For Love and Honor (12 page)

Chapter Five

C
ONTENT AND SATED
in Aiden’s arms, Paige knew the exact moment his past came crashing down. His body suddenly tensed at noises that had surrounded them the entire night. Yet now, he reacted as if they were the enemy. Oh, he wasn’t
showing
her any of that, but when you knew the boy before he’d become the man, it wasn’t hard to see. Her only alternative became distraction.

She rolled to her side and laid her head on his shoulder. Then she took advantage of his perfect, masculine chest and let her fingers play in the soft, fine hair. “We can do that again anytime you’re ready.”

To her delight, he chuckled.

“I’ve been out of commission for so long, recovery could go either way.”

“Mmmm.” She leaned in and kissed him. “I’m willing to wait.”

In that moment, his body tensed in a whole different way. And though she tried to drag her arm across him to hold him in place, she did not succeed. Before she could mutter the words “What are you doing?” he was up and tugging on his clothes.

Damn.

“What’s the hurry?” she asked.

His hands stopped on his jeans mid-zip. He watched her through eyes filled with regret.

Damn it.

“I’m sorry, Paige.”

“Don’t say that.” When she realized he wasn’t going to come back and lie down beside her, she felt exposed and got up to dress. “There’s nothing to be sorry for.”

“The hell there isn’t.” The zipper on his jeans slid to the top, and he shook that old grey T-shirt like a flag of surrender. “I just took advantage of you.”

“Are you crazy?” She yanked her T-shirt over her head. “I’m no Strawberry Shortcake, Aiden. I wanted you. You wanted me. That’s consensual need.
Not
exploitation.”

“I shouldn’t have done that.”

“You beautiful fool.” A humorless laugh pushed past her lips. She looked up at him through the moonlight. “I’ve waited years for you to do exactly
that
.”

He jammed his fingers into his short hair then dropped his hands to his lean hips. “I didn’t come see you today for this, Paige.”

“I know.” She folded her arms across her chest as if they could hold back all the emotions. All the things she wanted to say.

“I came . . . to tell you goodbye,” he said. His tone quiet. His words flat.

Her heart slammed against her ribs. “You’re leaving again?”

“I don’t know.” He glanced behind him, then back at her. “I don’t know what the hell I’m doing. I’m broken, Paige. And I’m pretty damned sure nothing can fix me.”

“That’s bull.”

He shook his head. “The person you knew went to war and never came back. You deserve better than what I have to give.”

“The man I
knew
is standing right here. Feeding me a bunch of crap I don’t believe.”

“Move on, Paige. Forget about me.” He glanced away again, and Paige knew even he was having a hard time believing his own words. Then those dark, haunted eyes came right back to her. “I can’t love you.”

“Can’t? Or don’t?” She sucked in a lungful of air to calm the desperation churning like butter in her stomach. “Because there’s a difference.”

His chin dropped to his chest and he shook his head. “Too much has happened.”

“Maybe so. But you’re wrong, Aiden. You’re still the man you used to be. Only more.” Paige kept her voice calm. Yelling wouldn’t get through to him. He had to arrive at conclusions on his own. No amount of whining or persuading would do a bit of good. She just had to state the facts and then give him time. She’d already given him plenty. What were a few more days, weeks, months?

“I love you, Aiden.” The confession that jumped from her mouth was not a surprise to either of them. “I always have. If I have to give you up because you’ve fallen in love with someone else, I’ll do it. I won’t like it, but I’ll do it. Because your happiness means everything to me.” Her fingers curled into her palms. “But I will
not
give you up and let this sorrow swallow you and make you disappear. I can’t do that.”

She slowly shook her head and held back the wash of tears that burned in her eyes. “
You
may have given up on you. But I
never
will.”

Several heartbeats passed while they stood an arm’s length away from each other in a stare-down that Paige swore she would win. At their feet Cricket woke from her nap and gave a little whine as if she sensed the tension in the air. Paige stood in place, resolute that she would not bend in her belief. No matter what he said.

The pressure in her chest squeezed harder as he bent at the knees and gave Cricket a brisk rub on her head. Then he stood, stepped forward, and wrapped Paige in his arms. He held her tight. Kissed her forehead. And completely broke her heart.

“Goodbye, Paige.”

Chapter Six

I
F YOU WANTED
to get the word out in Sweet, one method worked faster than picking up the phone. Luckily for Paige, today the Digging Divas Garden Club held their monthly meeting at Bud’s Diner. In two shakes of a can of whipped cream, the message would go out faster than a speedboat on smooth water.

Paige grabbed her keys off Aunt Bertie’s oak dresser and jogged down the stairs. Just like when she’d gone for her college degree or made the purchase of Honey Hill, she had a plan. So far she’d been batting a thousand. She wouldn’t allow this goal to be any different. It simply meant too much.

Ten minutes later her red F–150 slid to a gravel-spewing-stop in the lot beside Bud’s. She grabbed her work apron from the seat and jumped down from the truck. The lot was still half-full with late morning coffee-slurpers. In another hour the lunch crowd would converge and there would be standing room only. A perfect audience for when she sounded the alarm.

“I
STAYED UP HALF
the night doing Internet research,” Paige said, searching the focused expressions around the crowded tables. Her heart trembled with how much they cared about the situation and how eager they were to help. “Early this morning I made a few calls to the organization and they said they would look into it. Well, they work fast. Before I left for work they called me back with the news that they can make it happen. They don’t require a fee, but they do ask for donations to keep them afloat and able to help others in the same situation. I figure we need to come in around four thousand.”

“Dollars?” The brim of Ethel Weber’s lime green straw hat bobbled above her lavender hair.

“Hard, cold, American cash,” Paige answered.

“That’s nothing.” Ray Calhoun lifted his old farmer’s hand in a dismissive wave. “Hell, we raised ten thousand to pay for Missy Everhart’s funeral when she took ill so fast.”

“Can’t put a dollar amount on what this will do for someone who’s given so much,” said Jan West, owner of Goody Gum Drops, the candy store painted like a peppermint stick in the center of town.

“Can we get it done before the Apple Butter Festival?” Paige asked the crowd gathered inside the diner.

“Three weeks?” Hazel Calhoun scoffed. “Easy Cheesy.”

Bill McBride, Vietnam vet and local good guy, stood, imposing in his leather vest and various military patches. “Consider it done.” He turned to the crowd. “Right?”

The unity in the agreement that echoed across the diner sent a ribbon of warmth fluttering through Paige’s heart.

Aiden may not ask for much, but the people who loved him the most were about to give him everything.

T
HE AXE ARCED
high overhead then slammed into the rotted tree trunk. Aiden pulled his hands back, yanked a bandana from his back pocket, and swept the cloth across his forehead.

Damn the sun was hot today.

He’d promised his brother, Ben, that until he figured out what the hell to do with his life, he’d help out around the farm and orchard. At the rate he was going he didn’t imagine he’d figure it out any time soon.

It had been nearly two weeks since he’d walked out of Paige’s life. Two weeks since he’d slept little more than a couple of hours without dreaming of her. Two weeks in which his instincts had screamed for him to get his stupid ass back in his truck and go to her. Take her in his arms. And beg her forgiveness. He wrapped his hands around the axe handle and dislodged the wedge from the tree stump. But his instincts had been wrong before. They’d even gotten his two best friends killed. So what the hell did he know?

Not to trust himself. That was what.

“Thought you’d be long gone by now.”

Mid-swing, he looked up, surprised to see Paige and her dog coming toward him. Damn. The woman managed to make a pair of jean shorts and a silky little tank top look hotter than some flimsy piece of lingerie. Her hair was pulled up into a just-out-of-bed tangle on top of her head and her smooth skin was kissed with a golden tan. While her white tennis shoes ate up the ground, her tongue darted out to lick the half-eaten cherry Popsicle in her hand. The heat rolling through his body had nothing to do with the sun above his head.

“Yeah. Me too,” he said as Cricket plopped her furry dog butt in the shade of a nearby tree.

Bringing with her the scent of ripe peaches, Paige came to a stop in front of him. “So why are you still here?”

How could he explain that while he didn’t quite know where he belonged, he also couldn’t bear the thought of never seeing her again? That he couldn’t bring himself to just pick up and walk away. A lump lodged in his throat as he thought of Rennie. He’d unwillingly walked away from the dog who’d given him companionship and loyalty. Did he really believe he could
willingly
walk away from Paige?

He shrugged and felt the sting of a sunburn on his shoulders. “Promised Ben I’d help him out.”

Her red-stained tongue licked up the side of the Popsicle while she studied him through those sharp blue eyes—which triggered an instant reaction in his jeans. Her head tilted. “Is that so?”

“Yep.”

“I’m sure Ben appreciates your help.”

“What are you doing here?” he asked, although he didn’t mind having her in front of him with next to nothing on, licking that Popsicle like it was . . . tasty.

She smiled and tossed the remainder of the Popsicle to Cricket. Then she turned those blue eyes on him. “I’ve come to make you a proposition.”

A
LAYER OF SWEAT
glistened across the tops of Aiden’s broad, strong shoulders. Highlighted that soaring eagle tattoo. Beaded down his chest and rippled stomach toward the waistband of his low-slung Levi’s. Unlike the thugs one saw walking the streets of the big city, Aiden did not have a mile of underwear showing. Which only made Paige wonder if he had any on at all or if he’d gone commando. A blue bandana stuck out from his back pocket, and his work boots had a coating of sawdust across the toes.

A low hum vibrated low in her pelvis. There was just something about a shirtless, sweaty, hard-working man that made her want to tear off her clothes. When that hard-working man was as gorgeous and amazing as Aiden, it was a wonder she hadn’t given in to the desire. It took everything she had to compose herself and stick to what she’d come here for in the first place. Which did not include gawking at him or being tempted to stick dollar bills in his shorts.

“A proposition?” A furrow crinkled between his brown eyes.

“Not
that
kind of proposition.” Although it had crossed her mind. “I’m going to respect what you said the other night even though I don’t agree. Are you willing to listen to my offer?”

He leaned the axe handle against the tree trunk he’d been chopping and folded his arms across that amazing, muscular, sweaty chest. “Shoot.”

She hopped up on the tailgate of his truck. “When I made the decision to buy Honey Hill I knew I couldn’t have that much property or responsibility without a good business plan. And . . .” She swung her legs back and forth in time with the thoughts swinging through her brain. “I might have dreamed a little too big.”

“Are you afraid of losing the place?”

“Oh. No. Nothing like that.” The concern on his face forced her to quit stalling. “Part of my plan is to expand the orchard. Instead of just trying to sell apples, I plan to create apple products—butter, jelly, cider. That kind of thing. I need to do more research. Crunch some more numbers. Come up with a marketing plan. And—”

“And?” Dark eyebrows shot up his forehead. “That’s not enough?”

“Oh, you know me. Complete one project, come up with ten more.”

“I do remember that about you.”

The smile and slow glide of his eyes over her body said that wasn’t all he remembered.

“And I plan to turn the house into a bed-and-breakfast.”

“Wow. You are ambitious.” He laughed. “But what has this got to do with me?”

“Both my sisters have their own thing going on. And I need a partner.” She hopped down from the tailgate. “You interested?”

“I’m a soldier, Paige. What do I know about cider and bed-and-breakfasts?”

“You’re smart. You know apples. You’re handy with tools. And people love you.”

He shook his head. “Not true.”

“Never
disregard the way people feel about you, Aiden. Sometimes . . . it’s all you have.”

His head came up and something sparked in his eyes that gave her the smallest pinch of hope.

“You don’t have to give me an answer right now. Just think about it.” She gave a whistle to Cricket who reluctantly got up from her cool spot beneath the tree. Paige felt the heat of Aiden’s gaze on her backside as she walked toward her truck. Someday he’d trust his instincts. His gut. His heart. And he’d let life happen. Until then she’d wait. Apparently she’d become quite good at that.

“Why are you doing this, Paige?”

She turned at the sound of his deep voice, inhaled one more glimpse of that mouthwatering physique, and noted the look of complete and utter puzzlement on his face.

“We’re a good team, Aiden.” She lifted her hands in the air then dropped them with a slap against her thighs. “Maybe someday you’ll figure that out.”