His Reason, Her Choice (8 page)

“Dad,” Russ said in a low tone, “apologize to Joy.”

“Son, you can’t—”

“Apologize,”
Russ ground out.

Red stained the old man’s cheeks, and a muscle ticked in his jaw. “It doesn’t change what I think, but I apologize, Joy.”

Gloria clutched her hands together. “Good. I don’t like when my boys fight. Joy, both of them are very stubborn, but Russell always gives in to Russ. He has ever since our son was born. It’s a wonder Russ isn’t spoiled. Well, I hand in that.”

Joy made a small sound of acknowledgement. Her mind reeled, and she wanted to get away from them to think. Instead, Russ leaned down as if he intended to nuzzle her ear and whispered, “Play along, please.”

She eyed him in annoyance but gave in. His parents’ opinion of her didn’t matter. If they were going to judge her wrong, they would. Nothing she could do about it.

What Joy didn’t expect was Gloria helping her cook on the night she was responsible for making dinner. Joy had to admit Gloria’s smile and kind manner seemed genuine. She appeared to take everything at face value. If Russ and Joy told her they were a couple, Gloria accepted it.

* * * *

O
n most mornings over the next week, Joy woke to hear Gloria’s chipper voice calling, “Where are my girls?”

“Here!” Thundering feet would fill the hallway. Today, she rose to see what the heck they were always up to. She slipped her robe on and walked to the spare bedroom. Denita and Nicolette were on Gloria’s bed, and three heads bowed over some type of flyer.

“It’s a fair,” Gloria was explaining to the girls. “I bet we can have a lot of fun if we go.”

Nicolette’s eyes grew round. “Will Mommy let us?”

“I don’t see why not,” Gloria said. “Shall we ask her?”

“Yes!” Denita bounced on the bed. “You’ll take us if Mommy says it’s okay, Ms. Gloria?”

“Would you like that?”

Again the girls agreed in excitement. Joy shook her head, bewildered. To tell the truth, she felt a twinge of jealousy, wondering if her girls needed a grandmother figure or if it was that she wasn’t doing a great job as a mother. She’d heard it way too many times.

Gloria looked up and spotted her. She smiled. “There you are, Joy. I hope we didn’t wake you, sweetheart.”

“No.” The stomping girls had done that, which wasn’t unusual.

Denita and Nicolette took flying leaps off the bed and ran to her. They jumped up and down, grabbing her hands. “Mommy, can Ms. Gloria take us to the fair?
Please?”

Nicolette squeezed her eyes shut and dragged out the last word as if her life depended on it. Denita put her hands together in a pleading stance as well.

“Um, I’ll have to look at the money situation, girls, and I don’t want you wearing Ms. Gloria out. She’s here to visit Russ, not you.”

Gloria waved a hand and stood. “Oh, pooh, I love them already. They’re so sweet and energetic. I could only have Russ, but I wanted so many more.”

Joy gaped at her. “Seriously?”

“Yes, I have high hopes for a bunch of grandchildren to make up for it.” She eyed Joy, but the poor woman was wasting her time. No one else was coming out of Joy’s body, even if she and Russ was a real couple. Come to think of it, it seemed unfair to even lock him down in such a way with a woman who couldn’t have kids anymore. He wasn’t thirty yet and had time to be a father with the right woman. For some reason, those thoughts saddened her.

“I haven’t heard anyone call Denita with her mouth—sweet, but thank you very much. My babies are perfect in their own way.” Joy grinned. “I don’t like telling them about stuff like this unless I know for sure I can swing it.”

Gloria touched her arm. “This is my special treat. If you let me take them, I’ll pay for everything.”

Joy groaned. “You would say that in front of them, wouldn’t you?”

Gloria’s smile never wavered. “I know how to get what I want too.”

“Oh, so Russ takes after you?”

She winked.

Strong male hands came around her waist, and Russ rested his chin on her shoulder. “What’s up?”

Gloria explained it, and he pulled Joy backward. She excused herself from his mother and the girls and followed him to his room. He shut the door.

“I know I put you in an awkward position, Joy. I don’t want to make you unhappy.”

She shrugged. “Your mom is great. I wish mine was like her.”

“You can borrow her all you want,” he teased.

She smirked. “Your dad’s a different story, but I don’t think he’s bad.”

“He’s not, just a hard nut sometimes. If you don’t want the girls to go with them to the fair, I’ll talk to my mother. I’ll make her back off.”

“No, don’t do that.” Joy chewed her lip. “You really think she likes them?”

He chuckled. “My mother loves kids. She volunteers at a daycare.”

“You’re kidding?”

“No. She loves them that much, and she’s good with them.”

“Wow, I can’t even imagine.”

“If it will make you feel better, I’ll go along with them as a familiar face. You can have a day off for once.”

“Why would you do that? Just to let them think we—”

He touched her lips with a finger. “Don’t analyze it. Just consider it.”

She did, and she had already made up her mind. The fair was most likely on the weekend. Maybe she could work that day and keep her job a little longer. “Okay, it’s fine with me. Thanks, Russ. I can’t tell you how much this means to me.”

He drew her into his arms and kissed her. More and more, she felt like she wanted to always be there. Yet falling for him would be a mistake. What would happen when he was tired of their arrangement and sent her and her kids packing? She had to plan for the inevitable, so the extra shift was good and letting Gloria pay this once was a benefit to that uncertain future.

“Anything for you,” he whispered, and they returned to the spare room to tell Gloria and the kids.

J
oy let herself into the house. All was quiet, and she slipped her feet from her shoes to carry to the bedroom. After a shower, she changed her clothes and went to the kitchen to grab something to eat. The restaurant food had gotten old fast, and she preferred her own or Russ’s cooking.

She smiled a little thinking about him and about how he and the others were doing at the fair. The girls better be behaving themselves. Then worry came over her, and she wondered if she shouldn’t call again to be sure Russ was keeping an eye on her daughters, especially Nicolette, who got foolish notions into her head.

Joy pulled her phone from her pocket and was just about to call when movement from the corner of her eyes startled her. She jumped and gasped. “Russell, I didn’t realize you were here. You didn’t go with the others?”

He patted his stomach. “Not feeling too well.”

“Did you take something? I have the pink stuff in the fridge.”

He nodded and thanked her. “It helped.”

She turned back to the bowls with leftovers she had put on the table. “Would you like me to heat you some?”

“No, thank you. Joy?”

She tensed.

“You’re not very trusting, are you?”

She flicked her gaze to his. “What?”

“I’ve noticed it watching you this last week.”

She bristled. “I don’t see how—”

“No, please don’t get offended.” He strode over and took the spoon from her hand. He began dishing out food onto a plate for her and covered it with a paper towel before placing it in the microwave. “What I first said when I got here still stands.”

She gritted her teeth.

“About my son.”

She frowned. “What?”

He faced her, that slight smile so like Russ’s on his face. “You don’t trust people, but if you give Russ half a chance, I know he’ll prove himself.”

“Our situation is a bit different, sir.” She wanted to blurt out the truth and tell him he was right about her being Russ’s mistress. Somehow she thought that would hurt him. Russ’s parents obviously loved him very much, and they wanted to believe he was happy in his personal life. The knowledge hurt
her
because she knew her mother didn’t give a damn.

“Russ proves himself every day,” she said and realized it was true. “He’s commanding, but he’s also soft and sweet.”

Russell cringed at the word
soft
, and she laughed.

“Do you love him?”

Joy’s mouth fell open. “I...uh...”

“It’s a simple question, Joy. Do you love my son?”

“Mommy! Where are you?”

Joy blew out a breath of relief. Denita hurtled into the kitchen with a stuffed purple dog that was bigger than her and bopped into Russell, who stood in the path of her locomotion.

“Look what Russ won for me,” she squealed.

“Denita, be careful. You hit Mr. Russell.”

“It’s okay. No harm done,” Russell assured her.

“Sorry,” Denita said anyway, but her enthusiasm refused to be quenched. “Look at it, Mommy. Look!”

“I’m looking, Denita. It’s pretty cool, but it’s going to take up your whole room.”

“I know.” This fact seemed to excite Denita even more, and she bumbled from the kitchen with her treasure.

Nicolette appeared and dumped her goodies all over the table. Russ walked in after, and Joy’s gaze locked onto him. Something stirred inside, and she forced herself to shift her gaze to Nicolette. “No stuffed animal?”

Nicolette grinned. “It’s in my room. It’s green. I wanted pink. They didn’t have pink, Mommy.”

“You have enough pink to cover the world, baby. Maybe next time.”

Gloria strode in. “We had so much fun, Joy. I wish you were there, but how did work go, dear?”

“Fine thanks. I’m a bit tired and hungry.”

The microwave dinged, and Russ removed the plate and set it on the table. He slid a chair out for her. “Have a seat. Want anything to drink?”

“If you could pass me one of the bottled waters, that would be great. Thanks.”

He did and stood behind her chair with his hands on her shoulders. Her heart raced, and a zing of desire stirred between her legs. Too many eyes were in the kitchen, and she was exhausted.

Nicolette had been sorting through her candy and other souvenirs. She yawned, and her head dipped. “Mommy, can I go to bed early?”

Joy chuckled. “Of course. You don’t have to ask that.”

Joy started to rise from her chair, but Russ rubbed her arms and crouched beside her. “Hold on a sec.”

“I’ll get the girls into the bath, Joy,” Gloria said.

“You’ve had them all day. I know you’re tired.”

“Not more than you. All I did was sit down on my rump while they rode the kiddie rides. Don’t worry. You can tuck them in. Finish your food.”

She left the kitchen with an arm about Nicolette’s shoulders, and Russell stood watching them a second. He touched his stomach again, wrenched the refrigerator door open, and grabbed the pink medicine. Then he disappeared out the door.

Russ laughed. “Poor Dad. Come to think of it, he better use the half bath and not ours.”

Joy grinned. “You know you’re wrong for that.”

He shrugged.

“Joy, my parents are leaving tomorrow night. After that, I want to talk to you.”

She put her fork down but didn’t look up from her plate. “About what?”

“About us.”

Her throat dried. “I thought we were back on track.”

His hand moved to her hair. She closed her eyes, enjoying his touch and wanting more. “Not exactly.”

Was he tired already? She thought she had more time and had even begun writing. Who knew her imagination could stretch so far? Now maybe it meant nothing. Tension lay heavy between her shoulders, but she did her best to hide it. “Okay, that’s fine.”

After she was done eating, which she accomplished by sheer willpower since she’d lost her appetite, she washed her plate. Then she went to see where the progress was with the girls’ bath. Nicolette played with a toy in a sea of bubbles, and Gloria sat on toilet with the seat down while knitting.

“Where’s Denita?” Joy asked.

“She’s in the room,” Nicolette whined. “She said she’s too old to take a bath with me, and Ms. Gloria let her. Mommy, tell her she has to.”

Joy groaned.

“That one’s in a hurry to grow up,” Gloria said, amused. “She’ll be a handful as a teenager.”

“Don’t I know it.” Joy almost felt like whining herself. “It’s okay, Nicolette. I’ll play with you.”

Her youngest pouted, but they managed to have a bit of fun until the water grew tepid and Joy made her get out. Gloria cleaned out the tub and ran fresh water, while Joy bundled her little one in a towel.

“It’s pretty nice having help,” she admitted, and Gloria gave her a hug.

“Maybe next time we visit, they’ll be calling me grandma.”

Joy rolled her eyes and left the bathroom in a hurry. She got Nicolette into her pajamas and signaled Denita. “Okay, young woman, let’s go.”

Denita rolled off her bed with shoulders back and chin high. Joy almost groaned again.

“I don’t have to be watched anymore, right, Mommy?” Denita asked.

“Wrong. Maybe when you turn seven.”

Denita cheered.

“No fair,” Nicolette shouted.

“You don’t want me in the bathroom anymore, Nicolette?” Joy asked, knowing the answer.

“I do but I don’t want Denny to be alone!”

“Shut up, Nico!”

“Ugh, both of you,” Joy growled. “Nicolette, get in the bed. Denita, in the bathroom
now
.”

At last she got them settled, and Joy got to enjoy more quiet time in Russ’s room. She lay across the bed, sighing and trying to relax. Her feet hurt and there was a twinge in her back, but she ignored them both. Her cell phone rang just as Russ strode into the bedroom and shut the door behind him. She yawned and answered without checking the display.

“Hello?”

“Hey, baby.”

Joy froze and glanced at Russ. His gaze was on her as he approached the bed. She considered just disconnecting as if it was a wrong number, but Isaac might call back. Seriously, when would he give it up? She had never thought she was the type to make men cling. Maybe she did without realizing it all these years.

“You need to stop,” she said into the phone, trying to be firm but not give away who called.