Here to Stay Read Free Page B

battling hotshot district attorneys. How tough can a
couple of home improvement contractors be?”
    Robert shifted the conversation to a brief
overview of the honeymoon thus far as she made her way down the
upstairs hall. Just when she thought her dear, sweet uncle would
finally say goodbye, he set in about the redecorating again.
    “Everything is fine here. Yes, I read your
note and reviewed the paint chips, wallpaper, and carpet swatches
you left.” She sighed. “Yes, I’ll keep you up to date. I’m—”
    She came to an abrupt stop at the top of the
stairs and did a double take. A man wearing white overalls walked
across the downstairs hall and out the front door. She shook her
head, blinked and looked again. She had to be seeing things. As if
to prove her wrong, the front door opened, the man came back inside
and disappeared into the parlor.
    “I have to go, Robert. You and Ginny have a
good time.” Paige pressed the off button and bounded down the
stairs.
    When she reached the parlor her mouth dropped
open. Three men in white overalls were painting. All the furniture
had been moved to the center of the room and covered with large
white drop cloths. The windows were bare of curtains. Clear plastic
had been spread around the perimeter of the room to protect the
floor.
    How did these guys get in? How long had they
been here? A good while from the looks of things, she decided in
answer to her own question.
    “Excuse me,” Paige announced. All three men
stopped painting and turned to look at her. “How did you get in
this house?”
    “We’re the painters,” the shortest of the
three told her.
    Duh . “How did you get in?” she
repeated.
    “We have a key,” the man she had instantly
dubbed Shortie replied and patted his pocket. “We were scheduled to
start at seven sharp this morning,” he added, as if she should know
this information without asking.
    Paige just nodded. Who else had Robert given
a key to? Another small town custom, she presumed. She suppressed a
yawn and considered that, discounting the houseful of strangers,
waking up without legal work hanging over her head was very nice.
She had even slept a little late this morning for the first time in
a long time. It felt good to pamper herself for a change.
    Coffee flitted through her mind, but she
banished the temptation. No stress and no caffeine. “I’ll be at the
barn if you need me for anything,” she called as she headed for the
front door.
    She bounded off the porch into the bright
morning. She lifted her face to the sun’s kiss and reveled in the
sensation of warmth. An unexpected shiver that rattled her inside
and out shook Paige as her thoughts wandered to her midnight
visitor. Dawn had been creeping through the windows before she had
managed to fall back to sleep. She’d had good reason for sleeping
so late this morning. Nathan Blackrope had ruined what should have
been a restful night. Of course, worries about the talk with him
that she could no longer put off had wreaked havoc well before he
had made his personal appearance.
    Heat flowed through her, warming her against
the morning’s cool breeze, when she recalled Nathan’s ruthless
kiss. There would not be a repeat performance of last night’s
fiasco. Getting involved with him again wasn’t on her agenda. In
fact, it held the number one spot on her list of things she never
wanted to do again. No matter how her involuntary reflexes tried to
prove otherwise, she wanted no part of his body touching hers. Even
if just looking at him did make her burn, she wouldn’t allow it. No
way, no how.
    The bond she and Nathan had shared still held
a little too firmly to suit her. But she had learned her lesson
with him the hard way. He didn’t care about her, probably never
had. Not really anyway. And when all her cards were on the table,
any lingering feelings he might harbor for her would vanish. He
wouldn’t take it well. Of that she felt certain. That was the very
reason she had no