Josie

by Beth Gildersleeve

  “Hel-loo. I’ve got a business to run.”

  “I thought that was Elle’s job.”

  “It is, but I still need to know what’s going on.”

  “So, you don’t trust her judgment?”

  “I trust Elle explicitly, except when it comes to the kitchen. She can’t bake or cook to save her soul. Lucky for them, Josh knows a skillet from a pot.”

  “So, if you trust her and the roasting is like an experiment, which can be duplicated like all good science can, then why don’t you delegate some of this stuff and free up time to pursue what you want? Train someone to do the everyday roasting so you can get a decent night’s sleep so you have the brainpower to create new flavors and desserts.”

  “Seriously? You’re lecturing me about delegating?” Josie laughed.

  “Yes. You’re not happy so you should off-load some tasks and keep regular hours.”

  “Back at you, bub.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “I could say the same thing to you. You told me you wanted to spend time in Haven. That you liked being at the Woodworks. You liked making things. And yet, you’re spending all your time at the Witz headquarters pouring over mind-numbing reports.” She leaned toward him. “Gabe, I suffered through that board meeting and watched you. The only time you came alive was when you talked about the Woodworks, the wineries, and the resorts. The rest of the time you were a cold, data-spewing robot.”

  “It’s not the same at all,” he countered.

  Josie crossed her arms in front of her. “How is it not the same?”

  “You have people you can trust. I don’t. If I step back, then Aunt Sandra will make stupid decisions again. She almost ruined us once. And my dad is healthy and happy overseeing the wineries. I’m not dragging him back.”

  “What about Duncan? I don’t think he’s as bad as you make him out to be. Can’t the two of you split things up? He might surprise you.”

  Gabe scoffed. “Yeah, right. Surprise me with a knife in my back or by pushing me under a bus. I can’t risk it. People depend on me.”

  “And, what? People don’t depend on me?” Josie sprang from her corner. She couldn’t sit still any longer. “I have over one hundred employees. A mix of part-time and full-time. For some, it’s extra spending money, but for others, it’s their college tuition or their only income. And what about Elle and Josh? Jo’s Joe is it for them. And I lease some of my locations so those landlords depend on my monthly payment. Jo’s Joe may not be the empire Witz Holdings is, but it’s still a vital business that serves a need. But then again, you know all that after snooping through my papers like a corporate spy. Get over yourself, King Gabriel. I might be afraid to delegate but at least I’m not a coward.”

  “I’m not a coward,” he growled. Josie heard the warning tone in his voice and should have backed off, but she pushed forward.

  “Yes, you are. You’re afraid to trust yourself and anyone else. It’s like all of you are performing roles scripted by your grandfather. As an outsider, I can tell you, it isn’t working for any of you. You’re all miserable. Nothing changes if nothing changes.”

  Gabe glared at her. A muscle twitched by his clenched jaw. “Where’d you read that? On a plaque at a coffee shop?” His tone dripped with derision.

  “Go to hell, Gabriel.” Josie fled the room before her tears spilled over. She wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of seeing her cry.

  10

  Gabe stared at his phone Wednesday afternoon as if it might bite him. He hadn’t spoken to Josie since Saturday night when she’d stormed out of the room after telling him to go to hell. He’d deserved it. He’d acted like an ass most of the evening by telling her what to do because he knew what was best. King Gabriel, indeed!

  Gabe had been stupid and careless with Josie. He’d let those vile words pass his lips without stopping them. If you’d surveyed his staff this week, they’d have said he’d been stupid and careless with them, too. Heck, he’d bitten Darlene’s head off this morning because the mail hadn’t arrived yet. Duncan was the only one amused with his foul mood.

  He looked at his phone, again. Gabe could have Darlene call and issue the invitation to Josie. It was within her job description. Gabe ran his hand through his hair. It wasn’t hard to imagine what Josie’s reaction would be if King Gabriel had his secretary call his wife to invite her to a party.

  I am a coward, he admitted. I should have followed her up the stairs. Maybe with more talking, they could have worked past the accusations and found some solutions.

  Gabe knew people depended on her, but no business analyst in their right mind would compare her handful of coffee shops to Witz Holdings’ presence. And the company had a lot more at stake now that they’d started to make up for Aunt Sandra’s bad decisions. He wouldn’t endanger the company again. Delegating was too risky.

  They’d shielded most of the bad news from the outside world, but the last seven years had been rough on Witz Holdings. His dad’s near-fatal heart attacked had thrown the company into chaos.

  Gabe remembered it just like it was yesterday. He had just started his rotation at the ski resort in Idaho. The family plan had been for Gabe to work one year at each of their major holdings in order to fully understand the business. After Kyle’s heart attack, Gabe had argued that they should abandon the plan, but his dad had said it was too important. Aunt Sandra had agreed and she’d offered to step in as the interim CEO until Gabe was ready to take the reins. She said she’d be able to handle it if they didn’t acquire any more businesses. The board had agreed with all of this so Gabe had continued with his rotations.

  During all of their discussions, however, Aunt Sandra had never mentioned her plans for Witz Holdings to be a minority shareholder in other companies. She wouldn’t buy another company, but she was eager to own pieces of them. She’d started investing and most of it hadn’t gone well. Aunt Sandra had invested based on her gut and gossip, not thorough research. Luckily, Duncan had intervened before irreparable damage was done.

  Once again, Gabe stared at his phone, willing it to ring. He’d left her a note before he slunk out of the house Sunday morning. It had nearly killed him when he’d discovered that she’d chosen to sleep across the hall instead of in their bed.

  He’d thought they were both cowards, but then he’d heard her muffled cries behind the door and he’d bravely turned the door handle and had stepped into the room. The hallway light had illuminated her huddled on the bed. She’d wiped her eyes. “Not now. Please leave, Gabriel.” Her voice had sounded raw and flat. He’d done as she’d asked and he’d kicked himself ever since.

  Gabe thought back to the hasty note he’d scribbled explaining that he’d be staying at the estate until they’d finished the Howm Industries deal. This was a huge opportunity for Witz Holdings and the deal needed his full concentration. He’d signed the note with his initials and had taped it to the bathroom mirror.

  In addition to his cowardly note, he’d also sent a red poinsettia to each of her coffee shops and to her roasting room at the Haven Woodworks. He’d hoped each time she saw one she’d think of him and in time she’d forgive him.

  He stood up and walked to his window overlooking the landscaped property. One of the maintenance crew was shoveling the walking path. It had snowed all morning. He leaned his forehead against the cool glass and called Josie. It rang. And rang. Gabe debated if he should hang up or leave a message.

  “Hey,” she answered. She sounded wary, surprised, and breathless.

  “Oh, hi,” he said lamely. “I was just composing a message in my head.”

  “Do you want to call back and leave it?” She sounded cool and professional not like her usual friendly self.

  He chuckled. “No. Making this call was stressful enough. I can’t imagine the agony of waiting for you to call back.”

  “I would have, you know. Called you back.” Her voice sounded warmer and it gave him hope.

  “I know, but I
probably don’t deserve it.”

  “You’re probably right,” she easily agreed. “Gabe?” she asked and he heard the uncertainty in her voice.

  “Yes?”

  “I’m sorry about Saturday. I was embarrassed by my past stupidity and suffering from a shame hangover. I’d like to think I would have handled the evening better if I hadn’t been.”

  Gabe didn’t know if she was referring to catching him snooping or the accusations they’d flung at each other. He didn’t want to jeopardize their newfound peace, so he focused on her confession. “Josie, there isn’t anything you could do that would cause me to think less of you.”

  “Because I’m already scraping the bottom, right?” It killed him to hear her sound so insecure and lost.

  “No, because you are the cream of the crop, Mrs. Kane.”

  Josie made him wait a few heartbeats before she responded. “So, is it a slow day in the kingdom, or is there something I can do for you, Mr. Kane?” She sounded more like her usual sassy self and she was baiting him, but he wasn’t going to bite.

  “I know this is short notice, but there’s a party we need to attend on Friday night.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry. I can’t.”

  “Can’t?”

  “Can’t. A friend of mine is in a bind and I promised to help her.”

  “This event is pretty big and important.”

  “I’m sorry, Gabriel. If you’d told me about the party, I would have told my friend no.” He heard the accusation in her tone. And she’d said Gabriel, not Gabe. His hand fisted at his side. He was disappointed in himself and in her.

  He shouldn’t have assumed she’d be available, but she should be making an effort to socialize in his circle. It was important for the business, and the family had a reputation to uphold.

  This was an important party, possibly the most important one of the season. He could only imagine how the grapevine would respond when Gabriel Kane showed up to the party without his bride. Would they think she was a snob, or worse, that the marriage was in trouble? Which it is because we’re not on the same page, he admitted. She was putting him in an awkward position. He wouldn’t tell her it was okay because it wasn’t. He needed her there, dammit!

  “If there’s nothing else, I need to get back to shoveling,” she said.

  “You’re shoveling?”

  “Yes. I’m shoveling. I don’t mind it and it gives me time to think,” she argued. Gabe didn’t like the sound of that. Thinking could get him into further trouble, in her mind and he didn’t like the tone in her voice. She’d sounded defensive, like Gabe was going to judge her and find her lacking.

  The last thing he wanted was for Josie to feel defensive, but if she did, it was his fault. In anger, he’d mocked her business and her accomplishments. I’m a lousy husband and I don’t know what to do about it, but I’m not giving up on us. He was staying in the ring to fight for them. He knew if they could get on the same page, their marriage would have a fighting chance. This party would have been a step in the right direction.

  “Hey, if it makes you happy, shovel all day long.” He wasn’t looking for another fight with her.

  “Nah, I’m only good for about twenty minutes and luckily that’s about how long it takes to shovel both sides around the shop.” He was about to ask if anyone else could have shoveled, but he held his tongue. Too much risk. She’d probably take it as a criticism instead of concern.

  “Did you get a lot of snow?” Gabe lightly banged his head against the glass. He didn’t want to discuss the weather with Josie, but he wanted to hear her voice. He looked at the mountain of paperwork on his desk. All of it pertained to the Howm Industries deal. He should be concentrating on that as he’d said in his note, but he’d lied there, too. He couldn’t concentrate on the Howm deal because, even from a distance, Josie had his full attention.

  “A few inches. It sounds like the west metro got more.”

  “About half a foot from what I can tell. Maintenance is clearing the back paths now.”

  “Our kingdoms are vastly different,” she said and he could hear the sadness in her voice. Was she thinking back to their argument and his thoughtless comments about her business? “You have people for snow removal and I am the people.”

  “But if you like it and it gives you time to think, then it sounds like a good thing. Maybe I should go down and give it a try?”

  She chuckled. “Well, if you do, please have someone record it. I’d love to see their faces when King Gabriel shows up in his handmade Italian loafers and asks to help shovel.” Gabe looked down at his shoes and smirked. She was right.

  “So, um, the friend I’m helping on Friday is out in a western suburb. And since you said in your note that you’d be staying at the estate, I thought I could stay there, too. For the weekend. With you,” she added softly. Gabe heard the uncertainty in her voice, and he could picture her leaning on her shovel with rosy cheeks, biting her lower lip nervously. For the first time in days, Gabe felt his shoulders relax and his chest loosen. Josie wanted to be with him. She was fighting for them, too.

  “I’d like nothing better,” he said. For a weekend with his wife, he’d lock the doors, unplug the router, and keep the rest of the world away, or at least his part of it. He liked hers.

  “Great,” she said and he heard the relief in her voice. Gabe found it comforting that she’d been as upset about last weekend’s argument as he had. Another reason I’m an ass, he thought. They hung up a few minutes later, and Gabe looked out the window. It had started to snow again.

  Going out to shovel was tempting. But what would people think if the CEO was clearing off the sidewalks? They’d think he was either crazy or Witz Holdings couldn’t afford a maintenance crew. Gabe dragged himself back to his desk and grabbed the first folder on top of the pile.

  “Jo, I’d be lost without you,” Miranda said as Josie pulled the last batch of beef short rib empanadas from the oven. They’d worked in the hostess’s kitchen for the last four hours putting the appetizers together. Josie had the buffet table set with the usual fruit-and-nut-stuffed cheese balls, baked brie with a variety of jams, baked artichoke and crab dip, and vegetable crudités. The servers would make the rounds with the specialty items like the empanadas, fried ravioli, stuffed mushrooms, and pork dumplings. Miranda had prepared bite-sized desserts earlier in the week and they were defrosting on the counter.

  Josie checked her watch. “I’d better go change into my monkey suit if you still want me serving.”

  “Thanks, Jo.” Miranda looked around the room and wiped her hands down her apron. She didn’t blame her friend for being nervous. The Peterson party was a far cry from Miranda’s usual catering jobs. If this party went well, it could bring in a lot of new business and opportunities for her former classmate.

  “I’ll be quick and when I’m back, it’s your turn to change. You want to look calm and capable in case Mrs. Peterson introduces you.” Miranda gave a tight smile. Josie grabbed her uniform and went to change in the room the hostess had designated for them. Josie stripped off her clothes. The cool air felt good against her bare skin and it gave her a much-needed energy boost. The kitchen was warm and she’d been on her feet for hours.

  She frowned as she slid the uniform from its hanger. It was comprised of a three-quarter sleeve crossover white blouse, a tight black skirt that hit mid-thigh, black tights, and two-inch heels. Her feet already hurt just looking at them. She bent over in front of the mirror and checked her reflection. Everything’s covered but I still feel like a Las Vegas cocktail waitress, she thought as she scraped her hair into a tight bun.

  “Your turn,” she sang to Miranda as she entered the kitchen. “I’ll check on the desserts and see if the bartenders need anything from us for the evening.” She gently shoved her friend between the shoulder blades. “Go!” She watched Miranda shuffle off to change.

  Josie closed her eyes and breathed in the smells of the kitchen and the relative calm and quiet. Now that she’d
stopped moving and had a moment of peace, she realized she was nervous about tonight. Not about this event, but the event afterward. Seeing Gabe.

  She hadn’t talked to him since Wednesday. She’d known he was upset and disappointed in her, again, but he’d tried to move past it. They’d texted back and forth over the last two days. Making tentative plans, sharing silly things, trying to find their footing with each other. She sighed as she refolded a kitchen towel.

  This marriage wasn’t turning out to be what either of them had expected. It was becoming painfully obvious to her that if she wanted her marriage to succeed, she’d need to be the one to make most of the sacrifices. The question was, what was she willing to sacrifice for a chance at a good marriage and children?

  She didn’t know, but she wouldn’t find out unless she tried. Which was why she’d packed a suitcase for the weekend. “Baby steps,” she’d told Elle when they’d discussed her plan yesterday.

  Gabe’s comments last weekend about delegating and doing what she loved had hit a sore spot. Delegating the roasting was scary. Her pride and reputation were tied to every batch. But Gabe had reminded her that roasting was partly science so with the right person and proper training success could be duplicated.

  She’d had her eye on Cam ever since they’d hired him a year ago. He was a barista in her Apple Valley location and he had a culinary degree from the Saint Paul College. He was bright, curious, and a hard worker. If she was taking a chance, he was her best bet.

  She’d done some major soul-searching on Sunday, and she’d called him that night before she could chicken out. She’d worked with him all week and she was confident Cam could handle the morning roasting. They had a decent supply in inventory so even if he totally messed up, she wouldn’t need to be in Haven until Wednesday afternoon.

  Her plan for the coming week was to work at a different Jo’s Joe each day so she wouldn’t have to drive all the way to Haven from the estate. She’d bring her laptop and claim a table. She figured by midweek the grapevine would have alerted all the stores and they’d be prepared for her impromptu inspection, but she didn’t care and she wasn’t worried. Elle had trained the managers well, and the managers were well compensated for running the coffee shops successfully.