Not in Her Wildest Dreams(7)

"He's okay. How are things here?"

"Well, I'm sad to admit it's become a routine." Olinda pulled back, but  kept Paige's elbows in her big hands. "We all know our battle stations  and we're on them. It will be a relief to finally settle things. And  honestly?" She gave Paige's arms an extra squeeze. "As much as I hate to  see Grady leave, when I was cutting the check I realized that I might  actually get that money he owes me. So, you know, silver linings."

Paige's grip on her purse slipped. It hit the floor with a thump.

"What, um, what check?" she asked as she bent to retrieve her bag.

"For Grady's half, to buy him out. Walter asked me to prepare it this morning. That's why you're here, aren't you?"

"No. We haven't even-" negotiated, Paige almost said, but cut herself off as the receptionist returned to her desk.

"Walter will see you in a few minutes."

Paige gave a quick nod of acknowledgement and sat down with Olinda, side  by side, and leaned close so the receptionist wouldn't overhear. "I'm  not here to close the deal. I just wanted to talk to him about it."

Is that really what Walter had thought when she'd left her message?  She'd said she wanted to discuss things further, not sign off. Was  Walter just being his typical bullish self, pretending to take her  agreement for granted? Or was he really that arrogant he thought he  could name a figure and her father would sign?

"Paige, it's a real pain when Grady's not here," Olinda complained. "We  only have one signing officer. The customers hate talking to Walter.  Because Grady gives them whatever they want and he doesn't," she added  with a tuck of her chin.

"I need more information before I can advise Dad."

"But I could really use that money," Olinda insisted in a whisper.

And Paige couldn't help thinking Britta was worried about how she would  afford another child. Maybe she'd feel like she had more choices if she  knew she could count on Lyle's support payments. That meant Lyle needed  his job even more than ever.

"I can't let Dad sign just because it's easy," Paige argued.

Olinda played with her charm bracelet, one of them the round #1 Step-Mom  Paige had given her for Mother's Day before Olinda had left, furious  that Grady was cheating on her. "Is there any chance he'd sell the  house? Downsize?"

"Oh, shoot. I forgot to ask Britta about that." Paige touched her temple.

"What?" Olinda prompted.

Paige debated, not wanting to throw rocks at a hornet's nest, but,  "Rosie said this morning that she should be listed as part-owner of the  house."

Olinda made a choked noise and sat taller. "Where on earth would she get that idea?"

"From the screwdrivers she was drinking for breakfast? I don't know.  Apparently someone who got their law degree off Boston Legal reruns said  that given she and Dad lived together for more than six months, they're  common law. I have no idea. I'll ask Britta."

Olinda's bracelet gave a tinny rattle as she raised her hand to gesture  in frustration. "I sank my life savings into that house when I married  Grady."

"I know." The weight of endless responsibility pressed down on Paige,  but Olinda got her support check once a month, same as Paige's mom. "I  don't think he'll sell. Lyle won't leave unless it's in a pine box and  he's the one that's kept it standing-"

"Barely," Olinda interjected.

Maybe he didn't care about aesthetics, but Lyle fixed all the leaks and  kept the appliances running. Paige bit back saying so, only murmured,  "He deserves something. More than Rosie. She can get in line."

Behind their mother, she silently added. Connie was happy enough in the  apartment above the barber's, but it would be great if she could cut  back her housekeeping shifts at the motel.         

     



 

"You're in a position to give everyone the security your father should  have provided. Don't you want to do that?" Olinda pressed. "Make him  settle his affairs."

Paige had some influence over her father, but a lot less than anyone  realized. He was as likely to spend every red cent on ponies as let her  talk him into doing what she thought was right. At least having all his  money tied up in the factory had kept him from blowing it. She was  afraid of what he'd do if he had a lump sum in his bank account.

Paige rolled the ring she'd bought for her right hand because she missed  wearing her wedding rings, sighing, "Affairs." She was trying for  humor, attempting to cover the distress she felt. The pressure. "Could  there be a better circumstance for that word?"

"Thanks for waiting," a deep, compelling voice said.

She lifted her head and was snagged by the tractor-beam of Sterling's blue eyes.

~ * ~

Her robin's-egg colored overcoat was beaded with rain-or tears, if her  red eyes were anything to go by. Her cheek had blossomed with a definite  smudge of mauve where she'd taken that clip from Rosie yesterday.

A surge of protectiveness rose in him, disconcerting when he was trying  to keep a cool head and close this deal without sending it sideways.

"See me before you go." Olinda touched Paige's arm as she rose, waited for her nod and walked away on a clip of heels.

Paige stood and forced a distant smile. "I didn't realize you'd be here."

"I'm surprised to see you, too. Yesterday you made it sound unlikely. Can I take your coat?"

She hesitated, then nodded jerkily, turning her back, moving her purse  from hand to hand as she slipped out of the long raincoat and stepped  away.

Her pearl-gray skirt and short-sleeved top were knitted from something  that looked like cashmere, with swirly cables running from her shoulder  to the backs of her knees, hugging the contours of her body. She'd  neglected a button at the top of her spine and Sterling almost reached  to do it for her, wanting to linger in the subtle cloud of floral  warmth. He wanted to brush his knuckles along that line of shiny,  brunette hair that hung with such precision to midway down her nape,  wanted to feel how fine and soft it was.

She pivoted so the button was out of reach.

"You won't be sitting in, will you?" she asked as he forced himself to turn away and hang her coat.

Here came the tricky part. "I will."

She clutched her purse in two hands, her straight arms pressing her  breasts together a little, plumping them. Her hair fell forward in damp  spikes against her cheekbones, and as he studied her, she rolled her  ankle in her sassy laced boot.

"Why?"

"Because Dad's-" not attending to details. His father hadn't been the  least bit concerned by the unlocked door. It niggled at Sterling, making  him afraid to leave his father to his own devices with this deal. If it  went off the rails, Sterling would never forgive himself.

He couldn't tell Paige that, though. He held up his open palm.

"Dad's old school, does things on a handshake half the time. Business is  my business. I'll make sure all the T's are crossed and the I's  dotted."

"I'm a CPA. I don't let columns go unbalanced."

"You're an accountant?" She couldn't have surprised him more if she'd  said she was a librarian. He reflexively took a skim of her lithe figure  in that understated, yet dead sexy dress. She was way too hot to be an  accountant.

"What did you think I was?" Her brows pulled into a frown, warning him to beware how he responded.

He searched his mind, drawing a blank. Retail? Some kind of high-end  sales? Trophy wife? He kept his mouth shut because that sounded really  sexist and he didn't mean it that way. He wasn't underestimating her. He  had just thought she'd be doing something a lot more interesting than  filing tax returns.

"I've never understood how anyone gets through that kind of schooling. I  took a few Intro To Accounting courses while taking my business degree  and I would not have the fortitude to do that for four years let alone  the rest of my life."

"Oh." She blinked and a hint of a blush stained her skin. "Um, thank you?"

Yeah, that was one lame compliment, delivered badly. He scratched his cheek.

Had she heard the part about business being his business? Because he  moved. He shook. But five minutes in a room with this woman and he was  eighteen again, barely passing algebra because the girls all wore  low-rise jeans and brightly colored thongs.

"Sterling?" His father came to the archway, expression clouded with hostility. Feeling threatened, Sterling's mother had said.         

     



 

Well, Sterling would only be here long enough to see Paige take the  check. If she did, he could get on with his life, leaving her to pursue  her accounting, and his dad to run the company he so desperately wanted.

If she didn't...

Sterling shook off that thought and waved Paige to follow his dad,  confident they could work through whatever hesitations she might have.  After all, she had admitted yesterday that she didn't want to stay here  any more than he did.