Operation: Austin

Chapter Three Part Three

As they approached Yakima, the traffic started picking up. Near Union Gap, where 97 merged into 82, they passed a semi, and the sound woke Paige. She blinked a bit, disoriented, then smiled as she looked at Gary. “Hi there, hero!” She purred warmly as she stretched and straightened in her seat. “Ouch! Oh, that hurts. Thanks for letting me sleep. I think that is the best I’ve had in a week.” She combed her fingers through her hair as she looked around. “Where are we?”

“We’re about ten minutes from Target,” he replied with a smile. “You’re adorable when you sleep. You didn’t even drool very much.”

Her hand moved instinctively to her mouth. She looked at him, trying to figure out if he was serious. “I didn’t, did I?”

He laughed. “No, not at all, but I couldn’t resist teasing you. Payback and all that.”

“Oh, You!” Her face pulled back in mock outrage. “You are so bad!” she said, slapping his arm playfully.

“You don’t know the half of it,” he replied, enjoying their playful banter. It was smooth, with no feeling of being contrived; he was not used to being with someone who played with him like this. “Speaking of bad. Maybe we should cover some housekeeping items before we get to the house.”

She looked at him with caution and curiosity.

“First,” he began, “there are no drugs or smoking on the property. I can’t stand it in the house, and outside, this is a dry country, so we avoid fires, and I’m not into the drug scene.” He looked straight at her for confirmation.

Paige nodded sincerely. “I don’t smoke or do drugs. I have smoked pot a few times with friends, but it’s not a big deal to me.”

She didn’t seem the druggie type to him; she seemed more of the athletic, organic food type, but he didn’t really know much about her yet. He found himself very relieved to hear she didn’t smoke, knowing he would have been very disappointed if she did.

“There is some alcohol around, mostly beer and wine. You are an adult. We aren’t heavy drinkers.” He thought about what he had just said. “Well, that’s not true, but I can’t remember the last time any of us were drunk. I’m just letting you know because if Carla catches you drunk, you’re on your own. I’ll fight a grizzly for you, but Carla is a force of nature.”

She thought for a moment; the drinking didn’t pose a problem for her either. “Do you have grizzlies?” she teased him again.

“We did have one,” he confirmed, trying to keep a straight face, “but Jax ate it.”

“Bad dog, huh?” she asked, keeping it rolling.

“Not to you,” he assured her. “He loves women.”

She smiled flirtatiously. “Like his owner?”

He looked at her. Lord, it is smooth with this woman, he thought. Their tussle was not competitive like it was with Layla. It was more like blending than contrasting, like watching cream swirl into coffee, eventually disappearing.

After a moment, he continued his commentary. “The other thing is, I don’t wear a lot of clothes around the house. I like heat, and I’m not very modest. I’ll do my best to remember to keep my shorts on.” He looked at her, and she looked at him. Her mental wheels were turning.

“You mean naked?”

“Well,” he started. “Usually only when I’m lying in the sun. Around the house, I normally wear a pair of boxer briefs. Keeps my ass and balls from sticking to the chairs.”

He was trying to shock her, looking for a victory in their playful battle. Without missing so much as a heartbeat, she came right back.

“You should try baby powder; it solves that problem,” she grinned, her expression clearly saying, “Check and Mate, I’m the winner!”

Fuck! he thought to himself, Sparring with this girl is like boxing with your shadow. He laughed, “Libras, huh?”

She smirked. “Yup!”

“Am I going to get a win here?” he asked for clarification.

The sparkle in her eyes shifted to warmth. “If I decide to let you.”

“So, what?” he asked. “I just wait for the memo?”

She laughed. “Oh no, you have to keep trying. That is what builds it up and makes it fun. The only way you lose is if you quit.”

“So, if I keep losing, then eventually, I win?”

She looked at him and nodded, then said, “Perfect.”

The friendly, slightly flirty banter relaxed her. She perceived no threat from this man, just sexy fun as he allowed her to be in control of the pace. He liked that she liked it, and she liked that he liked that she liked it.

“So, back to the naked thing,” she said, looking at him with a crooked grin. “You don’t just get to drop a bomb like that without more explanation. How does Carla handle that?”

He lifted one shoulder. “Well, she’s used to it, and other than the occasional risqué comment, she is mostly impervious by this time.”

He looked at her again, and she could tell he was serious. “I am always careful if her daughter Cristel is around, and now with you, if I don’t change, I’ll catch hell. Carla makes my life easy; she’s family, and I don’t like to piss her off. Besides, she talks to my mom.”

Paige laughed. “I guess we know how things stack up then! I can’t wait to meet her.”

“Well,” he cautioned, “Carla is the momma type. You should expect some mothering. She means well, and she knows her place and her power. You’re probably going to be her new project. I’m excited about that because it will take her focus off me.”

He laughed again, and she joined in, wincing when she stretched her mouth. “I can handle it,” she smiled. “I never had that. I always thought it would be better if I had a real mom.”

Soon, they were turning into the parking lot at Target. The temperature readout on his dash said 85°, but they knew when they opened the doors, it would feel like 100. Neither of them wanted to walk a block across the superheated asphalt, so Gary took a few turns through the lot before a space opened right near the door.

Smiling, he said, “Oh yeah, God loves me.”

He turned the car off and smiled at Paige. “Are you ready for some retail therapy?”

She smiled as big as her broken face allowed. “I’ve heard about that. How does it work?”

“It works fantastically!” he chuckled. “We go inside and buy the place out. John’s paying.”

She looked at him with a questioning eye. “Is he really paying? I don’t have any money to pay him back, and that’s not right.”

Gary laughed. “He probably won’t pay me back, but I’m going to get my money’s worth by spoiling you and giving him a bad time about it. It will be a source of argument for months.”

That statement concerned her. “Are you sure you can afford it?”

He had commented about his wealth, but she did not know what he meant; there was no reason she should. He liked her reluctance to spend money. “Well,” he said in mock seriousness, “we might not make the rent this month, but it will be worth it.”

She knew he was teasing. “Thanks, Gary. I’ve never known anyone like you.”

There was dampness in her eyes. He smiled and casually squeezed her hand. He was very aware that he touched her at every opportunity; she was not objecting.

“Okay, Sweetheart, let’s get going and get home. We don’t want to keep dinner waiting!”

He got out of the car, and she met him at the quarter panel. It was hot, and the withering heat radiating up from the asphalt was brutal. The key fob button locked the car with a beep as they walked to the store. Crossing the parking lot, she was looking at him oddly.

“What?” he asked.

“You called me, Sweetheart,” she said softly.

“Did I?” he smirked, daring her to object. “Huh, is that okay?”

She smiled and nodded. “It’s perfect.”

Reaching down, he took her left hand and folded it into the inside of his right arm. Co-retail conspirators, they headed inside as she snuggled close. This is going to be fun, he thought as he grabbed a big red cart.