Josie

by Beth Gildersleeve

  She’d worked hard to be here and she wasn’t going to bail when the going got tough. She’d shopped. For business attire and heels. She’d baked. She’d roasted and brewed coffee. She’d suffered through the Witz Holdings’ Inquisition. She was supporting him whether he wanted it or not. “Better get your meeting started. It’s been more than ten minutes,” she reminded him.

  Gabe walked to the front of the room and clipped on the microphone. He bent and whispered something to Awful Anna and the screen sprang to life. It looked like a budget for new business development and acquisitions. Josie stifled a yawn, once again regretting her lack-of-sleep lifestyle, as she took a seat toward the back of the room next to Danielle, Duncan’s wife.

  Gabe gathered everyone’s attention to start the meeting. “I believe Herbert was arguing to reallocate acquisition funds to more passive investments, yes?” Gabe asked, as if no one would contradict him.

  Danielle raised her hand, and Josie saw Gabe school his surprise. “Yes, Danielle?” Josie noted that Duncan looked surprised, too.

  “Can we go back a slide? I think I missed something.” The ever-efficient but still Awful Anna pulled up the previous slide. It was a chart comparing the return from business acquisitions versus investments over the last twelve months. “I see that acquisitions is outperforming investments. Is that because you’ve included your wife’s business, Jo’s Joe, even though Witz Holdings didn’t pay anything for it?” She’d made it sound like an innocent question, but since investments were Duncan’s baby, Josie knew it wasn’t an innocent question.

  Josie was fully awake now and her eyes flew to Gabriel’s. Was Danielle right? Had he lumped Jo’s Joe in with the other businesses to help support his case? She knew Gabe was concerned about the meeting. The members were divided on strategy going forward. Duncan had persuaded many to believe that investing a little in a lot of companies was the way to go. Gabe still believed in being a majority owner. In having control and the ability to be a community partner, like the Woodworks was in Haven.

  “Danielle, if you go back one more page in your handout, you’ll see that Gabriel has detailed the companies included,” Hailee answered patiently, as if she was talking to a five-year-old. “Jo’s Joe is not on the list.”

  “Shouldn’t it be?” a woman asked and several others murmured their agreement. Josie couldn’t remember her new enemy’s name. Her fists clenched at her sides and she could hear the blood pounding in her ears. She should have stayed in Haven, but if she’d stayed at home, she wouldn’t be able to defend herself and her company.

  Josie opened her mouth to answer the woman but Gabriel held up his hand. “No, it shouldn’t. Neither I nor Witz Holdings has any desire or plans to acquire her small chain of successful coffee shops,” Gabriel declared and no one contradicted him. Although Josie would have sworn she’d heard someone at the conference table mutter “yet.”

  Josie felt elated and defeated at the same time. Gabriel had made a public declaration that they didn’t want Jo’s Joe, which was reassuring to hear, but she hadn’t liked his tone. He’d made it sound like acquiring Jo’s Joe would be a stupid business decision. My company’s great and they’d be lucky to own it. She shook her head to clear it. Jeez, Josie get a grip. You can’t have it both ways.

  She sighed and struggled to keep her eyes open during the rest of the meeting. It didn’t help that she hadn’t slept well last night, and the room was stuffy. Her head jerked up, and she looked to see if anyone had noticed. Our meetings are a lot better than this, she thought. They were quick and on-the-fly because Elle never let problems and decisions pile up. Jo’s Joe was a lean mean operating machine.

  Josie would be the first to admit that she didn’t have the right personality to thrive in a large business like the one her husband commanded. It took a different skill set. One that she didn’t have or want. But her husband had it in spades. Seeing Gabriel in action had been enlightening. Now she knew what he was up against, and she’d had a glimpse into his world. She didn’t regret staying and hoped Gabe would forgive her.

  “Thank you all for coming. Expect to see the minutes from the meeting early next week,” Gabriel said as he closed the binder in front of him and unclipped his microphone. He bent toward Awful Anna and said something close to her ear. She laughed and smiled back at him. Josie rolled her eyes and uncrossed her legs so she could stand up and do her job.

  Darlene had explained to Josie that it was important for her to support Gabriel by mingling with the other board members, so Josie beat back the desire to sneak out the door. She smoothed the wool hounds-tooth pencil skirt down her thighs and checked her reflection in the window to make sure the red silk blouse was still tucked. Instead of making a beeline to Gabe, she forced herself to seek out those she wanted to charm and, hopefully, win over.

  Josie now understood why Gabe hadn’t contradicted her when she’d joked that his family sounded like a modern Game of Thrones. It was the total opposite of her family. They were always there for each other, sometimes a bit too much. At least that’s what Jamie had claimed once during rehab in a family group therapy session.

  Josie worked the room, inching closer to Gabe, who’d stayed at the front. Awful Anna never left his side. Duncan, Danielle, and Aunt Sandra held court with their supporters on the other side of the room. Josie knew better than to get too close to that viper pit.

  By the time she’d reached Gabe, he was having a heated conversation with an older man. Josie stood back, not wanting to interrupt, but Gabe wiggled his fingers at his side, signaling for her to join them. “Herbert, have you met my wife, Josie?” The old man beamed at Josie and grasped her rough hand with his gnarled one, his animosity toward Gabriel forgotten.

  “Smart, pretty, and she can cook, too. Your grandfather would be pleased, Gabriel.”

  “You’re too kind,” Josie said. “I don’t mean to interrupt, especially when you’re yelling at my husband. That’s usually my job.” She winked at the older man to soften her words.

  “We’ll get along just fine, Josie.” Herbert chuckled and patted her hand. “And I wasn’t yelling at Gabriel. I was just reminding the lad to be cautious in these uncertain times. Much easier to bail when there’s trouble if you’re not the one holding the whole bag. Spread the risk around. It’s safer to have a slice than commit to the whole pie!” The old man’s face turned ruddy and his voice rose.

  Gabe put his hand on Herbert’s shoulder. “I hear you and, as I’ve said before, I’ll take it under advisement.” Herbert nodded but Josie sensed the old man didn’t believe Gabe. They watched Herbert shuffle away.

  Gabe leaned back against the conference table, and Josie stood over him by a few inches thanks to her toe-cramping sky-high heels. He still didn’t look happy. I just suffered through a PowerPoint presentation and nosey questions only to get the stink eye?

  “I wasn’t expecting you in the crowd. Or your treats.”

  “Surprise!” Josie said as she flashed her hands wide.

  “And you were late. You’re never late,” he grumbled.

  “Actually, we’d timed it that way. I was supposed to be late, just not as late as I was. Based on the topic and the players, I was told that a well-timed interruption might help you. I was a diversion.”

  The corner of Gabe’s mouth ticked up a bit. “You certainly are.” He sighed, and it sounded like a mixture of frustration, resignation, and stress.

  Not what a girl wanted to hear coming out of the mouth of the man she’d rescued. A thank-you would have been nice. “When can we escape? I missed lunch, and I thought you could take me to one of your usual haunts on this side of the metro for dinner.”

  He closed his eyes and made that disapproving huffing noise again. “I can’t. I’m sorry. Duncan, Anna, and I always do a post-mortem after one of these. I thought I’d told you.”

  “I think you said you had a work thing after the board meeting so you’d spend the night at the estate. You didn’t elaborate on the work thing a
nd I didn’t ask.” Josie refrained from using air quotes around “work thing.”

  Don’t go there, she warned herself. Gabe hadn’t given her any reasons not to trust him. Other than lying. Several times. But nothing recently, a part of her argued in his defense. And if Gabe hadn’t mentioned Awful Anna, she wouldn’t have an issue with this “work thing.” But she is involved. Josie stuffed the green-eyed monster back into its box.

  “Don’t stay too late,” Josie warned as she stepped closer to him. She bent down to give him a brief parting kiss but the green-eyed monster popped its lock. Josie ran her hands up his arms and gripped his strong shoulders. She traced the seam of his lips with her tongue and he didn’t resist. She felt the heat of his hands against her silk blouse as he pulled her closer. His teeth scraped her lower lip.

  Josie stepped back and looked at Gabe. His eyes gleamed with desire. For her. And if his reaction was anything to go by, all of his blood had headed south, so it would be a while before he’d be able to string two sentences together. Good, the green-eyed monster thought.

  “I’ll see you tomorrow.” Josie straightened his tie, turned, and strutted away. She could feel the heat of Gabe’s eyes on her. And if anyone accused her of adding a bit more sway to her hips, she’d blame it on the high heels.

  9

  Gabe tossed his keys on the counter, toed off his shoes, and hung his coat on the hooks by the back door. It’s good to be home, he thought as he grabbed a beer from the refrigerator. Technically, he rented the townhouse in Haven, but it felt more like home to him than the Woodland estate did. Or maybe it was Haven that felt more like home. Who was he kidding? It felt like home because that’s where Josie was.

  The row of townhouses was on the edge of the downtown area. They were relatively new and resembled a row of brownstones. The ground level was for parking, the next was for the kitchen and living areas, and the top floor had two bedrooms, each with a walk-in closet, and a shared bathroom. Gabe had furnished it with the minimum amount of furniture needed—a bed, a desk with an ergonomic chair, a couch with a coffee table, and a few bar stools at the kitchen island.

  His lack of furnishings had appalled Josie when she’d moved in. She’d said a hotel was better furnished than his house was. Gabe had argued he was just one person, he didn’t entertain, and his butt could only be in one place at a time. He couldn’t sit on a living room chair and the couch at the same time, so he only needed one or the other. And since he couldn’t stretch out in a chair, the couch had been the most logical choice.

  They’d spent the first week as husband and wife sleeping in Josie’s cramped apartment above the coffee shop. Four adults in a small two-bedroom apartment was two adults too many, but Gabe had argued it would be easier for her. The roaster she used for the stores’ coffee was downstairs so she’d be able to sleep longer. But after coming face-to-face with Jamie during a food run to the kitchen to replenish their energy in only his boxers, Gabe started to rethink their living arrangements. After Jamie’s girlfriend, Leesa, mistook him for Jamie when he’d been taking a shower, Gabe couldn’t move Josie to the townhouse fast enough. It had taken weeks before he and Leesa could be in the same room without blushing. Josie had thought it was hilarious.

  Gabe twisted the top off the bottle and went in search of Josie. Her antiquated Jeep was parked out front, so he knew she was home. When he’d spotted the eyesore out front, he’d hoped she’d be in the kitchen baking, but she wasn’t, and from the sparkling counters and clean smell, it was a safe bet she hadn’t baked at all.

  Gabe stopped and surveyed the scene before him. Total chaos and bedlam, and there, in the middle on it all, slept Josie. Boxes were scattered all over the room. Part of an artificial tree stood in a corner. Its top section lay next to it alongside a pile of twinkle lights. A wreath lay on the coffee table. Two red poinsettias flanked the gas fireplace. He didn’t know how long she’d been working, but he knew it would be several hours before they finished.

  Gabe looked at his watch and sighed. He’d been hoping for a relaxing afternoon with Josie and then dinner out. It felt like eons since he’d seen her or had spent any quality time with her. He’d stayed in Woodland for most of the previous week preparing for the board meeting and meeting with the different department managers.

  Seeing her on Wednesday after her road trip to bring him coffee and a cookie didn’t count. She’d taken him by surprise and he hadn’t responded well.

  And his behavior at the board meeting was inexcusable. He should have been showing her off like the prize she was instead of glowering at her. But, dammit, he couldn’t think when she was around! She’d looked so different in her business attire and he’d been stunned to see her wearing heels. He wouldn’t have cared if she’d shown up in her usual torn jeans and a flannel shirt, but the fact that she’d dressed the part of Mrs. Gabriel Kane had meant a lot to him.

  But he wasn’t sure how he felt about that. He didn’t want Josie sucked into his superficial world. That was one reason why he’d behaved so poorly when she’d shown up at Witz Holdings. He didn’t want to risk anyone getting their claws into her. Josie was brilliant, and he didn’t want them to tarnish her.

  Every time he’d looked at her during the board meeting, he’d gotten tongue-tied and he’d had to look at the chart to remember what he’d been saying. And when she’d kissed him before she’d left? That had been delightful torture. Luckily there weren’t many people left to witness it and his reaction to her. He’d watched her walk away and had lost track of everything else until he’d heard Duncan’s low chuckle near his ear. Gabe crashed back to earth and dropped into the nearest chair. He owed his cousin for the reality check. Maybe Duncan wasn’t a total jerk.

  Gabe’s stomach growled, reminding him that he’d skipped lunch. The coffee and banana he’d had for breakfast was a distant memory. He went back to the kitchen. His hunger was a problem he could easily solve, unlike the others that plagued him. What was the right price for Howm Industries? Where would they live? What to do about Duncan? How would they manage children? What’s the best course of action for Witz Holdings, own or invest? How could he make Josie’s life easier?

  He foraged in the cupboards as his fancy coffee maker spit out a cup of the dark brew. He made another cup for Josie as he peeked in the food containers tucked next to the refrigerator. Bingo! he thought as he sliced two thick pieces of pumpkin bread and piled some cookies on a plate. He placed everything on a cookie sheet that he’d found in the drain rack and carried it into the living room.

  Josie still sprawled on the couch. Gabe shoved the coffee table out of the way with his foot so he could sit on the floor with his back against the couch. He wasn’t making any effort to be quiet and the cookie tray clanged as he set it down on the table. He wanted Josie to wake up so they could make up. He needed to apologize and he wasn’t above groveling. Not with her.

  He took a hearty bite of the pumpkin bread and surveyed the mess surrounding them. Gabe thought back to the last time he’d decorated a tree. It had been while visiting his maternal grandparents in Napa Valley. They’d had a huge tree; it must have been at least ten feet tall and it had taken them all afternoon to decorate it. Granny’s only rule was “nothing breakable toward the bottom” as the family pets would knock them off. Afterward, they’d made pizza and then they’d helped their grandpa construct the toy train set that ran around the base of the tree.

  What a great day, Gabe thought as he pulled out his phone and set a reminder to call his cousin, Selina. He’d talked to her last week about the new labeling project for the winery but that had been business. It hadn’t been personal. Looking at Josie’s decorating mess and then looking at her, he realized he wanted more personal interactions, not just business ones.

  He waved her cup of coffee under her nose and watched it twitch. He did it again and again. Eventually, a bright blue eye struggled open followed by the other. She sat up and stretched her arms overhead. “There’s nothing better than a weekend
nap,” she said groggily. Watching her, Gabe thought of something a whole lot better that they could follow up with a nap. But that would have to wait for another day.

  “Gimme,” Josie ordered and wiggled her fingers toward him.

  “The coffee or me?” Gabe teased. He was sure she wanted the coffee, but on the off chance she wanted him, he didn’t want to miss the opportunity.

  “I’ll start with the coffee,” she said, and it sounded like a promise. Gabe handed her the mug embossed with the Witz Holdings logo. She sighed after her first sip.

  “Where did all this stuff come from?” he asked.

  “I had some back at the apartment, some at the office, and a few boxes at the storage unit. Next year, I’m putting it all in one place.”

  “I wish you would have waited for me. You knew I was coming back to Haven today.”

  “Yeeees.” Josie drew out the word and she looked uncomfortable. “But I didn’t know when or if your plans would change.” She was right. His schedule was unpredictable. Witz Holdings was a demanding mistress. Gabe was about to apologize but she held up her hand to stop him, as if she thought he was going to argue with her. “You’re here now. That’s the important thing. Are you ready to decorate?”

  “Sure, but you’ll have to tell me what to do. It’s been a while,” he admitted.

  “It’s been twelve months,” she teased. “And at your age, you’ve done this at least thirty times. Don’t worry. You’ll remember.” Gabe pushed himself to stand and looked around. Josie sounded confident in him. He hated to disappoint her, but he’d rather be honest than fake it and do a crappy job that they’d stare at for the rest of the month.

  “I was ten the last time I decorated for Christmas. And it wasn’t even our tree,” he confessed.

  “You didn’t grow up with a Christmas tree?” He heard the shock and horror in her voice.