I Only Have Eyes For You: BWWM Cowboy/Western Romance (Westbury Ranch Book 3) (7 page)

Damn Amor.

Does she have to spoil everything?

He would have to get rid of his ex-girlfriend fast because if he didn’t do so, his relationship with Paige was in deep shit. That he couldn’t allow at any cost. Not at all. He was crazy about this woman, and there was no way he was willing to let her walk out of his life.

Chapter Eight

H
eat gushed through her entire body. Paige was pissed. The man made love to her as if there was no tomorrow and when she showed up at his house, it turned out he was hiding his girlfriend in there.

Ex-girlfriend.

Whatever.

Damn the man!

She wanted to kill him.

Having never experienced jealousy like this, she was surprised by this raw, wild emotion that gripped her. Maybe if he’d told her before that his ex was coming, she might have been fine with it. If he expressed to her that he felt obliged to spend some time with her because she was flying in from so far to see him, she would have found some measure of generosity in her heart, but right now she was pissed.

How dare he give her the impression there was something serious going on between them while he was carrying a torch for his ex-girlfriend? And of course, he had to be still smitten over her, and she over him, or else why did she come all the way here?

The next day, Paige did her chores on the farm while she made sure not to get too close to Lando. A couple of times he showed up while she was giving lessons but she paid him no attention. Perhaps he got the hint because he walked away.

“What’s wrong?” Shayne asked as Paige stomped into the house. “You’ve been in a bad mood all day.”

“Nothing.” She marched up the stairs and into her bedroom. Paige took a shower and when she came out, both Shayne and Cullen were in her room. “Oh, for God’s sake. Can’t a girl get some privacy around here?” Knowing that it was going to be impossible to get rid of her sisters, she put on her clothes under the towel. “What do you want?”

“What a way to speak to your elder sisters,” Cullen retorted. “And especially when we just came to ask if all was well.”

“Everything is just dandy.” She picked up her hairbrush and then banged it on the dresser. Paige whirled around to face her sisters. “What do you think it means when a man…makes loves to a woman?”

“It means he’s interested in her.” Shayne chuckled. “Or maybe even in with love her.”

“And what happens when a day later, the same man is cozying up with his ex-girlfriend in his house? What the hell does that mean?”

“Ex-girlfriend?” Cullen asked. “Cozying up? Did Lando cheat on you with another woman?” Cullen narrowed her eyes. “If that is the case, let me tell you what I would have done in those circumstances. I would’ve—”

“He didn’t cheat on me. At least I don’t think so.”

Shayne raised her hand. “Whoa! Let’s just start from the beginning. Tell us exactly what happened.”

Knowing she desperately needed their advice, Paige began to recount the tale. “I just didn’t know what to say and how to react. I mean, the woman is beautiful, and it was pretty obvious she still wanted him.”

“Does he want her back?”

Paige cocked her head as she tried to think about Lando’s reaction to his ex-girlfriend’s presence in his house. He told her she dropped by, so he didn’t know she was coming. “He appeared a bit upset, a lot confused…”

“That could be because he’s unsure about his feelings for her,” Shayne suggested.

“Or it could be that she took him by surprise and he didn’t know how to react to her being there,” Cullen added.

“It could be any of that,” Paige admitted. Perhaps rather than wasting time, she should have checked with Lando. A heart to heart conversation went a long way. Maybe she shouldn’t have jumped to conclusion, but the truth was she didn’t like the woman and it was pretty clear that Amor still wanted Lando. “She came into his life first. If she wants him back—”

“Don’t be silly.” Cullen interjected. “What Amor wants isn’t important; what Lando wants is. You should just ask him. If he wants to give his relationship with her another chance then okay, you can think about stepping away, but he might not be interested in her anymore.”

“You’re right.”

“I think he would be a fool to let you go,” Shayne said.

Paige smiled at her sisters. She’d agreed with them but the truth was she wouldn’t ever confront Lando. She simply couldn’t do it. It wasn’t like her to throw herself at the mercy of a man. If he wanted her, he could tell her. If not, there were plenty of other fish in the pond. She would find someone else.

Of course, she didn’t want to.

She liked Lando, maybe even loved him. But it was the love that made it more difficult for her to admit her feelings. She couldn’t become vulnerable in front of him. That would just kill her. So that night, she chatted and laughed with her sisters and pretended everything was fine. Paige intended to ignore Lando, so he would get a chance to resolve any feelings he had for Amor on his own, but he found her the next day as she groomed a horse.

“I’ve been looking all over for you.”

She didn’t spare him a glance. “I’ve been right here. Did you want something?”

“I guess a chance to talk.” His tone sounded hesitant as if he was trying to guess her mood. “How are you?”

“Fine.”

“I was wondering if you were up for going out for dinner with me.”

Was she? Paige didn’t think so. She wouldn’t feel comfortable spending time with him knowing that another woman was openly vying for him. Her man. That’s what she thought he was…Her man. But he obviously wasn’t. Amor’s arrival caught her by surprise. If she’d known from the start his ex-girlfriend would be coming, she would have been mentally prepared, but now she wasn’t.

“I’m not up to going out.”

“Are you avoiding me?”

Paige didn’t want to leave any room for misunderstanding. It was better to state things clear, but of course, she couldn’t blurt out the fact that she was crazy about him, and that the thought of seeing him with his ex-girlfriend made her heart burn with pain. She whirled around to face him. “Look, I understand Amor and you have a history and that’s fine with me. I mean, you guys found each other first. If—there are any unresolved feelings then you should work on them in private. And regarding us, well, we were just hanging around and having fun, so no hard feelings.” She shrugged her shoulders. “I told you I wasn’t looking for a commitment.”

He stared at her as if she’d punched him in the face.

For a moment, she thought about throwing herself in his arms and telling him to choose her over Amor. She desperately wanted to do that, but her pride wouldn’t allow her.

“So you don’t mind if I get back with Amor?”

It would kill her. She would rather die than see that happen. Paige smiled. “Of course, yes. It would sting a little.”

“Sting?”

“Just a tiny bit, but it’s okay. I’ll move on.” She turned back to tend to the horse.
Please go away. Please go away.
She closed her eyes even as she rubbed the animal. It was impossible for her to do this anymore. Couldn’t he see that the sight of him hurt her now? He wasn’t hers. Never was hers to begin with. Of course, why would he choose her over that famous model? When he walked away, she breathed a sigh of relief even though tears pricked at the back of her eyes. It was her fault for getting involved with him. She should’ve done a better job of protecting her heart.

It was stupid of her to go out with him. She should’ve listened to the voice of reason in her mind and said no. The man hurt her.
Well, it isn’t really his fault. Yes, it is
. She swayed between anger and self-pity until, finally, she threw herself into her work and stopped thinking about him. It was impossible to keep her thoughts away from him, but with an effort, she managed to make it look like she was very busy and not demonically depressed.

Once her work was finished, she went back home. Paige showered and changed. She could have a quiet dinner with her mother and ponder over all that went wrong in her life. Lando had moved on already. She should do so too.

But the restlessness within her refused to settle.

It was a pain unlike any she experienced before.

When night fell, she had a quiet dinner with her mother. Paige wasn’t sure if Jackie was aware, although there was generally little that she didn’t know about, but her mother didn’t ask anything and Paige didn’t volunteer any information. When the time came, she would drop her head on her mother’s shoulder and cry her heart out, but right now, she was waiting to see what Lando did.

What if he decided to go back with Amor?

He had a contract with Cullen, but of course, they would eagerly let him go if he wasn’t happy. They weren’t the sort to keep people who weren’t eager to work there. The thought that she might never see him again depressed her even more. Still, there wasn’t much she could do about it. The choice was out of her hands, and he had to decide now.

Paige slipped on her jacket and bounded down the stairs.

“Hey, where are you off too?” Jackie asked.

Paige barely glanced at her mother. If she did, the storm would unleash and she would spill out her guts. All she wanted to do was to forget about her problems for a while. “I’m going out,” she said. “Don’t wait for me.”

Before her mother could ask anything, she strode out of the main door. Paige didn’t have a destination in mind. All she wanted to do was escape from the farm for a few hours, so she could think about something else. She took her mother’s car and drove out. The night was silent. There was a half-moon that hung on the sky. She had no clue where she wanted to go. Her hands gripped the steering wheel tightly as she thought about the daydreams she’d spun around Lando.

She shouldn’t have fallen in love with the man.

He wasn’t meant for her.

The man all but spun her in a web and then dumped her when he got a better offer. Amor was the one he loved. She wished she’d stuck to her initial decision of not dating him, but he pursued her, convinced her, and when she gave him her heart, he stomped on it.

There was no way she could ever forgive him.

As she neared the town, Paige turned towards the pub. She parked the car but sat inside. A laughing trio strolled in. Such a direct contrast to the mood she was currently in. The lights were on, and she could hear the faint sounds of music. Some company might do her a world of good. She could meet someone new, or perhaps someone she already knew. Zack might be there; he had asked her out. He was a nice guy. Maybe she could take him up on his offer of a meal. At least, he wouldn’t hurt her the same way Lando did.

Shit. She couldn’t just take up with any person, even if he was her ex-boyfriend.

No man interested her.

That was the sad truth she needed to face. If she couldn’t have Lando, she didn’t want anyone else. At least not yet.

Damn the man.

He spoiled her life. She wanted to go back and confront him. Paige wanted answers. How dare he sweep her aside as if she wasn’t important, as if she didn’t matter? Why did he spin so many lies if he was waiting for his ex-girlfriend to turn up?

No. She wasn’t going to do any fool thing like that. If she had nothing else, at least she had her pride and she wasn’t going to let him trample all over it. She opened the car door and stepped outside. Rather than waste her time and emotions on Lando, she was going to walk inside and find someone she knew. Paige was determined to have a good time.

“Hi there,” someone, a man, said in a gruff voice.

Paige turned back to see who it was. A damp cloth landed on her face, and the bitter vapors that swept through her nostrils made her head spin. “What the—?” Her eyes rolled. Unable to finish her sentence, she collapsed on the ground.

The sensation of falling was the last thing she remembered.

Chapter Nine

T
he pain was numbing, relentless.

She didn’t love him. While he’d been daydreaming about their future, she was passing her time and stringing him along for the ride. The callous manner in which she dismissed him hurt. His heart was a bleeding mass of muscles, and there was no way he could heal the wound.

Lando didn’t know what to do.

On the one hand, was Amor who apparently wanted him back but he didn’t love her, and on the other hand, was Paige whom he was devoted to but she didn’t seem to want him. Perhaps it was time to pack his bags and go back to Spain? At least, he would be able to lick his wounds in private. Here, he would see her every day, and the anguish of knowing he couldn’t have her would kill him.

It wouldn’t take too long to collect his belongings and go back. Sure, he didn’t want a future with Amor, but he also didn’t want to stay here and see Paige who rejected him with a casual flick of her hand.

He wasn’t a coward. No, sir, he wasn’t.

If he was going to move away, he intended to have at least one conversation with her before he got out of her life. Did the time they spent together mean nothing to her? Didn’t she harbor any feelings for him? If she told him once more she didn’t want him, he would go—but he needed to be sure.

As he marched towards the farmhouse, Lando firmed his resolve. Whatever she decided, he would accept it, but he wasn’t leaving until he heard it all. Climbing up the steps, he knocked on the door. Cullen opened it.

“You?”

Her tone took him by surprise. She never spoke to him like this ever before. “I would like to talk to Paige.”

“Where is she?” Shayne asked as she walked out of the kitchen. Jackie followed her. “We tried to call her last night, but she didn’t answer the phone. We figured she was with you.”

His chest tightened. The three women stared at him as if he had done something terribly wrong, and for the life of him, he couldn’t figure out what it was. “I—didn’t see her in the evening. We talked in the morning, and that was all. Where is she?”

“That’s exactly what we’ve been trying to figure out,” Cullen snarled. “You messed her up pretty good.”

“I—I…” He sputtered.

Cullen planted her hands on her hips. “Why don’t you tell us, Lando? Are you two-timing on our sister?”

“I’m not,” he said. “Not that it is any of your business, but I’m in love with your sister and as soon as I see her, I’m going to tell her that.”

The sisters glanced at each other. “Then what about that woman, Amor?” Cullen asked.

“Once she was important, a long time ago, but now she isn’t. I’ve already told her that.” Lando was too impatient to give them all the details. “Where the hell is Paige?”

Jackie put a hand on Shayne’s shoulder. “She would’ve called if she was spending the night somewhere. Paige is very responsible. Something has happened. I can sense it.” A sob escaped her lips. “I know it. I just do. Where’s my baby?”

“Mom, please.” Shayne hugged her mother. “We’ll find her. I’m sure she’s doing fine.”

Lando’s heart hammered against his chest. “Paige is missing. But—”

“Did you have a fight with her?” Jackie asked.

“She was upset because his ex-girlfriend is here,” Cullen said.

“She told me…Shit. Never mind. Amor is going back. I’ve had nothing to do with her. We have to find Paige.”

“Where could she be?” Shayne asked. “Her phone is switched off.”

“She took my car,” Jackie said. “What if she went to stay with a friend?”

“I’ve already called everyone I can think of. She’s nowhere,” Cullen said. “We have to go out and look for her.”

Shayne reached out and grasped her sister’s arm. “Wait…shouldn’t we file a missing person report?”

Realizing that the women were panicking, Lando took charge. While his heart was breaking, he couldn’t afford to wallow in it. If something was wrong with Paige, she was his priority until he found her. “Shayne, call the police. See if they want you to go down there with her picture or something.” He faced the eldest sister. “Make a list of all of her friends who are still nearby and call each one of them, even if she hasn’t been in touch with them for a long time.” His gaze alighted on Jackie. “Please call all the men who are on the ranch. Send a few of them out on the ranch to see if she’s there, and send others out into different towns. We’re going to find her.”

For a long moment, the three women just stared at him, bewildered by his take-charge attitude, then they all scattered.

Jackie reached forward to hug him. “God bless you. Find my daughter and bring her back.”

He intended to do just that. “Keep in touch on the phone. Make sure everyone knows what they’re doing. They should all cover different towns.”

“I’ll organize everything. Where are you going?”

“I want to retrace her steps,” he said. He strode out before she could say anything. Lando didn’t have a clue how he intended to find Paige, but there was no way he could sit at home and just ponder over what could have gone wrong.

If he didn’t take action, he would go crazy.

As he stepped out, Amor blocked his path. “Lando, we need to talk.”

“I don’t have time,” he said. “Gotta go. Paige is missing and we’re all looking for her.”

“Paige is missing?”

She might have asked something else, but he didn’t stick around. Graeme’s car was right outside, and he saw the keys inside. He walked back to the house and saw Cullen on the porch with her cell phone to her ear. “Tell Graeme I’ve taken his car. If he wants to talk to me, he can call me on my cell phone.”

She nodded her head and continued talking on the phone.

He got in the car and zoomed off. Where would she have gone? She’d given him the impression she didn’t much care what he decided regarding Amor. What if that wasn’t true? What if she was angry Amor was with him? Would she have left town, so she could be as far away from him as possible? She might have done that, but she wasn’t callous. Naturally, she would know her mother and sisters would get upset. She would have called to let them know she was all right. No. Something bad happened. Jackie’s instincts matched the turmoil in his heart. Paige was in danger, and he intended to find her. Rather than waste his time wondering where she could have gone, he allowed his mind to take the first step that occurred to him. He headed for the nearest town. Lando drove the car around. If she only went out for a drive, she would have headed for the place closest to the farm.

An idea occurred to him, and he turned the car around and headed a bit out of town. The pub they visited on their first date came into view. He braked. Lando saw Jackie’s car in the parking lot. He stared at it for a few seconds, and then he turned the car off. He got out of it and looked at her vehicle. She was definitely not in an accident. The car was fine. He stormed towards the pub. It was closed. Lando banged on the door but there was no response.

Shit.

What was he supposed to do now?

Taking out his cell phone, he called Jackie. “I found your car. It’s parked outside the pub, Blaze but she isn’t here.”

“Check inside.”

“It’s locked.”

“I’m going to call the owner of the pub. Wait there.” He heard the click on the other end. Lando was too impatient to wait. Rather than stick around, he went around the building to see if he could figure out where Paige could have gone. He looked down and stopped in his tracks. Something lying on the ground made his heart stop.

Jackie called back. “The guy says he saw the car parked last night when he locked up, and he figured one of the girls left with someone else and planned to take the car back in the morning.”

“I found her purse,” he stated. His hand trembled as he looked at the black bag she habitually carried. Inside were her wallet and the phone. Her cell battery must have died.

“Oh, my god!”

“Tell the police it was dropped under the tree. I’m putting it under the hood of the car, so they can come and take a look.”

“What are you doing?”

“I have no idea.” He ended the call and slipped the phone back into his pocket. Paige could be anywhere. If someone kidnapped her, she could have been taken in a car. She could be hundreds of miles away by now. They had no idea what time she dropped the purse. What if she wasn’t alive anymore?

No, he wasn’t going to think like that.

He’d promised Jackie he would find her, and that’s exactly what he planned to do. Someone took her against her will. That much was pretty clear. He just had to figure out what the person did. If the kidnapper had a car, he would have had to lift…or even drag her, kicking and screaming into it. She would have struggled but it’s possible she wasn’t conscious. Someone who planned to take a woman by force would have used a car. He wouldn’t have risked carrying her.

She could be anywhere.

But still he had a feeling she was somewhere in this town.

This wasn’t his job. He wasn’t trained for it. Lando was honest enough to admit he didn’t know what he was doing. The police would be better at this task. Still, he couldn’t give up now.

He simply couldn’t.