CHAPTER NINETEEN

Paige wasn’t sure she heard Brian correctly as she pushed back from him and looked him in the eye. “What?” she asked in a voice barely above a whisper.

“I said I love you.”


“Brian,” she whispered.


“You don’t have to say it if you don’t feel the same.”

Paige was conflicted because she wanted to tell Brian that she loved him too, but fear rendered her silent. If she said out loud that she loved him she was going to put her heart on display and open herself to being hurt. At least that what she thought.

“I don’t know what I feel,” she said as she stepped out of the shower and grabbed a towel.

Brian touched her shoulder. “I know my life seems like chaos, but you’re in here,” he said, pointing to his chest. “I didn’t want to fall for you. I tried like hell not to, but the first time I looked into your eyes, I knew I was in trouble.”

The moment she saw Brian, she’d known she wanted him, known he’d be a part of her life. But she hadn’t known she was going to love him. Wait a minute. Was she in love with Brian? Every time she saw him her heart skipped a beat. When he was in pain, she ached for him. And Mickey. That little boy had captured her heart. She’d never thought she would be comfortable dating a man with a child, but precocious little Mickey had burrowed his way into her heart. This had to be love. She was in love with Brian, with his son and with being in love. But she couldn’t tell him that she loved him. She couldn’t say it because she was scared. She wrapped her arms around his waist and Brian stroked her back. Paige pulled back from him and forced a smile. “We’d better get dressed if we’re going to have breakfast.”

He nodded, but she could tell he was a little disappointed that she didn’t say ‘I love you.’ But what if he hurt her? Brian grabbed his uniform from the floor in the bedroom.

“I’m going across the street. I’ll be back in about ten minutes,” he said.

“All right,” she answered.

When Brian left, Paige fell backwards on the bed, moaned and closed her eyes. Love. She was in love and she was loved. Yet she was more afraid than she had been at any other time in her life. How many great loves do people get in life? she wondered. Brian had already had one. What if he didn’t love her as deeply as he once loved Olivia?

Paige sat up. I’m just being stupid. I should just tell the man how I feel. What do I have to lose?

Brian felt like a fool as he dressed in his bedroom. Why had he opened his mouth? Paige wasn’t ready to hear a declaration of love. He’d jumped the gun, given her too much too fast. If she pushed him away, he wouldn’t blame her. But losing Paige would kill him. She was his calm in the middle of the storm that his life had become. Why would anyone want to play a role in this drama? Brian wondered as he pulled a white tank top over his head. He grabbed a pair of khaki shorts and put them on.

After he was dressed, Brian walked back to Paige’s house. When he tapped on the door lightly, Paige opened it as quickly as if she had been standing on the other side waiting for him.

“Before we leave, we should talk,” she said, holding the door wide open. Brian walked in and sat on the edge of the sofa.

“All right.” His stomach felt as if it were coated with ice as he watched Paige wring her hands.

“I’ve never been one to mince words. I always speak my mind, but sometimes, I can’t say things that I need to say,” she said. Then she stopped speaking and looked at him. Brian took her hand into his.

“I love you, but I’m scared, Brian. I’ve never truly been in love before and I don’t know if I’m going to do everything right, but—”

Brian cut her off with a searing kiss that made her swoon in his arms. Paige didn’t know it, but she had started his heart beating again. Brian had just known his feelings weren’t going to be reciprocated. He pulled back from her and looked at her with a smile in his eyes.

“Okay,” she said, still reeling from the kiss. “Maybe I needed to tell you I loved you sooner.”

“I thought I had scared you away this morning. My life is complicated as fuck right now and I wouldn’t blame you if you ran away.”

“Didn’t I tell you that I finish what I start? I’m in love with you and I’m not going let your ex-wife and her antics scare me away.”

Brian smiled. “This isn’t going to be easy.”


“I like a challenge,” she answered, running her tongue across her lips. Brian stood up and pulled Paige into his arms. “We’d better get out of here.”


They hopped into Brian’s truck and headed for Gabrielle’s to pick up Mickey. “I don’t know what I would do without my sister,” Brian said as they pulled into the driveway.

“I used to want a sister,” Paige said. “But we probably would have been too much alike and wouldn’t have gotten along at all.”

“Wow, you hard to get along with?” he sarcastically joked.

“Whatever,” she said. 


Brian and Paige hopped out of the truck and walked to the porch hand-in-hand. Gabrielle was standing at the door smiling. 


“What is this?” she said. 


“Good morning,” Brian kissed her on the cheek. “I came for my son. We’re going to breakfast.”


Gabrielle shook her head. “Why don’t I cook breakfast for us? Mickey’s in the bathtub.”


Brian glanced at Paige. “Is that cool with you?”

She nodded and then turned to Gabrielle. “But you have to let me help.”

Gabrielle looked taken aback. “You cook?”


“Yes. I love to cook.” She and Gabrielle headed for the kitchen. Brian headed down the hall to the bathroom to check on his son.

“Champ,” he said from the door. Mickey was sitting in the tub, shoulder deep in bubbles.

“Hey, Daddy!”

“Are you almost done? Miss Paige and Aunt Gabby are cooking breakfast for us,” Brian said.

“Okay, I’m almost done,” the little boy replied.

“Wash behind your ears,” Brian said as headed out of the bathroom. He walked into the room that Mickey stayed in when he was at Gabrielle’s house, which was their childhood home. He ran his hand across the blue plaid wallpaper. Gabrielle had redone every room in the house, except for this one. His old Barry Sanders poster was still on the wall. Brian smiled as he thought about his stress-free childhood. He hadn’t had any problems while he was growing up and he wanted to make sure Mickey grew up in the same manner. But things weren’t likely to be that way because Olivia was determined to make sure their son was caught in the middle of a custody battle. Brian shook his head sadly. The only thing he could do was make happy memories for his son and hope that they outweighed the bad times.

After Mickey was dressed and Brian had packed his bag, they headed for the kitchen to dine on a breakfast of crispy turkey bacon, fluffy eggs, fresh fruit, chocolate chip pancakes, and buttermilk biscuits.

“Miss Paige,” Mickey exclaimed when he saw her. He hugged her around her legs.

“Hey, sweetheart,” she said as she hugged him back. “I hope you’re hungry. I think Gabrielle and I went a little overboard.”

Brian looked at all of the food on the table. “I think you’re right,” he said as he took a seat.

“Well, it’s better than that anything you would’ve gotten in a restaurant,” Gabrielle said as she set a carafe of orange juice on the table. “Now, let’s eat. Brian, will you bless the table?”

Everyone bowed their heads and closed their eyes.

“Dear God, thank you for the blessings you have granted this family. Bless this food and the hands that prepared it. In Your name, we pray. Amen.”

“And bless mommy too,” Mickey blurted out.

Brian forced a smile. “Yes, bless Mommy too,” he said. “All right, let’s eat.”

After breakfast, Brian and Gabrielle cleaned up the kitchen while Paige helped Mickey make up his bed.

“The more I see you with her, the more I like her,” Gabrielle said as she slipped her hands into the soapy water.

“I’m so glad you approve of my life,” Brian said sarcastically.

Gabrielle flung suds on him. “You know what I’m saying,” she said. “Anyway, she’s genuine and after that last—”

“I told her that I love her,” Brian whispered.

Gabrielle dropped her dish in the water. “You love her? Oh, my God!”

Brian couldn’t help smiling. “I want her in my life for the long haul.”

Gabrielle looked at him. “Are you sure you’re not moving too fast? You just got out of a marriage. And Olivia’s taking you through hell with this custody case. You don’t want to bring a new relationship into this.”

“Let me worry about that,” Brian said. “I know what I’m doing.”

Gabrielle nodded. “I hope Olivia doesn’t throw a wrench into your love affair tomorrow at this custody hearing. But if you love Paige and she loves you, I’m happy.” She leaned over and hugged her brother tightly.

Paige pulled the blanket off the floor and folded it in half. “Do you have all of your toys packed away?” she asked.

Mickey nodded. “Thank you for helping me,” he said. 


“You’re welcome,” she said as she pinched his nose. 
 He looked up at her. “Will you be my second mommy?”


Paige’s heart melted like butter. “Well, you have a mommy, but I’ll be your friend. Anytime you want to talk or need someone to eat ice cream with, I’ll be there.”

Mickey smiled brightly. “Does that mean you’re going to come live with us? Then you can cook dinner for us every night and not just sometimes,” he said excitedly.

Paige smiled and stroked his head. “We’ll have to see about that. Come on, let’s watch TV with your aunt and your dad.”

Mickey nodded and bounded down the hall. Brian and Gabrielle were sitting on the sofa and when Mickey jumped in the center between them; Brian turned around and looked at Paige with a smile on his face. She wondered what it would be like if they were her family. She knew she and Gabrielle would probably butt heads every once in a while, but their love for Brian would overrule any bad feelings and Mickey was so precious. She could see herself and Brian at his bedside reading him a bedtime story before he fell asleep. And Brian. Every night with him would be as good as the first night they’d made love.

Stop thinking crazy, Brian isn’t getting married while all of this drama is going on in his life, she thought as she sat down in a plush chair next to the sofa. Just let nature take its course.