He felt her stiffen in his arms before she leaned forward to let the water out. He watched her carefully step out and fold a towel under her arms before passing one to him.
“What’s wrong?” He could tell he’d said something to upset her again, but he had no idea what that might have been. Stepping out of the tub, he reached for her arm when she tried to walk away. “You need to talk to me. Tell me what you’re thinkin’.”
“You have a son. With another woman, D.J.” She lowered her head. “I’m not even sure how I’m supposed to feel about that. We were just getting started, figuring things out, now your whole life is going to be different. You have to know nothing will be the same for you from here on out. You’re responsible for another person. He has to be your first priority now.”
He wanted to argue that she was his first priority, but he couldn’t. She was right. He had to think about building a relationship with his son now.
Chapter Sixteen
D.J. was surprised when he got a call from Dustin four days after their first meeting. He wanted to know if it would be okay if his mother brought him to Nashville. He’d had time to think and wanted to talk. Naturally, D.J. jumped at the opportunity to spend more time with his son, but he couldn’t curb the nervous tension as he waited for them on his front porch.
He’d asked Josie to join them for dinner. He wanted her to meet Carol and Dustin, so everyone would understand she was an important part of his life, but she’d declined, saying they needed time alone to talk. Eventually, he convinced her to join them for coffee and dessert, knowing it would be easier for him to get through the night with her there to lean on.
Carol’s dark-gray sedan pulled into the winding drive and D.J. took a deep breath, praying the voice he’d always relied on wouldn’t fail him now. He watched them get out of the car. Judging by Dustin’s body language, he was still guarded and wary, but at least he was there, willing to talk and listen, and D.J. knew that hadn’t been easy for him.
“I’m glad you’re here,” D.J. said, shaking Dustin’s hand as he tried to find his eyes beneath a lock of dark hair falling across his forehead. Dustin’s eyes fell to his sneakers instead. D.J. didn’t try to pull him into a half-hug or gush about how great their time together would be. He knew he had to take it slow, try to be his friend before he figured out how to be his parent.
“Hey, D.J.,” Carol said, giving him a quick hug. “It’s good to see you. Thanks for having us.”
“My pleasure.” D.J. turned his attention back to Dustin. “So how’d things go on your road trip?”
“We did okay.”
Layla bounded up the driveway, her thick coat blowing in the wind, and Dustin smiled like D.J. hadn’t seen him smile before. “You got a dog? Cool.”
“It’s not mine,” D.J. explained. “She belongs to my parents. They live just up the road.”
“That’s right,” Carol said, touching D.J.’s forearm. “I heard your parents and brother moved to Nashville shortly before we moved back to Macon. How do they like it here?”
“They like it,” D.J. said. “Though they’re not around all that much. They like to travel.”
“Good for them.”
They watched Dustin crouch to pet the old dog, laughing when Layla licked his face.
For a split-second D.J. got a glimpse of the boy Dustin used to be, the boy he would never know because those years were lost to them forever. He tried not to get mired down in resentment, but it wasn’t easy. A part of him felt cheated, but a bigger part of him wondered if Carol had done him a favor by doing the heavy lifting. Maybe she knew he wasn’t ready to handle it.
“So, why don’t we go in and wash up?” D.J. asked. “I’ve got some drinks and snacks inside and I’ll fire up the grill. I hope you guys don’t mind that I invited my girlfriend to join us for coffee and dessert a little later?” He smiled at Dustin. “She’s real anxious to meet you.”
D.J. could tell by the tense set of his son’s jaw he wasn’t thrilled with the prospect of sharing him, but to his credit, he just shrugged and said, “It’s your call.”
Carol gave D.J. a tight smile, rolling her eyes at their son’s retreating back as he made his way inside ahead of them. “I’m looking forward to meeting Josie, D.J. I’m glad you invited her.” She grabbed his arm before he could step inside the house. “How did she react when you told her about Dustin?”
“She, uh…” D.J. didn’t want to talk about Josie’s pregnancy. It wasn’t his place. “Is really supportive. I’m lucky to have her in my life.”
“I’m sure she feels lucky to have you too.” Carol smiled. “It’s nice to have someone to lean on, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, I’m just getting used to it though. I’ve never really let my guard down with anyone the way I have with Josie.”
“Then you think she could be our son’s step-mother someday?” she asked, her eyes twinkling with amusement. “Is that why you invited her here tonight, because you wanted them to meet?”
“I told you I’m not ready to get married,” he said, thinking about how many times it had crept into his mind since he found out about Dustin. Something about learning he had a son made him realize it may be time to lock down and make that long-term commitment to a woman. But how would Josie feel about the prospect of promising herself to another man forever?
“Why don’t I believe you?” Carol asked, crossing her arms as she studied him carefully.
“Okay, I’ll admit I’ve thought about marriage more since I’ve met Josie than I ever have before, but—”
“You question whether she’s ready?”
“Yeah, I mean, so what if I decide I am? She may not be.”
“You’re right, she may not be.” She ran a hand over his arm. “I know even if I met someone incredible, I would still be gun-shy. Divorce does that to you. But all you can do is be patient with her. Give her time to realize life with you would be a hell of a lot better than life without you.”
“You make it sound so easy,” he said, chuckling. “Trust me, you haven’t met my Josie. That girl’s got a mind of her own.”
“And you wouldn’t have it any other way.” She laughed, pushing him inside.
“Hell no!”
***
Josie was nervous about meeting Carol and Dustin, but she knew she couldn’t put it off indefinitely. Dustin was going to be an important part of his father’s life and if she wanted a relationship with D.J., she had to find a way to deal with it. Tonight would help her decide if she could.
She waited patiently at the door, knocking several times, before she heard the laughter coming from the back yard. It sounded like they were getting along well. She walked slowly around the cobblestone path circling the path, questioning whether she should turn tale and run back to her car. It felt like she was intruding on a private family moment.
Slowly her steps, she stopped just shy of rounding the corner onto the back patio.
“Oh my God, D.J.,” a woman’s voice said, breathless with laughter. “Do you remember that time—?”
“Hey, baby,” D.J. said, jumping up as soon as he spotted Josie. “I was startin’ to wonder whether you were gonna bail on me tonight.”
“Sorry I’m late,” she said, clutching the fruit platter she’d brought for dessert. “I had to close the gym tonight. One of the girls went home sick.”
“No problem,” he said, reaching for the platter as he kissed her cheek. “I’m just glad you’re here.”
She had to admit, he did look pleased to see her. She was worried that if the evening went smoothly, he would regret his decision to invite her. The last thing she wanted was to cause tension between D.J. and his son.
Before she could dwell on her dilemma, she heard Dustin mutter to his mother, “Shit, you didn’t tell me his girlfriend looked like a supermodel. I would’ve dressed better.”
“Sssh,” Carol said, slapping her son’s arm as she stood and smiled at Josie.
“Jos,” D.J. said, slipping
his arm around her waist. “I’d like you to meet Carol.”
“It’s so nice to meet you,” Carol said, taking Josie’s hand in both of hers.
If Josie had to choose one word to describe D.J.’s ex, it would be warm. Her smile was bright and seemed genuine, the faint lines travelling out from her eyes, attesting to the fact she smiled often. She radiated positive energy, which a welcome surprise since she feared Carol may have ideas about getting Josie out of the way so she could reconcile with the father of her son.
“It’s nice to meet you too, Carol.” Josie smiled at D.J.’s son as he stood. Wow. He was tall, already towering over her and just an inch or two shorter than his father. “You must be Dustin,” she said, accepting his outstretched hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“Yeah, you too,” he mumbled, his cheeks flaming as his eyes found and left Josie’s.
He was so cute, and she realized even more nervous about meeting her than she’d been about meeting him. “I hear you play football,” she said, trying to put him at ease. “I have to admit, I don’t know a lot about it, but I’m sure I’ll have to learn since D.J. has already blown me off to watch a football game more than once.”
Dustin chuckled at that. “My girlfriend doesn’t get it either.”
“You have a girlfriend?” Josie asked, grinning. Judging by the look on D.J’s face, this was the first he was hearing about it. “Do you have a picture of her?”
“Sure,” he said, taking his iPhone out of his pocket. He flashed Josie the screen, revealing an adorable blonde with bright green eyes and dimples sitting in the bed of a pickup truck. “She’s really pretty, Dustin. What’s her name?”
“Jana.”
“I hope I get to meet her sometime,” Josie said, walking around the table to take a seat next to D.J’s vacant chair.
“Actually, I was kinda hopin’ you could hook us up with concert tickets,” Dustin said, looking at D.J. hopefully. “Turns out she’s a big fan of yours. A lot of my friends are.”
“Not a problem,” D.J. said, sitting down next to Josie and reaching for her hand. “I’ll be in Georgia during the first leg of my tour. You and your friends are all welcome to come as my guests.”
“That’d be really cool. Thanks,” Dustin said, grinning at D.J.
Josie had a feeling Dustin’s decision to reach out to D.J. may have had something to do with the way his girlfriend and friends reacted to the news that D.J. was his dad. No matter the reason, she could tell D.J. was thrilled to have the opportunity to get to know his son better and she was happy for him.
It was difficult to look at Dustin without wondering whether her own son would have been as tall. Would his shoulders have been as broad? Would he have been shy too? She shook her head, when she realized she was staring at Dustin a little too intently. “So, Dustin, do you like country music?”
“Na, I’m more into rap, but some of my buddies think country’s cool.”
“Rap,” Carol said, shuddering. “I keep hoping that’s just a phase.”
Josie laughed as D.J. set an empty glass in front of her and poured a glass of her favorite merlot. “I have to admit, I like rap music too.”
D.J. frowned at that. “You didn’t tell me that. That may be grounds for divorce.”
She smirked. “Except we’re not married.”
“What if I’m hopin’ to change that real soon?”
Josie’s heart skipped a beat. He did not just say that in front of his son. She couldn’t look at D.J. or anyone else as she picked up a fork and popped a strawberry in her mouth. If her mouth was full no one would expect her to respond, right?
Carol cleared her throat delicately before she said, “Um, Josie, D.J. tells me you own a gym. That sounds like fun.”
Josie was so grateful Carol picked up on her silent plea for a change in conversation she could have kissed her. “It is fun,” she said, reaching for her wine. “I love what I do.”
“Hey, Dustin,” D.J. said. “I have to run inside and put the coffee on. You wanna come with me? We can shoot some pool while we’re waiting for it to brew.”
“Cool,” Dustin said, practically leaping out of his seat.
Apparently Josie wasn’t the only one who felt the awkward tension descend as soon as D.J. mentioned the M word.
Carol waited for the boys to leave before she said, “Men. They’re so clueless sometimes, aren’t they?”
“God,” Josie said, covering her eyes with one hand. “Could I have handled that any worse? He just caught me off guard. I didn’t know what to say.”
“The D.J. I used to know was pretty impulsive. He used to blurt out whatever was on his mind without thinking things through first. I guess some things never change. He still doesn’t have a filter.” She patted Josie’s hand sympathetically. “Don’t worry, I’m sure he’s not upset.”
“I wouldn’t bet on that,” Josie groaned. The last thing she wanted was to argue with him on a night she knew was so important. “I think D.J.’s an amazing guy, but I wouldn’t even agree to marry George Clooney and I’ve had a crush on him for years!”
Carol laughed. “Wow, you really are anti-marriage, aren’t you?”
“It’s not that I’m anti-marriage,” Josie said, trying to process her feelings. “It’s just that D.J. stormed in to my life like a tornado and I went from telling him I didn’t do second dates to admitting I loved him in the blink of an eye.” She shook her head ruefully. “I don’t even know how it happened. I just woke up one day and realized I was falling for him and it was too late to back out even if I wanted to. He had me. I was his.”
Carol nodded as she reached her water glass, a small smile playing on her lips. “I remember what it was like to try and resist D.J. In a word, impossible.”
“There’s just something about him,” Josie said, surprised at how easy it was to open up to D.J.’s ex-girlfriend about him. But it was nice to talk to someone who understood where she was coming from.
“There is,” Carol agreed. “There’s no question about it. He’s sexy and charismatic, but he doesn’t take himself too seriously. Plus, he loves to laugh. I don’t think I’ve ever laughed as much in my life as I did during my time with D.J.”
“You’re right,” Josie said, thinking about all the times she was doubled over, listening to him tell some funny story about one of escapades or something that happened to one of his friends. “That’s a rare quality.”
“The rarest,” Carol said, looking her in the eye. “I’ve been back in the dating game for a while now and I can honestly tell you, most men go through life like they have a stick up their ass.”
Josie erupted in laughter at the picture Carol painted. She was right. Josie knew because guys like that were the reason she’d adopted the second date rule in the first place. “You said it.”
“What’re you afraid of, Josie?” Carol asked, the amusement fading as her dark eyes took on a somber cast. “I know that’s a personal question since we barely know each other, but I get the feeling we have a lot in common. I think, as divorced women, we probably share a lot of the same fears.”
Josie wasn’t one to open up to strangers, but Carol made it easy. “I’m afraid of making another mistake. I thought my ex-husband was a good guy and it turns out I was wrong. I don’t want to make the same mistake again.”
Carol pushed back from the table, reaching for her purse. “I’m going to go in and get my son. We have to be on our way. But I just want to leave you with one thought. D.J. is inside right now doing everything he can to please a kid he didn’t even know a few days ago. Because that’s the kind of man he is. He’s someone you can count on. If his reaction to the news that he’s a father isn’t evidence of that, I don’t know what is.”
Josie watched Carol walk back into the house as the truth settled over her. Carol was right. D.J. was the kind of man she could count on. Unlike Bryan, D.J. would always be there for her.
***
D.J. watched Josie hug his ex-girl
friend and son as though she’d known them forever, yet every time she glanced at him she had a wariness in her eyes. He knew he’d been a fool to drop the M-bomb, but he couldn’t help himself. After his talk with Carol, he couldn’t get it out of his head and he wanted Josie to know how he felt.
If she didn’t see a future with him, he needed to know. Now.
“Dustin is great, D.J.,” she said, watching their taillights disappear. “I think you guys are gonna be just fine.”
“I think so too,” he said, hesitantly. “I’m more worried about us.”
Her eyes flashed to his, panic laced with uncertainty. “What do you mean?”
“I love you.” Three little words he hoped conveyed the fact she meant everything to him.
“I love you too,” she said, reaching for his hands. “Thank you for including me tonight. It meant a lot.”
“Why wouldn’t I include you? You’re an important part of my life.” He sighed when her eyes drifted to his chest. “Why don’t we just get it out there? Do you see a future with me?”
She looked tortured before dropping her head against his chest. “I do.”
He knew he should feel like celebrating those words, but something told him it would be pre-mature. “But?”
“I want to take things slow.”
“How slow?”
She finally looked up at him, her eyes searching his. “I don’t know. Maybe a few years.”
“A few years?” He closed his eyes. He knew that wasn’t unreasonable. Most people dated for years before they got engaged and some were engaged for years before they got married, but the thought of waiting that long to start a life with Josie didn’t sit well with him.
She wrapped her arms around his waist and laid her head on his chest. “Maybe a few months.”
His frown turned into a smile. “Better. Much better.”
“Like I said, I just don’t know. I’d like to figure things out as we go. Let’s spend as much time as we can together before you go out on tour—”
“Don’t mention that,” he said, feeling a sense of bitterness he’d never felt with respect to his career. “After being away from you for ten days, I don’t even wanna think about what it’ll be like to be away from you for weeks or months.”
Jaded (Music City Moguls Book 5) Page 19