Home Sweet Home (Sweet, Tx. Book 4.5) (Contemporary Romance Novella) Read online

  “Probably matches what’s inside my head,” Aiden verified.

  “Oh?” A scraggly gray brow lifted, and a smile broke across Chester’s wrinkled lips. “So you’re saying the lovely Paige is up for grabs?”

  “That would be up to her.” Aiden chuckled. “Although I have to warn you that if she takes offense to your grabbing, she’s got a hell of a right hook.”

  “No worries.” Chester gave a confident nod and a wink. “I got the gift.”

  “Care to let us fledglings in on the gift?”

  “Ain’t giving my secrets away. Don’t need the competition.” Chester sipped his coffee and grinned like he alone held the key to Fort Knox. “Those Wilder brothers give me enough trouble as it is. Don’t need the added pressure from the likes of you.”

  “Not even a hint?”

  “Okay. Maybe just one.” The old man sighed. “Ya got to sweet-talk ’em. Make all them pretty promises they want to hear.”

  “That’s the secret?”

  “Yep. One of ’em. Use that, and I guarantee they’ll drop their lacy underthings faster than you can say yippee-ki-yay.”

  Aiden sipped the water Paige had set down in front of him so he didn’t bark out a laugh at Chester’s excessive confidence. Trouble was, even though he might want to sweet-talk the lovely Paige out of her lacy underthings, that’s not what he’d come here to do. And that blew higher than any mortar he’d ever seen hit the sands of Afghanistan.

  AFTER SEVERAL HOURS of hearty conversation with those who lingered at Bud’s Diner long after the lunch crowd had dispersed and a warm slice of apple crumb pie à la mode, Aiden and his full stomach leaned back in the chair. On a normal day, he would have taken off as soon as he was done eating. Instead, while he waited for Paige to finish up her shift, he listened intently to Hazel and Ray Calhoun excitedly describe how the senior center had contacted a new TV makeover show to put a fresh face on their small town to increase tourism.

  Aiden couldn’t imagine why Hollywood would ever come this far south. It only mattered that the folks in this town and other small towns across America cared enough to try to make things better. These hardworking, generous-hearted people were the reason he, Billy, and Bobby had enlisted.

  In the midst of Hazel’s describing the TV show’s designer host, a dainty hand with clean, short nails settled over his shoulder. He looked up into the blue eyes he’d dreamed of on many a lonely night, and a sudden jolt struck him hard in the center of his chest.

  Paige had always had a way of doing that to him.

  Even now, when he knew the heart had been ripped out of him, and he had nothing left to give.

  “If y’all are done monopolizing the lieutenant’s time,” Paige said in a teasing drawl, “I’d like to borrow him for a bit.”

  “Oh pooh.” Gertie West wrinkled up her nose. “We were just getting to the good stuff.”

  Aiden glanced out the front window, where the sun hung low in the sky. As much as he’d like to, he couldn’t put off the conversation he and Paige needed to have any longer. It would be unfair to her and selfish of him.

  “My apologies.” He stood and pushed the chair back. “I really do need to get going.”

  “You come back tomorrow, young man, and we’ll buy you another slice of that apple pie,” Ray Calhoun said. “We want to hear all about your adventures.”

  Adventures.

  Not exactly what he’d call them. Wasn’t likely he’d discuss them either. Especially when he was trying so hard to forget them. He gave the afternoon diners at the table a nod and turned toward Paige.

  “Come with me.” She smiled wide enough to flash her pretty white teeth. “I have something I want to show you.”

  “Your car or mine?”

  She slipped her hand into his and tugged him toward the door. “How about, for old time’s sake, we take your truck?”

  The warmth of her palm sent a tingle down into his chest, and a sensual flood of memories he thought he’d buried long ago popped up fresh like a spring daisy.

  “Sun’s still shining.” Thinking back to all those hot summer nights they’d drove his truck out into the hills and he’d reveled in Paige’s youthful abandon, he smiled and gave her hand a squeeze. “I think the population of Sweet might take offense to your whipping off that T-shirt for old time’s sake.”

  “Wouldn’t be my first offense.” Her grin told him she was thinking about those crazy summer nights a long time ago when she had let go of her inhibitions and he’d been right there to appreciate the loss. “Come on. We’re wasting daylight.”

  As she tugged him through the gravel parking lot, he watched the way her hips swayed. Nothing outrageously obvious. Just a smooth motion that belied the passion lit deep in her core.

  He’d almost forgotten all the little idiosyncrasies she possessed. Like the way she lifted her arms toward the moon when she was on top of him, giving him the best sex of his life. Or the way she’d snuggle right against his side and drape her smooth leg over his hips. Or even the way she’d reach for him in her sleep, then sigh when she found him.

  He’d carried those memories with him through boot camp. Through extensive Ranger training. Through numerous deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan.

  Then, one day, everything around him exploded.

  Normal existence had stopped.

  And the memories perished.

  After that, he hadn’t allowed himself to think of the things that had made him happy. He didn’t deserve to be happy. Not when those closest to him—those he was supposed to protect—were no longer able to have happy thoughts.

  Without hesitation, Paige climbed up into his truck and slid right to the middle, where she’d always sat. When he moved onto the seat beside her, she grinned like someone had just handed her a present. His hand paused on the key in the ignition.

  How the hell could he even consider breaking her heart?

  He didn’t want to.

  But for her own good, it had to be done.

  Chapter Three

  PAIGE TRIED TO remain positive though Aiden’s smile had once again disappeared. She knew the hell he’d been through from the stories his brother Ben had relayed. She knew losing his two best friends had forever changed him. Those three boys had been attached at the hip since elementary school. They’d busted cows, busted heads, and busted a few bones together in the course of becoming men. And all the while, she had admired them for their loyalty to each other.

  The war had changed things.

  Time had passed and become like a long, desolate stretch of road between her and Aiden. She couldn’t expect they’d just pick up where they’d left off—even though that was her wish. From the moment she’d heard the news that his duty had been served, and he intended to leave the military, she’d made a vow that no matter what, she’d keep a smile on her face.

  For both of them.

  She didn’t know what he had planned moving forward, but she’d see him through whatever demons he had to face. Because no matter how much time had passed or what tragedies had occurred, there had never been a doubt that she loved him with her whole heart.

  And nothing could ever take that away.

  While Keith Urban sang about days going by, she leaned forward and turned up the radio. “Hang a right on Dandelion Street.”

  Aiden turned his head and looked at her with those deep brown eyes that made her think of the many wonderful nights she’d spent with him looking down at her while their bodies spoke the oldest language in the universe. “You moved?”

  She nodded as the truck rambled down her street. “A little over a year ago.”

  “You still have Cricket?” he asked of the border collie mix she’d rescued from the shelter.

  “Of course. She’s still got a good amount of crazy going on, but age seems to have settled her down a bit.”

  “Happens to the best of us, I guess.”

  “Pull in there.” She pointed toward the long gravel driveway that invited visitor
s up to a gingerbread Victorian that sat behind a white picket fence. Lately, she’d been doing research on restoring the painted lady to its former grandeur. Unfortunately, the amount of work to be done stole her breath. Even if she worked day and night, she might never get it all done by herself.

  Aiden ducked his head to get a better look through the windshield. “Isn’t this your aunt Bertie’s place?”

  “Was.” She reached down and grabbed her purse from the floorboard. “Aunt Bertie developed dementia, and we had to put her in assisted care. She needed the money, so I bought the place. Come on. I’ll show you around.”

  “You bought this?” He got out of the truck and looked up at the large two-story house. “On a waitress’s salary?”

  “Shocking isn’t it?” While he stood there gawking, she walked around the front of the truck, took his hand, and led him toward the front door.

  “Actually,” she said, “I bought it on the salary I make at Bud’s, plus the money I make doing taxes and accounting for a few local businesses. I make money from the apple orchard too.”

  “Taxes?”

  “Oooh.” She laughed at the sudden wrinkle between his eyes. “You look so surprised. I like that.”

  “Definitely surprised. I remember your skipping out on geometry class more than once because you never liked math.”

  “That was before I realized its benefits.” She turned the key in the lock and pushed the door open. “I completed my bachelor’s via the Internet,” she explained. “I’m now the proud owner of a business administration degree. Got a gold tassel and everything.”

  “You’ve been busy.” He stepped inside the foyer, gave a slow whistle, and rocked back on the heels of his worn cowboy boots. “You’re a very impressive woman, Paige Walker.”

  “I know.” The praise made her smile. “But you’d better be careful because I have a whole bunch of impressive locked away that’s just been waiting to be unleashed.”

  A glimmer lit up his eyes, and hope warmed in her heart.

  He didn’t need to ask what she meant. He’d seen her impressive side before. Hopefully, he’d want to see it again.

  She reached out, took his hand, and gave him the nickel tour of Honey Hill—named after the honeycrisp apples that grew in the orchard back between the barn and the creek.

  The place was way more than she needed right now. But she had big plans. Always the optimist, she’d purchased the oversized home. With him in mind. But she’d wait to drop that little surprise. The man was edgy enough. No need to make him put on his running shoes.

  “Looks like neither you nor your sister mind putting in a lot of hard work,” he said.

  “Oh . . . you know. A girl’s got to have something to do to keep her out of trouble. Actually, Faith is the one who talked me into buying it. And not only to help out a relative.” Paige led him through the dining room and into the kitchen. “Over a bottle of chardonnay, she started tossing out ideas that sounded reasonable and appealing.”

  She chuckled. “That’s probably the last time I’ll listen to her when she’s been tipping a wineglass.”

  “What’s your sister up to these days?”

  “She’s back home in Sweet now. Gave up the medical career to become an entrepreneur. When our uncle Charles passed, he left his property to Faith. Since then, she’s put in a ton of work and turned that run-down cattle ranch into a guest ranch. She’s got it operating almost full-time now, with a pool, hot tub, and guesthouses.”

  “That is ambitious.”

  “I know. I hardly see her anymore. But she loves it. So she decided I should have the same love affair with Honey Hill.” She opened the refrigerator door. “Beer or sweet tea?”

  The look he passed her way her gave Paige the feeling he’d run, given the chance.

  Why, she wasn’t certain. She’d tried to be careful with what she said, and he should know by now she was the last person he needed to be cautious with. But from the moment he’d walked through the door at Bud’s, a look of hesitation had shadowed his eyes.

  Maybe he was still tired from the trip home. Or all the troubles poking at his brain. Or the weight of the losses he’d suffered. Maybe all he really needed was to sit back and relax a little. Kick his feet up and unwind. Or maybe all he really needed was a few hot hours between the sheets. Whatever he needed, she’d be happy to provide.

  “I shouldn’t have either.” He glanced at the door. “I should . . . probably go.”

  “Nonsense. You just got here.” Because he suddenly appeared even more uneasy, she made the decision for him. Reaching into the refrigerator, she grabbed a bottle of Shiner Bock Ale, popped the cap, and smiled as their fingers met over the cold amber glass as she handed him the bottle. “Besides, you look like you could use a friend. You hungry?”

  “After everything I ate at Bud’s, I shouldn’t think about eating for a week.”

  “But you’ve always had a healthy appetite.”

  “You get used to eating less when you’re in the military. And you learn to eat fast before some hungry guy snatches away your plate. Bobby used to do that all the time.” A wobbly smile tilted his lips, and a low chuckle rumbled in his chest. “He’d point and say something stupid like, ‘Look, there’s Mickey Mouse,’ and I’d fall for it every time. Next thing I knew, I’d be picking the crumbs from my plate so I didn’t starve.”

  He took a sip from the bottle, and Paige watched his throat work as he swallowed. She hoped in time he’d be able to remember the good times more. She hoped he’d think of his friends and be able to smile without its hurting so much. But she figured those days were a long way off. Right now, maybe being able to relax a little might be just the medicine he needed.

  When it came to Aiden, she’d give her all. Her best. Hopefully, in the end, he’d realize that she’d waited a very long time for him for a reason.

  They belonged together.

  No matter what life threw in their paths, they could make it through as long as they had each other.

  LATER, ON THE back veranda, Aiden lifted a chilled bottle of Shiner to his lips and drank. The beer tasted crisp and smooth. He hadn’t been treated to a home-state brew in a long time and was enjoying every single ounce. Paige’s gigantic backyard offered a phenomenal view of a lush landscape accented by rows and rows of apple trees laden with ripening fruit.

  Curled up at his feet lay Cricket, Paige’s brown-and-black border collie. While Paige had gone inside to throw together a meal for them to share, he and Cricket had played fetch with a slobbered-up tennis ball.

  A heaving sigh now lifted the dog’s broad chest. Apparently, he’d worn her out, as her breathing had become deep and even. Not a single brown eyebrow or white paw even twitched.

  On impulse, he reached down and combed his fingers through her soft fur. When she looked up at him with those deep brown trusting eyes, a fist grabbed hold of his heart and squeezed.

  He’d always thought of himself as a man who could handle anything. But lately, his losses refused to lessen their grip on his conscience. And that kept his heart in a constant state of misery.

  “Need a refill?” Paige came toward the wrought-iron patio set where he sat. Her hands balanced plates of plump, juicy pieces of barbecued chicken and a mountainous portion of potato salad.

  “Thanks.” He lifted the bottle. “I’m good.”

  She set the plates down, and the aroma wafted up and tickled his appetite. “I don’t suppose there were many beers to be found in the Middle East.”

  “Not really. Lots of sand to chew on, though.”

  She flashed a quick smile as she sat down opposite him and handed him a fork and knife. Earlier at Bud’s, he’d delved into a juicy Diablo burger and apple pie so sweet it zinged his teeth. Yet as the tangy honey flavor of Paige’s barbecue rolled across his tongue, he felt like a starving man.

  “Good thing I cooked last night.” She sipped from her wineglass. “Or this would be carrot sticks and Goldfish crackers.”

&n
bsp; “Didn’t you used to eat those all the time in high school?”

  “Yep. They even make them in rainbow colors now.” She grinned. “You can have a different color for every meal.”

  He laughed. “Only you could make a feast out of a baked cracker.”

  “I can make a meal out of chocolate chip cookies too. Speaking of, did you get the packages I sent?”

  “Yes. Thank you. I shared. Your oatmeal raisin cookies and the teriyaki jerky went over the best with the boys.”

  She took a bite of chicken, then looked up with a glimmer of mischief in her blue eyes. “Good thing I checked the guidelines before I sent those girly magazines.”

  “Yeah, totally against the rules.” He chuckled. “But definitely would have been appreciated. Especially when everything you see over there is camo or brown.”

  “Brown?”

  “Brown dirt. Brown sky. Brown sand. Brown structures.”

  “Ah. Sounds lovely.” She reached across the table and snagged a chicken leg from the enormous portion on his plate.

  “Hey. No fair stealing.”

  A grin flashed just before her teeth sank into the meat and tore off a chunk.

  “You think you can just pick up where you left off with swiping my food? You didn’t even wait this time till I wasn’t looking.”

  “You never minded sharing, and you know it.”

  She was right. Unlike other girls, Paige had never been shy about taking what she wanted. She’d never been shy about eating in front of him. She’d never been shy about snatching a fry from his plate or even a bite of his cheeseburger.

  To his delight, on many occasions over the years, she had, in fact, turned eating into an erotic adventure. And he hadn’t minded that at all.

  Her tongue darted out to lick away a smear of sauce from her top lip, and his body went on full alert. During his deployments, he’d fantasized about Paige. Her passion. The softness of her skin. The firmness of her breasts beneath his hands. The slick heat as he entered her body.