The Difference a Day Makes (Perfect, Indiana: Book Two) (31 page)

Ryan took the wad of papers from her hand and tossed them into the truck. “Whoa, there, Ms. Bossy Pants. Take a breath.”

She didn’t know what to do with herself or how to act. They hadn’t spent any time alone with each other since the night she’d helped him through his crisis. Her nerves hopped all over the place at the thought of spending the entire weekend with him. “Fine. I’ll get the cooler.” She turned on her heel and started for the veranda.

Ryan caught her by the shoulders and brought her around, his eyes glinting with humor. He drew her in and kissed her. “Relax, sweetheart. It’s just me.” Guiding her to his truck, he helped her in. “I’ll get the cooler.”

His new haircut made him look more mature and devastatingly handsome. The absence of all that hair emphasized his adorable dimples, crooked smile, and brilliant blue eyes. Throw in the Stetson, his cowboy boots, faded jeans, and the snug T-shirt clinging to his lean frame, and the backseat of his sexy new truck was starting to look like a place she wanted to visit. Soon. Yes, indeed. She’d turned into a sex-crazed animal, and it was all his fault.

He hefted the plastic cooler into the back and climbed into the driver’s seat. The engine hummed to life, and he started down the drive. “So you like my truck, huh?” He glanced at her as he shifted into second gear. “You don’t have to worry about breakdowns anymore.”

Had he bought it just to put her mind at ease? Her heart turned over, exposing another tender spot he’d managed to touch. “I love the truck. It looks really good on you, but you have to admit you’ve been dissing my car ever since I got here. I couldn’t very well gush all over your pickup with my Mini parked nearby. It would’ve been disloyal. By the way, my car is an excellent ride.”

“The truck looks good on me?” He shot her a lopsided, little boy grin.

“Like the Stetson.” She smiled back. “You wear them both well, cowboy.”

“That’s good. I’m glad you think so.”

His blue eyes filled with heat, and her insides warmed all the way through. Only Ryan affected her this way. A single look from him, and out-of-control lust spiraled through her. “I love
the leather interior.” She darted a glance at him and ran her hand over the side of his seat so she almost touched him. “Especially in the back.” He made a deep purring sound, and a shiver of pleasure traipsed down her spine.

“I’m so glad you like it, darlin’. I have plans for that backseat, and I’m going to need your help.”

Gah!
Her brain turned to mush, and she had to fight the urge to turn his air-conditioning on. “Oh, yeah?”
Oh. Yeah. Geez, is that the best you can do?
Under the circumstances, yes. Those two words were all she could manage.

They pulled into his parking spot.

“I’m all for leaving at ten, if not earlier.” He winked.

Oh, man. She really loved when he did that.

“Ted and I are working on specs for an entertainment center I’ve designed to go along with the coffee table. It shouldn’t take too long to finish. What do you have left to do before the sample sale next week?”

“Everything is set. I’m going to update the website and social media this morning and then research a few more outlets for future ads.” She climbed out of the truck. “Come get me when you’re ready.”

His eyes smoldered into hers. “I’m ready right now, Paige.”

Lord, so am I.
He caught her looking at the fly of his jeans, and she stumbled on the uneven pavement leading to the door. “Stop it.”

“Stop what, sweetheart?”

“Stop looking like you do, and stop being so damned”—her gaze drifted to the bulge in his jeans again—“ready.” She straightened her posture and headed into the building. Thoughts of what they could do in the backseat danced through her mind. The two of them naked and sweaty, with her on top…Ryan’s laughter made her knees go weak.

Ted stood at his workstation with a partially assembled crib before him and wood glue in his hand. He raised his head when they entered, looked between them, and shook his head. “Morning, Ted.” Ryan gestured toward the crib. “Are you going to have time to work on the specs before we leave?”

“Probably not. This crib, an armoire, and a changing table all have to be shipped on Monday, along with a couple of orders Noah is working on.” He bent back to his task. “Once we have everything crated, we can spend the rest of Monday working on the new projects.” Ted spared her a glance. “There’s a check on the counter in the front. It’s your first paycheck, including the commission for the stuff you sold.”

A thrill bubbled up. “My very first commission check from L&L,” she crowed. “I’ll have some spending money for the weekend.”

“Good.” Ryan cocked an eyebrow. “You can help with gas.”

“And…There it goes.” She shrugged. “Are you sure you don’t want to take my Mini? It costs under thirty dollars to fill her up.”

“Hmmm. Not much of a backseat, though, is there?” He shot her a hot look.

“There is that.” She sighed. “The truck it is, and I’ll kiss my spending money good-bye.”

“Jeez, you two.” Ted grumbled. “Take it somewhere else. I’m trying to get some work done here.”

Her face flamed, and she squelched the laugh that wanted to burst out. “Right. Let’s get to work.” One more sneak peek at Ryan, and she headed to the kitchen area to make a fresh pot of coffee. She wanted the good stuff this morning. After all, her first official paycheck was cause for celebration. She hummed one of her favorite songs while she got the coffee going.

“I like the sound of that, darlin’.”

Ryan’s voice startled her, and she looked at him over her shoulder. “What are you talking about?”

“You were humming.” He reached around her for a mug. “It does my heart good to see you happy.”

“Maybe I’ll hum all the way to Pennsylvania,” she teased. “By the time we hit Ohio, it’ll drive you nuts.”

“Oh, I’ll make sure you hum, darlin’.” He put his arm around her waist and pulled her against his chest. “You can count on that, and you already drive me nuts.”

“I’m still here,” Ted called from the back. “And I still don’t want to listen to that shit.”

“Sorry.” Paige laughed and left Ryan waiting for the coffeepot to fill. Deep satisfaction filled her as she entered the storefront. Splashes of color drew the eye to each nursery suite. The unmistakable hallmark of excellence branded each piece of handcrafted furniture. L&L really was an amazing enterprise. Pride in what the three men were building here in this small town swelled in her chest.

The challenge would be managing growth while maintaining their commitment to artisanship. It could be done, but it would take finesse and the right person. A twinge of regret stole her breath. Someone else would have that pleasure.

Shrugging off the twinge, she booted up her computer and went to their website to check for orders and perform updates. No doubt about it, Ryan’s new line would expand their market exponentially. How would they handle the increase in orders with just the three of them? She had some ideas, and if she did somehow manage to get the John Deere job, she’d share them with the guys before she left.

Hopping off her stool, Paige went to the printer to pick up the new orders and brought them to the in-basket nailed to the
wall in production. She arranged them by date so that the first order placed would be the first order filled. “New orders,” she announced.

“Great. Thanks.” Ted straightened. “You two can go. I know you’re both chomping at the bit.”

Ryan shut off his computer, put his drafting tools and sketch pad away, and stood by the back doors. “You don’t have to twist my arm.”

“I’ll go shut the front down.” Paige hurried to the storefront, stopping to fill a cup with the good coffee first. One more look around, and she shut off her desktop, grabbed her purse, and walked toward the back door. She’d never been quite this excited about a long drive before.

At some point, she had to tell Ryan about her upcoming interview with John Deere, but not right now. Not while everything felt so right between them. “Road trip.” She grinned as she climbed into his truck and set her coffee in the holder. “Are you going to let me drive some of the way?”

“Do you know how to operate a stick shift?” Ryan backed out of his space and drove down the alley.

“No, but it can’t be too hard.”

He grunted. “When we get back, I’ll teach you on a back road. Once I’m confident you can handle it, I’ll let you drive my truck.” He shot her a grin. “I’ll do the driving for now.”

“Fair enough.” She picked up the Google map. “I’ll navigate.”

“When it gets close to lunchtime, keep your eye out for signs pointing to a state or regional park.” He pulled onto the highway and shifted into fourth, the muscles in his forearm rippling with his movements. “We can have a picnic—and check out that backseat.”

Images of their tangled, naked bodies writhing together in his backseat sent scorching heat through her. Time to steer the
conversation in another direction, at least until they were safely parked. “How did your first session go with Dr. Bernard?”

“It was difficult, but good. He’s a veteran of hard combat himself—a marine. That helps.”

Paige studied him, reaching out and running her hand over his shoulder. “You sure have gone through some changes lately. Remember the night I burst into your apartment?”

“How could I forget?” He waggled his eyebrows. “You couldn’t keep your eyes off me.”

“It’s not every night a girl smacks into a naked man like that.” She laughed. “I didn’t know what to think. You looked like a wild homeless guy with a gun, and look at you now. Clean-shaven, a great haircut, and you’re making a huge difference at L&L.” Her breath caught. “Seeing you so happy does my heart good too, Ryan.”

He reached for her hand, and his Adam’s apple bobbed. She twined her fingers with his and held on. “I’ve got a ways to go, Paige. A long ways to go.”

“It’s funny, isn’t it?”

“What is?”

“The difference a day can make in a person’s life.” She continued to study the changes she saw in him. “If Noah hadn’t made that call, you’d still be in Texas with your wild hair and beard, drinking and playing a game of chance with your life. If I hadn’t handed Anthony the Meyer’s bid that day, I wouldn’t have been fired. We wouldn’t have met when we did.”

“Speaking of Anthony, would you like to pay him a visit on this trip?” He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, his mouth set in a straight line. “I’d like to have a few words with the creep.”

“No. I’m equally to blame for what happened.” Paige shook her head. “What goes around comes around. Eventually, he’ll
run into someone who will play him the way he played me.” She blew out a breath. “Besides, I understand why he did what he did. I got
his
office with the window, and I was handed the Meyer account—because of my dad, not because I earned it. Anthony resented me.”

“All right. If that’s the way you feel, I’ll let it go. But, Paige, Anthony was just one guy. Can you imagine the resentment you’d face at Langford Plumbing Supplies? Is it possible your dad won’t hand it over because he wants to protect you?”

“Of course it’s possible,” she snapped. “In fact, I’m sure you’re right. That’s why I need to toughen up at some other company first.”

“That’s what you want?” He scrutinized her for a few seconds. “You want to ‘toughen up,’ become hard, cynical, and distrustful, for the sake of LPS?”

“Yes.” She moved her hand away from his and fiddled with their driving directions. “Do we have to talk about this?”

“Nope.” He put both hands on the wheel. “We don’t. I hope you know I just want you to be happy.”

“Same here.” Her attention shifted to the road ahead of them. “Our exit is coming up. We want Interstate 70 east.”

For the next couple of hours, she napped, listened to music, and daydreamed. The ride of silence had gone on for far too long, and she ached for the easy, relaxed way they’d interacted before. “It’s getting close to noon. I’m hungry.”
Hungry for you
. Starving for the closeness they’d shared earlier.

“I could eat. Start looking for a park.”

“We should’ve brought an atlas.” She searched the highway for signs pointing to a park.

“There’s an atlas under your seat.” Ryan reached over and popped the glove compartment open. “I stashed a few maps in
here too. I bought one for each state we’re driving through. You won’t find what we’re looking for in the atlas.”

“You thought of everything.” She accepted the map he handed her. “Where are we? I haven’t been paying any attention.”

“We’re on I-70, just inside Ohio.”

Paige opened the map and started searching. “You’re going to have to get off the interstate at Highway 503 and head south. There’s a regional park on the Twin River.” She peered out the windshield. “We didn’t pass it already, did we?”

“I don’t recall seeing 503. We just crossed the border.”

“It’s about fifteen miles from the state line.”

“Paige…” His tone was hesitant, unsure.

“I know. I’m sorry. I get defensive when it comes to the whole LPS thing. Can’t we just forget about that for the weekend?” She bit her lower lip. “We were having such a great time until the subject came up.”

The smile he turned her way melted her heart. “I was going to say the same thing.”

“Good. It’s a deal.” She glanced at him. “Besides, we have that backseat to check out, and I know exactly how we’re going to do it.”

He laughed and reached for her hand. “Been givin’ it a lot of thought, have you?”

“Maybe a little.” She grinned. “Like, since you brought the truck home.”

“Sweet. There’s the sign for 503.”

They almost missed the park. Tree branches obscured the small wooden sign. Ryan turned on the gravel road. The park consisted of a handful of picnic tables, a concrete outhouse-style restroom with a padlock on the doors and sign that said it would open on Memorial Day, a few trash cans, and an old swing set.
A small river rushed by, and the leaf buds on the trees were just beginning to open in the early-April warmth. She and Ryan were the only two there, although, if the beer cans littering the ground around the trash cans were any indication, this was the place to be if you were a teenager looking for a party.