Page 91 of Take Me Away, Cowboy

“You don’t even have a job yet. Jesus, Paige. What is so damn wrong with this place you can’t wait to get out of here?”

“You know it’s not that simple.”

Wasn’t it, though? Hadn’t all the signs been pointing to Owen, to Banberry, to practicing here? Why was she still pushing him away? She couldn’t stop herself though, couldn’t help the way she pulled away from him, fear driving a wedge between what she wanted more than anything and what pulled her away.

“You can’t stay for her, for me, but what aboutyou? Aren’t you working in Butte, too? That’s what Brad said.”

“For one case, Owen. One case where a family needs me.”

“There are so many who need you, Paige. Not just me,” he added when her eyes narrowed at him. “Let’s forget about me for a minute. Don’t you see that you can do so much good here? Do you think it’s a coincidence that a place opened up for a pediatrician at the same time you came home and got hurt? That Aurelie working here is a sign? That maybe, justmaybe, you’re missing something?” Paige opened her mouth to reply, but nothing came out. Hot tears stung her eyes, but pushed them back. “Everyone around you is showing you why you should give this place a shot, and you won’t listen. Why, Paige? What the hell are you running from?”

She couldn’t answer because the truth was, she didn’t know. She fought against staying in Banberry with a force that surprised even her, but she’d never stopped to really ask herself what could be so bad with staying. Her pulse quickened, but Owen read her pause the wrong way.

“Fine,” he told her. “But I’m done chasing you, Paige Connors. Good luck out there.” He walked her to the door, all but shoved her out of it, slamming it shut behind her.

She wanted to knock, to talk to him about what he’d asked her, but instead she stood on his porch again, trembling as she’d been just moments before. This time, it wasn’t the cold from the settling autumn that bothered her.

It was the ice from Owen that chilled her to the bone, making her feel like she’d screwed up yet again. Why were all her apologies going to hell?

She walked back to her apartment hoping Aurelie had a tall glass poured for each of them.

It was time to get her advice about a few things.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Figuring It Out

There wasn’t abone in Owen’s body that wanted to drop off the pie pan to Paige. Well, there was one…

He kept telling the part of him that stood at attention when Paige walked by, or when he’d inhale her scent after she’d passed, that play time was over. It didn’t sit well with either of them, but hey, what was he supposed to do about it?

She’d made her choice.

It had been a week since he’d finished the dessert, hating that he’d loved every bite. Paige’s mom was right—that woman knew key lime pie. He tried not to think about the fact that she knew him inside and out as well, a fact that no longer had any relevance in their lives.

He’d washed and dried the tin, put it on the small wooden table by his door that usually housed his keys and wallet, the remnants of the beer he could never finish when he sat on his porch at the end of the day. He’d try not to get distracted, look out over his property, survey a mental list of what still needed to be done before winter, which would catch up with him quick. Inevitably, though, he’d glance up at Paige’s window, wonder what she was doing as he saw shadows playing on her walls. It threw him off the idea of relaxing on the porch, soaking in the last of the mild weather.

Now, the tin remained the last thing he saw before he left for work on the property, before his errands in town, and the first thing he saw when he got home. And he didn’t see a tin that needed to be returned to his neighbor, no.

That would be too easy.

He saw Paige’s hard work, her delicate but strong hands juicing the limes, her taut arms rolling the grahams for the crust, a bead of sweat on her brow he’d have liked to lick off…

He shook his head. No, the pie tin needed to go back. Today, he told himself. Okay, well, later today, he argued back, as he grabbed his keys and sulked to his truck. He needed some things from the grocery store first.

The sun barely warmed his shoulders as he made the short walk from the truck to the store. When the automatic doors opened, a blast of even cooler air enveloped him and he bit down hard to avoid his teeth from chattering.

Some barbeque sauce, ribs, and beer. It was a simple list, if he could avoid other distractions.

Every time he went to Butte because their selection was better, he ended up leaving with freshly baked bread, cookies, and half the time some fried chicken for the drive back. Owen would be pissed at his inability to say no to the weaker parts of his desires, but he figured he’d earned some cookies and fried food. God knew he worked it off.

This time he hunkered down and stuck to the list. The only thing that made its way past his defenses was a bouquet of bright flowers for his dining room table. They reminded him of the flowers surrounding him and Paige on their horseback riding date. He put his head inside the cheap plastic binding the flowers together and inhaled deeply, recalling that specific picnic and what had happened in lieu of eating.

“She’ll love them,” a thick accent said behind him.

“Hey there, Aury. You caught me.” He smiled. He couldn’t help it—despite all that had happened between him and Paige, he still loved the company of her temporary roommate.

“When a man buys a woman flowers he’s either vying for her attentions or hiding his for someone else. Which is it, young Owen?” He laughed.

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