Josie Day Is Coming Home

by Lisa Plumley

  Maybe he’d bring a blanket. They could lie down together beneath the pine trees. He could kiss her beneath the open sky, and before they knew it they’d be—

  Knock. Knock. Pound.

  Jesus. Whoever was down there was damned persistent. Frowning, Luke edged across the mattress, trying not to wake Josie. The hearty door-knocker downstairs was probably a real estate agent, a door-to-door salesperson, a pain-in-the-ass neighbor. Obviously, he was going to have to get rid of them.

  He couldn’t remember where he’d left his jeans last night. Probably outside the west wing shower, along with some of his stamina and many of his misperceptions about how demure women were when it came to sex. Luke grabbed a blanket from the chest at the end of Josie’s bed and wrapped it around his middle. There. That would have to be good enough for telling whoever kept knocking at his freaking door to go away.

  He trundled downstairs, running a hand through his bed head hair. He squinted against the sunlight streaming in through the mullioned windows and felt his whiskery jawline. Whoever was at the door was going to get an eyeful, but Luke didn’t care. He just wanted to make sure Josie didn’t wake up before she was properly rested for that streamside picnic he had in mind.

  “Yoo-hoo!” came a familiar voice from the front porch. “Josie, my dear! Do let us in. Ambrose is having a panic attack at the thought of being bitten by a mosquito.”

  “Mosquitoes carry malaria,” came an also-familiar, but more evenhanded, voice. “Not to mention the West Nile virus. If you’d given me time to apply some insect repellent before we left our hotel—”

  Oh, Christ. Filled with foreboding, Luke yanked open the door. His aunt Tallulah—and her attorney, the absentee Ambrose—stood cooling their heels on Blue Moon’s threshold.

  “Luke!” his aunt cried in surprise.

  Ambrose tilted his head at an inquisitive angle. “Luke.”

  Luke, despite being well-identified by that point, unleashed a word far less mentionable.

  “Watch your language,” Tallulah snapped. “And get out of the way. We’ve been waiting here for ages.”

  “Fourteen minutes,” Ambrose clarified.

  His aunt stepped into the foyer. No, Luke amended, she glided into the foyer, like the Queen Mary coming to port. She kept her head at a regal angle. Her barrel-shaped body seemed to move without the benefit of bendable joints. He hadn’t seen her in person for months, but her gray hair, steely expression, and indomitable spirit seemed unchanged.

  Ambrose followed her, peering with interest at the mansion. His suit looked immaculate, his posture West Point worthy, his gaze, when he looked at Tallulah standing just in front of him…holy shit. His gaze looked soft and warm with affection.

  With love.

  Luke blinked. He had to be hallucinating. Nobody looked at Tallulah that way. The old battle-ax—much as he loved her himself—didn’t exactly inspire sappy poetry and dedicated admirers. Ernest Carlyle had been just her speed, tough and no-nonsense and powerful. But Ambrose?

  Ambrose was obviously an old softie at heart. Amazingly, his aunt didn’t seem to mind that a bit. Luke was still gawking when she turned in search of her attorney and…no way…put her hand in his. Voluntarily. Even tenderly.

  “What are you doing here?” he demanded.

  “That’s a fine way to treat your favorite aunt. I might ask you the same thing.”

  Luke waited, arms crossed.

  “I’m surprising you, apparently.” Tallulah’s gaze dropped to the blanket around his waist. Her lips pursed in evident disapproval. “You look like a squatter.”

  Leave it to her to go on the offensive immediately.

  “I look like somebody just woke me up. If you don’t like it, don’t knock on people’s doors at—”

  “Ten-thirty-two,” Ambrose specified. “Long past time for civilized people to be awake.”

  “I’m not civilized.”

  His aunt and her attorney both seemed to agree. After another censorious sweep of Luke’s impromptu blanket cover-up, Tallulah raised her curious face to Ambrose’s.

  “Do we have the wrong estate? I thought this was the one I gave to that showgirl. You know, Josie Day.”

  “You did. You gave her Blue Moon. This is Blue Moon.”

  Tallulah looked bewildered. “If that’s so, then what’s Luke doing here? Especially naked?”

  “I’m not naked. I’m wearing a blanket. You woke me up.” Releasing an exasperated sigh, Luke clenched his blanket tighter to his waist. Clearly this was going to take longer than he’d expected. “I’ll go change.”

  But even as he spoke, his aunt’s expression changed. She spotted something over Luke’s shoulder, and a broad smile spread over her face.

  “There you are, Red!” she called. “Come on down here!”

  Red. It had to be Josie. Josie, who still didn’t know the truth about Luke’s ownership of Blue Moon. And Tallulah and Ambrose, who definitely did. Once they started talking…hell. Why hadn’t he seen this coming?

  Gripped with dread, Luke turned.

  Josie stood at the top of the stairs, her face pale and confused beneath a tumble of vivid hair. She’d shrugged into her shortie robe. Her legs looked long and lithe beneath it. But her expression… Her expression filled him with a sense of apprehension so strong it rooted him to the spot.

  Slowly, she started down the stairs.

  “I didn’t want to wake you,” he called, gesturing lamely at his aunt and Ambrose. “I heard somebody at the door, so I—”

  “Save it.” Tilting her chin, Josie reached the bottom of the stairs. She didn’t come any closer, and she didn’t look any happier. She directed her gaze at Tallulah. “Are you here to take back Blue Moon? I know I don’t have the deed yet, but it’s supposed to be on its way. We had an agreement. A contract.” She angled her head in a brusque greeting. “Ambrose.”

  He smiled gently. “A pleasure to see you again, Miss Day.”

  Josie only stood there, looking from Ambrose to Tallulah. The defensiveness in her stance confused Luke—until he remembered she still thought she owned Blue Moon. Clearly, she felt threatened by Tallulah’s arrival and wanted to protect her rights to the place. This was a side of her Luke hadn’t seen before. A side of her he respected.

  He stepped toward her. “Josie, before this goes any further, I have to tell you—”

  “No, I can’t take the place away from you,” Tallulah boomed, interrupting him. She hurried to Josie’s spot beside the banister, looking—if Luke hadn’t known better—almost embarrassed. “That’s not why I’m here. Not exactly.”

  Ambrose cleared his throat meaningfully.

  “Hold your horses. I’m getting there.” Tallulah cast an over-the-shoulder glance at her attorney. Then she leaned toward Josie in a girl-to-girl fashion. “Ever since we got married, he thinks he can boss me around. Humph. Does he have a few surprises in store.”

  “Married?” For an instant, Josie’s face cleared. “Wow! That’s wonderful! Congratulations.”

  “We did it at the Extravaganza‘s on-board wedding chapel. Nice place. What a night!” Tallulah confided. “All those champagne toasts. I’ve never had so much fun! I wore my pearls. Ambrose likes them. He says—”

  “Married?” Luke blurted.

  “Yes, married,” Tallulah said. “Happily married.”

  “Your aunt is a wonderful woman,” Ambrose added stiffly.

  “I thought I detected a spark between you two.” Josie wagged her finger, smiling at them both. Probably she thought her claim on Blue Moon was secure. “I have to say, I’ve never seen you look better. You’re absolutely glowing.”

  Tallulah preened. “Well, it never would’ve happened if not for that cruise. Ambrose positively swept me off my feet.”

  “I had to,” Ambrose said, sparing her a fond glance. “That cruise was my golden opportunity. My last chance to declare myself. If I hadn’t gotten my Tallulah alone on that ship, away from her usual duties and distractions, I
simply don’t believe we would be here together today.”

  He squeezed Tallulah’s hand. Tallulah giggled. Was that a blush on his aunt’s cheeks? Luke wondered. Surreal. Still, if this was the news they’d come to share, he’d have a chance to tell Josie the truth about Blue Moon himself. The way he should have last night, when he’d first tried to.

  “I have been a little grouchy lately,” Tallulah agreed.

  “You had good reason. But that doesn’t matter a whit. No longer, my love.”

  They leaned together and kissed. Luke couldn’t believe his eyes.

  “Get your paws off my aunt!”

  An eye roll. “He’s my husband now.”

  “I don’t care. You two are giving me the heebie-jeebies.”

  “Yes. Well.” Ambrose cleared his throat again. “‘Heebie-jeebies’ aside, Luke is correct. My courtship rituals are not quite appropriate conversational fodder, especially given the circumstances. We should get back to the business at hand.”

  Not the least bit chastened, Tallulah went on. “What he means is, I should quit blathering and get on with what we came here to tell you,” she said to Josie. “See, the truth is, Red, I can’t take Blue Moon away from you. Because it was never mine to give.”

  Luke caught Josie’s puzzled glance. No, no, no….not like this.

  She crossed her arms. “Never yours? What do you mean?”

  “I know it sounds confusing,” Tallulah said, reluctance dampening her voice. “For what it’s worth, I didn’t know about any of this until yesterday when Ambrose finally came clean about what he’d done.”

  Her attorney looked chagrined. “What Tallulah means to say, Miss Day, is that she made a mistake in giving you Blue Moon. It simply wasn’t available for dispersal. The property already had—has—an owner.”

  “Although what he’s doing squatting here,” Tallulah said, shooting Luke a puzzled glance, “and not living the high life at one of his other estates, I can’t imagine. It’s not as though my nephew is lacking in resources.”

  That wasn’t strictly true, Luke knew. But apparently his aunt was the only family member who hadn’t yet heard of his feud with his father—and his subsequent cut-off from the family fortune.

  “Your…nephew?” Josie repeated.

  “Of course.” Tallulah frowned at Luke. “You two look pretty cozy. He must have told you. Luke. Luke owns Blue Moon, along with several other—”

  “Not anymore,” he said through gritted teeth.

  “—estates, an oceanfront condo, a place on the upper east side in New York, several motorcycles and cars—including a perfectly ostentatious Ferrari—a yacht…”

  Josie’s mouth dropped open. Tallulah rambled on, reciting all the things Luke had so recently lost. He couldn’t listen. None of those things mattered as much to him as what stood at risk right now.

  Josie.

  “You mean he never told you?” Tallulah asked.

  Looking numb, Josie shook her head. Her wintery gaze fell on Luke, leaving him cold inside.

  “He never told me,” she whispered.

  “You’re the exception, then,” Tallulah said blithely. “You see, I really haven’t been myself lately. I keep forgetting this place is a Donovan family holding, not a Carlyle property. The last two times I gave somebody Blue Moon by accident, Luke couldn’t clear either of them out of here fast enough.”

  Josie arched her brow. She swallowed hard. “There’ve been others?”

  “Only two, as I said.” Tallulah waved a bejeweled hand. “My psychic advisor—she has her own hotline now. And a former concierge who helped find my poor shih tzu, Crackers. He’s running a lodge in Aspen. They’re both very happy. Happier than they would have been here, probably.”

  “Probably.” Eyes narrowed, Josie nodded. Her voice sounded preternaturally calm. “Blue Moon is a Donovan family holding, you said? So Luke’s not the only one who has all that stuff? The condos, the yacht, the Ferrari?”

  “Heck, no.” Tallulah chuckled. “We’re all filthy rich.” She shrugged. “We come by it naturally. Ever since Angus Donovan opened his lumber mill and founded this town, there’s been one entrepreneur after another in the family.”

  “Hmmm.” Josie nodded slowly, seeming to let that sink in. “Did all the Donovans specialize in lying, like Luke? Or is that his own particular area of expertise?”

  “Err…” Tallulah looked at Ambrose.

  Luke had to do something. Hurriedly, he stepped toward Josie, reaching for her.

  “I tried to tell you. I tried to straighten things out. The other night. Last night,” he said urgently. “And before that, too. Hell, I must’ve contacted Ambrose a dozen times, but I couldn’t reach him.”

  “Why?” Josie asked, her eyes wide. “Did you want to have me thrown out of this place, too?”

  “At first, yes.” Anguished, Luke thrust his hand through his hair. He couldn’t lie to her anymore. Not after this. “But then everything changed—”

  “Then you realized you could dupe me into staying,” she interrupted, her voice wavering. “You must have really gotten a laugh out of me, huh? You and TJ. Pretending to be regular guys, with the Top Ramen and the beer and the ‘handyman’ jobs. I’m dying to know—is TJ a secret gazillionaire, too?”

  “Josie—”

  “You’re right. It doesn’t really matter.” She waved off his next touch, talking much too quickly. “What matters is, I’m officially trespassing.” She shivered, pulling her robe closer around her. “I guess I’d better get my stuff and clear out before the founding family of Donovan’s Corner has me booted out.”

  “No, Red!” Tallulah protested. “We’d never do that.”

  But Josie only turned away, glancing upstairs as though gauging the long trek ahead of her. She drew in a breath.

  This couldn’t be happening. Luke reached for her.

  “Wait. Let me explain.”

  “I’ve heard plenty.” Ignoring him, Josie extended her hand stiffly to Tallulah. “I know you meant well. Thank you. This place will always have special memories for me.” At that, her composure faltered. She managed to suck in another breath and continue. “I’m grateful for that. Just visiting here was more than a trailer-park refugee like me could ever have hoped for. Honestly.”

  She shook Ambrose’s hand next. “You’re a kind man. I know this wasn’t really your fault, so please don’t worry about it. I hope you and Tallulah will be very happy together.”

  Ambrose nodded, clasping her hand warmly. He murmured an apology. Softly, Tallulah did the same. Luke only stared.

  Josie was leaving.

  This really couldn’t be happening. Not like this.

  Helpless and pissed and confused, Luke stood by with one fist clenched and the other holding up his stupid blanket. He felt Josie slipping away with every moment that passed, and he didn’t have the damnedest idea how to stop it. She was turning into someone he didn’t know, someone polite and distant and cool.

  He shook his head, denying it all.

  “She’s not really leaving,” he told his aunt and Ambrose, desperate to make that understood. His voice cracked, forcing him to clear his throat. “She’s just mad right now. She knows she doesn’t have to—”

  “Good-bye, Luke.”

  The next thing he knew, he was staring at Josie’s outstretched hand. The hand that had touched him so sweetly last night. The hand that had helped him repair the last piece of his legacy, the hand that had held his own during awkward mambos and romantic moments. The hand that had cradled his face as he’d heard her say “I love you” for the first time.

  “Good-bye,” she repeated.

  Defiantly, Luke tightened his jaw. He wouldn’t allow this to be over between them. He wouldn’t accept it.

  “Shake her hand,” Tallulah commanded. “Don’t be an ass.”

  “This is a rather awkward situation,” Ambrose added, sympathy in his voice. “It really wouldn’t be chivalrous to prolong things, Luke.”

&nbs
p; Screw that. He’d prolong things as much as he wanted, if it meant keeping Josie near. If it meant making things right between them again.

  “No,” he told her roughly. “I won’t let you go.”

  “Well, now there’s where you’re mistaken.” Josie swallowed hard, her eyelashes fluttering. She clenched her robe tighter, pulling at the silky fabric. “Because you don’t get to decide. This might have all been some kind of game to you, Luke. But it wasn’t to me. It never was to me.”

  “It wasn’t to me, either.” He kept his hand at his side. “I never wanted this to happen.”

  “Well.” A ghost of a smile. “I don’t doubt that. This isn’t half as much fun as fooling me, is it?”

  She withdrew her hand. Gave him a long, silent look.

  “I don’t have much to pack,” she said. “I’ll have my stuff out in half an hour.”

  Her chin wobbled. Yanking it higher, Josie hurried upstairs. A few moments later, her bedroom door closed behind her with a muted click. Luke stood frozen to the spot, wondering what the hell to do now.

  Tallulah marched over. She whacked him on the shoulder.

  “What did you do to that girl?” she demanded. “She looked heartbroken.”

  “Yes, Luke.” Ambrose delivered a similarly steely glare. “Explain yourself. I’d say your aunt deserves elucidation.”

  “I want you both to leave,” Luke said woodenly.

  They peered at him. Both seemed taken aback.

  “Now,” he clarified.

  They hesitated, glancing at each other and then at him.

  “You understand why I couldn’t answer your e-mails about this matter, don’t you?” Ambrose asked. “If Tallulah had realized this business with Miss Day and Blue Moon was problematic, she would have wanted to come home. She would have booked a stateside flight from Curacao or St. Martin. I would have missed my opportunity to show her how I feel about—”

  “Now!” Luke roared.