Not That Kind of Girl (31 page)

“I know,” she said, locking eyes with Eli. She breathed in his absolute confidence, transferred his calm control into her own being. And then he kissed her and his hands were all over her like a man possessed.

Chapter 18

The greeting committee was assembled on the front porch of Rick and Josie’s ranch, but Teeny came jogging down the stairs at the first glimpse of Eli’s truck. He was followed by a waddling Ginger supported by Lucio, followed by Bea and another woman Roxie didn’t recognize, plus four raucous dogs. Josie waved frantically from a wicker lounge chair on the porch, Rick at her side.

Roxie giggled at the sight. She’d missed her friends. She couldn’t
wait
for them to see what she’d been up to.

Eli pulled the truck to a stop and nodded for Roxie to hop out. Roxie kissed him quickly, gestured for Lilith to stay, then jumped from the truck directly into Teeny’s outstretched arms. He swung her around a couple times.

“My God! You look fabulous!” Ginger shouted. “What have you done to yourself?”

“We have missed you!” Lucio kissed her cheek. “It has been far too quiet here!”

Inexplicably, Bea was crying. She pressed Roxie so tight against her breast that she couldn’t breathe, then pulled away gently. “Rox, this is Rachel Needleman, Gloria’s oldest.”

“Oh!” Roxie shook Rachel’s hand, not quite understanding why she was here. “Nice to meet you! How’s your mother? Is she feeling better? I have a few things I’d like to talk to her about.”

“She’s not doing so great right now,” Rachel said, slipping an arm through Bea’s and pressing up against her in a very nonplatonic fashion. Roxie tried her best not to let her jaw unhinge but didn’t succeed. Her eyes flashed to Bea.

“Yeah,” Bea said. “We have a lot of catching up to do.”

It was then that Eli made his way around the front end of the truck to join the crowd. Lucio and Teeny slapped his back gregariously and Ginger and Bea kissed his cheek. Bea introduced the latest addition to the group.

“Eli, this is my partner, Rachel Needleman. Rachel, this is the dog whisperer I was telling you about.” With that, Rachel and Eli shook hands and Bea wiggled her eyebrows at Roxanne.

“You can close your mouth now, Bloom,” Bea said. “Come on up to the house. Josie’s dying to see you.”

“Of course!” Roxie grabbed Teeny’s hand and had taken two steps when she stopped. “No! Wait! Hold up!” With that she spun around and returned to the open passenger side door of the truck, where she motioned for Lilith to come out.

The dog hit the dirt and sat quietly. Chen, Tara, Genghis, and HeatherLynn ran up to greet her but slowed as they approached, confused. Lilith’s tail was wagging. Her tongue fell out of the side of her mouth in relaxed happiness, and she looked to Roxanne for permission to do her brand-new, favorite thing—run free with her friends. Roxie made a gentle swish of her index finger and Lilith was off, her ears flying back in the wind, the other dogs playing catch-up.

Everyone stood frozen in the dirt lane. Only Ginger moved, and she rubbed her huge belly in concentric circles as she tried to control her breathing.

“What the fuck?” Bea asked, her face slack with disbelief.

With that, Roxie held out her hand to Eli and he moved to her side. They laced their fingers together.

“You can close your mouth now, Latimer,” she said. “We’ve got some catching up to do.”

*   *   *

“I’m going tomorrow and that’s final,” Josie said, once she was settled into bed for the evening. “I don’t care what anyone says. I could never let you go through that without my support, Roxanne.”

“I’ll be fine.”

“I want to be there to witness the moment you show everyone how good Lilith is and what an asshole Raymond is. I wouldn’t miss it for anything!”

“It might be kind of stressful,” Bea offered.

“Teeny’s going to freak if you go,” Ginger said.

“He’s already freaking,” Roxie pointed out to the women sprawled on love seats and chairs in Josie’s bedroom. “I thought he was going to hack up his salmon croquette when you told him your plans.”

“I’ve done
everything
the doctor’s wanted,” Josie said, attempting to cross her arms over her belly but giving up when she couldn’t quite reach. “I’ve been a perfect patient. I’m almost to term at this point—only days away from my due date. I feel great!”

Bea shrugged. “Well, the good part is you’ll already be in town if something happens. The Med Center is ten minutes away.”

“Exactly,” Josie said with a nod.

That’s when the focus in the room changed. Everyone turned to Roxanne.

“What happened up there in Utah, Roxie?” Ginger asked, adjusting her position for the fifth time in as many minutes. She looked horribly uncomfortable.

Roxie let her head fall back into the mound of pillows on Josie’s bed. She turned slightly to see her best friend’s freckle-faced smile up close.

Josie grabbed her hand. “First off, you’re in love,” she said. “We can all see it.”

Roxie grinned. “Yeah. I am.”

“Yes!”
Bea whispered, yanking her fist back in victory.

Rachel laughed. “She’s been pulling for you.”

“Does Eli know?” Ginger asked. “Have you said it? Has he said it back?”

Roxanne cocked her head, considering that. “Not technically. We’ve hinted at it. We’ve even talked about living together. I did tell his
mother
that I loved him, does that count?”

“No. That’s just plain
strange,
” Bea said, causing the laughter to escalate.

“Wait! I had a reason,” Roxanne said, interrupting the merriment. “She came right up to me and told me I would eventually turn bitter on Eli and break his heart. I told her she was wrong, that I loved him.”

Josie’s eyes went wide. “That’s it? You didn’t tell the woman to go screw herself?”

“Yeah, I know. Will the miracles never cease?” Roxie sighed, collecting her thoughts. “All this must strike you as amusing. I mean, I leave here a man-hating demon succubus and I come back a week later floating on a fluffy cloud of love.”

“It’s not funny,” Josie said, squeezing her hand harder. “It’s wonderful.”

“Love looks really good on you,” Ginger said, kicking off her slippers. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you’d gone and got yourself some Botox and a peel.”

“She doesn’t need a peel,” Bea said, exasperated. “She’s still in her twenties, for God’s sake!”

“All I’m saying is you look stunning,” Ginger said.

“And relaxed,” Josie added. “Honestly, you look happier than I’ve ever seen you, and I’m including the pre-Sandberg era.” Josie smiled at her. “So? Tell us everything!”

Roxanne laughed. “Everything” might be overkill, but she didn’t mind giving them something to chew on. “Josie, do you remember that day at Starbucks when you got steaming mad at me and refused to speak to me for a week?”

Josie frowned. “I did that?”

“You sure did,” Ginger offered helpfully. “It was the same day I told everyone about what was going on with Lucio and me.”

“And how could we forget
that
?” Bea asked, rolling her eyes. She leaned toward Rachel to explain. “It was scandalous. I had to hose myself off when I got home.”

“Anyway,” Roxie said, chuckling with everyone else. “Does anyone remember my fateful words that day?”

Everyone shook their heads.

Roxie smiled. “Well,
I
sure do, because I’m eating them now. I said it was a universal law that you can’t have great sex and a great relationship with the same man, that you’re going to have to settle for one or the other.”

Ginger chimed in. “That was right after I said I couldn’t get pregnant because I was going through menopause!”

Roxanne had to hold her sides, she was laughing so hard. She fell on top of Josie, and she hadn’t intended to, but her cheek pressed against her friend’s belly. Almost immediately, Roxanne got kicked.

She gasped, raising her head quickly. “He just said hi to me!”

“It’s a she,” Bea said.

“We don’t know that for sure,” Josie corrected her.

“Whoever is in there just kicked me!” Roxie was awestruck. “Josie, that baby is big!”

She sighed and rubbed her belly again. “Yeah. Right about now I wish I’d gone to more of my yoga classes.”

“At least you’re still in your thirties,” Ginger said, massaging her bulge. “I’m the one who’s going to snap like a dried-out Thanksgiving wishbone.”

Bea shuddered.

“You two will deliver like champs,” Roxie assured them.

“And you’ll do fine at the hearing tomorrow,” Josie said.

“And Bea will ace her agility certification,” Ginger added.

That gave Roxie an idea, but she clearly hadn’t been the only one whose thoughts had wandered in that direction. Ginger attempted to get up off the love seat. Josie hoisted herself straighter in bed.

“I think we’re about to do one of our all-girl pile-ons,” Bea explained to a confused Rachel. “Feel like joining us?”

Rachel lowered her chin and stared at Bea in shock.

“Oh. Did I forget to tell you about our little ritual?”

“Your mom joined us the last time we did it,” Ginger said, still trying to stand.

“Excuse me?”
Rachel whispered.

“Yeah, and now it’s your turn!” Bea popped up from her chair and grabbed Rachel’s hand. Then she went over to the love seat and gave Ginger the boost she needed. They all approached Josie’s big bed.

“Who’s going first?” Josie asked.

“I will,” Ginger said. “The sooner I do this the sooner I can go sit down again.” She wrinkled her nose in thought, then put her manicured hand out in the middle of their circle, palm down. “I, Ginger Renee Montevez, officially promise to pretend I’m younger than I really am and deliver a beautiful, healthy baby in under one hour of labor.” She looked quite pleased with her contribution, but then added hurriedly, “With the right to demand an epidural at any time, of course.”

“I’ll go next,” Roxie said. She placed her hand on Ginger’s. “I, Roxanne Bloom, solemnly swear to face Raymond Sandberg tomorrow in that hearing room with nothing but inner calm and a deep faith in my dog and myself.”

“Whoa. That was good,” Josie said, putting her hand on top of Roxie’s. “I, Josephine Agnes Sheehan Rousseau—”

“Wait! Are you hyphenated?” Roxie asked, perplexed. “I don’t think I ever knew that!”

“Heck no.” Josie said, shaking her head. “I stacked everything together only because it sounded more formal. This is an important occasion.”

“My feet are swelling, FYI,” Ginger said.

“Okay. Where was I?” Josie cleared her throat. “I, Josie yadda yadda Rousseau, shall face my baby’s imminent arrival with courage and the trust that everything will be all right.”

“Are you scared?” Roxie whispered.

“No,” Josie answered, her eyes clear and steady as she looked at Roxie. “I don’t have the luxury of being scared.”

All the women were quiet for a moment. Then Bea cleared her throat. “You want to go, Rachel?”

“You first.”

“Okay.” Bea took a breath. “I, Beatrice Latimer, promise to use my gifts to help others, and to offer my services to all those in need. Rachel?”

Roxanne watched Rachel nod her head and smile. She was struck by what a pretty woman she was, with her chin-length silvery-blond hair and funky earrings. She was elegant and feminine. “I, Rachel Diane Needleman, will face my mother’s illness and death with grace, and will remain strong for my family.”

Roxie’s heart dropped. She hadn’t realized Mrs. Needleman was gravely ill. She looked to Bea for an answer, but she was occupied with Rachel, who’d begun to cry softly, tucked under her arm.

*   *   *

Out on the porch, the four men sat in rockers and looked at the stars. Teeny and Lucio smoked cigars and drank port wine. Eli had a beer. Rick sipped mineral water.

“We’ll already be in the city, Teeny,” Rick said, trying to talk his friend down from his worried frenzy. “If Josie goes into labor at the hearing then we’re only minutes from the Med Center. It’ll be all right.”

Teeny shook his head, taking a puff of his cigar, not looking at anyone.

“Here is the good news,” Lucio said brightly. “She might go into the labor while you are stuck in traffic—and she will need the services of your mobile birthing unit after all!”

Teeny rolled his eyes. “I think you’re making fun of me.”

“That is one lucky group of women up there,” Eli chimed in, hooking his thumb up toward the second story. His buddies stared at him in surprise, probably because Eli hadn’t said much since they’d done the man/woman split after dinner.

“Think about it,” Eli continued. “Each one of them is loved. Each one of them is cared for. The pregnant ones are spoiled rotten.”

“It is impossible to spoil a pregnant woman,” Lucio said. “It is an honor to take care of her when she is carrying your baby.”

Teeny sighed. “I think I’m going to cry, man,” he squeaked. “I just don’t want anything to happen to my Josie Girl.”

Rick patted his friend’s shoulder, then turned to Eli. “How long will the hearing take?”

Eli shook his head. “Not sure, but I would guess fifteen minutes. They’ll read the case notes, review the evidence, then take statements. The complainant goes first—that would be Raymond.”

“Okay.” Rick said.

“Then Roxie will have her chance to show the hearing officer that Lilith is rehabilitated and poses no threat to the public.”

“Is she going to be able to pull that off?” Teeny asked, wiping his eyes dry.

“Absolutely,” Eli said. “No doubt about it.”

“The puppy is much nicer now,” Lucio said, taking a puff of his cigar. “There is no more of the foam, yes?”

Eli smiled. “Lilith is doing great, because Roxie is doing great.”

Rick shook his head. “I don’t know what you did, man, but I hardly recognize that girl. I’ve only seen her walking around hunched over with the weight of the world on her back, but now she looks … I don’t know … lighter, happier.” Rick cocked his head in curiosity. “How’d you manage that?”

Teeny giggled. “And how about the riot gear? Did that come in handy?”

Eli laughed, then let his laughter fade into a sigh. “Turns out no special equipment was required, just a quiet place and some patience.”