“Hey, you suck. I had to go out on a nuisance call and saw your truck parked at Paige’s. Just thought I’d call in a little coitus interruptus, but obviously you’re having too good a time to answer your phone. Did I mention you suck?”
Mitch chuckled as he deleted the message and disconnected. But as he started the truck and pointed it toward home, his thoughts were already turning from Drew back to Paige. She wasn’t an easy woman to leave behind, naked and warm and sleepy-eyed in bed.
Although not spending the night in a woman’s bed was a rule he never, ever broke, he had some guidelines that were a little more fluid, like not seeing a woman two nights in a row.
He had a feeling he was going to break that rule as often as she’d let him.
*
“I’ve been in your bathroom and there’s no way in hell both of you fit in that bathtub.”
Paige laughed at Hailey’s expression before taking a few hasty licks of the fudge pop she’d bought at the market. They were sitting in the park with their ice creams and, while Paige wasn’t really one to kiss and tell, the bathtub story was too funny not to share.
“We were both in the tub, but I don’t think we’ll try it again anytime soon.”
“That was Sunday night?” Paige nodded, too intent on saving every drop of melting chocolate to answer. “And he was there Monday night. And Tuesday night. So counting Friday night, but not Saturday, you’ve had sex almost every night for half a week. I hate you. Seriously, you should give me your ice cream when I’m done with mine.”
“He’s been coming in for a late breakfast every day, too. I can’t even imagine what Rosie and Josh must think.”
“Knowing Rosie, she’s thankful he’s saving them money on the grocery bill.” Hailey licked the last of her fudge pop off the stick, then scowled at it. “I need to get out of Whitford. Maybe find somebody to date.”
“There are plenty of single guys in town. Josh is single and it’s not like he can run away right now.” Hailey wrinkled her nose. “Ryan will be back in town for a while. How about him?”
“The Kowalski guys just don’t do much for me. No offense, and one teenage indiscretion notwithstanding, of course. And even if Katie doesn’t know it yet, me hooking up with Josh wouldn’t be cool, because someday she’ll admit she wants to hook up with him and I don’t want the friend’s ex thing standing in the way. And Ryan? He’s almost a stranger now. Even when he’s in town, he’s rarely in town.”
“There has to be somebody. I’m going to start feeling guilty if I’m having amazing sex on a regular basis and all you’re getting are brain-freeze headaches from all the consolation ice cream.”
“I hate you a little right now. And I’m probably going to blow my entire household budget for next month shopping online when I get home.”
“You do have great shoes.”
Hailey rolled her eyes. “I’d rather have great sex.”
Paige wiggled her toes in her raggedy flip-flops and smiled. So would she. “Once he goes back to New York, maybe I’ll buy a pair of outrageous high heels and a gallon of chocolate chip ice cream. And chips, of course, because you can’t have sweet without the salty, crunchy chaser when you feel like crap.”
“When are you going to see him again?”
“Don’t know. He didn’t say when. Or even if. Ryan’s supposed to come back today, so I think they’re going to be busy at the lodge.” Paige elbowed Hailey. “It’ll give me time to recuperate.”
“I hate you even more now. Stop before I push you off the bench and steal all your money to buy ice cream.” They both laughed, but when they stood to throw their trash away, Hailey grew serious on her. “You’re not getting too attached to him, right?”
“Of course not.” Maybe she’d said it too quickly, because Hailey didn’t look convinced. “I’m just having fun, like you said I should. Reel him in, keep him a few weeks, then throw him back and let him swim away. Isn’t that what you said?”
“Just checking. Shoe shopping and ice cream might be fun, but I don’t want to have to nurse you through a broken heart.”
“You won’t have to, I promise. No hearts are being harmed in the making of this bizarre fish metaphor of yours.”
It was all catch and release where Mitch was concerned.
Chapter Thirteen
When she heard a truck pull in the drive, Rosie stuffed the rag and the can of furniture polish into the cleaning tote and rushed to get it back into the closet. She didn’t want anybody to know she’d been cleaning.
She knew she wasn’t technically on strike if she was stealth cleaning the lodge, but once she’d made her point, she didn’t want to imagine what the place would look like if she hadn’t lifted a hand in the meantime. The boys were muddling through the big, obvious stuff, but she’d never catch up if she didn’t sneak in some spit and polish here and there.