by Ava Riley
“Ah, there you are,” Rowan said as he wrapped his arm around Madison’s waist, “Josiah, this is Madison. Madison, Josiah.”
“Nice to finally meet. Rowan hasn’t stopped talking about you since he found out you were back in the states. He’s told me so much about you, I feel like I already know you,” Madison said as she placed her hand in his.
“Well, it’s nice to finally meet the woman who has smitten this man here,” Josiah laughed as he slapped Rowan’s back.
“Yeah, yeah, let’s get you home. I’m sure you want to relax a little before we meet up with Tess and Cade.”
“The Launchpad?” Josiah asked as they made their way to Rowan’s car. He had been looking forward to a night out with the old gang and even more excited to hang at their usual stomping ground.
“Any other place to be?” Rowan asked as they walked.
“None at all,” he laughed, tossing his bag into the back seat, and slid in next to it.
The ride to Rowan’s had taken a little over thirty minutes and had been filled with mostly small talk. They had a lot to catch up on, but frankly the two day train ride had sucked out all the energy Josiah had started the trip with and he wanted to catch some sleep before they headed out to the club. Due to all the jostling of the train, he’d not slept a wink. He knew if he and Rowan started talking, they’d get into a lengthy conversation, and then he’d never be able to get any rest when they got back to his place.
“Here we are,” Rowan said as he pulled the car into the driveway overlooking the ocean.
“Wow, Row, this is amazing! What a view you have.”
“Thanks, man, I can’t complain,” he said as they all exited the car.
Rowan tossed the keys to Josiah as he walked to the passenger side. “Go in and make yourself at home, I’m just gonna walk Madison over to her place and I’ll be right back.”
Josiah nodded, slung his bag over his shoulder and walked up on the porch. Pushing open the door, he let out a sigh. Josiah had learned a long time ago, that just because life handed out shitty cards from time to time, it didn’t mean you had to keep them. He smiled, happy knowing that Rowan had finally found his winning hand, not so much in the home he owned, but with the woman he shared his life with now. Josiah tossed Rowan’s keys on the table by the door, and placed his bag next to the couch, before plopping himself on the all too comfortable piece of furniture. He pulled off his boots, swung his legs up on the sofa, and tipped his cowboy hat over his eyes, so that the sleep knocking on his door could consume him. The long trip had taken its toll on his body and even though he’d rather spend time finding out all that was going on in Rowan’s life, he couldn’t fight the exhaustion that consumed him. A quick nap and he’d be good to go for the rest of the night.
Peeling his eyes open one at a time, Josiah heard the faint sound of a conversation flowing from the kitchen. He sluggishly pushed himself to a sitting position, pushed his hat back, and stood as he stretched his long legs. The fog of sleep lingered and he pressed the heels of his palms to his eyes to clear them as much as he could. Before he could even take a step, Rowan and Madison rounded the corner.
“It wakes,” Rowan laughed.
“It does. Sorry, man, I guess the train ride kicked my ass more than I thought it would.”
“No worries. We have about an hour before we have to meet Cade and Tessa if you want to take a shower or anything before we leave. I put your things in the first bedroom on the left.”
“Thanks, I’ll be quick,” Josiah said, heading down the hall to the bathroom. He turned on his heels before he got too far. “Thanks, Rowan. You have no idea how good it is to be back here.”
Rowan nodded, as the corners of his mouth curved upward, but before he could utter a word, Josiah spun around and just as quickly made his way to a much needed shower.
Less than an hour later, Josiah, Rowan, and Madison were walking through the doors of The Launchpad, the sounds of Chris Young’s “Who’s Gonna Take Me Home,” filling the bar and the smell of beer and perfume engulfing his senses. Ahhh, country night at The Launchpad had always been his favorite and what better way to usher in his first night back in town? Before they got too far into the bar, Rowan pulled him to the side away from the crowd.
“Hey J, I forgot to mention that Tessa invited a friend out to join us.”
“Okay,” Josiah responded as his eyes perused the club.
“No, I mean she invited a friend to hang out with you.”
Josiah laughed as he continued into the bar, “I got that. I’m okay with hanging out with Tess’s friend.”
Before Josiah could take another step further into the bar, he felt a thud against his chest. Tessa tossed herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck and squeezing as hard as she possibly could.
“Josiah, it’s about time you got back home.”
“Hey gorgeous,” he said as he wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her off the ground.
“Ahem, watch how you handle my wife,” Cade piped in, laughing.
“Cade, damn, it’s been too long,” he said as he lowered Tessa back to the floor and shook Cade’s hand.
“Yes it has. We ordered drinks for everyone already, come on.” Cade placed a kiss on Tessa’s cheek as he motioned to their table.
They made their way to the back of the club, Josiah happy with the scene, the music, and the company. The Launchpad hadn’t changed much since the last time he’d been here. In the center of the club sat a wooden dance floor not much bigger than the size of a basketball court. Along the edges ran a continuous tabletop cluttered with beer bottles and glasses. Some were filled to the brim, others empty waiting to be discarded or refilled. Scantily dressed waitresses in tight, revealing shirts tucked into cut off shorts, scampered around trying desperately to make certain their customers were both quenched of their thirst and enjoying themselves. The front and rear bars buzzed with customers anticipating their drinks or waiting for their orders to be taken, while behind the counter, a barrage of bodies dodged each other. Tonight at least three bartenders were on duty to handle the crowd.
Josiah glanced around the club, taking in all the eye candy laid out before him. Women of all shapes and sizes always a temptation to his sense, sauntered around the edge of the dance floor as if in search of the right man to sweep them off their feet. Their hips swaying an invitation for those who would offer an eye more than to keep rhythm with the music. He loved the variety before him -tall, short, blond, brunette. He was never one to box himself into one type of girl. Josiah skimmed over the scene as he followed close behind the others to their table. He liked a challenge and women dressed as if they’d pulled clothes from a tucked away box from junior high never appealed to him on any other level except looking and he sure as hell would take the opportunity to look. His mouth lifted at the corners as he took in the absurdity of his thoughts. He didn’t have an ounce of respect for them if they weren’t properly clothed, but he wouldn’t turn an appreciative eye from them, either. Josiah kept his eyes on the crowd enjoying the sights as they reached their table.
Chapter 3
Susan checked the dash clock again as she slowly drove through the parking lot of The Launchpad. It had been awhile since she’d last been here, but damn it, she couldn’t remember it ever being so busy she couldn’t find a place to park. She made one more pass in hopes some lonely soul had given up on the night and would be leaving. Letting out a curse when she saw that no one stumbled between parked cars, she resigned herself to parking across the street.
Moments later, after a flash of her ID, she strolled past the bouncers and through the doors. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness of the club, she spotted Tessa and the others in their usual table just beyond the dance floor. There were a few people she recognized as she slowly walked through the crowd, but one person in particular she was unfamiliar with. One, if her eyes didn’t deceive her, she would need to acquaint herself with as soon as possible. Susan felt heat pool between
her thighs as she neared the table where Tessa and the others waited for her. Standing next to Rowan, was a tall drink of something cool and refreshing in the form of a towering cowboy. She couldn’t see his face yet, but what she saw of the backside was more than she could hope to look at in one night. He wore a perfectly shaped black Stetson that hid all but a patch of dark curls escaping from the back and peeking out from his hat, along with a navy blue button up shirt that stretched along the wide line of his shoulders, tucked into a pair of faded Wranglers that clung to his flawless ass, and he finished off his outfit with a pair of black boots. Susan swallowed the knot in her throat and relished the sight before her.
She slowed to almost a crawl, taking in her fill before she had to show some restraint and not stare. She allowed her eyes to travel the length of his body, soaking in as much as she could, absently licking her lips as if she’d just had a taste of the most delicious chocolate cake she’d ever let past her lips. She certainly wouldn’t turn down the dessert that stood just feet from her, surrounded by her friends. Forcing herself to focus on something other than the man tempting her from afar, she took one last long look then headed toward Tessa with a wave.
“You made it,” Susan heard Tessa’s voice before she reached the table.
Susan’s breathing abruptly came to a halt when the cowboy quickly turned around at Tessa’s words. Never, never in the twenty-six years she’d been alive had she been privy to such a sight. The backside of said cowboy was nice, but what a sight the front offered. His dark skin enhanced cocoa brown eyes that sparkled from the small amount of overhead lights the suddenly overcrowded bar provided. The stretch of his shirt confirmed Susan’s suspicions that beneath the piece of material lay muscle upon muscle. A massive belt buckle the size of a small town drew her eyes to his nether regions and left no room for her overactive imagination. What lie in wait behind the denim kept her attention a little longer than she’d planned, and only the sound Tessa’s laughter shook her from the trance this stranger put her under. Susan felt the flush of her cheeks as her eyes traveled up to the cowboy’s, his pearly whites flashing as the corners of his mouth lifted into a smile as if her flustered state amused him. Susan shook off the image of her sprawled out beneath him and tried to focus on the words Tessa spoke to her.
“I thought you would approve,” Tessa whispered into Susan’s ear as she leaned in and hugged her.
“Well, isn’t that the understatement of the century. Where the hell did he come from?”
“Come on I’ll introduce you,” Tessa laughed as she pulled her by the hand toward Josiah.
“Josiah,” Tessa began. “This is Susan…Susan, Josiah.”
Josiah placed his index finger at the tip of his black Stetson and tipped it towards Susan. “Nice to meet you.”
“Likewise,” Susan responded, trying to keep her legs from going out from underneath her, his deep hypnotic voice vibrating through her veins, sending heat coursing to every inch of her body and resting at the tips of her fingers and toes.
Josiah stepped aside, revealing an empty stool, which he offered to Susan. A seat was exactly what she needed before the weakness overtaking her body hit her full force landing her flat on her ass. She stumbled to the table like a newborn colt trying to find its legs and slid onto the vacant stool. From her reaction to Josiah, one would think she’d been hitting the bottle before even entering the bar. As she sat down, she silently wished she’d had taken a few sips prior and now could use some liquid courage to steady her nerves. Dear god, when he opened his mouth his voice vibrated off the inner walls of her hot core. And hot it certainly was. She’d never throbbed between her thighs just from the sound of a man’s voice, until now. Susan looked around and realized she’d been the only one affected by the man standing inches from her. The only one dazed by the tip of his black cowboy hat and southern twang. She needed a drink and quick to suppress the burning coursing through her body.
Susan twisted on the stool in search of a waitress and found herself staring right into the muscled chest of Josiah. Her fingers twitched, itching to reach out and trace the outline of each muscle that pushed against the thin blue material clinging to his skin. A thunderous laugh reached her ears as she lifted her hand without thought. Realization that she was seconds away from making that desire a reality hit her quickly and she lifted her arm a little higher as if waving over a waitress she’d been searching for. Thankfully Josiah didn’t turn his gaze from her, because in fact there wasn’t a waitress in sight.
What the hell is wrong with you girl, she thought to herself. You have seen many a hot men in your time. You need to get it together. “What will you be drinking tonight?” Josiah asked with a wink.
“I’ll see if I can’t find that waitress that so rudely disregarded your request for her presence.”
“Right? You’d think they would be on top of things what with tips being their source of income and all,” Susan responded nervously. She shook her head as if in disbelief that some waitress had truly brushed her off. “I can just walk to the bar and get…”
“Not on my watch,” he said. “Let me guess. Jack and Coke?”
“Not tonight. I think I’ll just stick with a Corona.”
“You got it. Lime? Nah, I think you’re a no lime kind of girl.”
Susan shook her head. “Nope, no lime.”
Chapter 4
Susan watched while Josiah’s long strides parted the crowd as he made his way to the bar. Reluctantly pulling her gaze from him, she smiled as Tessa scooted her stool closer to hers so that the two could talk without the boys hearing. Madison came up on her left side, evidently not wanting to miss the girl talk.
“Well, what do you think?” Tessa asked as Susan swung back around to the table.
“Do you have to ask? Where did he come from?”
“He just got out of the Marines three months ago and decided to come out to visit for a while. He attended medical school with Rowan and Cade.”
“How long of a visit?” Susan asked hopeful that it would be an extended visit.
Madison laughed. “From what Rowan says, he and Cade are hoping to talk him into staying. Rowan said he doesn’t have a job lined up back in Texas so they’re hoping he’ll join their practice.”
Susan started to respond to that tidbit of information, but before she could, an ice cold Corona appeared in front of her with long slender fingers wrapped around the bottle’s neck. She reached to grab the cold drink from Josiah’s hand, brushing her fingers against his. Madison slid from the bar stool she’d been occupying and returned to Rowan’s side, as Josiah lowered himself next to Susan. She thanked him for the beer then pressed the bottle to her lips. The cold liquid slid down her throat, settling in her belly, quenching the thirst she’d been dealing with since walking into the place. Susan placed the bottle down in front of her, letting her fingers drift along the slender neck then down the width of the glass vessel as if the feel of it against her skin would tilt her world back into some kind of balance.
The music filling The Launchpad wasn’t in Susan’s repertoire. She’d never been one for lying and cheating, tear in my beer, my dog ran off with the neighbor kind of music, but tonight they could be playing Mozart and she wouldn’t care. As a matter of fact, the man sitting next to her made it difficult to even focus on anything, including tonight’s choice of music. The sounds pumping from the speakers made it difficult to hear, but the nearness of Josiah made it even more difficult to talk. He leaned his body in so close to hers, that she felt the heat radiate off him. Susan loved The Launchpad, but coming here was more about the dancing and drinking than sitting down and having a conversation. And since the music tonight did not call for her dancing, she’d be happy sitting and drinking.
Josiah tapped her gently on the arm and she nodded enthusiastically when he mouthed something to her. Susan knew he spoke words out loud, yet all she’d seen was his lips moving. She felt like an idiot because she didn’t have a clue what he said, so she ju
st nodded as in agreement to some truth he’d just revealed. Unfortunately, as he slid from his seat holding out his hand, she realized he’d just asked her to dance. Not only did she not like country music, she’d never taken a stroll on the dance floor to it in her life. She no doubt would look as if she’d lost all use of her fine motor skills and leave him wishing he’d asked someone else.
Susan leaned in closer to Josiah. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize you were asking me to dance. No offense, but I can’t dance to this kind of music.” She lifted her drink. “Drinking, no dancing.”
“Not on my watch. We drink, we dance, then we drink some more. Come on, it’ll be fine.”
“No really, I can’t dance... to this,” she gave her wrist a flick to some invisible band in the sky. Fear grabbed hold of her like a junkie not able to get her next fix as his eyes stayed trained on her. There was no way in hell she would be out on that dance floor making a complete fool of herself, and especially not with the likes of Josiah. At least that’s what she kept telling herself as he pulled her from her seat.
Josiah grabbed Susan’s beer from her hand and set it on the table, replacing the beer with his hand. “Tonight, you dance.” He led the way to the dance floor, as Deana Carter’s “Strawberry Wine” belted out from the speakers. “This is an easy one. Just let me lead.”
“That will be easy since I couldn’t lead a blind man in this situation.”
Josiah laughed as he pulled her onto the dance floor, placing one hand on her hip, the fingers of his other hand intertwining with hers as he spun her around. She tried to envision all the couples she’d ever seen two stepping wanting to figure it out before she stumbled over her feet. When Josiah pulled her in close to him, her foot tangled with his and she almost wobbled backwards. He steadied her before she made a fool out of herself. Susan looked at him and shook her head, trying to tell him with her eyes that he’d made a huge mistake. She tried to step away from him to make her escape before they both landed on the floor, but he just held on tighter.