The Last Cowboy In Texas (17 page)

He seemed relieved that she hadn’t cut him to ribbons with her sharp tongue. “I can’t imagine what you might have wondered, Paige.”

Chapter Ten

“What do you think about these two tying the knot?”

Paige’s innocent question caught him off guard. He’d been ready for a sharp rejoinder since she’d been blindsided. Her apparent acceptance of the situation left him vulnerable. But what she’d asked seemed straight forward. “I think it’s great. Two people find each other in the midst of turmoil, and their priorities suddenly change. So, yeah, I think that’s just great. How about you?”

“I agree. But of all the women I’d have thought JT would be interested in, Aggie’s about the last. There’s no arguing chemistry, though, is there?”

Troy
grinned. “Chemistry, huh?” He focused on her onyx orbs. “I know someone else whose chemistry derives an instant reaction.”

She stared back at him. “Really? Who?”

“Oh, come on, Paige. You and I have exactly the same kind of relationship this couple does. At least, when we’re not mucking it up, we do.”

The color that suddenly appeared on her face confirmed he was right. He held his tongue and watched her try to find an argument against his assertion. Silence settled in as he waited for her reaction. Seconds stretched into long minutes while she held back from responding. Just when he’d decided he’d gone too far, she answered.

“You’re right,” she said in a near whisper. “You and I are peas in a pod just like Aggie and JT. Troy, I’m sorry for treating you the way I have lately. Forgive me?”

His heart rate skyrocketed as his chest swelled with joy. He rasped out, “There’s nothing to forgive. We’ve both been fighting something that’s bigger than both of us.”

Just as he thought of something important to ask her, JT came up and slapped him on the back. “Howdy,
Troy
. Ready to get this show on the road?”

Troy
had taken Paige’s hand and squeezed it. He let it go. “Sure. If you are.”

“Oh, I are, for sure.” JT grinned at Paige. “You two’s goin’ ta make a good lookin’ couple too, don’t you know?”

Paige smiled. “You got that right, JT. We will.”

* * *

Cil had tried to find a way to tell Ozzie what she’d done, but the opportunity hadn’t presented itself. Maybe because she was afraid he’d be upset that she’d taken it on as a project without consulting him further. Now it didn’t matter, because she’d got her response. The book was a go, and from the superlatives the editor had bandied about, it looked like Paige’s book would be getting the fast track. The four book contract confirmed it.

Now all she had to do was to share the good news with Ozzie. And then they could find a way to tell their volcanic daughter what they’d done. Right after the wedding was over. No way could they impinge on Paige’s involvement during the pre-wedding process. Cil was so overjoyed to see Paige bubbling with positive energy, she couldn’t take a chance that she might burst whatever bubble of joy the girl found herself in. So, she’d wait it out.

When
Troy
came by to talk to Paige, she had just gone upstairs to shower. Cil had him come in and sit in the living room, knowing her daughter would take at least a quarter hour getting herself dolled up. She was so excited about Paige’s upcoming novelist debut, she told
Troy
what she’d done. He was surprised but pleased that her career was off the ground.

“Could I take a look at it?”

Cil could hear the shower running so she had time. “Yes, but you can’t let on you’ve seen it. She would probably scalp me if she knew. This is a surprise for her, if you understand.”

“I do. This is a fantastic thing you’ve done, Mrs. Turner.”

“Cil,
Troy
. You and Ozzie and I will be on a first name basis from now on, I hope.”

“Of course, Cil. Now could I just have a peek at the book?”

She pulled the manuscript up on her computer and let
Troy
sit there, scrolling through it. A few minutes later, she heard Paige coming down the steps and shut the computer down quickly. “Let’s go back into the parlor to wait for Paige.”

Puzzled by the expression on their faces, Paige asked, “You guys upset or something?”

Cil said, “Oh, no. We’ve just been visiting while we waited for you, dear.”

“
Troy
, I’ve been thinking about it, and I’m going to drive myself into Branson. I might need my car after the rehearsal is over.”

He nodded. “Okay. I’ll follow you to the center.”

* * *

The rehearsal went off without a hitch. Their supper afterward concluded with the happy participants separating after a couple of hours of merriment. Paige and
Troy
found themselves strolling the downtown streets of Branson where a few shops were still open.

Paige had taken his arm in hand as they walked. They had no agenda, nor did they need one. Just being together without psychological strain made the evening magical for her. She’d found her man and that was that. Her angst had evaporated in an instant. Suddenly, the fantasies she’d entertained for years had come to fruition in what seemed the blink of an eye.

Unlike Aggie and JT, they’d known each other since childhood. Perhaps that was what had interfered in the past. They thought they knew each other but really didn’t. It didn’t matter now.
Troy
pulled free of her and stepped over to a display window.

When she focused on the window, she realized he’d stopped in front of a jewelry store. “See anything you like?” he asked.

She concentrated on the amazing collection of bling in the window. Then, as if they were beckoning to her, her eyes locked on a pair of gold and diamond rings. Wedding rings.

Turning back to him, she said, “Oh, sure. There are lots of pretty baubles in there, aren’t there?”

“Lots, but does anything in particular catch your eye?” His cerulean orbs held a strange cast when she locked on them.

Still not sure where he was going with this, she said, “Yes. I do.”

“Care to show me what?”

“Sure. But I think we can get a better look from inside.”

He grabbed her hand and pulled her headlong into the store. The owner had just started for the door to lock up for the night but hesitated at the sight of the two lovebirds.

“Can I help you folks, tonight?”

Troy
said, “Could be. I think the lady here wants to look at something in your window. Right, Paige?”

Somewhere deep inside, a little peel of imaginary bells had begun to resonate. She knew without being told, this was the moment she might well have waited a lifetime for. Having waited half a lifetime, she realized there would be no more waiting. This was it.

“I saw a gorgeous ring set.” She went over to the back of the window case and pointed to the set in question. “May I try them on?”

The owner unlocked the case and pulled the set out; a wedding ring in plain yellow gold matched with an engagement ring that sported a blue-white diamond of at least three carats in size. He led them to an inner display table and handed the rings to Paige.

Without hesitating, she put them on her left hand. They fit perfectly. She turned to
Troy
and held her hand out for his inspection. “You like?” she asked.

“I like.”

“Yes.”

His eyes went wide. “Yes?”

She chuckled musically. “Yes.”

Troy
took her into his arms and kissed her full on the lips. Releasing her, he turned to the puzzled store owner and said, “She said yes!”

The man still had not got up to speed. “I heard that. Does that mean you want the rings?”

Troy
and Paige laughed gaily in unison.
Troy
said, “Yes, we want them. I think we’re going to need them.”

Paige tugged at his arm, turning him toward her. “Isn’t there something formal you want to ask me about now, darling?”

Troy
slapped his forehead with the cuff of his hand. “How could I have forgotten to do that? Paige Turner, love of my life, will you do me the inestimable honor of marrying me?”

Trying to keep her heart from fluttering uncontrollably, she said, “Troy Roberts, the one and only true love of my life, I will marry you. Yes!”

The store owner, who’d finally caught on to what was happening, said, “I’d say I’ve just witnessed a very special moment in your lives. Congratulations, you two!” He’d also just had his daily sales figure enhanced most remarkably. He took the rings from Paige and said, “Let me polish these up a bit, if you have time.”

Troy
said, “We’ve got all the time in the world. Now.”

Paige suddenly felt light-headed. The impact of what had just happened finally caught up to her. In the space of a single day she’d transitioned from angry and petulant to the heights of glory, of being in love with the man of her dreams. And now, she would have the rings to prove it hadn’t been fantasy, but was the real thing. What a day. What a night!

After
Troy
paid the jeweler and took the pretty little box, they headed for their cars, which meant another decision. They’d come in separate autos. What now?

He stopped beside the Lexus in the restaurant parking lot where they’d eaten earlier. “Want to ride with me, sweetheart?”

“And leave my car here? Where are we going?”

“I don’t know. Doesn’t matter. I just want to be with you.”

She hesitated. She didn’t want the evening to end. At least, not this way. Everything had been so magical on this day, it didn’t seem right to just let it trail off into nothing. “I want to be with you too, darling.”

When they wrapped their arms around one another, the whole world stood still, locked in suspended animation, as they kissed. His lips felt heavenly when he plied her mouth in a way she’d never experienced. Not even on the night when he revealed his love for her, had he kissed her with this kind of passion. Her body heated in anticipation of what came next.

“Want to spend the night with me?” he asked in a whisper, half question and half suggestion.

She did. She really did. Knowing she was about to take herself beyond the realms of her fantasy love into a real, as yet uncharted world, she nodded. “Yes. I do.”

In a manner nearly as casual as the way he’d proposed to her, she’d accepted the reality that she needed him in a physical way, and she needed him now. After the years of hoping for this moment, she was not about to let it slip away for propriety’s sake.

When he held the door for her, she climbed in, not knowing or caring where they were going. He slid into the driver’s seat but didn’t start the car. “I want you to wear your new ring, sweetheart.”

She took the box and opened it. The diamond glistened in the half-light surrounding them, waiting to adorn her hand. Slipping it on, she held it up to admire it. “I love this ring and I’ll always remember this night, darling. I love you so much.”

They met in a long gentle kiss, their lips locked in sublime anticipation. “I love you too, Paige. So much I can’t express it. I’ve always loved you and I always will.”

Not until they were well out of Branson did she realize he was taking her to his home, which would soon become her home. She wondered whether to call her parents to let them know she’d be okay when it hit her. She was an adult, almost thirty, and not beholden to her parents.

If her decision was to give herself to her dream man, that was that. What happened from this moment was her business and hers alone. Well, hers and her lover’s. And
Troy
would soon be her lover. A whole new life stood ready to open up for her.