Paige said in a chair next to her. Ziggy took the opportunity to jump from his perch and crawl into her lap, as had become his habit over the past few days. She’d grown accustomed to him, so her lap never felt right unless the furry monster was snoozing on it.
“I guess this seems like overkill, doesn’t it?” Bailee gave her a sympathetic look that Paige loathed to see, even if she did appreciate her new friend’s presence.
“No, I understand why I have to lay low.”
Alex Crandell broke the news to her the day after she met with everyone. She had been caught in a background shot by one of the news cameras in Ivy Springs. The footage only aired on a local news program, but it was still a public broadcast, one that could have been seen by anyone with cable access or an online subscription service. One that could have been seen by Darius Boyd.
Since then, she’d been confined to Ben’s house with Bailee, Reagan, and Melody taking turns staying with her when Ben wasn’t home. The others were chasing leads like a dog chasing its tail, and the results, so far, proved just as futile. Her frustration was rivaled only by her boredom.
Bailee regarded her. “It’s hard, but you’ll be safe as long as you do what we ask of you.”
Paige blew a breath out of her mouth, and it stirred the hair falling to her forehead. “I know, and I will. I’m just used to staying busy, and I ran out of things to do yesterday.”
“Yeah. I noticed you could eat off the floor, it’s so clean in here.”
Paige shrugged. “What can I say? I get anxious. I clean. It’s what I’ve done just about every day for the past year.”
“I can kind of understand what you’re going through. Has Ben told you how Easton and I met?”
“Not really.”
Bailee accepted the car her son handed her. When he went back to playing, she started her story. “He lives next to my Gran. I was a police detective in Kentucky, and after I arrested my partner for murder, I needed a break. I came for a visit and triedto busy myself with home improvement projects. Easton offered to help, so he could flirt with me.”
Paige chuckled. “I haven’t known your husband very long, but that sounds just like him.”
Bailee smirked. “Sounds like you’ve known him long enough. He’s a good man, though. They all are.”
“I see that.”
Bailee tilted her head as if weighing what to say next. “You seem to be settling in here just fine.”
Paige raised a brow. “Why do I get the feeling you have a question you want to ask me, but you’re not sure you should?”
“Because I do, but it’s none of my business.”
“I’m guessing it’s about Ben.”
Bailee nodded. “He cares about you. I can’t help but wonder what will happen when this is over, and you’re free to live your life as before.”
Paige shook her head. “There’s no going back to before. I’m a different person now. And I care about Ben, too. I don’t know what that means beyond the here and now. I really can’t think that far into the future.”
“Fair enough,” Bailee said. “Has he kept you up to date on the investigation?”
“He has. I’m just ready for it all to be over.”
Ziggy raised his head a minute before she heard Ben’s key turning in the lock. The cat ran to greet his owner as he stepped through the door. Dylan toddled over to Ben, too, talking to his uncle in the hurried speech of a one-year-old that was a mixture of gibberish and mispronounced words.
“Hey,” Bailee greeted as she stood to her feet. “Welcome home. Any news?”
“Nothing new to report today.”
Ben swung his nephew into his arms, and Paige’s heart melted at the sight. The man had a way with people, especially children, which fascinated her. He certainly knew how to make her feel special. Each day she’d been staying with him was spent visiting with his sisters-in-law and finding ways to keep busy. Each night, she shared a meal with Ben as he told her news on the case, which hadn’t been much.
They ended their evening in front of the television, snuggling together on the couch. The snuggling led to kissing and touching, and before they slept, Paige would fall apart in Ben’s arms during a sizzling round of sex. Sometimes they would make it to the bedroom. Other times they never made it off the couch.
Though she was still plagued with the occasional nightmare, Paige slept better in Ben’s arms than she had in the last year. He made her feel cherished, but more than that, he made her feel safe. It was a feeling she never wanted to take for granted.
Bailee gathered her son and their things in short order. Giving Paige and Ben a hug, she was out the door in record time. Paige stepped into Ben’s arms as he drew her close for a searing kiss.
