He was right, that was exactly how she felt. Josie walked over to the bed and trailed her fingers over the dress closest to her. It was a caramel halter at the top that faded into a soft white gold at the bottom. It intimidated her a little, because it looked so formfitting. Her eyes flitted over to Chance.
“You’ll look beautiful,” he assured her. “Let’s get you in it.”
He’d placed a tray with strawberries and white wine on the table near the window. “Sit down on the bed,” he said while bringing her a glass of wine. As she took the glass, Chance knelt to take off her shoes. He acted as her personal valet, while feeding her strawberries and sips of wine.
Her defenses collapsed into giggles as the costume changes progressed. He’d made one really wrong choice. The bright green wrap dress clashed with her skin tone, but the other three made her feel gorgeous. She chose to wear the golden halter dress with a brand new cashmere coat in the same lush caramel tones that made her warm copper eyes command attention. By the time they were done, they had just enough time to make it to the restaurant on time.
“Tomorrow afternoon, I plan to be thinking with my penis,” Chance promised her as they walked out to his car.
“How appropriate, because my vagina had already penciled in some time about then for thinking about your penis.” She smiled cheekily at him. “See, it’s right here on her calendar app!” Josie flashed her cell phone at Chance, baiting him. She was truly happy that she had placed the ad for additional help at Sweet Dreams.
At the restaurant, they joined a group of fifteen people, and Josie recognized over half of them. Sam greeted her and took her coat, his hand drifting over the halter of her dress. “I see Chance has been shopping again,” he murmured.
“Hey, I’m a girl! I might have gone shopping,” Josie protested. When Sam just stared at her, she sighed. “I think he might be a shopaholic. There has to be some kind of rehab program we can enter him into.”
“Nah, as long as he has such good taste, he doesn’t have to go to rehab.” He brushed a kiss against her cheek, and then drew her over to the table. “I want to introduce you to everyone.” Chance came up on her other side, and as she approached the table, the conversation paused.
“This is our Josie,” Chance said.
“Don’t I know that.” Dane laughed good-naturedly, as he rubbed his jaw.
“Josie, you know Ian and Joshua, and you remember Dane and Eric Johansen and their sister, Kara. Well, this gentleman is their brother, Leif Junior. You remember their parents, right? Isla, Leif Senior, and Conner Johansen.”
“I think I can remember that Leif belongs with every other Johansen,” she grinned. Every single one of the Johansens were crowned with the white-gold hair of their ancestry.
“Yeah, Josie, nobody ever gets the last name wrong,” Conner agreed. He, Leif Sr., and Leif Jr. all stood to shake her hand. Sitting next to Isla were Elise and Ed. The last man to take her hand was Caleb Samuels he was a handsome black man whose large hand swallowed Josie’s and his gaze lingered in appreciation. She felt Sam’s arm close around her shoulder possessively.
“Samuels, it’s good to see you again. I didn’t realize you were retiring,” Sam said.
“Four tours seemed like enough,” the big man said. “Leif and I are starting up an auto body shop here.”
“You grew up here, didn’t you?” Chance asked.
“My dad was a lumberjack, so Mom and I followed him between here and Alaska. After a while, Mom settled us here, and Dad came back when he could. That’s how Leif and I became such good friends.”
“Were you in the same unit overseas?” Chance inquired.
“Yeah, we enlisted together.”
Josie heard Isla mutter something but couldn’t make out the words. Elise patted her hand.
“The only other people I don’t think you’ve met here are the Hendersons,” Sam said. “Their son, Kyle, is on my team. Bob and Vera.”
Bob stood up to shake Josie’s hand. “Sam is a great coach, but I knew he would be. I played pickup games with him over at the firehouse. It was Joshua’s, Dane’s, and my idea that he take over coaching the team, when that jerk, Floyd, bailed on us.”
“Kyle loves Sam,” Vera assured Josie. “Floyd always made him feel like he was bad at basketball, but now he feels better about himself and he’s playing better. It’s amazing what a little confidence does for a child.”
It doesn’t just work for children, Josie thought.
“We saved you seats down here.” Lola waved to Josie. They sat down next to Jace, Dale, and Lola. Josie was not surprised to see her friend drinking soda instead of wine. She looked over at Kara, and indicated Lola’s drink of choice. Kara lifted her glass in a toast. Josie knew better than to ask. She figured when Lola was ready, she’d share her news.
By nine o’clock she was yawning, and Sam and Chance were saying good-bye to everyone. She was so tired that she only said good-bye to the people sitting closest to her, even though it made her feel rude.
She fell asleep on the drive home and didn’t wake up until Sam lifted her up to carry her into the house. “Can walk,” she muttered.
“I know, but you’ve had wine and it’s way past your bedtime.” He set her down in the bathroom so she could take her evening shower. She would have preferred to shower together, but she just didn’t have it in her.
“This pace needs to stop,” Sam said as she stepped back into the bedroom.
“Hey, let’s get into bed, and I’ll tell you some good news,” she said right before a huge yawn overtook her. She plopped down on the left side, and Sam nudged her over until she was in the middle of the bed. Chance arranged it so her leg was over his leg, and Sam spooned her from the back, and she was now in the perfect position to go to sleep. She shut her eyes.
“What’s your news, sleepyhead?” Chance prompted.
“Put ad, newspaper, wanted help. Not work so much.” Sam and Chance both broke into wide grins.
“I bow to you, brother. You said she would come to the realization on her own, and she did. Chance, how do you know these things?” Sam asked.
“I shall never reveal my secrets, brother. Just rest your pretty little head, and know that I am the Mystic One,” Chance chided.
Two days before her sisters arrived, Josie hired the perfect employee. He had been a baker for the Matushkas who decided to retire when they sold their bakery. He found, however, that retirement did not agree with his need to keep his hands busy, so when he saw Josie’s ad in the paper, he immediately applied. His name was Bill Jessop, and he was used to working the two a.m. shift, which was perfect. This would free Josie to spend more time with Sarah and Becca.
Lola called shortly after Bill was hired to share a good-news-bad-news message with Josie. Fate Harbor’s spring break social event that included a huge dance was coming up. Hart’s Diner usually catered it, so that put Sweet Dreams on point to provide all the desserts. The dance would provide a great opportunity for her sisters to meet everybody in town, and to see firsthand Fate Harbor’s loving and open community. The downside was that for the two days prior to the event, Sweet Dreams would be blitzed, even with Bill’s addition to the staff.
Chapter 31
Josie’s joy was boiling over the morning she was to pick up her sisters from SeaTac airport.
“Take the Audi,” Chance insisted.
“My car is fine.”
“I’ll feel better if you take the Audi. Your tires need to be replaced, and the roads are wet.” Chance held up the keys. Josie just shook her head and took the keys, knowing it was pointless to argue. She had decided not to have the guys go with her when she picked up her sisters, because she didn’t want to inundate them with their presence before they’d even had a chance to unpack their bags. Chance and Sam understood completely.
It took her two hours to get to the airport, and she was an hour early. She bought a cup of coffee to sip while she waited. Becca texted her when they landed and she went to the b
aggage claim area. Josie was waiting for them when they stole behind her, yelling her name, causing her to spill her coffee. Some things never changed.
“Welcome to Seattle!” She grabbed each one into a huge hug. Josie noted that their identical wavy blond hair, hazel eyes, and tall frames garnered a fair share of male attention. Her girls had blossomed in the few months away at college. She hadn’t noticed that three weeks ago when she’d visited.
“Josie, I couldn’t believe how many trees there were when we flew over, and that mountain was gorgeous! What’s the name of it?” Sarah asked.
“That’s Mount Rainier. I love living here. I can’t wait for you to see where I live and meet everyone.”
“Where are Chance and Sam?” Becca asked, looking around.
“They didn’t come. I wanted to have you all to myself for a while.”
Becca perked up. Sarah just shrugged and rolled her eyes. Josie spotted one of their suitcases and reached for it, and Becca slapped her hand.
“Little sister, we’ll handle the luggage. You just point us to the car.” It had been a running joke in the family to call Josie the little sister since the girls were thirteen and outgrew Josie’s height of five foot one. Protective of Josie, they were always conscious of her bad back, and rarely let her carry anything. They made their way to the parking garage, where Josie led them to the Audi.
“Very fancy,” Becca crooned. “Who does it belong to?”
“It’s Chance’s. He insisted I drive it since it was raining,” Josie explained as the girls put their luggage into the trunk.
“I dibs the front!” Becca shouted.
“Hey, I wanted to sit up front,” Sarah protested.
“You don’t like cars as much as I do,” Becca said. Sarah nodded in agreement and climbed into the backseat. Becca played with all the dials and buttons and soon had everything figured out, showing Josie features that she hadn’t even been aware of. “So, Chance has money, huh?”
“Yep.”
“What about Sam?”
“I know he gets disability from the Marines and he gets a bunch of stock statements in the mail that he throws in a drawer. But he hasn’t disclosed his financial status to me, and I haven’t asked him.”
“He was a Marine? How long?” Becca asked.
“He was a lieutenant. He did two-and-a-half tours in Afghanistan.”
Becca turned on the radio to a country music station, and after a while, Sarah asked when they would be meeting the Hutchins and where they were staying.
“You’re staying in the apartment above Sweet Dreams Desserts, while I stay with Sam and Chance at their house. I’ll leave my car with the two of you. I have some bad news, though. On Thursday and Friday, I have to put in some long hours for the town festival and dance on Saturday. But today through Wednesday, I’ve taken off, so I’m all yours.”
“Don’t you have to spend time with Sam and Chance?” Sarah asked.
“Well, I was hoping the five of us could spend some time together. I’d really like you to get to know them.”
“Are you in love with them?” Becca asked bluntly.
“I was pretty close to it when I came down to Florida. Now it’s a done deal. I can’t imagine my life without them. But—” Josie stopped herself.
“You’re not letting Becca stop you, are you?” Sarah exclaimed.
“What Becca thinks, and feels, is very important to me.” Josie softly answered. “But this is my life, and I’m going to do what makes me happy.”
Becca smiled. “Good. I’ve been thinking. I want you happy, too. After what went on with that asshole Russell, I got pretty protective.”
Sarah gave a half-laugh from the backseat. “You think?”
“He wasn’t good enough for you,” Becca snarled. “Anyway, I really was out of line in Florida. The only thing that’s important is that you have the best life possible and that they treat you with all the respect and love you deserve.”
Josie’s heart lurched.
“But—”
“Here it comes, Josie.” Sarah warned from the backseat.
“They have to prove themselves to me.” Becca said as she crossed her arms.
Give me strength.
“Becca, I think you have that wrong. They needed to prove themselves to me, Honey.” Josie kept her voice warm and loving.
“We’ll see,” Becca said.
“Josie, nothing’s changed. She’s still a stubborn wench.” Sarah laughed.
“So I see.”
Country music filled the car for the next few miles.
Finally, Sarah started commenting on the scenery and Becca asked about the town and what kinds of activities were available to them. Josie told them that they might want to take the ferry over to Snoqualt on Friday, but that Saturday’s festival and dance should be a lot of fun. She took them straight to Sweet Dreams Desserts, where she introduced them to Elise and Rob. Bill had already gone home for the day. Then they trooped up to the apartment, stored their belongings, and the two girls squabbled over who would get the bed and who would get the couch, finally deciding the matter with a game of rock, paper, scissors.
When the girls were both in the small living room, Josie looked them over and said, “Let’s get you fed. I think the best food in town is at Hart’s Diner. The fact that they serve my baked goods might make me a little biased.” Josie led the girls down the block to the diner, where Tammy set them up in one of the larger booths.
“Lola will be with you in a few moments, she’s back there arguing with Dale and Jace.” Tammy laughed and handed out the menus. “She’ll tell you about the specials. In the meantime, what can I get you to drink?”
Josie looked at her sisters. They nodded and she requested three sweet teas. “I thought you said this was a small town,” Becca whispered. “Did everybody decide to eat out today?”
Josie laughed as she looked around. “It’s always packed at lunchtime.”
“Why’d we get such a large booth?” Sarah asked.
“Well, Lola will probably sit down with us for a while, so Tammy gave us an upgrade. You’ll really like Lola. She’s one of the first friends I made here. She’s so bubbly and friendly, you can’t help but love her.”
There was a loud crash in the kitchen, and then the door slammed open. “How dare you, Jace Hart? I expect that kind of thing from Dale, but how dare you treat me like that!” A blonde virago stomped out into the middle of the restaurant and looked wildly around until her eyes clamped on Josie. Then she burst into tears, running straight for her booth.
“Josie,” she wailed. Becca and Sarah glanced around in stunned wonder as her sister rushed toward the woman and hugged her, immediately settling her into the booth.
“It’s okay, Honey. Just tell me what’s wrong. What did Jace do?” Lola grabbed a handful of napkins out of the holder.
“He said…he said…he…” And she started to cry again. Josie just hugged her and rocked her. Finally, Lola settled herself and was able to start again. “Jace said that the tray I was carrying was too heavy,” she wailed.
Josie saw her sisters look at the crying woman, dumbfounded. “Did he say anything else?” Josie coaxed.
“He didn’t want me to come to work today. He was worried about me.”
“You’re pregnant, aren’t you, sweetie?” Josie asked as Lola blew her nose. Lola nodded and gave a wide but soggy smile.
“Yes, and we’re all so happy. I knew Dale would lose his mind and be crazy, but not Jace. Jace was supposed to be the sane one. I’ve been having morning sickness, so Jace thought I shouldn’t come to work today, and then he thought the tray I was carrying was too–too–heavy.” And Lola dissolved into tears again.
As Josie enveloped Lola into another hug, Jace and Dale rushed out of the kitchen.
“Sweetheart, Jace is an idiot. Don’t cry.” Dale slid into the booth beside Lola and tenderly pulled her out of Josie’s arms. Jace stood over the booth and glared down at his brother.
&
nbsp; “Dale, she needs to be home, she was sick this morning.”
“The doctor said that was normal for a pregnant woman, you big oaf,” Lola shouted up at her husband. Becca and Sarah heard a couple of chuckles around the restaurant.
“You’re carrying our baby, and don’t let Dale fool you. He’s as concerned as I am, he just doesn’t want to sleep on the couch,” Jace grumped.
“And he won’t, because he’s not driving me crazy!” Lola yelled.
Josie and others in the restaurant laughed outright at Jace’s outraged expression.
“Why don’t you have some ginger ale, talk to Josie a while, and then get back to work. Okay, sweetheart?” Dale suggested.
“That sounds good.” Lola gave her husband a kiss, and he got up, pulling his brother back into the kitchen.
“It’s not fair,” Jace was saying as they headed back. “You’re worse than I am, but you’re just pulling the wool over her eyes.”
“Face it, I’m older and smarter.” Dale smirked.
“So, which one is worse?” Josie asked.
“Oh, definitely Dale,” Lola answered. “He just waits, because he knows that Jace will always say something, or he can prod him until he does, so he doesn’t have to be the one to get into trouble. Like today, Dale was dying when I lifted that tray, and Jace didn’t notice until Dale mentioned it to him, then Jace hit the roof.” Lola giggled.
“I don’t get it, which one are you married to?” Becca asked.
“Oh, I’m married to Dale officially, so in the eyes of the law, he’s my husband. But I had a commitment ceremony with both of them. I consider them both my husbands.”
“How long have you been together?” Sarah asked.
“For seven years. Some days it feels like thirty.” Lola winked at them. Jace brought over a ginger ale and put it on the table.
“Thanks, Jace.”
Theirs To Treasure: Happily Ever After (Fate Harbor Book 1) Page 23