I Only Have Eyes For You: BWWM Cowboy/Western Romance (Westbury Ranch Book 3) (6 page)

Chapter Seven

J
ust when he thought life was finally settling into an even keel, he was dealt a blow that was hard to recover from. Meeting Paige and falling in love with her wasn’t something he planned. It was fun, but at the same time, he was now anxious. Never before did he meet a woman who could tie him into knots so easily.

He didn’t know what to do about his emotions.

Should he confess that he loved her? Or perhaps he should give it some time? It was way too soon probably.

As soon as Lando returned from the stable to his house, he took a quick shower. Perhaps it was a good idea for him to call Paige to come over. Maybe they could sit in front of the TV and watch some shows together. As he picked up the phone, his doorbell rang. Lando grinned. Maybe it was Paige and she’d thought of the same thing.

When he opened the door, Lando was frozen where he stood. The woman in front of him was certainly a blast from the past. She was curvaceous, with luscious, cinnamon colored hair. Once he’d thought the sun set on her but now, he couldn’t figure out why he’d been so besotted by her. “Amor?”

“Hi, Lando.” She pushed back her mane of silky hair and grinned at him. Amor Guzman was a famous model back in Spain. She was originally Mexican but worked in Spain. They dated for two years and the relationship ended rather badly about eight months before he moved to the USA.

Lando caught her in bed with another man. He never thought he would see her here.

“May I come in?”

Belatedly, he remembered his manners. “Yes, of course.” After ushering her inside the cottage, he was a little bit lost but finally, he decided to take her to the kitchen. That was neutral territory and he could keep himself busy by offering her coffee. “You’re a long way from home, Amor.”

“And so are you, Lando.”

Perhaps she’d come here for a shoot. Amor was the ambitious sort. She’d always wanted to cross the boundaries and become famous in America. He relaxed as she took a seat on a stool. She must have looked him up because he was the only one she knew in the area.

“Coffee? Tea?” he asked.

“I’m all set, thanks,” she said.

He knew she was into health drinks and all. There was a time when he used to stock up on things for her but of course, those days were long gone. “Water, then?”

“Sure.”

He gave her a glass of water and then he brewed some coffee for himself. He was going to need it if he wanted to deal with her. Amor was a complicated woman. Even a regular visit from her could turn into the world’s biggest drama if she had a mind to do so. Once, he was fascinated by the many facets of her personality but now, he couldn’t care less. “So how are things back at home?” he asked.

“Pretty much the same. Elena got engaged,” she said. “You remember her, don’t you?”

“Of course, I do.” Elena was one of Amor’s model friends.

“But she’s still not sure. Says she needs to go on a vacation to think about her engagement,” Amor said in a catty voice. As if realizing that she wasn’t coming across well, she smiled and tossed her hair. “What about you? Still working with horses?” She’d always been irritated that his work wasn’t glamorous. Initially, it excited her to think they were poles apart. They met when he was hired for a commercial to help with the horses that were required on the set. They hit it off, and part of that appeal was the vast differences between them. Over time, she got irritated by the very same things. Suddenly, his job was too boring, his clothes were too scruffy, and he just didn’t fit into her world. She never said anything outright, but Amor had a way of making her point.

He poured himself a cup of coffee. Yes, he would need it. “That is what I do.”

“You could have done it in Spain, too. What was the need to come over here?”

Lando studied her over the rim of his cup as he lifted it to his lips. What the hell was she doing here? Amor would tell him when she was good and ready and not a moment before that. The woman had more complicated layers than an onion. “I needed a change, and it’s been a good experience.”

“Do you like it here?”

“I love it,” he stated simply. “It’s a good place and I’m surrounded by great people.”

She sipped her water. “That’s nice. Lando, I—”

The doorbell rang. Well, today was certainly a day for visitors. “Excuse me for a moment.” He strolled out and opened the door.

Paige stood there with a bottle of wine. No woman ever looked so beautiful.

He wanted to take her in his arms and deposit a kiss on her lips. He longed to make love to her, but circumstances didn’t permit such a move. “Hi.”

“Hi. Sorry. I should’ve called, but I just wanted to hang out, if you’re free.”

If she’d showed up before Amor, he would have done what his heart wanted. His lips ached to touch hers, and his fingers itched to sweep over her smooth skin but he couldn’t do all that. Instead, he simply stood to one side and smiled. “Come in, please.”

Perhaps she noticed he wasn’t his usual self because she frowned. “Is everything all right?”

“Yeah, yeah, sure. I have a guest.”

“I could come back another time.”

Lando closed the door. He wanted to get rid of Amor fast, so he could spend some time with Paige. Alone. “No, of course not. Come in. She’s just an old…friend.”

When Paige entered the kitchen, she halted. Seeing the other woman, her expression changed, her shoulders straightened.

Lando then realized too late that having these two women in his house at the same time wasn’t one of his best ideas. But Amor was his past, and Paige was his present. “Paige, this is Amor. Amor has come all the way from Spain.” He turned to his former lover, secretly hoping she would take the hint. “And, Amor, this is Paige, my girlfriend.” He exchanged a quick glance with Paige and when she didn’t say anything to contradict him, he felt a little more confident. Her only reaction to his statement was to tilt her eyebrow. “Please sit, Paige.’”

She took a seat. “Nice to meet you. Amor. Have I met you before?”

Amor curled her upper lip. “I don’t think we have met.”

“Amor is a model. You might have seen her pictures in magazines.”

“That’s great.”

“And what do you do?” Amor asked.

“I work on the farm.”

“She’s one of the owners,” Lando explained.

“Ah! Wonderful.”

For the life of him, he couldn’t figure out why the air around the two women was so frosty. If this continued for long, he might actually get a frostbite. For a moment, he considered taking one of the seats, but then he realized he was better off where he was. “Paige, would you like some coffee?”

“No, thanks.”

“Water?”

“No, thanks.”

He wanted the floor to open up and swallow him whole, so he could disappear inside and not deal with this mess. “Wine? I could open the bottle.”

“No,” both women replied simultaneously.

Lando thought it was a good idea to take another sip of his now cold coffee and think about his words before he uttered them.

Paige turned to Amor. “So you’re visiting for work or pleasure?”

“A little bit of both.”

“How long will you stay?”

“Depends on Lando, really.” Amor waved a graceful hand. “I thought we might spend some time together, if he is free.”

“He has a very demanding schedule,” Paige said. “But of course, I’m sure he would be able to take some time off for an old friend.”

“Girlfriend,” Amor corrected.

Paige’s mouth fell open.

Amor smiled. “Ex-girlfriend. Didn’t Lando tell you? We were going out before he came here, and now he is here and I am all the way over there.”

He had no idea what Amor was trying to achieve, but Lando didn’t want to leave room for misunderstanding. He’d barely made headway with Paige and he didn’t want to lose it because of his ex. “We broke up eight months before I moved here.”

“But I have missed you, and that is why when I got the chance to come here and see you, I thought I must do it. It has been a long time since we spent any time together.”

Paige ran a hand over the edge of the table. “Where are you staying?”

She waved a hand. “At the local inn. What’s the name? Travel something.”

“Travel Lodge,” she said. “It’s a good place.”

“It will have to do.”

“Are you shooting here? Some new ad?” he asked when the women merely stared at each other. There was some secret communication going on that he couldn’t quite understand. On one hand, he wanted to know what the hell was wrong between them and on the other hand, he thought it might be safer to remain clueless.

“No. I did some work in New York and then flew down to see you. So, I am completely at your mercy.”

He didn’t know what to say. Why the hell would she fly down to see him for an indefinite period of time? Even though he knew her well, perhaps there were still mysteries to her that he didn’t understand. At one time, he would have been intrigued, but now he was just curious. “That was nice of you, Amor. Thanks. Perhaps we can all hang out tomorrow night.”

Paige didn’t say anything. At least that way he wouldn’t have to make small talk all by himself. There wasn’t much left that he wanted to say to the woman he once dated. It was better if Paige was with them. At least that way, he would be able to spend some time with her. Amor’s unexpected arrival had put a major dent in his seduction plan. He was hoping to use each day to improve his relationship with Paige. Now that he’d made love to her, Lando knew she was the only woman for him. He didn’t want anyone else.

For that matter, he couldn’t even think about someone else.

She was it—and now the only thing he wanted to do was to convince her of that idea.

“I’m sure we can come up with something,” he said when both women didn’t reply to his offer. “During the day, I’m crazy busy. Perhaps I can arrange for a tour for you. There is a travel agency that makes such arrangements. You’ll be able to visit some other ranches and maybe go for a hike…” He trailed off when he remembered that Amor wouldn’t be interested in any of these activities. She was more the type who wanted to sit in a club or perhaps lounge in the house and watch the Fashion channel.

“If you’re not free, maybe I can just drop by on the farm and spend some time with you here. It shall be fun.”

Amor strutting around the farm in her three inch stiletto heels? He couldn’t imagine it. Shayne, Paige’s sister, did it, but she had an air of efficiency around her. Paige was more practical, preferring to wear jeans and a T-shirt. And he much preferred her style. She definitely wasn’t at all like Amor who would likely get in the way and generally be a nuisance. Still, she’d come all the way to see him and he couldn’t very well be rude.

“Of course, that would be great. I’m sure Cullen wouldn’t have a problem. She’s my boss.”

“Your boss is a woman?”

“Women can run a farm just as good as a man,” Paige said as she stood. “Or perhaps better. In any case, I must go. I’ll see you around, Amor. Take care, Lando.”

Lando wasn’t such a fool that he couldn’t realize something was wrong with Paige. She was pissed off. He didn’t understand why. Perhaps she’d come here, expecting to enjoy a nice romantic evening with him, and found his ex with him instead. Any woman wouldn’t like it. “Let me walk you out,” he said. When he followed her to the door, he could sense that all wasn’t well. “I’d no idea she was coming. Our relationship was dead long before I left. Now, we’re just friends.”

Even that was an exaggeration but he didn’t want to tell her that.

Paige didn’t smile. “You’re going to be very busy over the next few days. It’s fine, really. I’ll see you after she leaves.”

“No.” He gripped her hand before she could walk out. “Join us for dinner tomorrow. Please.”

“I…have plans with my mom,” she said. “Maybe another time if she’s around after that.”

“But—”

Before he could say anything, she tugged her hand free and opened the door.

Lando leaned forward to give her a kiss but she swept past him as if she hadn’t seen what he was up to. As he watched her stride out, Lando was aware she was seriously mad at him. All the progress he’d made vanished, as he watched her eat up the distance while she made her way home.