“Really?” Lynn asked. “Do you have any ideas?”
“Maybe Leggy.”
“I like that,” Lynn said, nodding, then sent him a questioning look.
“Paige had to go back—Casey’s mom,” he corrected when Lynn’s eyebrows shot up, “had to get back to work.” Back for an extra half shift she shouldn’t have worked today. He hadn’t seen her since Sunday, and damn, she’d looked tired. “I suggested Casey stay after we got the scans we needed so she could see how a prosthesis is made.”
“Interesting.”
Yes. It was interesting, but Paige’s stress and the shadows under her eyes combined with Casey’s enthusiasm to spend time at Evolution had prompted him to insist. He’d even stretched the truth a bit, telling Paige that Casey had to stay in order to finish the scans. He just opened his mouth and the words were out before he could talk himself out of it. A perpetual problem around Paige that he was beginning to expect.
“Are you having fun?” she asked Casey.
“Yes. I’m going swimming with Marcy and now we’re doing this, but it won’t be done today, and we’re going to ride horses.”
“Horses?” Lynn’s surprised gaze swung to his.
JT looked at Casey. “Um…”
“He said we maybe would at his brother’s,” Casey added.
“Ah. I see.” Lynn sent him a teasing glance, knowing full well he was in over his head.
Shit. He’d already talked to Stephen and Hannah and had everything worked out except the timing. He hated not telling Casey, but he couldn’t say anything before he talked to Paige. He just had to find the right time to present it. “Right. I’ll get on that.”
“That’s a good idea,” Casey said, nodding. “Sometimes you just gotta make it happen.”
Now Lynn did laugh and so did he. She really was the sweetest thing, JT thought, holding her a little tighter, feeling special that even with the glorious Lynn standing here—easily one of the top five human beings on the planet—Casey chose to stay in his arms.
He held her a little closer, his chest feeling a lot tighter, as they went back to their task of creating something he prayed would make her happy.
It was almost seven thirty when Paige appeared in his office doorway, looking decidedly more strung out than she had just four hours earlier.
“I’m sorry. The girl on the next shift was late, and then I hit a crazy amount of traffic.”
He stood and crossed the room, stopping a foot in front of her. The shadows under her eyes cut right through him, and he ached to pull her into his arms.
“How was Casey?”
“Good. She just went for round two in the pool with Marcy about an hour ago. Lucky you had her suit in the car. She’s had a big day.”
Paige closed her eyes in a long, exhausted blink. “I’m so sorry. It’s late. I know everyone doesn’t work this late.”
“I told you, we’re always here late. A lot of people come for PT after work. Stop worrying.” God knew she had enough to worry about.
“Okay.” She breathed out a long sigh.
“Bad day?”
“No. You know.” She shrugged. “Just the usual.”
“Like?”
“Like I have a test in two days and I’m not ready, for one thing.”
He brushed back a few strands of hair that had slipped from her ponytail. Who worried about Paige? Who made sure she ate and rested and smiled? For someone who didn’t want to take care of anybody but himself, he had this urgent need to take care of her.
“Let me take you home. I’ll feed you, you can study.”
She gave him a suspicious look, and after his thoughts in the shower he didn’t blame her, but he could do what was best for her. “I’m serious. Best behavior.” He held his hand up like a Boy Scout. “I promise. You’ll eat, Boulder and I will entertain Casey.”
“She does love Boulder,” Paige said with a small smile. “I mean you’re right up there, but…”
“Are you saying I’m second to my dog?”
She smiled and the muscle between her eyes relaxed a little.
“That’s okay. I can take it. Boulder does have a certain charm.” He studied her a moment. “Paige. You’re tired. You’re going to burn yourself out if you keep going like this, and then what good will you be?”
She bit her bottom lip and he could see her wavering.
“Come here.” He reached for her hand and tugged until she leaned against his chest. He closed his arms around her and rested his chin on top of her head.
The tension went up a notch as she battled with herself, then it seeped out of her slowly like a pin-pricked balloon. Her shoulders sagged and she leaned into him.