The Woman He Married (38 page)

“I don’t know.”
We just kissed, for Heaven’s sake,
Josie thought, conveniently forgetting that she was ready to go much further. She couldn’t understand why Gina was freaking out.

“See, this is exactly the kind of behavior that got Brian hurt eleven years ago. You never think before you…” Gina stopped talking and released a long breath, “…you jump into something.”

Josie was aghast. “
What?
You think that I am going to stay with John. Don’t you?”

“I don’t know and that
is
the point. Neither do you.”

“Oh, I do!”

“Really? ’
Cause I haven’t seen any divorce papers. I haven’t even heard any more talk about it. Isn’t John living at your house again?” Gina crossed her arms in righteous indignation. “How long was he gone for? Two weeks?”

“What’s your point?” Josie asked, suddenly feeling a twinge of guilt.

“My point is that I don’t want to see Brian get hurt again,” Gina said, softening her tone. “And I don’t want to see
you
get hurt either.”

Josie swallowed hard—she honestly didn’t know what to say.

“Just slow down,” Gina said, sounding resigned. “When the divorce is final,
then
see where Brian fits in. Now isn’t the right time for either of you.”
Eventially
, Gina would have answered, “
No,”
to that second chance with the right man question.

Driving in silence the next few miles to Gina’s house, Josie welcomed the quiet and used the time to think. What difference did it make if John was “
back
” home? He was outside in the guesthouse, so it wasn’t like they were sleeping in the same bed. How long was she supposed to wait before moving on with someone else?
And, what was that about
me jumping into things without thinking?
When
did I do that?
Well, okay,
I did jump into marriage.
Then, in the
Caribbean
she’d slept with John and woke up the next day and asked him for a divorce before finding out why he’d finally chose to make love to her after all these months.
Oh, and going back into a burning bus. Damn!

Gina was probably right. The last thing Josie wanted was to hurt Brian again. Plus, rekindling a relationship would complicate her life considerably, which was the next last thing she needed right now.

Reality sucks!
she
decided as she pulled up in front of Gina’s home.

* * * *

Josie looked at the clock on the dash as she pulled into the garage.
Eight-thirty at night.
How did it get so late?
 
John was in the van with the vacuum running. Josie couldn’t imagine why he would be cleaning the van at this hour.
Was it that dirty?

John didn’t notice her so she headed into the house. In the kitchen, bags and food wrappers from three different fast food restaurants littered the island. Shaking her head, Josie started to ball them up and throw them into the trash.

Flushed, no tie, shirt half un-tucked and…dirty, John came bounding into the kitchen.

Ooh, what’s that on his shirt?

Before he could speak Josie said, “What’s all this?”

“Supper.
The kids said they can’t all eat from the same place. I got something for you; it’s in the microwave.”

“Oh, they can eat in the same place.” Josie gave John
a
you
-should-know-better
look. Then, perplexed, she asked, “You got something for me?”

“Well, your ‘schedule’ left out that little detail and, yes.
You hungry?”

“No, I had something at the office,” Josie answered while wetting a sponge to wipe up the crumbs. “What’s up with the van?”

Nonchalantly, John answered, “Oh, um, the twins threw up, but don’t worry, I got it all.”

“You gave them ice-cream, didn’t you?”

“Yeah.
Also not specified on the ‘schedule.’”

“How long have they been
your
 
nieces
?” Josie asked.

“I don’t pay attention to such things.” John shrugged. “Let me ask you something. Did you have the mastitis…you know, when you were nursing?”

“Yeah, with Jack
and
Bobbie,” she said, and stopped wiping long enough to eye John suspiciously.

“How come you never said anything?”

“I’m pretty sure I did. You just weren’t listening.”

“So, you kept feeding them through the pain? The shooting needles, the burning?” He cringed and wrinkled his face empathically.

“It’s just what you do.” Josie couldn’t imagine where he was going with this line of questioning.

“Let me ask you something else.” Pausing for a moment, John pulled his fingers through his hair before saying, “Did I push you into having sex too soon after the kids were born?”

Josie spun to face John. “Okay, what
exactly
was the topic of conversation at the dance studio today?”

“Because if I did—well, I am sorry about that.”

Josie didn’t know what to think about John, but
The Invasion of the Body Snatchers
kept popping into her mind. Waiting for Josie to answer, John looked genuinely contrite, but she wasn’t in the mood to talk about
any
aspect of their sex life right now.

“I tell you what. If I’d known that you taking Beth to dance would be this life-altering, I’d have had you do it a long time ago,” Josie said, sweeping a pile of crumbs into her hand before dumping it into the sink. “So, I take it you won’t be volunteering to drive carpool anymore?”

“No, I will. It was awful and…all right at the same time,” John said with a contented sigh.

Josie laughed.
“Looks like we finally uncovered your feminine side.”

“Well, the ladies at dance did call me romantic
and
considerate.” John bounced his eyebrows for effect.

“They haven’t lived with you for eleven years.”

“They also said that
you’re
sweet,” John came back.

Touché.

Josie finished wiping the counters—the floor could wait until tomorrow, or the next day while John continued with a myriad of questions.
“Why didn’t you tell me Bobbie was failing science? Who’s Ashley? When’s Jack’s next game and Bobbie’s karate testing? The carpool lady at Jack’s school can’t possibly be married—she’s mean as hell!”

“Oh, and congratulations on your first win,” he said proudly. Josie couldn’t remember the last time John was so eager to talk to her about anything, much less,
everything.
There was a time, not too long ago, that she would have given anything for this kind of dialog between them.

“Thanks,” she said, feeling proud herself. Part of her wanted to tell him all about it but she didn’t—in the past, he’d never been interested in hearing about her day. “I think I am going to call it a night. Thanks again for everything. You really saved me today,” she said, as she shuffled off down the hall, desperately in need of a hot shower and sleep.

John mumbled something Josie didn’t catch.

On her way to say goodnight to the kids, Josie put her fingers to her mouth—she could still feel Brian’s lips on hers. A self-satisfied smirk touched her face as she anticipated that tonight she would undoubtedly have pleasant dreams.

* * * *

Referring to a fourteen-year-old complaint brought before the court in St. Clair County regarding contaminated water, an anonymous caller tipped a local reporter off to Josie’s possible involvement in an alleged breaking and entering charge.

Two days later, Josie watched as John and
Lanny
stood in front of TV cameras together. In support of Josie, John asserted, “My wife is a courageous woman who refused to back down…”

Lanny
simply lied. “I gave those documents to Mrs. Bearden in an effort to do what was right by the town’s folk and…”

John’s opponent was blamed for the leak and accused of being desperate to boost his falling numbers in the polls.

Chapter 13

The karate studio was silent as a young girl wearing a white gee chopped, blocked, and kicked at her imaginary opponent while executing her form perfectly. Her classmates sat quiet and cross-legged around the edge of the massive dark blue mat. There were two more students before Bobbie, and Josie felt her pulse quicken as his turn at testing approached. Luckily, Brian had been working with him to hone his skills for the last few weekends.

Just over a week since
Slidell
’s trial, and Brian’s law office seemed busier now then ever. Josie breathed a quiet sigh of relief at having just a few minutes where she wasn’t expected to be engaged and productive. Beside her, Brian reclined with both arms draped over the chairs next to him, his left ankle resting on his right knee. One step up on the bleachers behind them, Gina and Dash waited for Luke’s turn, after Bobbie.

The day after Gina’s scathing reprimand, Josie had talked to Brian and they’d agreed—somewhat reluctantly—to slow things down. Sitting next to him now, with his arm casually resting across the back of her chair, Josie thought that maybe if he tried to kiss her again, she might let him. Only, she kind of already had.
Once in the copy room and once in her office, each time professing that this kiss would be the last.
Josie edged ever so slightly closer to Brian and smiled on the inside when he responded by subtly caressing the back of her arm with his finger. His touch sent ripples of delight rolling through her belly. She allowed her body to relax back into the chair, savoring the moment—but it didn’t last.

Making his way from the door and up the few bleachers in front of them was John; his malevolent eyes were trained on Josie.

“What’s the warden doing here?” Gina leaned forward and asked. Then, to Brian, she said, “You better move that arm before Josie’s husband rips it off.”

Begrudgingly, Brian rolled his eyes while moving both arms to his lap and straightening in his chair. Josie blinked in disbelief as she stared up at John. She could feel the tension emanating from him penetrate her body, freezing her every cell. She couldn’t move, she couldn’t breath, she couldn’t think. He had
never
, in two years, come to see Bobbie test for karate.

Standing over Josie, his green eyes darkening and his gaze moving from Brian to her and then back, John waited, saying nothing.

Gina kicked Josie’s chair, springing her to life, and Josie managed to say, “Oh, um...John this is Brian; Brian, John.” Josie awkwardly introduced the two men in her life for the very first time.

Brian wrapped his left arm around the back of Josie’s chair again, and leaning as close as humanly possible over her, reached up with his right hand to shake John’s. The white knuckles on both of their hands told Josie that relaxing through the rest of the testing would now be out of the question.

John released Brian’s grip and turned his attention to Dash, reaching up to shake his hand as well. “Dash, it’s good to see you again…Gina.” John greeted them cordially. “Where’s
Audrey
?” he asked before taking the seat next to Josie—opposite Brian.