Stealing Hearts (Wild at Heart #1)(25)

My truck bumps along the dirt road as I drive Paige to the cabin. She’s been quiet. She has the window rolled down, and she’s half leaning out of it, staring up at the stars.

I’m usually good with quiet. Prefer it, really. Except, when she’s pensive, it makes me nervous for some reason.

Didn’t know foot-longs were on the menu.

I probably should be embarrassed about the way I got hard when we were cutting the cake. Is that what she’s thinking about right now? Do I even care?

Change the subject, stupid. I glance at her again. “Are you hungry? I packed us some pizza in case you are.”

“Thanks.”

That’s all she says. “Listen, I only found out about the cabin this afternoon. I meant to give you a heads-up, but never really had a chance.”

“It’s okay.”

Paige is a lot of things, but quiet isn’t usually one of them.

When we finally get there, I turn off my truck, and we sit in silence. The light of the moon reflects off the lake, making the still water glow.

The cabin is wrapped in vines and twinkle lights. Above the front door is a huge wooden heart with angel wings. I suppose if I was really looking to get away with my new wife, this ain’t a bad place.

Finally, she turns to me. “I’m tired.” Then she slides on her flip-flops and gets out.

I grab our overnight bags and follow her. She moves over to let me unlock the door, and I flip on the light, which turns on two floor lamps. There’s a love seat, a small couch, a bookshelf, and a coffee table. That’s it. There’s no TV. Damn. Paige and I will actually have to… talk all weekend.

“This place is adorable,” she says as she heads to the small kitchen. She opens the fridge and turns to me, wide-eyed. “It’s full of food.”

Frowning, I follow her in there where we find a note from Sylvia. Congrats, guys! We love you! Aunt Syl and Baylee.

“Ugh,” Paige groans. “I feel so guilty that she went through all this trouble. She bought me this dress, those gorgeous sandals, took me to lunch, rented this place, and bought us all these supplies.”

“I know what you mean. My brothers went all out, but they wanted to make sure Harlan didn’t suspect anything.”

“When this is all over, I’m going to find a way to pay her back.”

Paige is really fucking sweet. I turn her to face me. “Sylvia loves you. It makes her happy to do this for you.”

“She works really hard at the salon, and it’s not like she’s rolling in the dough. Aunt Syl can’t afford this. What about when Baylee gets married someday? Shouldn’t she use this money on her?”

I think about Paige’s best friend. “She has a thing for Mav, right?” Baylee and Maverick have been “best buds” for years, and I sometimes think she looks at him a certain way, but then he does something dumb, and she won’t talk to him for a while.

Paige stares at me. “If you think us being married means I’m going to share all of Baylee’s secrets, you have another thing coming.”

I hold my hands up. “I think they’d make a great couple. He won’t talk about her, though, which I’ve always thought strange since he talks about…” She gives me a look, and I stop talking. “You’re right. We won’t talk about them.”

She rolls her eyes as she pulls out her cell. “Do you have a signal? I have a crappy provider, and I only have one bar,” she says as she walks around with her phone in the air. “I want to send Syl a text to thank her.”

I check my phone. “Two bars. You can use my phone if you need to.”

Her thumbs fly across the screen. “It went through.” She glances around. “Think there’s more than one bedroom?”

“This is the local love shack, so that’s doubtful.”

I follow her down the hallway, where there are two doors. One opens to a bedroom and the other to a bathroom. The bedroom has a queen wrought-iron bed with some frilly pillows.

I glance back to the living room. Shit. There’s no way I’ll fit on that couch. Hell, I’ll barely fit on the bed.

“I brought a sleeping bag. I’ll crash on the floor.” I turn, but Paige grabs my arm.

“You sleep on the bed, big guy. I’ll be fine on the couch.”

She gives me one of those fake smiles she’s been sporting all day, and that knot of guilt grows. “Thank you for the ring. You spent too much on it. At the end of our time together, we’ll sell it and get your money back.”

Paige swallows and looks away. “It’s my gift to you. Something to remember me by when I move away to coach cheer camp. I’m thinking Boston might be nice. I applied for an assistant position there that starts in January.”

Boston? Why the fuck does she wanna move to the East Coast?

Before I can say anything, she slides into the bathroom and shuts the door.

As I toss and turn in bed a few hours later, I think about all the crazy shit that happened today.

I married Danny’s little sister.

I’m sorry, bro. I didn’t know another way to save the ranch, but this will help me keep an eye on her.

At least, that’s what I tell myself.

Sometime around two, it’s so hot, I kick off the sheet and wander out into the living room to look for the thermostat. Instead, I find Paige sprawled on the couch in a cropped white tank top that barely covers her tits and a lacy white thong.