Josh's Challenge Read online

  Melissa realized that Mr. King and her sister were now listening. She swallowed. “Uh, no.”

  She felt him relax again. “I’ll put the steaks on the grill around six-thirty. Sound good?”

  When she still didn’t answer right away, Marguerite kicked her in the shin. That hurt! She gave her sister the Death Stare. Marguerite sat innocently as if nothing had happened under the table. “Angie will still be at the hospital, but I should be home by then. What should I bring?” Missy asked while Marguerite nodded with approval.

  He flashed that infamous smile of his as he answered. “Just you and the cat.”

  “Who’s Angie?” James asked.

  “Angelica Daemon is my sister’s new roommate,” Marguerite explained. “She lived with Missy while she was at school, Mr. King.”

  “Ah, so she’s someone you can trust,” James proclaimed.

  “Angie is great, I’m really glad to have her. And it beats me trying to find a roommate,” Missy added.

  “What do you need a roommate for?” Josh asked.

  “I don’t need one, but every little bit helps,” she answered with a shrug. Angelica hadn’t been with her long, but she’d already pitched in with the groceries. Missy was confident that their arrangement would work out perfectly.

  Karen returned to the table with the rest of their order. The look on Josh’s face when his plate was set in front of him was almost indecent. “These are the best burgers…,” he said with reverence as he took a huge bite.

  Missy only ate half her meal because she spent the rest of the time watching Josh devour his. When she caught her sister’s eye, she saw Marguerite wore that knowing look she got when she was proud of herself, the look that meant she’d manipulated Missy in some way to her liking. The look usually annoyed Missy, but this time she’d gotten what she’d wanted, too. Missy had a date with Josh later that night, and she would make it no matter what crisis tried to wreck it.

  “I CAN’T MAKE it for dinner,” Melissa said.

  “Why not?” Josh asked, just barely keeping the whine out of his voice. He swore the universe was conspiring against him.

  “Angie’s car won’t start and she needs help getting home. I’m sorry, Josh. I was really looking forward to some steaks tonight.” She sounded just as disappointed as he felt. Would they ever get a moment alone?

  “I could tag along and maybe see if I can get her car running?” If he went with her, he might be able to fix Angelica’s car and then Melissa could still come over for dinner.

  “That’s a great idea, Josh, but I’m already on my way to the hospital.”

  “Why don’t I meet you down there anyway? It would spare having to call a tow truck if I can fix whatever is wrong with it.” He almost kicked himself. He sounded desperate even to his own ears.

  “That’s sweet, Josh, but Angie’s already called a tow truck. She just needs a ride home. If…if it’s not too late, maybe I could still come by,” she suggested.

  Josh was proud of her for not shying away from their date. “I’ll keep the steaks warm.”

  “Sounds good,” she said with a hint of relief in her voice. It gave him hope that she wasn’t purposely trying to avoid him.

  Frustrated, he clicked off and tossed his phone on the kitchen counter. She was all he could think about anymore. Tonight’s dinner was supposed to have been the beginning of a closer relationship with her, one that would lead to deeper kisses and handholding in public. Now he was forced to wait another day because he had a bad feeling that he wouldn’t be seeing her tonight. He hoped his gut instinct was wrong as he covered the steaks with tin foil and left them on the stove to keep warm. He put the bottle of wine back onto the rack and headed to the living room while he waited. If she didn’t show up, then he would go to her. Melissa had a shy nature, but he’d proven to both of them that he could get around her awkwardness. The problem was that the more time they were apart, the more he felt he would lose ground with her and have to start over. He didn’t want to give her time to change her mind about him.

  When he turned the television on, it was already on the Giants game. The hotel plans for Molly’s sat untouched on the coffee table. If Melissa wouldn’t be here for another hour or so, then he would have to pull his head out of his butt and focus on work. He slid the rubber bands off the rolled-up plans and spread the diagrams out before him, making notes where the inspector had found problems. It was an old building, and if they were going to tear down portions or open up walls, they’d be dealing with asbestos abatement. The whole electrical system would need to be upgraded in order to handle the new circuitry for modern equipment. The inspector had also found roof damage caused by a bad storm last winter; the roof would have to be replaced, along with repairs to the foundation. Everything had to be brought up to code. Josh needed to figure out how to do that and still keep the integrity of the old landmark. It was like solving a puzzle. He loved what he did for a living. And it had the added benefit of distracting him from the constant distraction that was Melissa Theroux.

  He worked until his eyes grew heavy. The game had gone into extra innings ending in a Giants win, but time had gotten away from him. It was after eleven when he looked at the clock. He hadn’t heard a word from Melissa. Surely, they were home by now. He checked his phone but there were no texts, no missed calls.

  He got up and stretched his legs, which led him to the window. He pulled the curtain back. There were no cars in her driveway. Had they run into more trouble with the tow truck? Two beautiful women with a stranded vehicle late at night was a predator’s dream. He dropped the blinds and picked up his phone. Just as he was about to hit her number on speed dial, headlights flashed through the window indicating that someone was pulling into the driveway next door. He pulled the blinds aside again just in time to see the girls getting out of Melissa’s CRV.

  He rushed out the front door and caught up with them on their porch. “Hey, did everything go all right with the tow truck?”

  “What do you think?” Angelica grumbled irritably.

  Melissa was juggling with the key in the lock and the cat carrier. Josh took the key from her hand and unlocked the front door. “Thank you,” she said with a relieved smile.

  Angelica continued to curse under her breath as she stormed up the stairs in her nurse’s scrubs. Josh followed her with his eyes until she’d cleared the landing upstairs. “She’s had a rough day, huh?”

  Melissa laughed. “She’s one of the moodiest people I’ve ever met. Keep in mind, I grew up in the same house with Marguerite, so that makes me an expert.”

  “Wow. That is moody,” Josh agreed. They chuckled a moment as she unlatched the door on the carrier. “Has she eaten?”

  “Angie? Who knows. She was so grumpy about her car that I didn’t bother asking.”

  “No, I meant Ginger,” Josh clarified. The confusion made them laugh outright as he scooped some cat food into a dish on the kitchen floor. The kitten happily hobbled over and dug in at the same time that Angelica stomped halfway down the stairs.

  “I don’t know why everyone is laughing. Can you keep it down so I can get some sleep?”

  Josh didn’t care for her attitude and was about to tell her his thoughts on the matter when Melissa brushed it off like it was no big deal. “Sorry, Angie. We’ll keep it down.”

  “He’s staying?”

  Melissa looked at him for a split second, “Um, no. It’s late and we all have to work in the morning.” She raised her eyebrows indicating that he should agree with her statement.

  It pissed him off. He didn’t want to leave; he’d been waiting for her all damn day, and now her rude roommate was cutting him off. Again.

  He was about to disagree when Angelica said, “Good night, Josh.” She stood there waiting for him to leave, eyebrow raised.

  To his surprise, Melissa took his hand. “I’ll walk you to the door.”

  He took a good look at her and realized she was exhausted. Resigned to wait one more day to b
e alone with her, he allowed her to lead him away. When they reached the door he leaned in and kissed her cheek. She smelled good, and it took everything he had not to linger a bit longer. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” he confirmed before he returned to his own empty townhouse.

  Missy waited until Josh had cleared her walkway before turning her irritation toward Angelica. “There’s no need to be rude, Angie.”

  “I wasn’t rude. I’m tired. This new job is kicking my butt,” she mumbled, looking a little pale.

  Missy sighed and took pity on her. “Do you want me to fix you some herbal tea before you go to sleep? It helps me unwind when I’ve had a crazy day.”

  Angelica smiled and descended the rest of the way down the staircase. “That would be great. You’re so good to me,” she said with a sigh as she sat on a barstool. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

  Missy turned on the electric kettle before gathering mugs and tea bags. “I don’t know either,” she giggled. “And you’ll apologize to Josh in the morning.” She wasn’t asking. As she’d reminded Josh, she’d lived with Marguerite her whole life. The secret to dealing with grumpy alpha women was to show no fear. She also wanted to remind her new roommate that Josh was her landlord and deserved respect.

  Angelica’s smile dropped a bit. “Yes, I’ll apologize to him. I promise.”

  “Good, because he hasn’t done anything to justify your rudeness. He’s my landlord, and having a roommate was not part of my lease. Be thankful he’s so easygoing.”

  Angelica studied the mug that was placed in front of her before bobbing the tea bag up and down in the hot water. “You’re right, Missy. He’s been good to us. I’m just worried about Harold is all. I don’t want you to get hurt, and I realize it was stupid of me to have you come get me this late at night. It was foolish to be out by ourselves. Harold could be anywhere; he could be watching…”

  Missy didn’t let her finish. “We aren’t sure if it’s even Harold who’s after me. It could all be a prank.” God, she hoped it was a prank.

  Angelica shook her head with disgust. “You can be so stubborn, Missy. You know it’s not a prank. But you’re right, it could be anyone. It could be Josh.”

  “That’s insane.”

  “Is it?” Angelica asked while sipping her tea. “You were fine until you moved back to Timbisha. Josh could’ve given you those chocolates. Doesn’t his family have a small ranch? He could’ve easily gotten access to the animal tranquilizer, and he could have graffitied your car at any point in the night. Heck, he could’ve done it before he banged on the door that morning.”

  Missy shook her head in denial. No way was Josh stalking her.

  Angelica got up from the barstool and put her empty teacup in the dishwasher. “Look, just think about it. I was right about Harold. If it weren’t for me, who knows what that man would have done to you?” She sighed, shaking her head ruefully. “I’m going to bed, Missy, and you should, too. Hopefully, when you wake up, your common sense will have returned to you.”

  Missy sat dumbstruck as Angelica trudged back up the stairs to her bedroom. Could Josh be stalking her? He certainly had had the opportunity to place the chocolates and to tag her car, but what was his reason?

  The kitten had long since finished her dinner and was now rubbing herself against Missy’s legs. “What are we going to do with her, Ginger?” she cooed as she picked up the kitten and carried her upstairs to her own room. Angelica was right about one thing: Missy needed to get a good night’s sleep so she could think of a rebuttal for what Angelica had said about Josh.

  MORNING DAWNED HOT and bright. Missy woke with the sun just like she did every morning. She was tired from the late night before, but she decided on a quick jog anyway to clear the cobwebs from her mind. Angelica was still asleep. Missy could hear her snoring from the hallway. The image of the petite beauty snorting and snuffling the night away made Missy giggle just like it had when they’d lived together at school. Some things never changed.

  Downstairs, Ginger had managed to get herself onto the back of the couch and into a ray of sunshine. Missy gently patted her on the head before opening the front door and stepping out into the new day. The air was cool in the morning shade, and the sun’s rays were just beginning to send their blistering heat across the landscape. After a few warm-up stretches, her feet began to pound on the pavement, taking her on the same route that had led her to the ditch where she’d found Ginger. It was an older road that wasn’t well-traveled by cars at the busiest times of the day, especially in small town Timbisha. It could be argued that any route she took at dawn would be without traffic, but the real reason she chose this one was because of the scenic vista at the end. It led up onto a hill that overlooked the valley and the town of Timbisha below. When she got to the top, she could see the rural valley beyond the town, the river, and the green fields of alfalfa growing in perfect circles where the irrigation sprinklers offered water to lush plants. It was quiet on the vista; only the occasional birdsong could be heard, along with the stomping of her tennis shoes on the old asphalt and the intake of her rapid breaths as she ran.

  That’s why all her senses came alive when she heard another set of foot stomps coming from behind her. She’d been in denial, not wanting to admit that her stalker was real, but now someone had followed her up this lonely road in the early dawn where nothing stirred except for a few ground squirrels and the occasional lizard seeking sunlight to warm its cold blood. Fear and adrenaline flooded her body, ratcheting up her already accelerated heart rate, and sweat now poured down her face as panic flowed through her veins. Should she turn to face her attacker or attempt to outrun him? She’d thoughtlessly left the house without any sort of weapon to defend herself. Hell, she didn’t even own mace! She now regretted not being more vigilant.

  Just as she’d decided to make an all-out run for it, Josh’s familiar voice filled the morning air. “Melissa, wait up! Are you trying to kill us both?”

  Fear and adrenaline made her angry as the relief spread throughout her limbs. She turned to see Josh bent at the waist, his hands gripping his knees as sweat dripped onto the crumbling pavement. “Are you trying to give me a heart attack?” she shouted back.

  His eyebrows lifted in surprise at her rarely raised voice before consternation filled his. “I’m sorry, honey. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

  Was that true or was he pretending to be someone he wasn’t? Was Angelica correct in assuming that Josh was behind all of her worry? She’d known him all her life. He had a reputation as a player, but also as a prankster. Surely he wasn’t so cruel? He’d never pursued her before now, and she’d never considered that he’d ever be interested in her. She was plain, uninterested in playing dress-up or doing all the girlie things that Marguerite, or even Angelica, liked to do. She definitely wasn’t like the other women he’d been known to associate with. Yes, she’d dated, but it wasn’t her favorite thing in the world because she never knew what to say or how to act. She’d never thought of herself as shy, the way the rest of the world did. She was awkward, which was worse. Missy wasn’t Josh’s type, and his interest in her made no sense at all. He could have anyone, so why was he so eager to start up a relationship with her?

  His behavior didn’t add up, and, now, with him following her up here so early in the morning, it occurred to her that Angelica might be right. Josh might be her stalker after all.

  “WELL, YOU DID scare me! I don’t like being followed.”

  He hadn’t expected her anger. Damn it. She was shaking from head to toe. He’d truly frightened her! With placating hands raised, he said, “I’m sorry, I wasn’t thinking. I should’ve called out to you sooner.”

  “Yes, you should have.”

  At a loss for words, which was something new to him since he always knew what to say to a lady, he gestured toward the valley below. “Pretty view,” he said a bit lamely.

  She closed her eyes and chuckled. “Yeah, Timbisha looks idyllic from up here,” she agre
ed. “What made you follow me, Josh?”

  He sighed, still hearing defensiveness in her voice. He’d really, really scared her, and now she thought he was dangerous. He could see it in the way she stood back from him, the way her eyes darted in all directions as if she were looking for a way to escape him. Unfortunately, he couldn’t control the honesty coming from his mouth.

  “I missed having dinner with you last night. It seems like I can never get you alone.” He wanted to kick himself for two reasons. First, for admitting how desperately he wanted to be with her, and, second, for sounding like he was, in fact, stalking her. He wasn’t, of course, but he was truly at a loss on how to handle this shy, intelligent woman. She was becoming quite the challenge. If he pursued too aggressively, his actions could be misconstrued as something sinister. Shit, he was screwed.

  She cocked her head accusingly. “You missed me? You saw me last night.”

  “Barely,” he muttered. “Look, I’d already intended to run this morning. When I saw you up ahead of me, I thought it was a good idea to catch up. I didn’t follow you like a stalker, I swear,” he said while crossing his heart.

  She looked at her watch and frowned. “I need to get back before I’m late for work.”

  “I know, it’s getting late for me, too.” He could feel the wariness radiating off of her. She was still frightened. “I’m heading back down the hill, and since you are heading back down the hill too, we are going to have to go together.” How was he ever going to get over this wall?

  She eyed him for a second before her shoulders slumped. She muttered under her breath about being crazy, but he didn’t catch it all. She gave him a nod before she started down the hill. To his surprise, when he started jogging next to her, she didn’t shy away and she didn’t try to outrun him. Maybe she’d figured out that he wasn’t there to hurt her. If anything, he would protect her. She’d made a good point, though. If her real stalker were around, this would have been the perfect opportunity for an ambush. The thought had him scanning the area for any sign of the creep. He didn’t feel so bad for scaring her anymore because she shouldn’t have been up here all alone in the first place.