Katiesmiled. “I don’t mind a bit. It’s refreshing after working in corporateoffices.”
An hourlater, Paige had hired a new assistant ready to start in a week.
As shedid a little happy dance down the hallway, her phone sang out another“a-weema-weh.” Checking the screen, she hesitated a beat before answering. Ineed to give her a distinct ringtone. “Hi, Mom.” Just get it over with.
“Hi,Paige, honey.”
“Whereare you?”
“Stillin Florida.”
“But Ithought … Aren’t you coming for Grandma’s birthday?”
“Ichanged my mind.” Her mother pulled in sucking, stuttering breaths.
“Mom,are you smoking pot?”
“No,”Mom squeaked, sounding as though she were holding her breath. A large exhale,and then, “It’s just a cigarette.”
Yeah,right. “Soyou’re calling to tell me you’re not coming?” Just like every other year.
“Idon’t understand why you traipse to her grave with flowers and balloons anyway.It’s not like she can see you or anything, and it’s so damn morbid.”
Paigedropped her forehead into her hand and rubbed. Hard. It never changes. “Sowhat came up?” This time?
“Alast-minute business trip came up.”
“Business?You work at Circle K.”
Anotherlong drag. “Don’t be snotty, Paige. I’m looking into some new opportunities,and this is the only time I can get away.”
Iwonder what his name is? Not.
“Whatabout your man? He’ll go with you,” Mom harped.
“Hisname is Adrian, Mom, and he’s my husband, not ‘my man.’” Paige let out aresigned sigh. “He can’t go with me because he’s in Europe on business.” Realbusiness.
“Idon’t know how you do it, with him gone all the time.”
“He’snot gone all the time, Mom.” Only most of the time. “Besides, it’s hisjob. It’s what international developers do.” Paige rolled her eyes. Why do Ifeel like I have to defend him, to her of all people? It’s not like sheraised me. “Look, Mom, I’ve got to get going. Good luck with your … ah,opportunities.”
“Huh?Oh. You too.”
Paigeplopped into a chair, her limbs too leaden to continue her happy dance. For notthe first time, she was thankful she was nothing like her mother except for aphysical resemblance, sharing her auburn hair, green eyes, and petite stature.But where her mother had treated bed-hopping like an Olympic sport—to the pointwhere she claimed not to know who’d fathered Paige—Paige had fallen for asolid, dependable, mature man. Sometimes she still puzzled over why AdrianPaulson had married her, unworldly small-town Paige Anderson, but shecounted her blessings that he had. He was serious, bordering on starchy, butonly because he was a man of integrity who took responsibility earnestly; hesuffered no fools. Adrian was everything she’d expected from someone twelveyears her senior.
Hermind jumped to her father. What did he look like? Did Paige get her dimple fromhim? What would it be like to call someone “Dad”? She played her name-guessinggame. Was he a Mike? Ian? Fernando? She pictured a devilishly handsome rogue. Doeshe even know I exist?
“GirlsJust Want to Have Fun” snapped her from her reverie, and she swiped her phone,her heart a few ounces lighter. “Gwenn!”
“Hey,hey, girlfriend. You ready? I’m a block away.”
“God,yes. I am so ready,” Paige laughed, grabbing her purse and coat. Severalminutes later, she was crawling into Gwenn’s passenger seat and hugging herneck.
Aftershe’d settled in, she glanced at her best friend’s profile. Gwenn had changedlittle in the twelve years Paige had known her. Short, curly blond hair formeda soft halo around Gwenn’s impish face, setting off her glittering dark blueeyes. They’d first met freshman year at the University of Denver when they’dshared a dorm room, and though their personalities were at opposite ends of thespectrum—Gwenn the exuberant extrovert to Paige’s quiet introvert—they’d beeninseparable since.
“I’mglad Henry and the kids were willing to let you go for a few hours to spendtime with me.”
“Well, AuntiePaige gets a lot of leeway in our house. Besides, it’s for a good cause, right?One last visit to the Wildlife Sanctuary before I move to Seattle.”
“It’shard to believe how quickly that’s coming up. I’m glad Henry got the job withthe super-swanky architectural firm, but did it have to be so far away?”
“Iknow, though I gotta say I’m looking forward to the bigger paychecks.”
As theydrove, the cityscape’s hard angles gave way to a patchwork of farmland, a quiltof browns and golds. Forty-five minutes later, they pulled into the WildlifeAnimal Sanctuary’s parking lot.
Gwennstared out the windshield. “God, Paige. It just keeps growing. How long sinceyou’ve been here?”
“Months.I’ve been too busy with work to volunteer like I used to. But at least mycompany’s bringing in enough now that I can afford to pay for Tyrone’s upkeep.”
Gwennlaughed. “I remember when that mangy critter first arrived. You wouldn’t stopbabying him.”
Paigenodded. “Poor little guy. I cringe every time I think how pathetic he was whenthey first rescued him.” Picturing Tyrone, her majestic Bengal tiger, shotwarmth through her. Like the other exotics housed here, he lived at thesanctuary twenty-four-seven, and yet she felt he was hers, her tame tiger—ifsuch a beast could truly be tame. “He’s still my favorite passion.”
As theyheaded to check in, Gwenn snorted. “More than the other ‘passion’ you picked uphere? I’ll never forget how your eyes bugged out when Adrian spoke to you atthe fundraiser we were working.”
“Theydidn’t bug out,” Paige protested.
“Okay.Bulged. Remember what you told me?” Gwenn lifted interlaced fingers to her chinand fluttered her eyelashes. “‘Oh, Gwenn, I just met the perfect man.’ Then youcalled him Mr. Tall, Dark, and Yummy.”
Adrianhad bowled Paige over that day with his amber eyes, with his intelligence, witha laugh as smooth as bourbon cream sauce and just as decadent. The fact he’dcarried self-confidence well on his muscular six-foot frame hadn’t hurt either.That he had even looked Paige’s way had blinded her like a sign flashing “Yes!”She’d been rendered brain-impaired and tongue-tied. There’d been no turning herheart back.
Sheambled along the walkway beside Gwenn, and they paused to watch the bears romp.“We’ve been married three years now, Gwenn, and sometimes I still wonder whathe saw in me, why he married me.”
“You’rekidding, right? Seriously, Paige, Adrian’s the
