Chapter 15

CHAPTERFIFTEEN

The bookstore was packedthe following afternoon. There must have been fifty people crowded into the shop. Half of them under the age of ten. Denise propped the door open allowing a slight breeze to flow through the packed space.

Emily patted the spot on the floor between her and Henry. “Whitney! We saved you a front-row seat.”

Whitney didn’t hesitate to yank her hand free and race to her new friends. Paige should have been happy with the little girl’s newfound confidence. Especially since she would be out of Whitney’s life—and Chances Inlet—in two days. Instead, she felt like that mom whose kid doesn’t cry the first day of kindergarten.

“Will you look at this mob?” Kate jostled Max against her chest. “Denise and Lou have outdone themselves.”

“I believe the credit goes to Bernice,” Ginger added. “That woman is like a human bullhorn when it comes to getting the word out.”

Two of Ginger’s ballet students rushed over and wrapped themselves around her legs. Their excitement startled Max who dropped his pacifier. The baby immediately began to howl. Paige quickly grabbed it off the floor.

“Five second rule,” Kate said reaching for the plug to calm her son.

“Oh my God!” Paige exclaimed. “You call yourself a doctor? Do you think germs count to five before they latch onto something?”

Max’s cries grew louder, if that was even possible. The children covered their ears and began to mimic his wailing. Paige stormed toward the restroom, Kate and her little banshee on her heels. She rinsed the pacifier at the sink before handing it back to Kate. The silence was nearly deafening when she popped it back into her son’s mouth.

Paige could feel Kate’s eyes on her as she washed her hands. “What?”

“Are you nervous or something?”

“No!” She snapped a section of paper towel from the roll. “Maybe.”

“Maybe no or maybe yes?”

Paige glared at Kate. “Aren’t they both the same thing?”

Kate had the nerve to laugh. “I guess they are.”

When Paige didn’t join in with her laughter, Kate sobered up.

“What’s really wrong?” she asked.

Everything.

Not that she was sharing that. “Just tired. I didn’t get much sleep last night.”

“Did Whitney have another bout of croup?”

“No, no,” Paige responded quickly to alleviate Kate’s concern.

“Ah.” Kate donned a knowing smile. “Then that spark that’s always there between you and Tanner is heating up?”

Oh my gosh! Was it that obvious? Were people talking?

“No! Definitely not that,” Paige said a bit too harshly. “He’s not my type.”

Which was a lie. Thanks to a quirk of nature, guys like Tanner were very much her type. And that was the problem. Her brain was telling her no, but her body was screaming yes, pretty please with sugar on top. And her heart, well, that particular organ was useless because Paige was pretty sure she was already falling for the guy.

It was a good thing she was leaving in two days.

“I’m just feeling down about heading back to Chicago.” Paige was surprised to have blurted that out.

Of course, she didn’t mention the reason she didn’t want to return home. Her ugly truth about being ostracized from a job she loved. Summer called last night to tell Paige what she’d known all along. The contract she’d signed with Preston had an iron-clad morals clause. The board wasn’t backing down despite threats of legal action by Summer’s brother.

The proverbial nail was finally in the coffin of her career.

Kate draped an arm over Paige’s shoulders. “This week flew by. It’s been great getting to know you.” She gave Paige a squeeze. “But, hey, school will be out in a few months. You can come back and visit us this summer. I still haven’t hired a nanny yet. You’re welcome to the job.”

Max nestled against his mother’s chest with a sleepy sigh.

“Tell me you can’t resist this adorable face?” Kate teased.

Paige drew her finger along the peach fuzz on Max’s head. “He is pretty stinking cute. Loud. But cute.”

“He gets that from the McAlisters,” Kate said proudly. “Alden’s family is very British and reserved.”

It was a tempting offer. Especially since it was her only offer of employment. But she would be tempting fate being so near Tanner. From the snippets she overheard between his parents, it didn’t sound like he’d be returning to the professional tour soon.

Last night, she googled the “yips” on her phone and discovered it was an actual neurological condition golfers suffered. Their wrists and hands shook uncontrollably when they went to putt the ball. The cause was unknown, but it was closely linked to stress.

And Tanner Gillette certainly had some serious stress in his life.

“Unless Tanner has already offered?” Kate said.

“Surely he will have located Whitney’s mom by then?” For both Tanner and Whitney’s sake, she hoped so.

Kate shrugged. “It’s beginning to seem like she doesn’t want to be located. The whole situation is a mess. I’ve got to hand it to Tanner, though. He’s stepped up to the plate where Whitney is concerned. I’m not sure I’d be so tolerant of my brother’s mistakes.”

A trickle of unease ran down Paige’s spine. “What do you mean by ‘brother’s mistakes?’”

Kate suddenly looked like she’d swallowed a bug. She hefted Max up and sniffed his bottom. “Oh wow, this little dude needs a change. I need to get the diaper bag.” She made a face and squeezed by Paige before she could stop her.

Did she mean what Paige thought she meant?

Lou appeared in the hallway, blocking Paige from chasing after Kate and getting her to explain.

“It’s showtime.” Lou clapped her hands together. “Are you ready?”

Crap.

* * *

Tanner hungat the back of the store, propping his shoulder on a bookshelf. Pride swelled in his chest watching Paige entertain a swarm of kids and their parents with a story about a llama and his pjs. The kids all listened raptly as she pitched her voice this way and that for each character. Even his young nephews were captivated by the story.

“You were lucky to have found her,” his mother whispered beside him.

“Whitney?”

His mother harrumphed. “As I understand it, Whitney found you. I meant Paige. She seems very responsible. I hope you’re paying her with more than sex.”

Tanner swore beneath his breath. “Really, Mum?”

“She seems too smart to let someone take advantage of her like that, though,” his mother continued. “I like her.”

I like her, too. “Paige is being paid with money, Mother. Not sex.”

“Oh.”

He tore his eyes away from Paige to look at his mum. “What does ‘oh’ mean?”

“I’ve known you all your life, Tanner. I’ve never seen you look at a woman like you look at Paige.”

Don’t ask. Don’t ask.

“And how is that?”

“Like a man who’s found someone he can’t live without.”

Damn.

Applause broke out in the room when Paige closed the book. With a pat to his shoulder, his mother snaked through the throng to where Melinda and the twins were waiting. The crowd spilled out onto the square where Tatum Fisk waited with a table filled with cookies from her bakery. Lou was frantically checking out customers while Paige made book recommendations to parents.

Tanner wandered outside only to come face-to-face with a beaming Sheriff Hollister.

“I always figured she was an amazing teacher,” the sheriff said to his wife. “It’s nice to get to see her in action.”

Patricia slipped an arm through her husband’s. “It’s apparent she loves what she does.”

“Whitney has been lucky to have her this week.” Tanner ignored the guilt he felt for blackmailing Paige into it. She’d been paid handsomely. And she’d at least made baby steps toward getting to know her father and his new family.

Whether she wanted to or not.

One of the owners of the bookstore came by with a tray of punch. “My wife is taking up a petition to keep Paige in Chances Inlet,” she announced. “Maybe you could fire your housekeeper so she’d have to stay?”

Tanner nearly choked on the syrupy drink. If he thought he stood a chance in hell with Paige, he might consider it. He could give Almeda a year’s severance.

“She’s got a pretty sweet teaching job,” the sheriff said. “I doubt she’d give that up.”

“As I understand it, teachers don’t make much. Just offer her more,” his mother advised as she joined their circle.

Tanner stared at her, slack-jawed.

“Your father is right,” she said. “You need to learn to apply the same killer instinct you have on the golf course to your business life.”

The sound of Paige’s laughter drew his attention away from his mother. Deputy Lovell was chuckling at something with her. The breath hung up in Tanner’s lungs.

“That look reinforces my theory,” his mother whispered in his ear.

Tanner made a noise that sounded suspiciously like a growl. The damn woman had the nerve to laugh at him.

“Save it for the putting green.” She threaded her arm through his and led him away. “We’ve got more work to do today if you want to get rid of those yips.”

* * *

It wasdark by the time he returned home. His mother was relentless in her efforts to cure his ailment. Unfortunately, nothing she suggested helped. If anything, having his family in town made things worse.

Seeing Melinda and the boys only heightened his anxiety. He made excuses for Whitney at dinner, telling his family it would be easier for the little girl if her first meeting with his family wasn’t all at once. The truth was, he didn’t want to share her with them just yet. Not until he found Donella and hashed out how big of a role he’d be playing in Whitney’s life.

And he would be playing a role, dammit. After getting to know her, he wasn’t about to relinquish all contact with her. She was a part of Tristan. And Tristan was a part of him.

The house was quiet. Tanner was disappointed even though he knew it was for the best. Paige made her decision abundantly clear yesterday. Funny that she would have more willpower than him, but she did. He respected her for it. That didn’t mean he had to like it.

He liked the idea of her leaving in two days even less. Almeda texted to say she would return on Sunday as promised. He was fairly certain that had Whitney not been here, his housekeeper would have asked to stay away longer.

Was his mother right? Could he convince Paige to stay? He knew she needed the money. And Paige sticking around would provide continuity for Whitney. Didn’t the girl desperately need that right now? So what if he would be torturing his body having Paige so near, yet untouchable? Whitney’s happiness was the only thing that mattered.

Except Paige’s happiness matters just as much.

Being around her father and the McAlisters was painful for Paige for some unknown reason. Tanner had already blackmailed her into staying longer than she wanted to. He didn’t think he could bring himself to do it again. Besides, she clearly loved her job in Chicago. And watching her in action all week with Whitney and again today at the bookstore, he knew she was damn good at it.

His neck grew tight. He wasn’t going to solve this tonight. Tanner headed to his study to grab a drink. Lord knew he needed it after the day he’d had.

The sight that greeted him nearly had him tripping over the threshold. Paige was curled up on the sofa, her bare legs tucked beneath a Milwaukee Growlers T-shirt. Her hair was pulled back into one of those topknot thingies, making her look like a unicorn. As usual, her nose was buried in a book. He never knew reading could be so damn sexy.

Tanner propped a shoulder against the doorjamb, stuffing his hands into his pockets to hide their twitching. He wanted to touch her. Desperately. So much for being able to be around Paige and remain sane.

“Enjoying yourself?” he asked.

She casually marked her place in her book before looking up at him.

Jesus, she even made that look sexy.

“Just killing time waiting for you.”

Every nerve ending in his body went on alert when she unfurled herself from the sofa and stood. Her T-shirt slid off one shoulder revealing a large expanse of smooth skin. Tanner bit the inside of his cheek.

Nope. Not dreaming.

A lick of panic ran up his spine. “Is something up with Whitney?”

Paige meandered over to the bar. “Whitney is fine. She’s sleeping over at Kate and Alden’s.” She poured bourbon into two glasses. “With two doctors in the house, she’ll be well cared for if anything comes up.”

While that was a relief, Tanner felt anything but relaxed. Had she changed her mind? God, he hoped so. Was it possible to die from unresolved lust?

She moved closer, holding his glass out for him. He wasn’t proud of how his hand shook when he took it from her. If she noticed, she didn’t say anything, instead clinking her glass against his.

“To unresolved issues,” she said softly.

The zipper in his pants was suddenly very uncomfortable. He took a large swallow of the whiskey, not really tasting it all. “And what would those be?”

Please, please, please, he silently begged her. Let it involve the two of us naked on that sofa. On the floor. In the shower. Anywhere, for fuck’s sake.

“Let’s start with this.”

His mouth went dry when she slowly began lifting her T-shirt, revealing a skimpy pair of shorts beneath it. She pulled something from her pocket. It looked like a sheet of paper folded into a square. With a sly smile, she unfolded it before pressing it against his chest with a lot more aggression than one would expect of a seduction.

The room tilted as he stared at the results of Whitney’s paternity test.

Son of a bitch.

“You’re not Whitney’s father,” she said matter-of-factly.

“I never said I was.”

“And you never said you weren’t,” she shot back.

Tanner downed what was left in his glass. He brushed by her to get a refill. “Snoop much?”

“Your housekeeper’s been gone since Saturday. It was in the trash for anyone to find.”

His laugh was humorless. “Anyone who was snooping, you mean.”

“Why are you covering for your brother? Why are you letting your parents and everyone else think poorly of you?”

“What does it matter to you?” he snapped.

Her lips wobbled slightly. “It matters a lot to me,” she whispered. “It means you’re not the man I thought you were.”

“Ha!” He dropped down onto the sofa. “I get that from a lot of people.”

She charged across the room to stand over him. “Because you’re letting them believe lies!”

“What choice do I have? Tristan is dead!” The words ricocheted around the room like a shot.

“Oh, Tanner.” Paige climbed onto his lap, enveloping him in the scent of cocoa butter as she wrapped her arms around him. “I’m sorry your brother left you with such a mess.”

He buried his face in her neck, reveling in her compassion. And the knowledge that she believed in him fully, at last.

“How did you figure it out?” he murmured against her skin.

“Just a hunch.” She leaned back to study him. “The other night when I asked about switching places, that’s when you figured it out, wasn’t it?”

She was perceptive. “Yeah. The paternity test identified Tristan as Whitney’s dad. But there were still so many missing pieces. The pieces fell into place that night you stepped on the glass.” He reached for her foot and rubbed his thumb along the sole. “How is it by the way?”

“My foot is fine.”

She went to tug it away, but he increased the pressure, massaging her insole until she went limp.

“Do you think he knew about Whitney?”

Tanner sighed resolutely. “I’d like to think he didn’t, but I just don’t know anymore.”

“We have to find Whitney’s mother.”

We.

His heart felt like it was turning over inside his chest. He wasn’t alone in this any longer. And damn, it felt good.

Tanner wrapped his fingers around her waist and maneuvered Paige’s body until she was straddling him. Reaching up, he freed her hair from its ridiculous knot. He trailed his fingers through the soft strands as it cascaded down.

“I have a team of private detectives looking for her.” He pressed a kiss to her collarbone while one of his hands worked its way beneath her T-shirt. She gasped when his finger came in contact with a pebbled nipple. “Something has to turn up soon. Good or bad. But until then, I’d really like to concentrate on something else.”

She draped her arms around his neck. “What did you have in mind?”

“You. I want to concentrate on you until you’re screaming my name in ecstasy. And then I want to do it all again.”

She shivered at his words. “I’m all yours for the night.”

Ignoring her last three words, he took her mouth with a kiss that he hoped conveyed a multitude of promises. Because he knew deep in his soul that one night with this woman was never going to be enough.