The look passed just as quickly as it had come, making Beth wonder if she had even seen it.
Beth nodded. “Sure. I can do that.”
“Great,” he said.
“Wait. You’re leaving?” Tricia asked, jutting out her bottom lip and stepping closer to Josh. Beth tried not to notice the way she ran her finger along his forearm.
“Yeah,” Josh said, moving to slip his boots on.
“Can we do dinner sometime?” Tricia asked with a whiny hint to her voice.
Not wanting to stand there, listening to them make dinner plans, Beth excused herself and went off to look for Jordan. She passed a few empty rooms before she found Tanner’s room. Both boys were sitting on the ground, playing with a heaping pile of dinosaurs.
“Hey, Jordan, we gotta go,” Beth said, stepping into the room.
She could see the protest form on Jordan’s lips but then it disappeared. “Bye, Tanner.”
Tanner just grunted in response.
Beth said goodbye as well, but Tanner didn’t acknowledge her. Instead, he continued setting up a line of dinosaurs, so Beth followed Jordan to the front door.
Josh was standing there with his hand on the doorknob. “Ready?” he asked.
Beth nodded, and they all followed him out to the driveway, where they climbed into her car and she pulled away.
Chapter Seven
Josh sat in the front seat of Beth’s car with his arms folded, frustration still coursing through his veins. He couldn’t believe that his ex-wife had the nerve to call him up and ask him for visitation rights. What did he care that she was pregnant and wanted her kids to know each other? She’d been the one to leave Jordan. This wanting him back only when it was convenient wasn’t okay.
“You okay?” Beth’s soft voice broke his concentration.
He glanced over at her to see her soft smile. His heart quickened its pace as he studied the way her lips tipped up or the hinted dimple on her cheek. He let out his breath, and the tension in his chest lessened. He rubbed his hand on his thighs as he muscled down his anger. “Yeah. Sorry,” he said.
Thankfully, Jimmy was pretty understanding, and had allowed Josh to take the rest of the day off. Right now, Josh needed to be with his son. Plus, he was feeling guilty that he had no food in his cupboards.
“You know, I’m a pretty good listener,” Beth said, peeking over at him.
“I’m sure you are.” He glanced behind him toward Jordan, who was sitting in the back, gazing out the window. “It’s just not something I’m not ready to talk about right now.”
Beth nodded. “I get it. It’s okay.”
He couldn’t help but notice that she looked sad. And for some strange reason, he had this strong desire to make her happy. “Maybe once I’ve worked through it, I’ll share. I just…” He blew out his breath as frustration crushed his chest. “I need to figure out where I stand on the issue first.”
“Of course. If there’s anything I can do, let me know.”
Josh studied her. It was comforting, knowing she was there. With Beth, things had never been super complicated. She was sweet, and drama didn’t follow her like it did with his ex. He liked that.
“I do have one favor to ask,” he said.
“Okay?”
“Come grocery shopping with me?”
Beth glanced over at him. “You want me to go get groceries with you?”
Josh nodded. “My mom may be a wiz in the kitchen, but that is not a gene she passed on to me. The extent of my cooking is boiling water to make ramen.”
Beth chuckled as she pulled into the parking lot of Braxton Construction and idled there. “I guess I can help you out.” She smiled over at him.
He couldn’t help the grin that emerged as he felt for the door handle. “Great. Let me clock out, and I’ll grab my truck. Follow me to the Pick ‘n Save?”
Beth smiled back at him. “Sure.”
“Coming with me, buddy? Or staying with Ms. Beth?” Josh glanced back to his son.
“I wanna stay,” Jordan said.
Wow. Ever since the divorce, Jordan had stuck to him like glue. The fact that he wanted someone other than Josh surprised him. And made him feel a bit grateful. Maybe this meant Jordan was healing from the mess he’d been dragged through.
Heaven knew they both needed to do that.
Beth gave him a small smile and shrugged as she nodded toward the back. “I guess the squirt is staying with me.”
Josh chuckled as he pulled on the door handle and stepped out. “Guess so.” He leaned down before shutting the door. “I’ll be just a minute.”
Beth nodded, and he shut the door. A warm feeling spread through his body as he crossed the parking lot and pulled open the door to the building. Tiffany was sitting at the desk with the phone pressed to her ear. She was typing fervently on the keyboard and muttering a few, mm-hmms.
Josh waved to her, and she acknowledged him with a flick of her head before she returned to her computer screen. Once Josh clocked out, he muttered a goodbye and stepped out into the late-afternoon heat. He was actually excited to be taking a break and getting things settled.
And doing those things with Beth helped buoy him up. He climbed into his truck and started the engine. After backing out of his spot, he nodded toward Beth, who smiled. He pulled out onto the main road and started down toward the Pick ‘n Save.
Ten minutes later, he pulled into a parking spot. Just as he moved to jump from the cab of his truck, Beth pulled in next to him. He smiled as she climbed out of her car, followed by Jordan. They were talking about Spiderman, the superhero Jordan was obsessed with.
“That’s amazing,” Beth said, the smile on her lips drew Josh’s attention.
He’d never realized it until now, but Beth had the sexiest lips. They were plump and red, with a perfect little Cupid’s bow at the top. Suddenly, he realized that he was staring at Beth’s mouth, so he dropped his gaze down to Jordan, who had his hands positioned like Spiderman and was making web-slinging noises.
“You get that kid talking about Spiderman, and you might never be able to get him to stop,” Josh said as they walked through the sliding doors of the Pick ‘n Save. The cool inside air surrounded them as Josh grabbed a shopping cart.
Jordan was too busy slinging his imaginary web to notice that Mrs. Corry, the mayor’s wife, was trying to exit with her overflowing basket of groceries.
“Jordan,” he scolded.
Mrs. Corry raised her hand as she shook her head. She was the same age as Josh’s mom and had the same understanding look on her face. “Oh, please, I don’t mind. Seems like the boy has a lot of bad guys to catch.” She winked at Jordan and then pretended to release a few bits of web from her wrists as well.
Josh gave her a thankful smile as she passed by. But, instead of continuing to the parking lot, she paused, reaching out to grab Beth’s hand.
“How are things?” she asked with her brow furrowed.
Beth’s cheeks heated as she dropped Mrs. Corry’s hand and grabbed her own arm in a protective movement. For a split second, she flicked her gaze over to Josh before returning it to Mrs. Corry.
“Fine. Things are fine.” The laugh that escaped her lips sounded almost desperate.
Josh couldn’t help but study her. Why was she acting so strange?
Mrs. Corry seemed to pick up on Beth’s reaction. “Are you sure? Because I heard—”
“Yep, everything is fine. Thank you for asking. Now, you probably want to get that to your car before you ice cream melts.” Beth nodded to both of them before disappearing into the grocery store and heading over to Jordan by the quarter toy machines.
Josh turned his attention back to Mrs. Corry, who looked as confused as he felt. “What was that about?” he asked.
Mrs. Corry shook her head as she focused on the food in front of her. “Apparently a bit of gossip that wasn’t true.” She whispered in a way that made it sound like it was more for her than for Josh. He waited, to see if she was
finished. She paused before bringing her gaze up to him and smiling. “Well, I should get going. It’s good to have you back, Josh.”
Josh smiled, muttered, “It’s good to be back, too,” and pushed his cart into the grocery store and over to Beth and Jordan.
“Ready?” he asked.
Whatever had been bugging Beth had passed. When she turned, her cheerful smile had returned. “Yes.”
Josh felt more confused than ever, but didn’t feel as if it were his place to pry. Instead, he hoisted his son up over his shoulder and pushed the cart one-handed into the aisles.
Jordan squealed and shrieked, drawing the attention of most of the people around them. Josh just gave them a smile and a nod and decided to ignore the judging looks some were shooting their way.
“Daddy, put me down,” Jordan wailed.
Josh chuckled as he lowered Jordan to the ground. “It’s the only way to get him away from those machines without a meltdown,” he said to Beth, who looked amused. He couldn’t help the teasing tone to his voice or the desire to lean in closer to her.
She was mysterious and familiar at the same time. He liked that she was simple. A representation of a time in his life when things made sense. When he wasn’t confused by a cheating ex-wife or a stubborn five-year-old. It helped calm him, and, right now, he needed the calm she brought.
“You’re a good dad,” she said, turning to the shelves and picking up a jar of grape jelly. “Does Jordan like this?”
He shook his head and leaned forward to grab the strawberry jam. He tried to ignore how good it felt to brush her arm with his own. Or the little zaps of electricity that raced up his skin.
That was an unexpected but not unpleasant reaction to Beth. Especially when her eyes widened, and she took a small step back, turning to return the jelly.
“Strawberry jam. Got it. I’ll remember that for the future.”
Future. Wow. That word sounded good and scary at the same time. He liked the fact that Beth thought that way. That she thought she’d be around long enough to actually use that knowledge again.
“And we like crunchy peanut butter,” Josh said, nodding down the aisle.
Beth glanced in the direction he motioned and nodded. “Crunchy,” she said, pointing at the shelf where the crunchy peanut butter was.
“I can write it down if you want me to,” Josh said with a wink.
Beth shot him a look. “I think I can remember that.”
“I hope so.” The smile that emerged on his lips was one he couldn’t quite control. It had a flirty feel to it, even though he wasn’t sure how to do that anymore. Maybe he should lay off. He didn’t want to mess things up or creep her out.
But from the blush that showed up on her cheeks, maybe he wasn’t as bad as he thought.
Jordan came barreling up to them with a box of Swiss Rolls in his hands. Josh glanced over at him as he chucked the box into the cart. “I want these,” he said, his eyes wide and pleading.
Josh chuckled as two thoughts formed in his mind. He didn’t like giving in to his son’s every whim—it would make shopping with him unbearable—but he also knew that Jordan was going through some things too. If buying a box of Swiss Rolls made him happy, he’d do it.
“Sure, squirt,” he said, reaching out to tousle Jordan’s hair.
They made their way through the grocery store, grabbing food along the way. He kept the conversation light with Beth. He learned she had just come back a few weeks ago. That she was living with her mom and stepdad to help them out—she didn’t say with what—and that her siblings were all keeping their distance. Apparently, there had been some drifting apart in their family.
There were a few times when Beth’s voice sort of drifted off, like she was thinking about something, but not really saying what. Then, a few seconds later, she’d return to the present and glance over at Josh with a sheepish look and apologize.
Whatever was going on with her family, she was tight as a ship about it. As he leaned over the meat counter to pick out the pieces of steak for tonight’s dinner, Josh couldn’t help but wonder what was happening. Normally, he was a box of pasta kind of cook, but tonight felt special. Like the start of his new life without Cindy.
And he could do this. He had to do this. There was no way he was going to let his ex back into his life. She’d given up her parental rights. There was no judge anywhere that would force him to give her visitation.
He didn’t have to give in to her ridiculous request. Just because she was pregnant, she wanted her son back? No. He wasn’t going to do that to Jordan. It was his responsibility to protect his son, and that’s what he would do.
“Everything okay?” Beth’s soft voice broke through his thoughts.
Startled, Josh turned to see that she was inches away. Her eyes widened, and a worried look passed over her face. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to pry.”
Feeling guilty that Beth thought his frustration was about her, he shook his head and reached out to gently take her elbow. When her gaze dropped down to his hand, he wondered for a moment if he’d made a mistake, but then he decided it was probably best to just own it.
“It’s not you,” he said, giving her arm a soft squeeze and then dropping his hand. Out of instinct, he brushed his fingertips with his thumb as the memory of her skin against his own remained.
Beth cleared her throat. “Oh. Okay.” She glanced toward the glass case full of meat and then back over to him. “If you ever want to talk, you know, I’m here.”
Josh smiled and leaned toward Mr. Porter, who’d just stepped up to help them. After Josh told him the cuts of meat he wanted, Mr. Porter got started filling the order.
Now free, Josh turned to Beth. “I appreciate that. And when I’m ready to talk about it, I’ll let you know.”
Beth chewed her lip as she nodded. There was a look in her gaze that told him she understood. That she didn’t need to know. That secrets were okay. It was refreshing, especially after living in a small town with his ex where everyone wanted to know exactly what was happening in his life.
Mr. Porter handed over the meat wrapped in brown packaging. Josh took it and turned to Beth. “Let’s get the vegetables, and then I think we are ready to head home.”
After they paid, Josh wheeled the groceries out to his truck. After packing Jordan into the cab, he moved to the tailgate. After loading the bags inside, he slammed the tailgate shut and turned to see Beth studying her phone. Her expression had grown serious as she took in a deep breath and glanced over at him.
“I should go. I actually…” She took a deep breath. “Would it be terrible if I asked for a dinner raincheck? I have…something I need to do.”
Josh tried to hide the disappointment he felt from her sudden change in plans, but he couldn’t very well demand that she eat dinner with them. “Of course. Tomorrow?”
Beth gave him a small smile and then reached into the truck to tousle Jordan’s hair. “Sounds like a plan.”
When Beth stepped away from the cab, Jordan glanced up as if he suddenly realized that she wasn’t coming. “Where are you going?” he asked, a sad hint to his voice.
Beth’s face grew soft as she stepped back over to him. “I need to go home, buddy. But I promise, I’ll be over tomorrow.” She offered him a high-five which he was more than happy to return.
Once Jordan was settled back down, Josh shut Jordan’s door, effectively giving them some privacy.
“I think he’s smitten with you,” Josh said, nodding toward his son.
Beth’s cheeks flushed as she glanced over to Jordan’s window. “He’s a good kid.” Then her expression grew serious as she studied him. “You’ve done a good job. You should be proud.”
Josh peered over at her as her words washed over him. The feeling in his chest was hard to explain. It was like everything that he’d wanted to hear for so long was finally being said.
It was like Beth was telling him he could do this. And for some reason, with her confidence, he felt as
if he just might be able to.
Chapter Eight
Beth pulled into her driveway and let out a huge sigh as she shut off her engine. What was she doing? Why was she allowing herself to get involved with Josh? Did she think that her life had somehow worked out all the complications that had been created when Zander had walked out on her? That she was magically healed?
She squeezed the steering wheel as she leaned forward. No. If anything, Mom’s illness had only made things more complicated. She was an idiot to think that anything could happen between her and Josh.
Plus, with Tricia circling him like a hungry vulture, Beth was a fool to try to get in the way.
She took a deep breath as she stepped out of her car and slammed the door. Out of instinct, her gaze made its way over to the Braxton house—more specifically, over to where Josh had just gotten out of his truck as well. He was making his way to the tailgate. Then, as if he sensed her stare, he turned and waved in her direction.
Butterflies took flight in her stomach. She swallowed as she tucked her hair behind her ear and turned to make her way into her house. She was grateful for the break from Josh. It was easier not to think about him when he wasn’t around.
After slipping into her house, she shut the door quietly and glanced toward the living room, where she expected her mom to be sitting in the armchair. But it was empty.
Panic rose up in her chest as she scanned the room, hoping that her mom was okay.
“Mom?” she called out when she saw nothing.
No one responded.
“Mom?” she called out again, this time more desperate. She began opening doors and checking all the rooms.
Nothing. Empty.
Her body was hot from adrenaline. What if her mom had gotten hurt? What if she was passed out somewhere? Just as she went to open the bathroom door of the master bathroom, she heard a moan.
“Mom?” she asked as relief flooded her body so fast that she began to shake.
Her Boss: Braxton Brothers Series Book One Page 6