Where Forever Lies Read online

  “She should be on her way. I can only imagine what she’s wearing.” Paige giggled, knowing that Brooke would fit in less than she would. Paige might be prissy, but Brooke was unconventional and out there.

  With perfect timing, there was a knock on the door. Paige swung the door open to see Brooke grinning back at her. “What’s up?” she asked enthusiastically as she stepped in.

  Paige smiled at Brooke’s ensemble and just shrugged. She was going to stand out like a sore thumb but she knew Brooke couldn’t care less. Paige wished she could be like that more often. Her black and red, very busy flowered tank top was adorned with several beaded necklaces that hung down to her cleavage, which was hanging out. Both her wrists were covered in bracelets of many shapes and colors. Her sandy blonde hair was curled slightly and partially pulled back showing off low, dangly earrings with a bright red rose displayed on them.

  Paige didn’t feel so out of place now. But, she still hoped she wasn’t going to have men with teeth missing hitting on her as they pulled out a can of Skoal.

  “Are we ready?” Kyleigh asked, as she pulled her purse up on her shoulder.

  “Yes, just let me put some earrings on,” Paige said, as she hurried back to her bedroom. She slid the earrings in and stepped back to look at herself one more time. She would never admit this to her friends, but she was kind of nervous. All she usually did was work and take care of Kyra and occasionally grab a bite to eat with a friend. This was something a little out of her element nowadays.

  She gave herself one last look and then turned and headed down the hall to where her friends were waiting.

  “Let’s go, I’m ready to get my groove on,” Brooke said, laughing.

  “What’s the name of this place anyway?” Paige asked her hand on the door knob as she eyed Kyleigh cautiously.

  “It’s called The Broken Spur,” Kyleigh said as she walked through the doorway past Paige.

  “Great, you can’t get any more redneck than that,” Paige grumbled as she locked her door.

  Paige was beyond curious as to what this place was going to be like and when they finally pulled in, it wasn’t anything like she’d expected. She thought it would have a cowboy boot emblem on the front, or a cowboy hat. Maybe even hitching posts outside the doors. She didn’t know. But when they parked and she got out, she realized from the outside, it didn’t look bad. The Broken Spur sign that hung above the door looked rustic, but not in a bad way. There was a large black-top parking lot and the building was nestled in huge oak trees. It looked like a plain, normal building.

  She was also relieved that the people she saw heading in weren’t wearing cowboy hats. Kyleigh looped her arm in hers and asked, “So? It’s not too scary, is it?”

  Paige looked at her and shook her head, “No, but we haven’t been inside, yet.”

  Kyleigh rolled her eyes and pulled her forward, with Brooke screaming for them to wait for her while she tied her shoes.

  They pushed the door open and stepped inside a large open room with the bar on the right, a huge dance floor that sat slightly below the rest of the bar, dead center. There were booths and tables forming a semi-circle around the dance floor and the place was packed, but not so packed that you couldn’t move. There were five pool tables to the left, with every one being occupied. Paige looked around, noting the gorgeous pine bar and was ready to unwind and grab a drink.

  “Let’s get a drink!” Brooke yelled over the noise, reading her mind. The music was thumping and Paige realized the country music that was playing had a nice dance beat to it. She looked around the place and was thankful that no one was line dancing... yet.

  “Yes, please,” Paige begged. She felt herself beginning to relax and knew after a drink or two she’d be ready to let all her worries and grief go, at least for the night.

  After they each got a drink, a beer for Paige and two Long Island’s for Kyleigh and Brooke, they wove through the crowd of people to the dance floor. It was packed and Paige found herself holding her beer up slightly to keep it from getting knocked around but she didn’t care because she was having a blast.

  Paige threw her head back, letting herself get lost in the music, and wondered why she had been so worried about this place to begin with. Why would she even have cared if everyone was wearing cowboy hats & boots? She knew it was just her anxiety taking its toll on her, making her feel uncomfortable about new situations.

  She looked over at Kyleigh and Brooke who were laughing and carrying on with each other as they danced. Kyleigh was slinging her hips around as she danced side by side with Brooke, both facing opposite directions. For once, Paige felt no insecurities about being in a new place and dancing by herself.

  After a half hour straight of dancing, Paige felt her legs beginning to burn. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d had so much exercise. Working and being a single mom didn’t leave much time to take care of herself. She tapped Kyleigh on the arm and told her she was heading to the bar, “Do you guys want anything else?” she asked, before she left.

  “No, I have to cut myself off if you want a safe ride home,” Kyleigh said, breathlessly.

  “A beer,” Brooke yelled over the noise.

  She made her way over to the bar and eased into an open spot between a younger dark haired guy and an older blonde woman. Paige waved at the bartender hoping to grab his attention and not have to wait long. She tapped her nails on the bar while she waited and noticed that she’d forgotten to touch up her red nail polish before she left. She rarely let that happen and was aggravated with herself for letting it slip her mind tonight. It was chipped in spots and it looked horrible.

  “What can I get ya?” The bartender leaned in to her so she could hear him and her first thought was that he looked pretty young but she assumed it was his baby face and dimples that made him look younger than he was.

  “I’ll have two beers,” Paige said, and then turned her gaze towards the dance floor. It was too crowded to see Kyleigh or Brooke so she just scanned the crowd and people watched for a few minutes until a second later the bartender was back with her drinks. He set a beer down in front of the guy next to her first and then slid her drinks down to her. Paige handed him her money and as she turned to leave she felt pain shoot through her toes.

  “Ouch!” she yelped, as she jerked her foot out from under a brown cowboy boot. She turned her irritated gaze up and her eyes fell on a familiar face. She frowned not believing who she was staring at.

  “Well, hello,” he said, his husky voice sounding amused.

  Paige drew in a breath and then took a swig of her beer, eyeing Tyler over the bottle. She couldn’t believe the coincidence. She couldn’t get away from this guy. She began to wonder if he was stalking her or something.

  “What are you doing here?” she asked, somewhat defensively. She didn’t mean for it to come out that way but she was dumbfounded to see him again and he had yet to call and ask her out.

  “It’s a bar and I’m hanging out with a couple of friends. Probably same as you,” he said, as he gave her a smug look.

  She huffed at his arrogance coming out again. She had pegged him right from the beginning. He did come across as audacious. “Yes, I am out with my friends.”

  “Sorry for stepping on your foot. It seems to me that you’re just always in my way,” Tyler said, as he leaned his elbow on the bar, eyeing her up and down.

  “Maybe you’re in my way,” she said knowing it sounded childish as soon as it left her mouth. But she was feeling the alcohol a little and her mind wasn’t completely cooperating with her. She debated on saying anything about him not calling but decided against it. She didn’t want to come across as needy. Instead, she said, “Why do I keep seeing you everywhere lately, anyway?”

  Tyler took a sip of his beer and then shrugged. “Well, this place isn’t far from my house, which is why I like to come here, and neither is the park, where I saw you, which is why Brandon and I go shoot some hoops on Sundays before I take him home. The
re’s not much to do on this side of town, you know?” He raised his eyebrows and said, “So, it seems to me that you’ve been hanging out on my side of town lately.”

  She hadn’t really thought of that, but she realized he was right. She usually stuck to places closer to her apartment because something always seemed to be going on. Eyeing him over the top of her beer bottle she took a drink and grumbled, “Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

  He gave her an odd look as he pointed at her beer. “I’m surprised you’re drinking beer. I wouldn’t have pegged you a beer drinking type of girl,” he remarked, the corner of his mouth turning up slightly.

  Paige looked down at her drink and nodded, “Yeah, well, probably because you don’t know me. What type of drink do you think I’d be drinking, anyway?” she asked curiously.

  Tyler sucked in his bottom lip as he gave it some thought and Paige couldn’t help but let her eyes venture towards his mouth. She studied him as he thought about his answer and noticed he had a few scattered freckles on his cheeks that were slightly hidden by the light scruff that he seemed to keep there. He could probably be a charmer if he wanted to, but she figured he rarely showed that side. With wet lips he said, “I’d say one of those girly drinks. You know, the fruity looking ones. You look like the prissy type of girl, so that fits you.”

  Paige gave him an icy glare. She wasn’t the prissy type. But after she gave it some thought she began to question herself. Was she? Compared to him, she definitely was.

  “I’m not one of those prissy girls, thank you very much,” she said and to prove her point she chugged half her beer at one time. She pulled the beer away from her lips and ran the back of her hand across her mouth.

  Paige watched as Tyler started laughing uncontrollably. He smacked the bar with his hand as he stared at her. After he finally got himself under control he said, “You can’t expect me to believe that when your nails are neatly manicured, your hair is perfectly curled and your clothes look like they’re designer.

  Appalled, Paige looked down at her clothes and then back up at him. He was wearing Levis, a brown T-shirt and brown cowboy boots that were still covered in dirt from whatever he had been doing earlier. “If you haven’t noticed, my nails are not neatly manicured. See they are chipped,” she argued as she held her nails in his face. “And my clothes are not designer; I bought them at the mall at Lacey’s.” She placed her hand on the bar to steady herself. The two beers were kicking in a little and she wasn’t used to being tipsy out in public. She didn’t usually drink enough to let her guard down but, with the stress lately, she felt that she needed something to take the edge off.

  Tyler ran his eyes down the length of her body and then leaned around to check out her backside. Paige felt her cheeks flush from his intense scrutiny. She didn’t know what he was doing and it was making her uncomfortable.

  “They look designer to me,” he finally said, bringing his gaze back to her face. There was hunger there she almost missed because once he blinked it was gone.

  “Paige!”

  She heard someone yell her name behind her and turned around to find Brooke and Kyleigh dancing their way up to her.

  “Where’s my beer, girl!” Brooke called out. Once she got within arm’s length of her, she yanked her beer out of Paige’s hand. “Thank you, my dear,” she said as she took a big gulp. Her eyes finally landed on Tyler and then went back to Paige, asking the question without saying it out loud, but Paige knew she was dying to say something.

  Tyler leaned in close and said, “Well, I’d better get going. It was really nice to run into you again, Paige.” He met her eyes as he walked off and Paige watched him leave, not sure why she had felt something towards him.

  “Who was that?” Kyleigh asked, her eyes glinting with excitement.

  “That is the guy who hit me with his truck and totaled my car last week,” Paige said, knowing that would surprise them.

  Their eyes widened and they looked at each other and then burst out laughing. Finally, Kyleigh said, “He can total my car any day.”

  Paige started laughing too and she wrapped her arm in Kyleigh’s and said, “Let’s go grab a table, my legs are killing me!”

  Chapter 10

  They took a seat at a table which was close to the dance floor. Paige looked around the bar, her mind thinking about Tyler. She found herself thinking that he looked good tonight, even with the dirty cowboy boots with God knows what embedded on them, and with the way Brooke and Kyleigh’s eyes lit up, she knew she wasn’t the only one who thought so. Her eyes finally landed on him in the far corner, sitting with two of his friends. She watched him for a moment and wondered if this was somewhere he came on a regular basis. She felt a nudge in her rib and pried her gaze away from his table.

  “Earth to Paige, are you there?” Kyleigh asked as she peered into her face. Paige shoved her away and laughed.

  “What? What I’d miss?” she asked as she looked at them.

  “We were talking about that hot guy you’re staring at,” Brooke gestured in Tyler’s direction.

  “I was not staring,” Paige mumbled. “I was just in a haze from the beer.”

  “Uh huh, the whole two beers you’ve had,” Brooke said as she slapped her hand. “You need another drink.”

  “No, I’m good. Two’s enough.” Paige downed the last of her drink and set her bottle off to the side.

  “Well, look who’s here,” a deep voice said from behind them.

  They all turned around and saw David Madison coming up to their table. Paige didn’t realize this place was so popular and she definitely didn’t expect to run into David here. It didn’t seem like his type of place, but then again, it didn’t seem like hers, either.

  He squeezed in next to Kyleigh and Paige had to do a double take at what she saw. Kyleigh’s cheeks were turning a light shade of red, and she began to fidget nervously. Paige wondered what, if anything, was going on between them.

  “Come on, let’s dance, Paige!” Brooke declared as she looked at Paige with pleading eyes. “I’m bored.”

  Paige’s legs were tired from already dancing for an hour straight earlier, but she got up anyway. “Let’s go.”

  “Woohoo!” Brooke squealed as she grabbed Paige’s arm and dragged her out to the dance floor.

  As they danced beside each other, Paige watched Kyleigh and David and then asked, “Do you think they have something going on?”

  Brooke’s gaze ventured towards the table where Kyleigh and David were huddled together, their heads leaning in to each other as they talked. “It looks like a possibility to me. They make a cute couple.”

  “Yeah, they do,” Paige said and thought David would be perfect for Kyleigh if she didn’t do something stupid and go back to Brad.

  Brooke groaned as a slow song came on and turned to Paige, “Sorry, but you’re not my type.”

  Paige stuck out her bottom lip as she threw on her pouty face and said, “What? Why not, what’s wrong with me?”

  “You’re my type,” a husky voice drawled from behind her.

  Paige whirled around, wondering who was standing behind her, and then stiffened at who she saw.

  “May I have this dance?” Tyler asked, as he held his hand out to her, a huge grin splayed across his face.

  Paige’s eyes grew wide and she tried to swallow the dryness out of her mouth. After a few silent seconds, she found her voice, “Uh, sure?” It came out more of a question than a response.

  “You don’t sound sure. Let me try this again. I want to dance with you, Paige, will you do me the honor and dance with me?” Tyler asked, as he took a step closer.

  He was within inches of her now and Paige felt all the tension in her melt away as she looked into his expectant brown eyes. With that, there was no way she could say no. She would be lying to herself if she said he didn’t turn her on or make her feel things that no man had yet to spark within her. She straightened her shoulders and said confidently, “Yes.” He held out his hand and
without hesitation she placed her dainty hand into his large one. She watched as he closed his hand and pulled her along and out to the dance floor.

  He grabbed her by the waist and eagerly pulled her to him as if it was something he had wanted to do since he’d first met her, and was just waiting for her approval. Paige felt heat rising in her cheeks and then made herself relax, telling herself it had been too long since she’d been around a man if having one dance with a guy made her blush. She didn’t know what it was, but, every time she was around him she felt a nervous feeling creep up on her. As she leaned in to him, the smell of the ocean and beer hit her. She didn’t think that combination could smell good, but somehow it did.

  As their bodies gently swayed with the song, Paige felt his grip on her waist tighten and she found herself leaning in closer to him, her face barely brushing against his neck. She didn’t know what was coming over her but she found herself enjoying being in his arms and being close to him. Something deep down told her that he was different than the other guys she had dated; he seemed more mature, though she realized she didn’t know him that well, either. She felt a strange desire to see what type of guy he was, but fear of the unknown made her leery. She’d been burned too many times in the past.

  She caught Kyleigh’s eye as she sat at the table and saw the excitement in her face. She knew her thoughts were going crazy. She probably already had them married off by now. Kyleigh gave her two enthusiastic thumbs up and Paige rolled her eyes.

  She felt his chin rest on her head, felt his body relax and melt further into hers, pulling her even closer against him. His hand squeezed hers and she felt his lips brush against her ear, making her skin tingle from his light touch. She felt him dip his head down even more to her, his lips grazing against the bare skin on her shoulder, making her shiver ever so slightly with a rise of pleasure, and then the song suddenly ended. They both stood there for a minute, neither one wanting to pull away. She felt him breathing hard, his hands lightly rubbing against her waist and she found herself not wanting him to let go. But, after several agonizing seconds, he slowly pulled away and looked down at her. She noticed a waver in his cockiness for a split second; he seemed almost timid.