Читать книгу Having Justin's Baby - Pamela Bauer - Страница 7

DESPITE KYLE’S ASSERTION that it didn’t matter whether there were eight or ten people at the Bulldog Reunion, Justin wanted to make sure that Paige knew he and Kyle had changed their minds and were now bringing guests. He wanted an excuse to talk to her—something he hadn’t done for a while. So the day before they were supposed to head out of town for the reunion, he called her while he was on his morning break.

She answered her cell phone with, “You did it again, J.C.” using the nickname she’d given him as a teen.

He smiled. “You were about to call me.”

“I was. I guess we still have that special connection, don’t we?” She sounded a bit amused by their uncanny ability to sense when the other was about to phone. “Do you realize how long it’s been since this has happened?”

“We haven’t talked much lately,” he agreed.

“No, we haven’t. But I am glad you called today because I was worried I wouldn’t be able to reach you and I have to know what you think. You are never going to guess where I am.”

“Dipping your toes in the Cascade River?” It was a favorite spot along the North Shore where they’d spent many a hot summer day. They’d hike along the upper region of the Cascade River where it tumbled and fell over rocks and boulders until they reached the Upper Falls. They’d bask in the sun on the flat rocks where the falls began, before following the winding trail as it twisted and turned its way back down the hilly terrain until they reached the area where the river was shallow enough for trout fishing. That’s where they’d take off their hiking shoes and wade in the cool water, splashing around like kids.

“No.” She sounded impatient. “I’m in a dressing room trying on a wedding dress.”

Justin stifled his groan. “You’re trying on wedding dresses the day before the Bulldog Reunion? Don’t you have enough to do to get ready for the weekend?”

“Of course I do. That’s why I’m standing here in a wedding dress.”

She wasn’t making any sense. More proof that love had made her crazy.

“I was on my way to pick up some munchies for the Bulldog Reunion when I passed this consignment shop and saw this wedding dress in the window,” she continued. “How’s that for serendipity?”

Paige excited over a dress was a novelty for Justin. Unlike most women he knew, she hated shopping, which was why he liked going to the mall with her. She used the “get what you need and get out fast” approach.

“I’m telling you, Justin, this dress could have been made for me. When you see it you’ll know why I had to come in and try it on. And it’s a perfect fit. What makes it unique is that it belonged to a woman who was married in 1942.”

“You want to buy an old dress for your wedding?”

“It’s not old, it’s vintage,” she corrected him. “This dress was worn by a woman whose fiancé was going off to World War II.”

“Your fiancé isn’t going off to war, is he?” he asked, trying not to sound hopeful.

“No, but you know Pearl Harbor is my favorite movie. Justin, this dress looks like something Kate Beckinsale would have worn if Ben Affleck hadn’t gone missing and they had gotten married in the movie, which you know is what I wish had happened.”

“And that’s why you want the dress?”

“I want it because I like the way I feel in it—glamorous.” She chuckled. “Me…glamorous,” she said in a self-deprecating tone.

“I think you are,” he told her, but she dismissed the compliment with a sarcastic “Yeah, right.”

“Did I tell you the original owner was a schoolteacher?” She didn’t wait for an answer but rushed on. “Oh, and here’s something else. Guess where the wedding took place?”

“In a church?” He knew it was the wrong answer, but he hated playing Twenty Questions, which was what she seemed bent on doing, and all of them were on a subject that he found irritating—her marriage plans.

“You know I’m not getting married in a church,” she chided him. “The bride who wore this dress in 1942 was married at the High Falls.”

“So you’re going to wear a dress that someone else has already worn to get married in the same place where you’re planning your wedding?” The significance escaped him and he didn’t pretend otherwise.

She sighed. “I should have known you wouldn’t get it. I know you find my wedding details boring, but you are one of my best friends. At least you can pretend to be interested. I thought you’d be happy for me.”

“I am happy,” he lied.

“You don’t sound like it.”

Justin held the phone away from his ear momentarily. Who was this woman? Certainly not the Paige he knew. That Paige would never have gone shopping for a wedding dress the day before the Bulldog Reunion. But then that Paige had never been engaged before, either.

“Justin, you’re there, aren’t you?”

“Yeah, I’m here. I think you cut out for a second, but I hear you now.”

“Good, because I need an honest opinion and you always give me that. You need to tell me if I should get this dress. The salesclerk took a picture of me with her camera phone and she said she can send it to you.”

“Can’t you just show the dress to me this weekend?”

“If I wait till then, someone else might buy it. The clerk told me she’s already had several people asking about it. Besides, there’s no room in the schedule this weekend for us to leave the reunion and go look at it. If I’m going to get this dress, I have to buy it today.”

“But, Paige, you never make impulse purchases,” he reminded her.

“That’s why I need your help. Besides. You’re my man of honor. It’s your duty to help me select a dress.”

He frowned. “Shouldn’t your fiancé be the one helping you make that decision?”

“He can’t. It’s bad luck for the groom to see the bride’s dress before the wedding.”

Justin wondered briefly if getting rid of Michael Cross could be as easy as showing him a picture. That alone tempted him to tell Paige to send the photo so he could forward it to Michael.

Paige didn’t wait for his consent. “The salesclerk is sending the picture now. Tell me when you get it.”

Justin’s phone beeped, indicating he had a message. With the touch of a button he found himself staring at a photo of Paige in a long white dress. It fell from her shoulders to the floor in a straight line that made her look taller than her five foot two inches. She looked graceful and feminine standing with her hands folded in front of her. Very different from the Paige he knew. She had always taken great pleasure in being a tomboy. Normally she wore her long brown hair in a ponytail, but today it fell across her shoulders in a way that reminded him of the film stars of the 1940s. No wonder she felt glamorous. The dress was stunning on her. The old-fashioned style suited her, reminding him that she’d never been one for fashion trends yet she always managed to look good.

“I didn’t lose you, did I? Justin? Are you there?” she called out.

“Yeah, I’m here.” He couldn’t tell her that the reason for the dead air was that seeing her in the wedding dress had taken his breath away. The thought that she would be wearing it for another guy made him sick with envy.

“So what do you think?” she demanded.

There was only one answer he could give her. “I think you should buy it.”

“Did you say buy it? You’re cutting out on me. Are you in your car?”

“Yes, but it’s not moving. I just went through the drive-thru of a fast-food restaurant and I’m eating French-toast sticks in the parking lot. Paige, I think you should buy the dress. It suits you.”

“You really think so?”

“Yes.”

“I am so glad you said that because I need a dress. You do realize the wedding is only seven weeks away, don’t you? It’s a good thing I had the summer off from teaching and moved up here, because I never would get everything done otherwise.”

“You’re happy then?”

“Of course I’m happy. Why wouldn’t I be?”

“You’re giving up a lot. Your job, your friends…”

“Marriage will be worth it,” she said with confidence. “And I’m not giving up my two best friends. Oh shoot. I just got a low-battery warning on my phone. I’ve got to run. Thanks for calling me just when I needed you.”

“Paige, wait! Before you hang up I need to talk to you about tomorrow.”

“Oh, that reminds me. Could you come a little early? I want you to teach me to dance.”

“You know how to dance,” he reminded her.

“I’m not good at it and you know it,” she chastised him. “Michael took me to this nightclub in Duluth and it was the worst date we’ve ever had. He loves to dance, but once he realized I have no rhythm, we hardly danced at all. You have to help me so I don’t embarrass him.”

Embarrass him? Anger nearly had Justin telling Paige exactly what he thought of Michael Cross and his dancing skills, but he knew it wouldn’t do any good. She’d still think the guy was the prize of a lifetime. “Paige, you don’t like to dance. Why not just tell him that?”

“I might like it if I were better at it,” she said. “I thought about taking lessons but that freaks me out. There’d be other people watching me make a fool of myself. At least it doesn’t matter if I look like a fool in front of you.”

His thanks must have sounded sarcastic to her ears, because she added, “Hey, that’s a compliment. So will you come early tomorrow?”

“I can’t.” He paused, thinking now was a good time to tell her that he and Kyle were bringing friends.

“Why not? I thought you and Kyle took the day off.”

“We did, but there’s something you need to know. We decided to bring guests. I know you’ve reserved the Pinecone Cabin and it sleeps ten, so there shouldn’t be any problem with two extra people, but just in case you planned any events that require partners or small groups, I wanted you to know there are going to be two more people. You’re okay with that, right?”

She didn’t answer and he worried that she was annoyed at the last-minute change.

“You did say we could bring guests,” he reminded her.

Still there was no response.

Then he saw the tiny “call ended” message in the corner of his screen. “Paige, are you there? Paige?” he asked, even though he already knew the answer. He tried calling her again, but was immediately connected to her voice mail.

Frustrated, he flipped his phone shut. No doubt her battery had gone dead. He wondered just how much she’d heard. Guess he’d find out sooner or later. He hoped it was sooner.

PAIGE CAREFULLY MOVED the plastic garment bag containing the wedding dress from the backseat of her car into the small travel trailer she temporarily called home. When she’d decided to spend the summer at the North Shore, Michael had offered to share his apartment with her until the house they had leased would be ready for occupancy. She had opted to spend her remaining days as a single woman in a campground in what Michael called her bubblemobile. Although it was smaller than an efficiency apartment, it had all the amenities she needed, but its best feature was that she could be lulled to sleep each night by the gentle lapping of waves. She also liked that she could start each day with a hike to the pebbly shore of Lake Superior or a walk through the woods.

Today, however, she realized just how small her temporary home was. No matter how many times she rearranged the things in her closet there was no place for the dress. She finally gave up trying to find a spot for it and spread it across her bed. She would figure out what to do with it after she returned from her lunch shift at the Birchwood Room. She quickly changed into the black skirt and white shirt that were the uniform of the waitstaff at the restaurant and headed for work.

As she pulled into the employee parking lot at the resort, she looked for Michael’s red Mustang, but it wasn’t in the space reserved for the club’s golf pro. He always gave lessons on Thursday mornings so why wasn’t he at work? Thinking he must have been on an errand, she parked her car and went inside.

Because the lodge’s restaurant was open to the public as well as to the guests of the resort, it was usually crowded over the noon hour, and Paige expected today would be no exception. Although the decor was rustic, with wagon-wheel chandeliers and fish and animal trophies lining the walls, crisp white linen tablecloths and fresh-flower centerpieces gave it a casual elegance that set it apart from the informal cafés along the Shore and made it a popular spot for tourists.

Although many of her coworkers were college and high-school students there for the summer, the resort relied on the local community for year-round employment. Paige had been pleased at how easy it was to renew acquaintances with staff members who had been working at the resort the summer she’d waited tables here before her senior year in college.

One of those workers, a woman named Kathy, greeted Paige when she punched in at the time clock.

“Paige! I didn’t expect to see you today.”

“Why not? I’m on the schedule,” Paige reminded her.

“Yes, I know, but…” She paused before asking, “Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, it’s great. In fact it’s better than great.” She went on to tell Kathy about finding her dress, but when the older woman looked a bit uneasy, Paige said, “I’m sorry. I must be boring you. I’m like one of those windup toys once I start talking wedding stuff.”

“No, it’s all right. Don’t apologize. Your dress sounds beautiful.”

They were joined by another of their coworkers, a redhead named Rosie. As she punched her time card, she said to Paige, “You look like you’re in a good mood.”

Paige grinned. “I am. It’s a beautiful day.”

“That’s because she found her wedding dress,” Kathy added.

“Well, no wonder you’re so cheery,” Rosie remarked. “Did you get it here in town?”

“No, in Grand Marais.” Paige repeated the story she’d just told Kathy, explaining that she needed to find a place to store the gown as her trailer was too crowded. “I would ask Michael to take it but I’m not going to tempt fate.”

“Oh, noooo,” Kathy drawled. “You definitely can’t leave it with him. That would be bad luck.”

“That’s right,” Rosie agreed. Paige didn’t miss the furtive glances the two women exchanged.

“It’s too bad he’s not feeling well,” Rosie remarked.

“He’s not feeling well?” Paige frowned. That would explain his vacant parking space.

“You didn’t hear?” Kathy asked.

“Hear what?”

Again the two women exchanged glances.

“All I know is that he called in sick today and my David had to go in and cover for him.” Kathy’s husband was semi-retired and substituted for workers at the golf course when needed.

“It’s funny that he didn’t call me,” Paige remarked. “Well, I shouldn’t say that because he may have tried but my cell phone battery died on me today.”

“I’m sure he would have called you if it was anything serious,” Kathy said. “He probably just has a virus.”

“It’s going around,” Rosie added. “Chelsea in housekeeping called in sick today, too.”

“She’s not sick,” Kathy said. “She’s faking it. She went to Las Vegas.”

A chill rattled through Paige. At one time Michael had dated Chelsea Kinseth, an outrageous flirt who thought no man was off-limits. She’d made no secret of the fact that she was still interested in Michael, and Paige suspected that it wouldn’t take much encouragement for her to make a play for him.

Fortunately Michael had assured Paige that he was no longer interested in the woman, whose claim to fame was that for two years running she’d won the wet T-shirt contest at a local bar. Still, Paige had to fight the jealous twinge that made her want to drive over to his place and check on him during her break. She wouldn’t, of course. Michael had given her no reason to suspect the two absences were connected. Besides, she trusted him and knew that it was simply a coincidence that they were both off sick.

The first half of her shift passed quickly as customers waited in line for the opportunity to eat the house special of red ribs and sweet-potato fries. During her break, Paige tried calling Michael’s number, but all she heard was his voice mail. She left a message for him to call her and headed over to the reservations desk to see if she could get the key to the Pinecone Cabin. She planned to stock the refrigerator with beverages and fill the cupboards with snacks.

Behind the counter was a tall slender woman named Stacy Walker, who had been an intern at the resort the summer Paige and the Bulldogs had worked as waitstaff. Now after seven years at the resort, Stacy had worked her way up to manager of customer relations. When she saw Paige, she greeted her with a smile and said, “You’re just the person I’m looking for. I have something for you.”

Expecting it to be the key to the cabin, Paige was surprised when she handed her an envelope with the resort logo on it. Scrawled across the front was her name in what appeared to be her fiancé’s handwriting.

“Was Michael here today?”

“No, he left that last night and told me to give this to you when you came to pick up the key for the Pinecone,” Stacy replied. “You are here for the key, aren’t you?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll get it for you in just a minute, but I need to talk to these people first, okay?” She nodded toward the end of the counter where an elderly couple waited patiently for her attention.

Paige looked at the envelope and wondered why Michael hadn’t simply called her and talked to her. Even if her phone battery wasn’t working, he could have left a voice message for her. She stepped away from the counter and ripped open the sealed envelope. Inside was a single sheet of paper bearing a note in Michael’s handwriting.

Dear Paige,

By the time you get this I will be on my way to Las Vegas. I can’t marry you. I don’t want you to think that I don’t love you because I do, but I need some time to think over some things. I didn’t want to hurt you, but right now I feel that if we were to marry, it wouldn’t be fair to you.

I’m really sorry. Love, Michael.

P.S. You can keep the ring.

For a moment Paige was too stunned to even breathe. Then she gasped and leaned up against the wall of the lobby. Michael had jilted her? Why? The question banged around in her head like a bad headache. She reread the letter and saw nothing that she hadn’t seen the first time she’d read his note. He needed time to think…he was confused…so why did he have to go to Las Vegas?

“She went to Las Vegas.” Kathy’s words echoed in her head. “She’s not sick. She’s faking it.”

Paige had a flash of memory. She was sitting in the resort’s lounge a couple of weeks ago, having a soda with some of the other waitstaff. Chelsea Kinseth entered and announced to anyone who would listen that someday she was going to go to Las Vegas to take the biggest gamble of her life. Paige had thought she wanted to get a job as a showgirl, but now she wondered if that gamble was running off with Michael.

She shook her head. No, she wasn’t going to jump to conclusions. She gazed at the diamond on her finger. Surely Michael wouldn’t have given her such an expensive ring if he hadn’t planned to marry her. She quickly reread the note, but the message was the same.

“Paige, is everything all right?” Stacy asked.

With unsteady hands Paige folded the note from Michael and shoved it into her apron pocket next to her order pad. Tears misted in her eyes but she wasn’t about to let anyone see them. “You’ll have to excuse me,” she said and rushed out the front door of the lodge and into the parking lot, where she took long, deep breaths of fresh air, willing her body not to give in to the urge to cry.

This couldn’t be happening to her. Michael wouldn’t do this to her. She walked over to the employee section of the parking lot, hoping to see his red Mustang. It wasn’t there. She followed the paved walkway leading to the golf course, her stride brisk as she made her way to the clubhouse. If there was one person who would know what was going on, it was Gus Reynolds. He was the golf-course groundskeeper and Michael’s closest friend at the resort. She found him tending the garden outside the clubhouse, his portly figure bent over a bed of impatiens.

“Well, look who’s here,” he said, getting to his feet to greet her. “I thought you’d be in Vegas by now.”

Any hope Paige had that the letter was some cruel joke was gone. “Michael told you he was going to Vegas?”

“He didn’t exactly tell me. I saw his e-ticket. We both use the same computer.” He winked. “I figured something was going on. Every time I came in here he’d be on the Internet looking at Las Vegas sites. When I saw the list of wedding chapels I figured you two were running off to get married or something.”

“No.”

His voice softened. “I’m sorry. I just assumed.”

“Stacy said he called in sick.”

“Well, I guess that’s one way of getting time off without using vacation days, isn’t it?”

Paige didn’t respond. What could she say? There could only be one reason why Michael had been using Google to search for Las Vegas wedding chapels. He was going to marry Chelsea.

Pain shot through her, making her want to crumble right there in front of Gus. But she didn’t. She simply turned around and headed back up the paved walkway leading to the lodge.

Ever since she’d read Michael’s letter she’d been fighting the tears, but on her way back to the lodge she gave up the battle. She dropped onto a small concrete bench and wept.

She hated crying. It was for wusses and she was no wuss. She especially hated crying over a guy, but this was not just any guy. This was Michael. Her fiancé. She looked again at the ring on her finger. This morning she’d dangled it in front of the consignment-store clerk’s eyes as if it was her most prized possession. Now it hurt to look at it. She yanked it from her finger and almost threw it across the carefully manicured grass into one of the golf course’s water hazards. Almost. Paige could be just as emotional as any other woman, but she had an advantage. Her brain rarely allowed her emotions to govern her decisions.

She didn’t know what would become of the diamond, but she didn’t want its fate to be the same as that of a golf ball whose owner had botched a swing. Hoping that out of sight would mean out of mind, she slipped the ring into her pocket, wishing it was as easy to hide the ugly stuff that had happened to her today.

Only there was no way she was going to be able to keep what had happened a secret. She wondered how many of the resort’s employees already knew that Michael had dumped her. Suddenly the furtive glances exchanged between Kathy and Rosie made sense. Kathy’s husband worked at the golf course. The rumor mill had put two and two together.

It was such a humiliating thought Paige didn’t know how she was going to face anyone. Maybe she wouldn’t face them. Maybe she would just go get her purse, punch her time card, walk out and never return. Ever.

The thought was a tempting one. There were only a couple of weeks left of the summer season anyway. It would be so nice not to have to face a single person at the resort. She could just imagine the looks of pity.

But as badly as she wanted to run away from it all, she couldn’t. She had responsibilities—a job, a lease on a trailer, a lease on a house. And the Bulldogs would be coming for their reunion weekend.

Her hurt turned to anger. She was supposed to be introducing her fiancé to Ben and Amber this weekend, not making excuses as to why he wasn’t there. Only, she wouldn’t make excuses. She would get through the next three days one way or another.

She pulled out her cell phone, took several deep breaths and punched the number one on her speed dial—the house phone she had at one time shared with Justin and Kyle. It rang once then rolled over to voice mail.

After the beep she said, “Hey, it’s me. I need to talk to you. Bad.” Her voice was wobbly and she was worried that they’d be able to tell she’d been crying. She took another deep breath and said, “I’m having, like, the worst day of my life. Michael’s on his way to Vegas with his old girlfriend and I’m here at the Cascading Waters feeling like…well, you can imagine how I feel…and I really need to talk to you.” Losing the battle of fighting tears, she ended with, “I have to get back to work. Call me when you get this.”

Again she thought about getting in her car and never coming back. But she knew that sooner or later she would have to face everyone at the lodge, so she went back to work.

When she walked into the Birchwood Room, the first person she saw was Kathy. “You’ve been crying?” She flung an arm around her shoulder. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

“You know, don’t you?” Paige asked, even though she was almost certain of the answer.

The older woman nodded slowly. “I was hoping it was just a rumor. I’m sorry, Paige. It was a really low thing for the two of them to do. Why don’t you ask if you can take the rest of the afternoon off?”

Paige knew it would mean extra work for the remaining waitstaff. “No, it’s all right. It’s better if I keep busy. I’ll go wash up and be right out.”

“Sure. Go ahead. Take as much time as you need. Rosie and I can cover for you.”

“Thanks.” Paige visited the ladies’ restroom and washed her hands and face, determined that none of the other employees would see just how deeply hurt she was by Michael’s rejection. To her relief the lunch crowd was heavy and she didn’t have time to dwell on what they may or may not have heard. When her shift finally ended, Paige left with the knowledge that as difficult as it had been to stay at work, at least she’d had the satisfaction of knowing she’d fulfilled her obligation.

When she got back to the trailer she saw the box of decorations staring at her from the tiny tabletop, reminding her that she had another job to finish before she could do what she really wanted to do—go to bed and forget the day even happened. She needed to take the food and beverages over to the Pinecone Cabin and hang the decorations. And she would, but first she needed some time alone to let her jangled nerves rest.

At only five foot two she could easily curl up onto the small sofa that pulled out into a bed. She sighed and closed her eyes, trying not to think about Michael and Chelsea cuddling up to one another at a wedding chapel in Vegas.

“This should not be happening to me—it’s just not fair,” she said to herself as images of the two of them together tormented her until she fell asleep.

AS JUSTIN HEADED FOR HOME he knew exactly what he wanted. A cold beer and a shower and in that order. Then he was going to meet several of his friends at the Saints game, where he’d get a couple of hot dogs and have another cold beer. It was the perfect way to spend a hot summer evening and there was nothing like baseball to take his mind off a woman he shouldn’t be thinking about. Ever since she’d sent him the phone photo of her in her wedding dress, Paige had been on his mind.

It hadn’t been one of his better days. It had started with a flat tire on his pickup that had put him behind on his appointments for the rest of the day. As part of his job selling the nursery stock, he also had to respond to complaint calls. He usually had one or two follow-up calls a week to check on the condition of the plants and trees he’d sold clients. Today alone he’d had three callbacks, but it was the last one that had been the most difficult. It was to a golf course.

After listening to Paige carry on about her wedding dress this morning, it was the last place he wanted to be. He hated golf, and the fact that Michael Cross had Paige playing the game was like a burr in his sock. Paige was no more interested in golf than Justin was, yet she now spent more energy worrying about getting a tee time than she did getting tickets to a ball game.

And if it wasn’t enough that the trees he’d sold the golf course had died, while he was doing the inspection, one of the landscape employees had tripped getting out of the way of a golf cart and broken an ankle. Justin was the one who took him to the hospital emergency room where they had ended up spending most of the afternoon. He’d had to cancel the remainder of his appointments for the day, which was not the way he wanted to start his three-day weekend.

He took an unusually long shower, allowing the water to wash away the frustrations of the day. By the time he had toweled himself dry, he felt relaxed and ready to spend the night with the guys drinking beer and talking baseball.

As he was getting dressed, his cell phone beeped. It was Kyle sending him a text message telling him that he was having a DND night at Tammy’s. They had been roommates long enough for Justin to know that DND was code for Do Not Disturb. Justin messaged him back, telling him he was going to the Saints game and would see him in the morning.

Then he finished dressing, grabbed his Saints cap and was about to head out the back door when he noticed the blinking message light on the house phone. His finger automatically hit the play button.

As he suspected, the first two messages were from telemarketers trying to convince him he needed his carpets cleaned and new windows installed. He glanced impatiently at his watch, thinking that if he had to run through a string of such calls he’d miss the start of the game. He was about to press the stop button when he heard Paige’s voice.

“Hey, it’s me. I need to talk to you. Bad. I’m having, like, the worst day of my life. Michael’s on his way to Vegas with his old girlfriend and I’m here at the Cascading Waters feeling like…well, you can imagine how I feel…and I really need to talk to you.”

It was followed by a double beep indicating it was the last message recorded.

“That son of a bitch,” Justin muttered as he took the steps two at a time. When he reached his room he grabbed the duffel bag with his Bulldog sweatshirt already in it and began stuffing it with clothes. On his way back down the stairs he called his buddies and told them he wouldn’t be at the Saints game. As he was about to walk out the door he started to dial Kyle’s cell then stopped. Kyle was DND.

So instead of phoning Kyle he went to a drawer in the kitchen, pulled out a piece of paper and began to write.

Kyle, Call me when you read this. Paige needed help so I left a day early. J.C.

As he stuck the note to the refrigerator with a loon magnet, he thought it was probably a good thing that Kyle was with Tammy tonight. Because he was a little in love with Paige, Kyle might not be able to console her without letting those emotions get in the way.

Justin, on the other hand, was much better at hiding his feelings for Paige and wouldn’t forget that she wanted him to be her friend, not her boyfriend. As he climbed into the pickup he said to himself, “Just hang in there, Paige. Your best friend is coming to the rescue.”