like you don't know exactly how the men in the Scott family are."

My eyes narrowed, confusion moving through me. "Wait. Wait, I'm lost. What's going on? How would Mallory know what the men in your husband's family are like?"

As Mallory continued working on slicing deli meats, she explained, "Mags and I are best friends, and we kind of got the best deal of our lives when we married brothers."

"What?"

"My husband is her husband's brother."

I shifted my attention between the two women, my mind scrambled just imagining how cool it would have been for Britney and me to marry into the same family. "Are you serious?"

"Yep."

"That's so cool. So, your kids will be cousins. And you've essentially become a real family through your marriages," I pointed out.

"Well, Mal and I were like family long before the guys came into the picture, but yes, this sort of made it official. "

There was something so beautiful about their story, and I'd have been lying if I said I didn't feel a sense of longing. I missed Britney and couldn't wait until she visited.

"Does your husband also work at Harper Security Ops, Magnolia?"

Mallory burst out laughing. "Oh my gosh, could you imagine?"

Apparently, I'd gotten my answer. But I didn't understand what made it so funny.

Magnolia tipped her chin up, a smile on her face as she considered the possibility of her husband working at the same place as his brother. "He does not work at Harper Security Ops."

"I kind of got that based on Mallory's reaction."

"Killian could never do it."

"Killian? Killian Scott. Why does that…" My voice trailed off as it hit me, my eyes widening. "Are you married… is your husband, Killian Scott, the guitarist?"

Magnolia's face lit up. "That's him."

I couldn't quite believe what I was hearing. I was standing in a deli with two women who were best friends married to two brothers, and one of those brothers was the lead guitarist for the industrial rock band, My Violent Heart. "Holy crap. No way."

"It's the truth," Mallory confirmed. "And don't worry, the shock will wear off soon enough, especially once you meet him. He's just a regular guy like all of them."

I highly doubted it would feel that way if I met an actual celebrity like Killian Scott, but I figured it was par for the course. "So, who met which brother first?" I asked .

"That was Magnolia meeting Killian. He kind of rescued her when we went to one of their concerts."

"What?"

For the next little while, as we continued to work on preparations for the day, Magnolia and Mallory regaled me with the details of attending the concert of Magnolia's dreams. It was safe to say that even I had stars in my eyes by the end of it. The woman had married her celebrity crush.

"What about you, Aria?"

"What about me?" I asked, finally having moved on to chopping lettuce.

"Are you seeing anyone special right now?"

Immediately, visions of Paxton filled my mind. "No."

"Nobody?"

I shook my head. "Unfortunately."

"Well," Mallory said, drawing out that single word. "What about Paxton? He's single, and he is your neighbor."

I pressed my lips together and felt the heat hit my cheeks. It seemed Sawyer wasn't the only one who had thoughts about Paxton and me being together.

"Oh, I know that look," Magnolia declared. "It seems somebody has a crush."

I shook my head and focused my attention on the lettuce. What the heck was wrong with me? I could always contain my emotions. It seemed today had thrown me off balance completely, and it started with the man himself. "No. Well, I mean, it's just that… I saw him this morning."

"This morning? Like, you saw him as you were leaving for work, or you saw him as he got up this morning and left your house, so you both could get ready for work? "

I couldn't get the words out fast enough. "The first one. We had both walked out of our houses at the same time, and he asked me about my first day at my jobs."

"Uh huh. And?"

How did they know there was more?

"And since I'm new to Steel Ridge, he's planning to show me around town tomorrow," I confessed.

Mallory practically squealed with delight. "Oh, I'm so excited. It's only a matter of time before another Harper Security Ops guy is down for the count."

"It's not like that," I insisted. The last thing I needed was for Mallory to tell her husband about her crazy idea of Paxton and I winding up together, only for it to get back to Paxton. Talk about humiliation. "He's just a nice guy, and he's being friendly."

"Of course, it's not like that yet. You just moved in. But give it some time, and I think you'll be changing your tune. Are you saying you don't find him appealing?"

Could I lie to my boss?

Deciding this didn't feel like a typical boss-employee interaction—something I didn't think it would ever feel like while working here—I admitted, "He's handsome."

"Oh, Aria, I get the feeling the next couple of months are going to be a whole lot of fun for you," Mallory said dreamily. "If you don't know it before then, you'll have no doubt just how serious he is for you when he says he's taking you to The Ridge."

"The Ridge?"

"Men don't take women to The Ridge unless they are serious about them. Mark my words, you'll be going there sometime very soon."

She clearly believed she knew what was going to happen with Paxton. And her thoughts matched the highlights of that part of my conversation with Sawyer yesterday, too.

Were they crazy, or could I not see something that they all could?

I didn't want to get my hopes up about the prospect of winding up with something like Magnolia had with Killian, Mallory had with Nixon, or Sawyer had with Jesse, but it was tempting.

How could it not be, especially when I had a man like Paxton fueling those desires?