Josie

by Beth Gildersleeve

  “Thought I should get some practice in before tomorrow. It’s been a while,” he murmured.

  “I’d put you in the starting lineup. I don’t think you’ve forgotten. Much,” Josie teased and patted his solid chest. Her heart still raced as if she’d drank a triple espresso on an empty stomach. Sleep wouldn’t come quickly or easily tonight. Her brain would be working overtime.

  Gabe took a deep breath and stepped away from her. “We need to leave by eight in the morning so we’re back in time for you to get all your treatments at the spa.”

  “I’m not really a spa girl.”

  “I figured you’d think that, and that’s why I want you to try it. I think you may like it.”

  “You might be creating a monster.”

  “I’ll take my chances,” Gabe said. “Why do you wear a ring on this finger?” he asked as he slipped off the silver ring.

  “Why are you taking my ring?”

  “The jeweler will need it for sizing. Now it’s your turn to answer. Why was this on your left-hand ring finger?”

  “Seemed like a waste to be holding a prime bling-spot for something that might not ever happen.” At least not this year because of the Paris bet. She watched him roll the ring around in his palm. It was easier than trying to decipher the look on his face. “Remember, something simple and cheap. Not like what you’ve treated me to tonight.”

  “So, you want the Motel 6 of wedding rings?”

  “Yes, please. That’s all I need.” She didn’t want the evening to end, but if he didn’t leave, Josie was afraid she’d pull him into her room. She stepped across the threshold into safety. “Goodnight, Gabe.” Josie closed the door and sagged against it. She was dead on her feet but if she had any sense, she’d run as fast as she could. Gabe was a nice guy and a great kisser. It wouldn’t surprise Josie if she discovered that he rescued kittens trapped in trees and helped little old ladies across the street in his spare time. How was she going to keep her heart intact?

  And how was she going to explain this to her friends? They’d promised each other to focus on their goals for the next year and swearing off men had been part of the deal. She pulled back the covers and unwrapped the chocolate truffle on her pillow. The rich chocolate calmed her nerves as she changed into her pajamas. They’ll understand when I tell them I did it for Jamie, she thought as she finished brushing her teeth. Yes, I’m doing this for Jamie. The words rung false even to her own ears as she pulled the blankets up to her chin, ready for her last night’s sleep as a single woman.

  5

  Gabe had the radio up and the window down. His arm rested on the truck’s window frame and his elbow stuck out. It was his second trip into Las Vegas that day. Josie had been ready on time that morning, which had been a pleasant surprise. Most of the women he’d dated had kept him waiting. Forever. And it hadn’t taken long to get the marriage certificate. He was well ahead of his schedule and he might even have time to stop into the spa for a shave and a massage. If he was lucky, he and Larry, the executive chef and an old childhood friend, could meet in the bar for a celebratory toast. Something to take the edge off. To dull his nagging conscience. It’s not my fault she doesn’t know who I am.

  He was fiddling with the radio when his phone rang. He didn’t even get a chance to say hello before Becca’s irritated voice filled the cab. “Here. See if you can talk some sense into Josie. I’m putting you on speaker.”

  “Josie, what’s going on?” he asked as his hands clenched the steering wheel.

  “I’m looking at dresses, just like a good little girl,” she answered sweetly.

  “She lies,” Rachel cut in. “She’s only picked out one. And it’s black. Everyone knows you can only wear black for an evening wedding. Otherwise, it looks like you’re going to a funeral,” she argued.

  “My suit’s black,” Gabe pointed out as he relaxed his fingers. He could handle a color debate. What he couldn’t handle was Josie walking out the door straight to McCarran Airport.

  “There. If Gabe can wear black, so can I.” By the decisive tone in her voice, he could picture her standing amongst all the white dresses holding the black frock against her defiantly.

  He would have smiled if her dress color hadn’t disappointed him. He didn’t think he’d care what Josie wore, but he was wrong. Gabe hadn’t expected her to wear white, but jeez, what kind of bride wears black to her wedding? Oh, yeah, the kind that’s being blackmailed, he reminded himself.

  “Gabriel, she wants to wear the same dress for the wedding and the party.” Rachel said it as though Josie were committing a crime against humanity. “Aunt Sandra will fillet her alive if she notices.”

  “And she wants to wear flats,” Becca added. Gabe barely registered the flats crisis. He blew out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. Rachel was right. Aunt Sandra would be merciless and she’d make Josie feel like an outsider.

  “Josie, honey, now’s not the time to be frugal. I can afford two dresses and matching heels.” He stressed the last part.

  “Gabe, I’m not a charity case. I can buy my own dress. Have you ever seen me wear a dress?”

  “Hmm.” Gabe searched his memory bank. Nothing. Nada. Zip. “Not that I can remember, no.”

  “See? I’m not a dress kind of girl, and I can’t even remember the last time I bought a dress. To buy two in one day just isn’t right. The earth may stop spinning,” she warned.

  “Do you like the dress?” he asked.

  “Yes. It’s comfortable and it even has pockets. All I need is some double-stick tape so I don’t flash anyone and I’ll be good.” She sounded happy with the dress.

  Gabe focused on keeping the battered pickup truck in its lane and not on what the double-stick tape would conceal. For almost a year, Josie had been a friend. A good friend. A smiling face with a side of caffeine and sound advice. But now, in less than a day, all he could think about was the way she fit so perfectly against him and how her kisses stopped time.

  “So, we’re talking V-neck?” Gabe looked at the jewelry boxes next to him. One of them contained the platinum five-carat tennis bracelet and matching diamond earrings he’d bought her as a wedding day gift. The other held their wedding bands.

  He hadn’t bought her the Motel 6 of wedding rings as she’d wanted. No wife of his would wear a plain gold band. People expected more from Gabriel Kyle Kane. And if she fussed it was too much, he’d point out he’d bought the five-carat bracelet instead of the ten-carat one he’d wanted to.

  “Yes,” Rachel answered. “A very deep V. And there’s no lace or any other decorative trim. It doesn’t look like a wedding dress. It barely even looks like a cocktail dress,” she whined.

  “And don’t forget the flats,” Becca reminded him. Gabe already knew what Josie’s argument was. He’d never seen her wear heels, either.

  Gabe sighed heavily before asking, “Josie, will this one dress and the flats make you happy?”

  “Yes. Very.” There was no mistaking the relief in her voice. He didn’t want to upset the twins but he had to keep Josie happy. He’d rather have a wedding dress fashion faux pas than risk the company’s and his future by causing Josie to flee.

  “Bad news R and R,” he said to the twins, using the family nickname for them. “If Josie’s happy, I’m happy. She can wear whatever she wants. It’s her day, too. Just make sure she shows up!” Gabe ended the call before his cousins could air any more complaints.

  Josie’s stubbornness surprised Gabe. A part of him was pleased and the other part was pissed. It would be nice if she’d fall in line with his plans and get on the same page as him. All he wanted was to get married, preferably with a traditional wedding, or as traditional as a last-minute elopement to Las Vegas could be.

  He wished she’d listen to R and R. They knew what their aunt and the rest of the family was like. They’d tried to steer Josie in the right direction but she’d dug in her heels. Or more accurately, her flats. From the tones in their voices, Gabe knew the dr
ess Josie had selected wouldn’t meet the standards of some women in the family, especially Aunt Sandra and Danielle, her daughter-in-law and Duncan’s wife. What a mess, he thought as he turned onto the road leading to the resort.

  He wanted to make her entry into his world easier but it looked like she wasn’t going to let him. Well, maybe it was for the best. Josie’s stubbornness might be an asset when it came to dealing with the family.

  Gabe knew there were family members who would welcome and support Josie, even if she wasn’t wearing haute couture and heels. His cousin Hailee in Minneapolis wasn’t a snob like her mother, Sandra, or her brother, Duncan, so he knew he could count on her. Aunt Margaret and Uncle Bruce, R and R’s parents, would also welcome Josie. It was too bad the family considered Aunt Margaret an oddball, what with her Ph.D. in biology and her research lab at the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Aunt Sandra barely tolerated her younger sister’s “eccentricities.” His mom would love Josie, but he didn’t think there was much she could do from Napa Valley.

  Gabe locked the truck, pocketed the keys, checked his watch, and hustled to the spa for his treatments. After mediating the fashion crisis, he figured he’d earned a massage. Two hours later, he slipped into their hotel suite. The laughter from Josie’s room greeted him. The girlish giggles made him smile as he stripped off his clothes and stepped under the waterfall shower. He’d paid a small fortune for the custom-tailored black suit earlier in the year, and he’d be damned if he ruined it with massage oil on his skin. Plus, he smelled like a field of wildflowers. Not what a man wanted to smell like on his wedding day.

  He hung his head and let the water pour over him. If he stood there long enough, it might wash away his guilt, too. He shouldn’t have been so irresponsible. He shouldn’t have waited until the last day to get married. Gabe didn’t know if his grandfather was in heaven or hell, but knowing him, he was brokering a deal between St. Peter and Satan while laughing at Gabe’s situation. Even from his grave, he’d manipulated Gabe’s life. He shook his head and turned off the water. Water was a precious commodity in the desert and he shouldn’t waste any more of it.

  Gabe wrapped the towel around his waist and wiped the steam from the mirror. Don’t make her regret this, he said roughly as he pointed at his reflection. He finished in the bathroom, which didn’t take much time since Bella had given him the best shave and hot towel treatment of his life. His face was smoother than a baby’s bottom. If Josie gave him a chance tonight—and he really hoped she would, though he wouldn’t blame her if she didn’t—there’d be no risk of beard burn. Anywhere.

  He dressed quickly and tied his dress shoes. He checked his watch. Good. He was still ahead of schedule. He paced around the room for a few minutes and finally gave up. The giggles from across the suite now made him nervous. Edgy. He wasn’t meeting Larry in the bar until four o’clock, but he could start without him.

  As he walked to the entry door, Gabe noticed the flowers on the credenza. They must have arrived while he was in the shower. He fingered the white flowers of Josie’s bridal bouquet and hoped she’d like it. The bouquet was even prettier than it was in the picture he’d seen at the florist shop and it smelled nice, too. “Hey, R and R, could one of you come out here?” he hollered as he picked up his boutonniere and strode back into the living room.

  “Ah, don’t you look handsome,” Becca crooned as she took the white rose from him and pinned it on his lapel. She straightened his tie. He knew it was straight, he’d checked it himself, but he let her fuss. Both she and Rachel had been a godsend for the last twenty-four hours. If she felt the need to tweak his tie, he’d let her. “And isn’t it nice that the bride and groom match in their funeral attire?” she teased.

  “Ha-ha,” he said as she stepped back. “I’m leaving now but I’ll be at the gazebo before five. Make sure Josie’s there.”

  “I don’t think she’s a flight risk,” Becca said.

  “I don’t want to risk anything. Not when we’re this close.” He pulled the long jeweler’s box from his suit coat. “Can you give this to her? I’ve already seen my bride today and seeing her again this close to the wedding could be really bad luck.”

  “You’re not usually superstitious,” Becca said as he walked toward the door.

  “I’m not usually getting married.” He stopped at the credenza and looked at the bridal bouquet once more. The foyer smelled like perfume. Nice, but he preferred Josie’s simple coffee-pastry scent. “Make sure she gets this, too.”

  “Heel-toe, heel-toe.” Rachel’s words rang in Josie’s head as she walked up the path to the gazebo. It had been years since she’d worn heels and Josie was surprised by how quickly it had come back to her. Even the bit about putting one foot in front of the other, like walking on a tightrope. Which was exactly how she felt when she met Gabe’s eyes. He didn’t look at her like she was a business deal. His look reminded her that she was a woman and he was a man. And she was free-falling.

  “Wow,” Gabe breathed and he put his hand over his heart.

  “What? This old thing?” Josie asked nervously as she tugged at the three-quarter length sleeves.

  “Turn around so I can get the whole effect,” he urged. Josie didn’t argue. She’d twirled around in it earlier so she knew how the full skirt would swirl. She gave him a slow turn. He clasped her hands when she finished. “You look amazing and I like the shoes.”

  “Not shoes. Heels.” Josie turned her foot back and forth so the clear gems could catch the light. The low-heeled wrap sandals were a compromise with the twins. It was a sort of win-win for everyone. She wouldn’t wear the sky-high sprained-ankle-inducing red-soled heels they’d picked out for her, but she would wear these.

  She fiddled with the bracelet. Get a grip! she ordered herself. This nervousness wasn’t like her. She’d never been nervous with Gabe before. “Thank you for the bracelet. And the earrings. They’re beautiful and they match my heels.” Josie wanted to slap her hand over her mouth. The man had given her diamond jewelry that must have cost the sun and the moon and she’d just compared them to the fake stones on her heels. I’m such an idiot.

  “That they do,” he said. He seemed more amused than offended when she dared look at him. The corners of his mouth twitched.

  “Oh, and the flowers. I wasn’t expecting a bouquet, but thank you. It’s lovely with all the white roses, gardenias, orchids, and stephanotis. Truly. One of the twins is bringing it. So I’m all set. The jewelry is my something new, and Rachel loaned me her blue hair comb”—Josie twisted her head so Gabe could see the comb tucked in the up-do the twins had insisted on—“which is my something old, borrowed, and blue. So, yeah, I’m all good.” Gabe gently shook her hands, and she stopped babbling.

  “Josie, look at me,” he quietly ordered. She did. “How much coffee have you had today? You’re flying higher than a kite.”

  “Nothing since breakfast.”

  “Maybe you’re having withdrawals and that’s why you’re shaking and acting weird.”

  “I’m acting weird because I’m getting married in less than half an hour to a man I barely know,” she explained. “If it wasn’t for Jamie, I wouldn’t be doing this. This is crazy. You know this is crazy, right?”

  “Listen, if you want to back out you can. No one in Haven will know that you’re the reason the Woodworks closed.” Josie gasped and stepped back as though he’d slapped her. How dare he put this on me?

  “It’s not my fault you haven’t gotten married,” she growled.

  “No, it’s not, but you’re the only one who can fix it.” Josie wanted to shove his reasonable tone where the sun didn’t shine. She closed her eyes ten…nine…eight…se—

  “Oh good, you both look so perfect. Josie, honey, could you open your eyes?” She did, and the photographer started shooting. Where did he come from? Josie silently fumed. Gabe was stoically silent. And the photographer was oblivious.

  He chattered away, directing them to stand this way and that way a
nd to smile and look natural. “Come on, honey, it’s your wedding day. Just look at the handsome devil next to you! He’s all yours, girl!” You can have him, she thought, but she did agree with the photographer. Gabe looked like he should be on the cover of a magazine or on the red carpet. Not standing next to a small-town coffee shop owner about to get a quickie marriage in Las Vegas.

  Gabe put his hand in front of the camera. “Hey, can you give us a minute?” He didn’t wait for the photographer to answer before turning Josie in his arms. He pulled her close and she could smell his woodsy cologne. “I understand your concerns and I’m nervous, too. But just because this is crazy doesn’t mean it’s wrong or it won’t work out. We can do this, Josie.” Against her will, Josie relaxed in his arms. She knew it was stupid, but it helped knowing he was nervous, too. He leaned his forehead on hers. “You don’t want to feel foolish at our fiftieth wedding anniversary when the grandkids look at our wedding pictures and want to know why granny looks like she wants to slug grandpa.” She bit the inside of her cheek to keep from smiling.

  “Okay, for the sake of the grandkids, Nanna will stop looking at Grandpa like he’s the world’s biggest ass.”

  “That’s not exactly what Grandpa said, but it’s close enough.” She looked up at Gabe, who was smiling at her.

  “Oh, honeys, that’s the best. Don’t move!” ordered the bossy photographer. Josie had been so wrapped up in Gabe, she’d forgotten all about him. She noticed the twins coming toward them with a gentleman sandwiched between. That must be the justice of the peace, she thought as she dug her phone out of her pocket and handed it to the photographer.