4
Paige
Are yousurethis looks okay?” I asked for what felt like the millionth time. Kyra had anticipated this time that she wouldn’t approve of my dresses and she had come over, already equipped with many of her own. My heeled boots sank into the snow as we walked up the path toward the back door of the inn. Even though I lived next door, my home was set a little farther back on the lakeshore, and it didn’t make a whole lot of sense to walk all the way around to the frontdoor.
“Oh, my God, you look amazing,” Kyra said. “Stop whining. I swear between you and Yvonne, I can’t believe my two best friends are suchtomboys.”
I snorted. “Ican’t believe my best friend is such a girliegirl.”
She stuck her tongue out at me. “Schoolmarm.”
“Minx,” I called back, only in these black leather boots she forced me into wearing, the heel caught on a stone in the path, buried beneath the snow and I fell face first, thankfully, catching myself on myhands.
I wasn’t sure what hurt more… my wrist or mypride.
“Are you okay?” A voice called from the distance and I heard the crunch of boots on snow as the owner of the voice came running toward us. Before I could even pull myself up to my feet, he had a hand on my elbow, helping meup.
Pride, definitelypride.
When I looked into his eyes, I gasped.Taylor. I actually freaking gasped like I was seventeen all over again and he had chased me out of the dressing room, threading his hand up into the back of my hair and pressing me against the lockers.“Surprise kissesdon’t count,”he said.“At least give me a chance to kiss you back.” Then, he slanted his mouth over mine in a kiss so potent… so real, that I still sometimes felt those full lips on mine in mydreams.
“Paige,” he whispered, taking me in. I wet my lips, my stocking clad knees now damp with snow. Up close and personal, he hadn’t changed a bit. He was still handsome as ever, except now there were tiny lines against his forehead and around his eyes that made him look less boyish and more rugged. Dang, he looked good, even better up close. My stomach squeezed being this close to him and his hand, still resting on my elbow moved in slowcircles.
I blinked and a snowflake flicked off the edge of my eyelashes, drifting to the crest of my cheek. “You’re back,” I whispered. Glancing down, I saw a whiskey glass in his hand, almost empty, and there was a faint smell of alcohol clinging to him like a cheap drugstore cologne. “And you’re drunk,” I added.Yep, hadn’t changed abit.
“Not yet,” he said, blowing out a tight breath through parted lips. “But I plan to be verysoon.”
Crap. Had he seen Scott already? Not even 24 hours here and he was already acting like he utterly regretted showing his face in MapleGrove.
“Hey,” he said, his voice turning more tender. “I’m sorry about your mother.” He lifted a hand and brushed a fallen piece of hair out of my face and I shivered, remembering how he did the exact same thing after our kiss twelve yearsago.
“No, you’re not,” I whispered, my gaze dipping to the ground. “You hatedher.”
“I—” his voice broke and he paused, swirling the whiskey in his hand. “Your mom was always at work… we barely saw her.” I glared at him from beneath my overly mascara’d lashes. With a sigh, he added, “And I was angry and hurt. But I never wished for anything so terrible to happen to her.” Then he added, after a pause, “Or toyou.”
“What about Scott?” I asked in a moment ofbravery.
Taylor visibly stiffened at the mention of my brother’s name. “Believe it or not, I don’t want terrible things for Scott either. I know what it’s like to lose a mother,” he said, remindingme.
He lost his mom, too… but it wasn’t the same. “Your mother was loved by this town. They worshipped her. My mom was branded as the townwhore.”
He winced and I was certain it was because he knew it was true. Everyone knew. And it was because of his dad. His dad may have been the one who had the affair, butmymom was the one who paid for it. I tugged my elbow free from hishold.
“I’m not saying it’s thesame,” he said. I had to hand it to him. He was at least trying. “I’m just saying that I know how it feels to lose your mom soyoung.”
Even though it had been a few years, my throat burned. Some people claimed Maple Grove was a place people came to fall in love and find happiness. Well, I didn’t know what Maple Grove they were looking at, because everywhere I looked, I saw people dying in this dang town. My mom, Taylor’s mom, the Tripp’s dad, Cam’s first wife. Some might see it as a town of happily-ever-afters, but I saw it as a town ofgoodbyes.
“I know,” I said. I didn’t mean for this to be so confrontational. I actually had thought he would just ignore me allnight.
Behind us, Kyra cleared her throat. “Any chance we could continue thisinsideat the party? I’m freezing my tits off outhere.”
Taylor blinked, glancing at Kyra as though seeing her for the first time. His gaze slid back to me and down my body. I shivered, knowing it had nothing to do with the permeating cold and everything to do with how his eyes paused over my legs, covered only in sheer black pantyhose and leather miniskirt. The rest of my outfit was covered by the big, puffy coat Iwore.
“I hope you didn’t have to walk far in those,” he said, tilting his chin to my feet and offered us each an elbow. Normally, I wouldn’t have taken his arm, but honestly? I was like a baby gazelle learning how to walk in these boots; I could use all the help I couldget.
We made our way toward the back porch and up the stairs. Kyra bee-lined it inside to the bar, not even waiting for us to join her. I, on the other hand, paused by the fire pit, warming my hands against theflames.
Taylor sidled up beside me, draining what was left of his whiskey and setting his empty glass down on the Adirondack chair beside another empty pint glass. He shoved his hands into his pockets. Against the orange glow of the fire, he looked even more handsome than on TV in all those interviews. His bright blue eyes contrasted against the orange fire and his skin glowed warm andluminescent.
