“I don't buy that shit,” she said with a serious look.
“I don't know what to tell you,” he said.
Julie let out a low growl.
“Did you really just growl at me?” he asked.
“I've known you for a long time, John. Lately, I have gotten to know you better. The look on your face when she walked up wasn't the I'm a nice cop that helped someone out look. There is more to the story, and I'm going to figure it out.”
“I feel sorry for your kids,” he whispered.
“What?” she snapped. “Why?”
“You and your husband are going to drive them crazy. Neither one of you can leave things alone. You both have to dig and dig until you figure every little thing out.”
John's phone buzzed. He looked at it and laughed.
Ethan: Do you regret your choice of letting her go shopping with you yet, brother?
“Speak of the devil,” John said.
“What?” she asked.
“Your man just text me,” he said.
“What did he say?” she asked.
“It said that his amazing wife was going to quit asking questions,” John said.
“Shut up,” she scolded.
John looked back at his phone.
John: Yes, I do. The woman can shop.
Julie sat quiet as she finished her lunch. The two of them continued the brutal shopping trip. When they finally left the mall, John thought his feet were going to fall off. He was happy that she went, but he wouldn't tell her that. She really had picked out awesome stuff for his trip. John pulled the car into Ethan and Julie's driveway. She went to open her door but stopped and turned to him.
“Wait a minute,” she said.
John's head fell back against his seat.
“What?” he snapped. “You're driving me crazy.”
“There's something up with that accident,” she said. “It happened, and all of a sudden you're going off on some trip. You don't want any of us to go with you. You've never just picked up and gone before. You have never gone alone either. Are you hooking up with the woman from the accident? Is she going with you?”
John let out a loud laugh that came from deep in his belly. He shook his head and pointed to her door.
“Out,” he said. “You couldn't be more wrong, detective. Good thing you're a doctor. Now get out of my car.”
“You could just tell me the truth,” she said. “It would save so much time.”
“Out,” he said again.
“You know I love you,” she said, as she pushed the door open and got out of the car.
Julie leaned down and smiled a huge smile before closing the door.
Chapter 10
John spent the weekend relaxing and packing for his trip. He ended up with two suitcases after Julie was finished shopping. There was no way he was leaving any of it behind. John caught himself laughing as he thought about how much she enjoyed shopping. He worked to hard with her that day to let any of it stay home. Even his backpack to carry onto the plane was ready. He couldn't wait to get away from home to think.
Each time Sandy entered his mind, he pushed the thoughts away. He was so furious at her. There was no way he wanted to run into her again. If he did, he could only imagine the things that would come out of his mouth. He spent all those years thinking about her and what they could have had together. What did she do? Moved on two minutes after he was gone. How could he have been so stupid, he wondered? It crushed him when she told him they needed to go their separate ways.
John shook his head and decided to go for one more round in the gym. He knew he was going to eat and drink whatever he wanted on vacation. It would be two weeks before he would be in the gym again. He was already wearing sweats. When he walked into his gym, he turned on some music, pulled his shirt over his head, and went straight to work. He worked out for almost two hours. It was the one place in his house he was able to clear his mind. Most of the time, anyway. He turned everything off and grabbed his shirt from a bench. As he walked through the living room, he wiped the sweat dripping from his face with his shirt. Water, he thought. I need some water. He rounded the bend to his kitchen and jumped.
“What the hell,” he yelled.
Ethan was standing next to a counter with a bag. He was taking what was in the bags out and putting them on the counter. Ethan turned around at his words and burst into laughter.
“You okay, bro?” Ethan asked between laughs. “Did I scare the big, bad police officer?”
He always thought shit like that was funny. They were supposed to be made of stone and ready for anything in his eyes.
“I'm in my own home, Ethan. This is the one place I can relax and not be on guard. What did you expect? Was I supposed to know you were standing in my kitchen? As far as I knew, I lived by myself.”
“If you checked your phone every now and then, you would have known. I sent you 3 messages letting you know I was coming over with dinner. I won't get to see your ugly mug for two whole weeks.”
“You've gone two weeks without seeing me more times than I can count. Spill it,” John replied.
John cracked open a beer for each of them and grabbed plates from the cabinet. Ethan didn't say a word as they both filled their plates. They walked past the table and into the living room. John could probably count on one hand how many times he ate at his table. It was there more for show. When he was alone or one of the guys came over, they usually watched a game while they ate. Ethan grabbed the remote and flipped through the channels. John cleared his throat and Ethan looked over.
“What?” Ethan asked. “I'm a guest.”
“Guests are invited. I don't recall inviting you over,” John answered.
“You need to get that stick out of your ass while you're in Florida. Maybe you just need to get laid,” Ethan said.
“That's the plan.”
“I was thinking about something. When you come back, you should go out with us. We could do something fun,” Ethan said.
“Out with who? You and Julie,” John said.
“One of her friends was going to go as well,” Ethan said, as he continued to flip through the channels.
“Do not set me up with women little brother,” John said. “If I want a love life, I'll find my own.”
“No, not like that,” Ethan defended. “We were just going to all hang out.”
“Sure we were,” John said. “Shut up and eat.”
They sat quietly, as they ate and watched the game Ethan had turned on. John stood up to take their plates to the kitchen when they were done. He came back with two cold waters and handed one to his brother. Ethan looked up at him and shook his head.
“Is your driver taking you home, or did you drive your lazy ass here yourself?” John asked.
“I know,” Ethan answered, as he grabbed the water. “You don't have to look out for me bro. I would never jeopardize my life. I've got Julie waiting at home for me. The days of acting stupid are in the past.”
“I know,” John answered, as he fell back into his chair.
“So, how was shopping?” Ethan asked with a snicker.
“Why didn't you tell me Julie was one of those women?” he asked. “I always took her for the go in, get what you need, and get out kind of woman. I couldn't have been more wrong. I thought she was going to kill me. I don't think that I've tried on that many clothes in my life.”
Ethan laughed so hard water came out of his nose. John threw him the box of tissues that was on the coffee table.
“She loves shopping. I don't know what it is. Becky and Lisa are just as bad. When they go shopping, they are gone the whole day. How was lunch?”
John looked at Ethan and rolled his eyes.
“You two are made for each other. Julie is just as bad as you at trying to figure everything out. I'm going to Florida alone. I'm not meeting up with anyone or taking anyone with me,” John said.
“What the fuck are you talking about?” Ethan asked. “She said lunch was r
eally good.”
“She didn't say anything about the waitress or the accident?” John asked.
“Nope,” Ethan answered. “What about it?”
“The waitress was the daughter of the woman from that accident last weekend. I thought maybe she mentioned it to you.”
“No, she didn't say anything. She went on and on about how much fun she had shopping for you. That was it,” Ethan said.
John sat back as they finished watching the game. Julie wasn't so bad. She really hadn't run and told Ethan her theory on who he was going on vacation with. He really was happy that his brother and her finally admitted their feelings for each other. Instead of picking on each other every chance they got, they were building a new life together and helping each other.
“You know we both love you, right?” Ethan said out of nowhere. “I mean, I know we both mess with you. We do the same thing to each other. You know we care about you. You're our family. I would do anything for you. I owe you my life.”
“Don't get all deep and sappy. You don't owe me anything.”
“Do you know where I would be without you? The best memories I have are of you. I have a few from before he left but not very many. I'm being serious. You saved my life.”
John didn't say anything in return. It wasn't easy for him. Ethan wasn't one to put his feelings out there. John wasn't used to it. The past week had been hard on him. He had a lot of conflicting emotions between thinking about leaving Sandy to take care of Ethan and finding out that Sandy hadn't given him a second thought. Everything he thought all those years was bullshit. He thought she had missed him and wondered if she ever regretted her decision. Now that he knew she hadn't, he was having a hard time. He had hoped that she would realize she loved him and go back to him, but she never did. He never heard from her again. Sure, he wanted her to be happy but thought it would have taken a little time before she jumped to someone else. They were each other's firsts for so many things. He was in shock with the events of the past week.
“What time are you picking me up in the morning for the airport? You can just have your driver take me if you want,” John said.
“I'll pick you up at six. I can drive you myself. We are all going out when you get home. I want Julie to have a huge night of fun before we go back to court. I want her to relax and know how much we all love her. You have to go. Remember, you're her new favorite brother.”
“Did you see Gavin that day? He was hilarious talking about how there was no way I was taking his spot,” John said.
John was happy to get the subject off of his vacation, the shopping trip, or Ethan's feelings.
“He feels horrible for not being there or knowing that she ever needed him. I think he's still having a hard time with the fact that I'm with her. He was there for my past. I know he knows I will protect her with every part of me. I also think he worries about my past behavior. I know it's going to take time for him to see how much she means to me. I'm a changed man. When I thought I was going to lose her, that was it for me,” Ethan said.
John stood up and Ethan followed.
“We better get sleep tonight if were getting up that early so you can get me to the airport,” John said.
“Or you could just park your car there,” Ethan returned.
“For two weeks. I don't think so. That money could go to something more important. You know I won't do anything his ass would do.”
“Isn't it funny?” Ethan asked. “We both do everything we possibly can to avoid being like him, but we both grew up with two totally different lives.”
John laughed when he thought about it. He nodded, and turned to walk Ethan to the door.
“Thanks for dinner, little brother,” John said. “It was nice to be able to spend time with you.”
Ethan leaned in and hugged him.
“See you at the crack of dawn,” he said. “Next time, take a later flight.”
They both laughed as Ethan walked to his car. John was looking forward to the amazing Florida sun.
When he woke up the next morning, he regretted his early flight decision. He couldn't imagine what his brother was going to look like. Quickly, he showered, got dressed, and grabbed his bags. Julie had agreed to go by and check on his house while he was gone. John made sure his house was locked up before waiting on his porch for his brother.
Ethan pulled into the driveway, and John could see the grimace on his face. Ethan popped the trunk, as John walked with his stuff to the car. John threw his bags into it, slammed it shut, and got into the car.
“Next time, my driver is taking you. It's too early,” Ethan said.
They drove in silence to the airport. Ethan popped the trunk again. John handed him the keys to his house, got out of the car, and grabbed his bags before closing the trunk. Ethan rolled the window down and looked over at John.
“Have fun man. Seriously, enjoy every moment. Text me when you get there. I won't bug you. I just want to know you're there. Love you, bro.”
John waved back to Ethan, as he walked through the glass doors into the airport. He couldn't wait to feel the hot sun on his back. It was going to be amazing.
Chapter 11
Sandy was happy to be back at her own apartment, as she opened her eyes Monday morning. She didn't have much, but what she did have, she had earned on her own. For two years she worked as a receptionist for an insurance agency. Her daughter had already moved to the area to start a family. Sandy knew that she wanted to see her grandchildren as well as her mom. When she decided to leave her husband, she knew home was the place to go. Her mom let her move in with her until she could get on her own two feet. A year later, Sandy got her own apartment. It was the first time she ever lived alone, and she couldn't be happier. Her son Kyle landed a good job working for the college he had attended and was sharing a house with a few other guys. She enjoyed waking up at the time she wanted and doing the things she wanted to do. The days of being pushed around were gone for her.
She needed to be at work by nine. It was her first day back since the accident. She liked the car she decided to buy. It was older, but it was new enough that she wasn't worried about breaking down or having to fix anything. Sandy turned on the coffee pot and got ready for her shower. She wanted to look nice for the day. A little nicer than usual, since she was going by to see John after work. There were a few things he needed to know before he found out from anyone else. She needed to clear the air, more for herself than anything. If he paid any attention to her daughter's birth date, who knew what he was thinking. It was something she wasn't looking forward to at all.
As she finished her shower and got dressed, she couldn't help but think about how different her life could have been. They could have raised his brother together and been a family. She would have been the wife of a police officer. How she felt about that, she wasn't sure. That had to be hard on the spouses, she thought. Would they have had children of their own? He always said that he wanted three kids. She couldn't believe that he wasn't working for his father. The few times she met his dad weren't the best memories for her. She didn't like how he talked down to John and put so much pressure on him about grades and money.
Instead of marrying the love of her life, she ended up with a man she would never love. The only good thing that came of her marriage was her two amazing kids. She loved them so much and did everything she could for them. They were the reason she stayed with him for so long. She wanted them to have a family, not two separate homes. He was able to give them things that they needed. She didn't want them to have to suffer or go without. As soon as her son graduated college, she took one of the scariest steps she had ever taken and moved out of her husband's home. She was forty-four and starting over.
Sandy looked at herself in the mirror and smiled. She was tall with long brown hair and dark brown eyes. John used to love her long legs. That and her big brown eyes were his favorite of her features. She picked a nice pair of black dress pants and a light sweater for the day. Her hair was long
and curly. She styled it and put on just enough makeup. On the way out she grabbed a cup of coffee and a bagel. After two years of working, she couldn't remember what it was like not to. She wouldn't trade having her own money for anything. It might not be much, but it was hers.
She was surprised how quickly work passed. There was a week's worth of things to do, and she was happy to be busy. It kept her mind off other things. She had calls to make and things to put into the computer. Before she knew it, five o'clock was there and everyone was leaving the office.
She drove to the police department before she had a chance to change her mind. When she looked around, he wasn't there. Maybe he was out of the road or gone for the day. When she asked the officer at the desk, he told her John wasn't working that day. She wrote her name and number down with a quick note.
Please call me. There's something I need to talk to you about.
She handed it to the officer and hoped that she would hear from him. Sandy was surprised by how sad it made her feel to have missed out on seeing him, even though he may have hated her after what she had to tell him.
When she got home, she couldn't stop thinking about him. She pulled out a box and poured it out onto her bed. There were pictures of the two of them together at dances, graduation, and out on dates. She opened her yearbook and flipped to his picture. There was a picture of the two of them from when they won cutest couple. She couldn't help the tears from falling. He was her one true love. She knew that no matter what happened, she would love him until the day she died.
Chapter 12
John checked into the hotel and looked around. He was glad that he had gotten an upgraded room. Ethan was right, who knew when he would jet off on another vacation. It felt good to know he would be relaxing in the spacious room for two weeks. He had a balcony that looked out over the ocean. The beach was right there. His room had a huge tub. He pictured himself sitting back as the jets pounded hot water against his back. It was going to be amazing.
He unpacked his luggage and laughed as he thought about Julie and all of clothes he had with him. It was four o'clock before he was ready to hit the beach. John text Ethan to let him know he was there and that his phone was going off. He had the time off work and there was nobody to need anything from him. John smiled as he turned his phone off and set it on the nightstand. With a cold beer in hand, he grabbed a beach towel and headed for the ocean.
Rescue of Love (Bachelor Billionaire #4) Page 5