Where the Heart May Lead: A Clean Romance (Harlequin LP Heartwarming) Read online

  “You have a bullhorn!” she shouted, hauling it to her lap. “Lower the plane, Charlie, and I’ll call down to them! How do you open the window?”

  “Are you crazy?”

  “Do you have a better idea? You said they could kill themselves!”

  Charlie’s eyes darted between Paige and the speedboat as he descended closer. “The window rotates up, parallel to the wing. Hang on, though. It’s worse than rolling down your window on the freeway. We won’t be able to hear each other. I’ll get you as close as I can. And put your seat belt back on!”

  “I can’t. I won’t be able to lean out far enough. Get closer!”

  With the bullhorn clamped between her knees, Paige opened her window, the wind smacking her hard in the face, nearly sucking her breath right out of her and onto the open air. Charlie lowered the plane nearly twenty feet above the speeding vessel. Paige angled the bullhorn out the window and clamped down on the speaker button.

  “Stop! Police!” she hollered. She knew the boys might not hear her even if she screamed her throat raw. She also knew it was illegal to impersonate a police officer, but she’d done worse before.

  The two passengers on board the boat turned their faces up toward the plane as they desperately clung to their seats for dear life. One scratch of the nose could send them toppling to the back of the boat, if it didn’t knock them right into the crashing wake. She screamed her orders at them again as Charlie dipped even closer. If she had been a stuntwoman in an action movie, she imagined this was the scene where she’d be expected to jump into their boat. She’d had a high-speed chase once before in her life, but nothing like this. Not as the pursuer.

  One of the boys slapped the driver on the back, no doubt shouting at his friend. Paige hoped he wanted the boat to stop. The driver tried to shake his friend off his shoulder while accelerating.

  “Stop!” Paige shouted again. Charlie’s fear they would try to evade them was coming true, and as Paige looked ahead into the distance, she spotted several boats speeding right toward them. She pointed, though she knew Charlie already saw them too. “You’re in danger!”

  Finally, one of the passengers made for the steering wheel while the other friend threw a headlock around the driver, yanking him back and onto the floor. They tumbled, a mesh of limbs sprawling and flailing as the boat wobbled but continued to accelerate forward. Paige cranked the window and sealed the cabin shut again.

  “He doesn’t know how to drive it!” she blurted.

  “He needs to pull back on the throttle. The boat is out of control.” Charlie grappled for the radio. “27, two passengers overtook the driver. Inexperienced driver at the helm.”

  “Copy that, Chuckie. On the scene in sixty seconds.”

  Paige looked on in fear as the two young men rolled on the back floor, slugging each other. Finally, the new driver, his hands frantically moving over the gear, located the throttle and pulled it back, quickly jarring the boat down to a manageable speed.

  “He did it,” Paige breathed, collapsing back in her seat.

  “27, driver backed down the throttle. You should be able to board the watercraft. Over.”

  “Copy that, Chuckie.”

  Charlie peeled the plane off to the east, circling back around for another pass over the scene. Paige cheered as she saw the police officers climbing into the boat with the boys.

  “I hope their parents ground them for at least a year,” she said.

  Charlie shook his head. “They really don’t know how close they came to flipping.”

  Paige watched for as long as she could from her window before she lost her vantage point. She turned when Charlie patted her hand.

  “You did good,” he said.

  “Yeah?”

  “Would I lie to you?”

  She shook her head, but she knew she couldn’t ask him the same question. Keeping her secrets from Charlie, who was becoming even more integral in her life story, was the same thing as lying, wasn’t it? He was Lucy’s uncle and as much as she wanted to make him her confidant, she just couldn’t.

  She’d remember this evening with him, but as soon as they landed, she would need to leave while Tully was distracted with the teenagers. She needed to return to Ohio. She needed to kiss Charlie goodbye.

  * * *

  “ARE YOU READY, PAIGE?”

  “For what?”

  Charlie jerked his head toward the windshield.

  “What goes up, must come down.”

  She winced. “I wish you hadn’t said it like that.”

  But Charlie looked completely at ease as the water loomed closer and bass fishing boats and pontoon boats passed more quickly underneath them. Paige sucked in a breath as Charlie began their descent. Everything she had ever seen on television portrayed the landing as the most harrowing part of the flight, and she assumed this would be no different, despite what Charlie assured her.

  But as the plane skimmed the water’s surface, the engine quieted so quickly that Paige frantically glanced around, believing the engine had cut out before the floats had touched down.

  “What happened?” she said as the plane slowed to a drift. “Did the engine die?”

  “That was it.”

  “That was it?” she said, releasing an exasperated breath.

  “I told you landing was the easiest part.”

  Paige removed her headset and unfastened her seat belt as Charlie worked against the wind to pull the plane up along the end of the dock. Throwing open his door, he reached for a rope dangling from the dock’s edge and hopped out.

  Paige waited patiently until Charlie had secured the plane and reached for her hand. As he helped her onto the dock, she could sense his reluctance to let it go.

  “How was it?” he asked as she wavered on her feet in front of him.

  “I had a good time. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. You gave me quite a show.”

  “Well, when you leaned out your window, you nearly gave me a heart attack.”

  “How about now?” she asked, smiling up at him. This time he placed her hand on his chest, just over his heart. His eyes had darkened in the setting sunlight, early twilight casting shadows over them. “Mmm, still racing,” she murmured.

  “Are you cold?” he said, noticing her shiver.

  “A little. Warm me up?”

  With a practiced ease, he embraced her. She pressed her body up against his chest as his body heat warmed the lines of her face into a dreamy smile. He gives good hugs, she thought as she allowed him to adjust his arms more snugly around her. They were the kind of hugs a woman could find herself looking forward to at the end of a long day. The kind of hugs that offered unwavering protection and safety and warmth. And, she decided as she tipped her face up toward his and ran her hands up his chest, the kind of hugs that led a woman to maneuver for more.

  “Charlie,” she whispered as he gazed down at her. It was all she muttered before she pulled his face toward hers and kissed him tenderly for a long time.

  * * *

  PAIGE KNEW IT was time to secretly wish Charlie goodbye, but as he smiled at her from the driver’s seat, the headlights from oncoming traffic highlighting his perfectly curled lips, she wanted to draw out their last moments together.

  “Tired?” he asked as he pulled up to her motel. She shook her head. “Would you like to meet down at the beach tomorrow evening? The Water Dancers are performing, and I promised it would be a good show.”

  She imagined how nice it would be to cozy up to Charlie on the beach as the sun set again. They could spread out a blanket and watch the ski club and bring Lucy and Mara and...

  Tully.

  It wouldn’t be the dream she imagined. She was only fooling herself. Tully might be distracted tonight, arresting and processing the teenagers, but tomorrow he’d run Willow Beckett in his police database. If sh
e waited any longer, she might miss her window to leave. It had to be tonight.

  “Sounds nice,” she said.

  “I’ll pick you up.”

  She shook her head, forming the lie on her lips. “I’ll meet you there.”

  “On your bicycle.”

  “Probably.”

  “Are you going to wear your helmet?” he teased.

  She bit back tears and nodded her head enthusiastically. “Absolutely.”

  Paige slipped out of the truck as Charlie cut the engine and worked to pull her bike from the truck bed.

  “How’s this for curbside service,” he said, wheeling it up to the bike rack. “I’ll even lock it up for you.”

  “Thank you, Charlie,” she said, as her heart sank in her chest. He really was kind. She needed more kind in her life.

  He stood and faced her, his eyes falling over her with a tenderness that could make a woman forget herself. If this was their last goodbye, she didn’t want it to end.

  “Walk me to my door?”

  “Whatever you want.” She reached for his hand and led him into the motel. Their fingers intertwined the way she had always imagined holding hands with a boyfriend. She’d never had a boyfriend before, and now that she had found Charlie, she was working herself up to leave him. “I probably shouldn’t come in,” he said when she dug for her room key. She turned and found him serious. He leaned in toward her and rasped his lips along the contour of her ear. “This evening was perfect just as it was, and I have my gentlemanly reputation to uphold.”

  She curled her fingers in the fabric of his shirt. “With that wicked grin, you never struck me as a good boy, Charlie Stillwater.”

  “I’m the poster boy for discretion.” He smirked, the mischievousness in his eyes both surprising and delighting her. She nuzzled her face to his, welcoming his mouth once again. His kisses were skilled, lips sliding over hers, tongue beckoning for more. She felt the broadness of his shoulders, gripped his muscles and tugged him closer. She wanted to lose herself with him for a spell, wanted to show him how much he meant to her.

  “What about dinner?” she said, trying to regain her thoughts. “You showed me a good time tonight, but you did promise me dinner. I promised I’d wear my helmet, so if you don’t hold up your end of the bargain, I think that reputation will be tainted.”

  He brushed his lips down the nape of her neck, tickling each nerve along the way. “Hmm. I wouldn’t want that to happen. Are you hungry?”

  “Starving. I’ll meet you in the lobby. I need to change and check my messages.” She welcomed the minute breather.

  “Take your time, Freckles.” He winked. “I will prepare the most romantic, second-rate motel, pizza dinner you’ve ever tasted.” She watched him stride down the hallway for a moment before ducking into her room. The light on her room phone blinked. The voice on the other end of the line was nearly unrecognizable as she pressed it hard to her ear. Aunt Joan’s voice croaked, forcing her message—call me. Paige’s fingers shook wildly as she dialed the numbers.

  “What’s wrong?” she spat once Aunt Joan answered.

  “Your uncle was heavily sedated. He didn’t know what he was doing. He’s so sorry, Paige. He’s so sorry.”

  “Slow down, please,” Paige said. “What did he do?”

  Aunt Joan heaved several frantic breaths as if struggling to calm herself.

  “Craig was sedated, but awake. I didn’t find out until I got here tonight—”

  “Find out what?”

  “Thorne was here.”

  “At the hospital?”

  “He came to see your uncle. I don’t know how he knew Craig was a patient. He must have been watching the house.”

  “What did Uncle Craig tell him?” Paige strangled the phone receiver. She knew it was going to be bad. She just wasn’t sure how bad.

  “He doesn’t remember for sure, but he remembers calling Lucy by name.”

  “He can’t find her with just a first name.”

  “And he knows your name.”

  “Does he?” Paige sank to the floor. If Thorne knew her address, he certainly must know her new name. “Could he find me? Could he trace me to Roseley?”

  “Yes.”

  “How?” Paige waited for Joan’s answer and when it didn’t come, she shut her eyes tightly. “Tell me he didn’t mention Roseley, Aunt Joan. Please tell me he didn’t—”

  “I don’t know.” Joan’s voice was pained and soft. “He doesn’t know for sure.”

  She imagined her aunt holed up along the vending machines or in the bathroom, having a meltdown all alone in some corner of the hospital, and Paige wasn’t there to comfort her, because she was in Roseley.

  “It’s going to be okay, Joan. It’ll be fine.”

  “It won’t. We thought getting you out of town would be best. We thought if you weren’t here with us...if he couldn’t find you...if he couldn’t see you...but now...you’re there all alone...”

  “I’m not alone.”

  “Is Charlie with you?”

  Paige thought of Charlie waiting for her in the lobby. She should tell him. She should tell him about Thorne and about her past and about where Lucy came from...

  “I’ll be fine,” Paige said, her voice more of a command. “Go get some sleep. I don’t have my cell phone anymore, but I’ll buy a new one in the morning and call you. See if you can sleep. Uncle Craig needs you to stay rested, stay strong.”

  “It’s going to catch up with us, you know. I just hoped it wouldn’t happen until—”

  “Go to sleep, Joan.”

  “I will. But you need to too. Good night, love.”

  Paige fumbled to return the handset to the phone and stared off across the room.

  Thorne would find his way to Roseley now. If he was coming, it didn’t matter now whether she was here or not, because he didn’t want her. He had never wanted her. All along, all this time, all he had ever wanted was Lucy.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  CHARLIE KNOCKED LIGHTLY on Paige’s door. He had ordered the pizza and bought a couple of sodas out of the lobby vending machine. He had waited patiently for her to arrive, but after forty-five minutes of watching the lobby television, he went in search of her.

  He waited at her door, listening for shuffling on the other side, but it was quiet.

  “Paige,” he called, knocking again. “Are you okay?”

  He didn’t think she’d have cold feet about eating a piece of pizza in the lobby. He had made it clear this was a dinner with no strings attached. He didn’t want to rush things with her or scare her off. He wanted to lay the groundwork for a courtship that could lead to...what? Marriage? Family? Building a life together? They were all the things he thought he had been working toward with Crystal no more than a couple months ago, before everything came crashing down.

  But now, after the evening they’d had, he wanted to pinch himself. Between pursuing the stolen boat and holding Paige in his arms, he knew he wanted more of both those things. He wasn’t sure exactly what the future held, but for the first time in months he felt as if he was pointed in the right direction.

  “Paige, love,” he called tenderly. “Is something wrong?”

  Finally, he heard the dead bolt unlock. Paige creaked open the door and stared up at him. Her green eyes were laced with red veins, while tears smeared across her blush-pink cheeks. She pulled the door open farther and shuffled back into the room, her unspoken invitation making him uneasy. What on earth had happened since he’d left her?

  Just as he latched the door behind him and moved closer, she burst into tears, burying her hands in her face.

  “I don’t know what to do,” she whispered. Charlie ran his hand over her back until she turned and buried her face in his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and felt her shudder against his skin.

 
“Talk to me, Paige. I can help.” But she stayed silent, gently shaking from the tears that soaked through his shirt. Who was this woman he held in his arms? He had to admit that as much as he liked and admired her, he didn’t really know her. “Is it your uncle? Did something happen?”

  She nodded, making him hold her tighter. Together they swayed in the small motel room as he waited for a sign she wished to disclose more. When she finally looked up at him, her eyes were pleading.

  “I won’t be able to sleep tonight if I’m alone,” she said in a shaky voice. “Would you stay here with me tonight?”

  He brushed the hair off her face. He needed to figure out what he was dealing with to get offered such an invitation. “Did your uncle pass? Is he gone?” She shook her head. “Did he take a turn? I’ll go to Ohio with you, Paige, if you need me to.”

  “No,” she said, taking his hand and pulling him toward the bed. “I need to sleep. I need my mind clear tomorrow and to do that, I need to close my eyes. Will you stay?” Her voice melted him, the desperation in it triggering every protective instinct he possessed. He wanted to shelter her from whatever had hurt her.

  He stretched out on the bed as she nestled her body into his. Her head instantly found the nook under his shoulder. He stroked her face as he would lull a child to dreamland and her eyelashes fluttered before resting on the tops of her cheeks. As neither of them had thought to turn out the light, he found himself admiring the uniqueness of her face in the warm lamp glow. He counted the freckles punctuating the slope of her nose. He watched her lips part as her body relaxed, and she drifted fully into a deep sleep. She was a true beauty.

  “I’m in trouble,” he whispered, though to no one who could hear him. “So much trouble.”

  * * *

  CHARLIE STARTED AWAKE to his cell phone vibrating in his pocket. He glanced at the motel clock.

  6:00 a.m.

  He gingerly slipped his arms from around Paige and ducked into the bathroom. Over the course of the night he had switched off the light and pulled a blanket over the two of them. He’d spooned her body, heavy with a sleep he could only imagine she hadn’t gotten in years.