Josh's Challenge Page 17

  She was with Marco, who immediately raised his hand to Josh. “Hey man.” He slapped a palm to Josh’s and waved to Melissa.

  “Well, hello there, you two,” Angelica said. “Missy, you didn’t come home last night,” she accused while wearing a vixen’s smile that annoyed Josh, but Marco seemed to be completely enamored by the older woman. He’d have to set the kid straight.

  “Where’s Charlie?” Josh asked.

  “Pizza Factory. We’ll hook up later when his shift ends,” Marco said. “I’m just escorting this lovely lady around town today for her errands.”

  Josh noted, without comment, how the kid kept zeroing in on Angelica’s chest. Yep, he’d definitely need to have a long talk with both boys about the trappings of older women.

  “What errands are you running?” Melissa asked.

  “Oh, this and that, you know. I’m out of some personal items. My schedule at the hospital is so erratic that I need to get my shopping in when I can. Marco followed me to the garage. My car’s still not fixed properly. What is it with small towns, anyway?” She looked put out until her ice-blue eyes landed on Josh. “Can you talk to Gil for me?”

  Her singsong voice grated on Josh’s nerves, but one look at Melissa and her pleading eyes had him agreeing to the task. “Sure thing, Angie. I’ll give him a call tomorrow. They’re closed on Sundays.”

  “Figures,” she grouched. “I can’t keep hogging all of Marco’s time, even if he is just so adorable.” She looped her arm through the boy’s elbow and gave him a squeeze. Josh didn’t miss how Marco stood straighter.

  “Oh, it’s my pleasure, Miss Daemon. Anything you need, I’m here to help.”

  “Speaking of, I’m starving and that booth just opened up.”

  It was directly behind Josh and Melissa, so throughout lunch Josh could hear Angelica’s coquettish voice ringing through the diner. Every now and then, she would say something funny and ask, “Remember that, Missy?” distracting them from their own conversation. Her behavior was odd, but Josh understood that some women were just needy. Apparently, Angelica was one of them.

  “Maybe I should go home tonight,” Melissa said quietly as she folded her napkin and lay it on her empty plate.

  “Maybe, but you’re not going to,” he whispered back before kissing her earlobe. Goosebumps became visible on her bare arms, and he loved that he was responsible for them. “Besides, do you really want to?” He raised his eyebrow at her.

  She giggled. “No, not really. Ginger and I want to be with you,” she said so quietly he’d barely heard it. He was just about to kiss her full on the mouth when an arm that wasn’t Melissa’s slid across his shoulders.

  “How about if I run my errands and pick up something yummy to fix for dinner tonight?” Angelica said.

  Melissa jumped away at the same time Josh shrugged off Angelica’s arm from around his shoulders. “Sorry, Angie, but Melissa and I have plans for dinner. Thanks for thinking of us, though.” He emphasized the word us so there would be no mistaking that they were a couple. A flash of anger came across Angelica’s face before she smoothed her features into a knowing smile.

  “I get it, third wheel and all.” She sighed heavily. “All right, you two. Have fun tonight. I guess Marco and I will just have to have dinner alone then. Toodles,” she said with a wave of her fingertips as she and the fawning Marco walked out the door.

  Melissa shook her head. “There is no way in hell that I am going to let her have dinner alone with that boy.”

  Josh agreed. “Don’t worry about it. I’m sure Marco is going to have a rush of calls this evening from people in need of Timbisha Taxi Service.” He winked and Melissa threw her head back and laughed.

  “Perfect. No one gets embarrassed, and he earns some money.”

  They paid their check, and as they walked out the door she said, “You’re pretty amazing, you know that, Josh King?”

  It was Josh who puffed up his chest as they strolled to his pickup. “No, but I’m certainly glad you think so.” He couldn’t not kiss her, with her violet eyes shining up at him and the sweet smile that hadn’t left her lips since they’d woken this morning inviting his lips to touch hers. She was his, damn it, and he planned on keeping that smile on her face for the rest of their lives.

  They were still kissing in the parking lot when the cat calls from patrons floated to his ears. “Maybe we should get going before the sheriff arrests us for lewd behavior.” He nipped her earlobe and didn’t miss her excited intake of breath.

  “Yeah, maybe. Or we could just go back to your place.”

  It was him who gave a startled gasp at her brazen words. More turned on than ever, he opened the driver’s side door and lifted her up. “Scooch over, baby.”

  When she complied, he followed her into the cab and didn’t waste any time getting back to his townhouse. To hell with the errands, he thought. He’d pick up the floodlights and security alarm tomorrow while she was safe at work. He had better things to do on a Sunday afternoon anyway.

  Missy had barely gotten out of her car when Josh took the cat carrier from her hands and dragged her inside. “Wait! I need to shower!” she complained.

  “Shower with me after I make love to you.”

  “Yeah, okay,” she agreed breathlessly.

  Josh had met her every evening after work for the past week and dragged her willingly to his townhouse. She’d barely set foot in her own place, let alone spoken to her roommate. Angelica had left her a few nagging texts about not seeing Missy in a while and wanting to catch up on her life, but Missy couldn’t resist being with Josh.

  She’d been getting annoying texts from her sister, too, but Marguerite’s complaint was that she wasn’t in the loop and was concerned about their mother. Darla’s illness was stable, but she wasn’t getting better either. Missy had opted out of lunches with Josh to spend them with her mom. Twice this week he’d shown up at her mother’s house with food and spent time visiting as well.

  He was quickly becoming Missy’s obsession. If she wasn’t with Josh, she was thinking about him and the things they did together when they were alone…or what he said to her when they couldn’t be alone. Some of his texts were downright naughty, but she didn’t dare erase them. She only prayed no one else would ever read them.

  Love letters her father had written to her mother were kept in a box on Darla’s dresser, but today people didn’t write letters, they texted. These naughty, heartfelt messages were Josh’s love letters. He wasn’t shy about what he wanted or how he felt. At first, Missy thought their erotic nature was just evidence of Josh being male, but then he would prove it was much more than that by checking up on her mother while Missy was at work. He held Missy’s hand, opened doors, and asked her about her day. They talked nonstop about silly things, and he always listened to what she was saying.

  Her limited experience with men had left her a bit jaded. But since she’d moved back to Timbisha, Josh had shown her that she’d just been unlucky. He was a good man, and she was thankful that he was in her life. She trusted him. She was in love with him.

  “I put dinner on low. How does chicken chili sound? It’s Julie’s recipe.”

  “Anything you made sounds wonderful. I’m a terrible cook.”

  He smiled while trailing his fingertips down her cheek before kissing the tip of her nose. “Well, between Julie and my mother, I’ve had good teachers.”

  “Does your mother know you think Julie is the better teacher?”

  “Yes. Julie isn’t just the better teacher, she’s the better chef and my mother knows it. Why do you think they went into business together?” He kissed her quickly and hopped out of bed, throwing on some gym shorts that hung low on his hips, emphasizing all the fine ridges and bumps that made him interesting to look at.

  When he caught her enjoying the view, he said, “Stop that. We’ll never eat dinner if you don’t.” As if he couldn’t help it, he kissed her again before quickly escaping the bedroom.

  Missy
rolled over onto her back and stared at the ceiling. As lovely as this relationship had become, she needed some boundaries. She’d basically been living with Josh for the past week, only running home to grab things for the next day. She was even showering here, and, God help her, she’d brought over all of her personal hygiene products and tucked them in his bathroom cabinet. Even if she wanted to go home to get dressed, she couldn’t because she no longer had any shampoo in her own shower!

  Things were moving way too quickly and she loved it, but she needed to be sensible. She was the responsible sister, after all!

  Wasn’t she?

  They needed to talk.

  She got herself up and threw on a pair of Josh’s boxers and one of his t-shirts. Again, this was another part of their weeklong routine. Did he do this with all his girlfriends? Thinking of Josh with other women just made her angry, so she shoved that thought away and jogged down the stairs to follow the enticing aromas of garlic, basil, and cumin all the way into the kitchen.

  “Oh my goodness, that smells divine.”

  “Wait ’til you taste it.” He lifted a spoon out of the slow cooker and blew on it before lifting it to her lips. It was white and creamy, and when it hit her tongue she thought she’d died and gone to heaven.

  “Mmmmm,” was all she could get out. As soon as she opened her eyes, he’d filled up a bowl and handed it to her. She wasted no time setting it on the kitchen bar and grabbing a stool. He handed her a spoon and a napkin before filling his own bowl and placing it next to hers. He grabbed a couple of beers from the refrigerator before joining her at the bar.

  She didn’t speak until half her bowl was empty and she remembered that the sexiest man she’d ever met was sitting right next to her. “What’s in this?”

  “Love,” was his answer as he continued to eat. His dimple was showing.

  “Well, I’ll take a second helping, if you don’t mind. Want me to refill you, too?”

  He winked and handed her his bowl. “Do you want to come to Reno with me this weekend?”

  “I can’t,” she said with disappointment. “I’m on call all weekend and the Ferreros’ mare is about to foal, so I can’t leave. Why are you going to Reno?”

  “Charlie. The family’s heading down to pick out a place for him to live. He wants to live in the dorms, but if Mom has her way, we’ll get him an apartment near the university instead,” he said with a chuckle.

  “Your mom will win out, won’t she?”

  “Of course. I’m mainly going down for moral support.”

  Going a whole weekend without seeing him would suck, but the time away would give Missy the break she’d been thinking she needed so that she could get her priorities in order.

  “Hey, you all right?” he asked with concern when she set his bowl back down in front of him.

  “Yeah.” She took another spoonful of the delicious chili. “I’m just going to miss you is all,” she admitted with a shrug, hoping that she didn’t sound too pathetic.

  “Woman, you’ll be on my mind twenty-four seven, but Charlie is a huge part of my life, and I don’t want to disappoint him by not going.”

  “My goodness, I would never ask you not to go! Of course, you should go. It will give me time to think about things.”

  “Think about what?”

  She swallowed another bite. “Just…well, honestly, Josh, we can’t keep going on like this. I need to go home sometimes.” She hoped he understood.

  “You go home,” he said.

  “Josh, I haven’t been home in over a week, and your overfilled laundry hamper is proof.” It was true. Neither of them had done laundry, and with a week’s worth of their clothes spilling over the edge, his bedroom was beginning to look like a college dorm room.

  “I’ll do a load tonight.” His dismissive attitude was puzzling.

  “That’s not the point. I need to check my mail, pay bills, clean up at home, clean Ginger’s cat box, and go grocery shopping.”

  “Angie can go grocery shopping.”

  “Josh, all I’m saying is that I don’t live here. I live next door.”

  He shoved his bowl away and turned toward Missy on his stool. He moved her bowl back, braced both his arms around her hips, leaned in, took a breath, and said, “What if you lived here instead?”

  Shock stole her breath, and she swore she felt her jaw hit her knees. “I…I…”

  “Look, don’t say anything. Just think about it. I’m not screwing around with you, Melissa. I’ve waited for you forever, but if you’re not ready right now, that’s fine. Just know this: You are, and will always be, my forever. I love you, babe.”

  He used his thumb to wipe a tear that fell down her cheek before kissing her sweetly. Her heart filled up with joy, and, as usual, her tongue tied in knots as it tangled with his. Her heart wanted what he was asking for, but her head was screaming for them to slow down. She’d always been practical, and she wasn’t sure if moving in with Josh right away was the smart thing to do. Part of her believed that he was worried her stalker would show his face again, but since the death of Harold, there’d been no other incidents.

  As usual, Josh’s physical persuasion had its usual effect on her libido, and her objections and fears melted away under his gentle touch. No, she didn’t need to go home tonight or any night soon, not with the way he was loving her now.

  SATURDAY MORNING, SHE woke up alone with a feeling of dread. Well, not alone, she realized, as three pink kitty paws poked out from under the blankets near her pillow. Missy reached out and tickled the fluff between the pads of Ginger’s toes and giggled when the kitten kicked out three quick times before burrowing deeper under the covers. Missy reached under the blankets to give the kitten some love before she hopped out of bed and headed for the shower—alone.

  She missed Josh. She hadn’t showered without him in over a week and it felt weird. They’d decided to stay the night at her place since he’d be gone all weekend. She barely remembered him kissing her goodbye in the wee hours of dawn.

  She turned off the water, dried off, braided her hair, and quickly got dressed. Ginger was now sitting on top of the comforter waiting for her to return from the bathroom. “Are you hungry?” Missy asked, and the kitty immediately hobbled to the edge of the bed and bounded off with as much grace as her three healthy legs could handle. She began her motorboat purr and followed Missy downstairs.

  “Good morning, sunshine,” came from the kitchen. Angelica stood at the stove scrambling eggs.

  Missy smiled. It was like old times. “G’morning. Do you have to work today?”

  “Nope, got the whole weekend off, can you believe it?”

  That was surprising. New nurses rarely got the weekends off, but Angelica was pretty persuasive. “No, I cannot because I’m on call all weekend.”

  Angelica’s shoulders drooped. “What does that mean?”

  Missy poured herself a cup of coffee. “Just that if someone has an emergency, I have to help them.”

  “Oh, goody. That means we can go shopping.”

  Missy eyed her friend. “You understand this is Timbisha and not Los Angeles, right? The best we have is a Walmart Supercenter.”

  “Well, we’ll just have to make the best of it. What do you say?”

  “I thought I’d head over to Mom’s for a bit. Wanna come with me? My mom and sister would love to meet you.”

  “Sure,” Angelica said. “Let’s see how the day goes. Nothing is set in stone, right?”

  “Right.” Missy didn’t like to make plans when she was on call anyway.

  “Oh, I almost forgot. Gil called and my car is ready!” Angelica clapped her hands together. “I called Marco to give me a ride, but apparently he’s gone to Reno to help his friend find a place to live.”

  “Charlie?”

  “Yeah, didn’t Josh tell you?”

  “No, he…I didn’t know Marco was going. I thought it was just his family.”

  “Huh. Well, Marco didn’t say anything about Josh goi
ng with them either, so maybe he didn’t.” Angelica shrugged her shoulders.

  “Then where would Josh be?” Missy thought Angelica was being ridiculous, but she held her tongue.

  “Who knows? You know how men are. Maybe he wanted to go fishing or something with his brothers and didn’t tell you because he thought you’d be mad. Men lie all the time, Missy. They don’t like to hear women nag. Josh is used to living a bachelor’s lifestyle. He probably resents having to account for his whereabouts.” Angelica smiled, as if what she said made perfect sense. “I’m going to get changed. We have a lot to do today!” She jogged up the steps to her room, leaving Missy questioning everything.

  Do men lie to women even if they love them? Was that right? She was too young to remember what her parents’ marriage had been like except for the happy times. Had her father lied about silly things to her mom? She’d have to ask. Marguerite would know, but she’d never said anything like that before.

  However, Angelica made a good point about Josh not having to be accountable for himself. He had a reputation, and he hadn’t denied being a ladies’ man, so maybe he wasn’t in Reno? She picked up her phone and noted that he hadn’t checked in yet. Was he driving? She looked out her front window and didn’t see his pickup, but that didn’t mean that he hadn’t left it at his parents’ estate while someone else drove. Maybe she should text him now?

  “Are you ready?” Angelica said, startling Missy so badly she felt her heart skip a beat.

  “Yeah, um, let me get my shoes and my keys.”

  “REMIND ME AGAIN why you think Walmart on a Saturday is a good idea?” Missy drove around the parking lot twice before she landed a spot a mile and half away from the front doors.

  “It certainly looks like this is where all the action is,” Angelica said without apology.

  “Wait a minute. I thought you needed to go shopping?”

  “Of course I do, and so do you. You haven’t been home in a week, and since everyone will be here, it’s as good a place as any to meet people.” She winked her heavily lashed eye and stepped gracefully from the car.