Stealing Hearts (Wild at Heart #1)(17)

“Which is exactly why I’ll find someone else.” I wipe the sweat from my eyes. Paige is too sweet. Too beautiful.

And too fucking tempting.

“I can appreciate you wanting to find the right person, but we’re running out of time, Rhett.”

Does he want me to do this or not? This conversation is starting to piss me off. “I know that, but I won’t marry Paige. She deserves someone better. Someone who’ll marry her for the right reasons. Someone who’ll put her on a pedestal.”

His eyebrows lift, and he whistles. “There’s a lot there to untangle.”

“I’ll call up Darlene tomorrow. See if she’s game.” I get this weird pang in my chest the moment those words leave my mouth.

He snorts. “Don’t get her pregnant. The last thing you need is to knock up someone you don’t even want to date.”

“This arrangement is for business. I’m not gonna fuck this person. It’ll blur too many lines, make her think this is more than just a transaction. In six months, as soon as I’m done paying back Harlan, I’m gonna file for divorce. Sex will just confuse everyone.”

“What are you gonna give Darlene to help you out?”

I shrug. “Probably expensive shoes and shit. Who the fuck knows?”

He smacks my back. “For once, I wish you didn’t have to worry about me and Jace and Mav and just do what makes you happy.”

“I have no clue what would make me happy, but it would probably involve sending Amber to Canada.”

Beau laughs. “Is that far enough?”

“Probably not.”

I don’t mention the shouting match I had with my ex-wife this morning or how I found Paige in tears afterward. It’s all too much. I just wanna work until I’m too tired to think, and then kick back on the porch with a beer and pretend my ex-wife isn’t going to crawl up my ass until our boys are eighteen.

Someone coughs from the other side of the barn, and Beau and I look up to find Paige, who’s back in her short shorts.

I pinch the bridge of my nose. I don’t have the strength to not admire her long, beautiful legs.

Beau pulls her into a bear hug that makes me clench my teeth. “So nice to have you back, Little Lewis.”

“It’s great to be back. I’ve always loved the ranch.” When our eyes meet, I see the hesitancy in them.

I hate that I fucking put it there. “We’re stoked to have you, Paige. You’ll always be welcome here.”

Beau looks between us and points behind him. “Gonna go make some lunch. Y’all want some sandwiches?”

I nod, and my brother makes himself scarce.

Paige limps up to me, and I barely keep myself from growling. “Where are your crutches? Shouldn’t you use them?”

“Yeah. I should.” She shrugs. “I’m tired of hauling them around. I wish I could fling them off a cliff.”

Her red hair’s pulled up in one of those messy buns that makes her look effortlessly sexy.

I scrub my face. I will not think of Paige in that light.

A barn cat runs up to her and rubs his head against her leg. Lucky bastard.

Turning my back to her, I reach for the shovel so I can finish shoveling out the stalls. I listen to her coo at the cat.

It finally goes quiet.

“Rhett.”

“Yeah?” I scoop up a pile of crap.

“I’ll do it.”

“Do what?”

“Marry you.”

My heart damn near stops, and I turn to face her. “Paige, you don’t have to—”

“I want to. For six months, that is. Like you said, it’ll be mutually beneficial. I’ll get the physical therapy I need and save some money, and you’ll get the ranch back on track. Then we’ll call it quits. Everyone wins.”

I rub the back of my neck.

She must see something on my face because she takes a wobbly step back. “What?”

“Maybe you’re not the best person to do this.” This is awkward as fuck, but it needs to be said. “With our history… I don’t want you to get hurt.”

Her eyes go icy, and she lets out a hard laugh. “Are you afraid pathetic little Paige is going to fall in love with you and won’t let you file for divorce? Think again. Here’s some good news, Rhett. I don’t fall in love. I never have, and I probably never will. That dumb crush I had on you when I was a kid was just that—a crush. Let me ask you this. Do you still have feelings for people you had crushes on when you were fifteen?”

“Well, no, but—”

“But nothing. This is no different. Guess what? Sometime in the last seven years, I grew up. And here’s a shocker— I’ve even had full-fledged relationships with other men. But if you’re squeamish about this, that’s fine. Call up your friend with benefits. Let her do the honors.”

She turns and starts to limp away.

Shit. She’s pissed.

I drop the shovel and jog after her.

“Paige.” I grab her arm and turn her to face me. “Don’t be a delicate little flower. I was just being honest. If we do this, I don’t wanna cross any lines. We’re one hundred percent platonic unless we need to be affectionate around other people to pull this off. Otherwise, we’re friends, that’s it.”