The man took a step back and walked away.
Maybe it was best to let him go. Josh wasn’t looking for a fight on his first night back in town. And from the looks of the guy, that’s all a confrontation would bring.
The man left the restaurant out a side door.
Josh took the opportunity to surprise the woman who’d consumed his world for weeks. He stepped up to the table and smiled. “Surprise!” he said, bringing his arm from behind his back to reveal a bouquet of flowers. He held them out to her and met her eyes. “How’s it going, Tornado?”
Tess stared at him in complete shock.
Morgan’s horrified face melted into a smile as she recovered. “Josh! Wow! What are you doing here?”
Dumbstruck, Tess slowly took the flowers and moved over so he could sit.
Josh smiled at her, curious at the strange expression on her face, but so overcome with the relief of being with her again, he chose not to ask. “I came to surprise you,” he said, wondering when the restaurant became so hot. He swallowed, praying he’d imagined the fear that washed over Tess’s face. He continued, “… and to tell you that I’m being interviewed for a position at your church.” He paused. “I didn’t tell you until it was sure, and since we weren’t able to talk much lately, I figured it might be nice to…” his voice drifted off as he scanned her face again. “Um… why are you looking at me like that?”
Morgan stifled a laugh. “I think she’s speechless…” She tossed some bills on the table. “I’ll catch up with you later, Tess. He can give you a ride home.” She stood and touched Josh’s arm. “Welcome back, Josh.”
Josh nodded and slipped from the seat beside Tess to the one across from her. He smiled as he reached over and took her hand, relieved to be in her presence again. “I hoped you’d be happier that I’m here,” he said, wondering if he’d made a huge mistake. He took a deep breath, trying to quiet his racing pulse.
Tess shook her head, glancing around the restaurant in a panic. “Did you tell anyone you were looking for me?” she asked, keeping her head low.
Josh laughed. “No.” He paused. “Well, I told Stu. I wasn’t sure where to find you.”
Tess groaned. “We need to get out of here.” She grabbed his hand and started to tug him from the booth but released him quickly. “Oh!” she yanked some money from her pocket, tossed it onto the table and grabbed Josh’s hand again. “Let’s go!”
17
For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light.
Ephesians 5:8
“Slow down!” Josh exclaimed, giving Tess’s hand a firm pull in an attempt to stop her.
She plowed through the parking lot, pausing only when she realized she wasn’t sure where she was going. “Which car’s yours?” she demanded.
Josh glanced around, still shocked by the strength in Tess’s small frame as she tugged on his arm yet again. He reluctantly pointed to his green compact rental. “That one.”
Tess glanced around again and tried tugging him toward it but he refused to move.
“Tess.” His voice was calm but invited no protest.
She stopped and anxiously gestured for him to move. “I need to get out of here,” she pleaded.
Josh could scarcely mask his annoyance any longer. “What is the matter with you?” he demanded. He’d wanted her to jump into his arms, thrilled to be with him, not go tearing across a parking lot as she tried to escape the reality of his presence. “This isn’t exactly how I imagined this would go,” he muttered, hating that his voice sounded so whiny.
Tess stopped and dropped the flowers against her leg with a slapping sound. “Do you want to ruin your chance for this job before you even walk in the door for the interview?” she asked. “If anyone catches you with me, you can count your chances as gone, Jed. And you better not even mention my name either…”
Josh threw his hands into the air in frustration. “Oh, come on!”
Tess put her hands on her hips. “Did you notice the guy talking to me when you came into the restaurant?” she asked.
Josh wished he could say he missed seeing the man—he wanted to pretend that it never happened at all, but he nodded, his stomach clenching.
Tess raised an eyebrow. “He’s my ex-boyfriend. A drug dealer I can’t shake no matter how hard I try. Any other questions?”
Josh shook his head as his mouth went dry. Tess nodded and again nudged him toward the car, grabbing his hand and yanking the keys from him to open it. “Now, let’s get out of here before something bad happens.”
~*~
Tess tried to sit as low in the seat as possible as Josh drove toward her apartment. She hadn’t been sure where to tell him to go. Every place she could think of held the potential for trouble.
“Don’t do that,” he said with a grimace, nudging her to sit up. “You really make it hard for a guy to be romantic.”
She bit her nails. “I didn’t ask you to come. And I tried to warn you.” She paused. “This was a mistake. It wasn’t fair to let you think…”
Josh stopped the car abruptly at a stop sign and pulled a U-turn to head back for town right as they’d been about to escape the possibility of being spotted. Tess gasped. “What are you doing?” Her stomach flipped.
The tires squealed as Josh slammed on the brakes at a light. He glanced in her direction. “What I’m doing is taking you for a cup of coffee so that I can prove to you how ridiculous you’re being,” he spat. “I’ll not go into hiding because this town is full of idiots. I’ll skip the job if need be, and…”
Tess snorted. “And what? We’ll spend the rest of our lives texting and talking on the phone? Good plan, Jed. That’s always been a dream of mine. Talk about romantic!”
“Come on.” His voice softened. “I missed you, Tess.”
“Yeah? Well, I missed you too,” Tess snapped, as she folded her arms angrily over her chest. This was the man Tess remembered. He wasn’t quick-tempered, but he did tend to speak his mind. He’d put Tess in her place many times when they were younger, and she’d pulled yet another prank in an effort to get his attention. It was a wonder he still spoke to her.
“Jed,” she pleaded. “You just got here. You don’t understand.” It seemed so unfair that even as things were slowly righting themselves in Tess’s life, Josh should do something so stupid as to surprise her with a visit. If only he’d told her he was coming, she could have considered how she’d handle it. Now she was barely on auto-pilot, praying her reputation wouldn’t ruin his life.
“No, I don’t think you understand.” Josh continued driving until he reached the diner. He pulled into the lot and parked as Tess’s stomach rolled. “We are going in there to get a cup of coffee and a piece of pie like two civilized adults out for some conversation. And you’ll find that this situation you think you’re in is nothing but a figment of your overactive imagination.” Josh jumped from the car, slammed the driver’s door to emphasize his point, and yanked Tess’s door open in a swift gesture. He held out his hand to her and drew a long deep breath as he winked. “A tornado goes where it pleases, right? Come on. Show me what a rebel you really are. Go on a date with me.”
A wave of nausea hit Tess and she prayed the little she’d managed to eat for dinner would not find its way to the floor of Josh’s rental car. “I wish you’d take me seriously,” she begged.
Josh leaned into the door, still holding his hand out for her. “I’m only here through Monday morning. Do you want to spend that time arguing over whether or not the town thinks you’re a pariah?”
Tess finally took his hand and let Josh help her from the car. He slammed the door as she turned to him and spoke. “I don’t want to argue with you. It’s the truth, Jed. And, unfortunately, you’re about to view it firsthand.” She took a step toward the doors of the diner.
“Now you’re delusional,” Josh muttered.
Tess snorted as he held out his arm for her. She shook her head. “There’s no way
I’m touching you. You’ll become a leper,” she said and yanked the door open. “Fine, Jed. Let’s get this over with.”
~*~
Josh entered the diner behind Tess, his confidence waning the minute he noticed the way people glanced at her and immediately turned to one another to whisper. He wanted to say it was his imagination, but he feared Tess spoke truth. His resolve wavered, if only for a brief moment.
Tess slid into a booth and sank low, covering her face with the menu as a waitress appeared.
“I’m Dee and I’ll be your server tonight. Can I get you….? Hey! What are you doing here?” Dee snapped her gum and winked appreciatively in Josh’s direction before turning back to Tess. She gestured toward him as she spoke. “Why on earth would you bring a guy like that into a place like this?”
Tess groaned quietly but forced a smile.
Josh folded his hands on top of the table. “I forgot you work here,” he said. “Well…I guess she can recommend the best pie, can’t she?”
Dee winked at Josh. “What can I get you to drink, hon?”
“I would love a cup of coffee. Black, thanks.”
Dee nodded and turned her attention to Tess, who was still sitting low in her seat.
“Me, too,” she said. “Thanks, Dee.”
“Sure thing.” Dee turned and headed back to the waitress’s station.
Josh turned his smile back to Tess. “Well imagine that! No one asked us to leave.”
Tess rolled her eyes. “Give it time.”
Josh grinned, wishing she was as relieved to see him as he was her. The relaxed, joking, fun Tess he’d met in Florida was replaced by a wary, nervous, frightened woman Josh didn’t recognize. He reached across the table and tapped her hand. “Hey,” he said with a smile. “What did you think would happen, Tess?”
She snorted. “Not this.”
Josh continued leaning toward her. “Well, I wasn’t spending the rest of my life calling and texting you. I figured there’d be a point when we actually lived in the same town, went on dates like normal people. I like you, Tess,” he said. “I wouldn’t have started this if…”
“Starting this at all was a mistake!” Tess exclaimed. “If you’d listened to me…” she glanced up.
Derek headed in their direction, carrying the coffee Dee got for them. “Well…” Derek set the mugs down and smiled at Tess, and then Josh.
Josh smiled back, only registering at the last moment that his date was doing her best to avoid the man’s gaze.
“I’m Derek Patterson, the manager. Tess’s boss.”
Josh smiled and extended his hand to the man. As they shook hands, he wondered if he was encroaching on the other man’s territory. Dismissing the notion, he sat back in the seat. “Josh Thorne. Tess and I go way back,” he said.
Derek nodded, smiling in an unsettling way. “Yeah. She’s like that with a lot of guys around here.”
Josh straightened in his seat as the meaning behind the man’s words registered. “Excuse me?” he asked, noticing Tess’s horrified face. “I think you owe her an apology.”
Derek burst into a fit of laughter. “Yeah, right.” He walked away.
Dee approached and pretended to wipe the table. “Sorry. He insisted on coming over.” She stood straight up and smiled. “Now, what can I get for you?”
~*~
Now that Josh had gotten a glimpse of what her life was like he didn’t seem bothered enough to run away. It appeared as if he wasn’t planning to go anywhere. He was taking his time with each bite of pie while smiling across the table at her.
Tess ate her pie quickly, hoping they could leave as soon as she finished. “Don’t you need to meet with someone or something?” Tess asked in exasperation. “I mean, about your job?”
Josh took a drink of coffee and waited while Dee refilled it before he answered. “Thanks,” he said with a smile.
She nodded and left.
He turned his attention back to Tess. “I’ve got a meeting tomorrow morning but I’m free until then.” He smiled and pointed at her with his fork. “You’re not getting rid of me.”
Tess sighed heavily and slumped back into her seat. “Why not?”
“I already told you why not,” he said and scraped the last piece of pie from his plate. “This banana cream was delicious.”
“Jed.” Tess wondered how to make him understand. But Josh wasn’t interested in entertaining her protest.
“So,” he continued as if she hadn’t said his name. “Tomorrow I’ve got the interview, followed by lunch with the pastors and their wives, after that I meet with the board…” Josh pulled his phone out and went through the schedule. He groaned. “I don’t think I’m really free until about eight o’clock. How’s that for you?”
Tess shrugged. “I work late. I’m not even sure I can get to church on Sunday.”
Josh appeared to be disappointed by her answer. “Oh,” he said. “I was hoping you’d be there for my sermon.”
Tess finally looked at Josh. It was such a relief to find him sitting across from her. She wanted to jump into his arms and hug him, but she held herself back for both their sakes. Now that Derek caught them together, it was only a matter of time before everyone else in town was privy to the relationship as well. “I can’t,” she whispered. “I…I’m ruining this for you. My plan is to get out of here by the end of the year if possible…so, I understand you want to put down roots, but I may be gone soon.”
“Hey.” Josh reached across the table and took her hand in his. “I do want to put down roots, but you are not ruining anything. Promise. But, if you leave, I’m not sure what the point of my putting down roots in Maple Ridge would be.”
Tess couldn’t miss the meaning of his words. “But…”
Josh smiled as he took his hand back and ran fingers through his hair. “Yeah. Maybe I’m crazy. But I think home is where you are, Tornado. So how about we give this the time it deserves, and you stop worrying?” Josh held her gaze. “OK?”
Tess nodded reluctantly.
Josh’s smile widened, and his dimples sank deeper into his cheeks, making her warm all over.
Derek stood at the counter watching them.
Her stomach sank. “I promise I won’t say ‘I told you so’. I mean, when I’m right.”
“What if I said you shouldn’t say it at all?” Josh continued smiling.
Tess, for a moment, forgot what she’d been so concerned about.
~*~
“I’m sorry it’s late,” Josh said as he slammed the door on Tess’s side of the car. He relished the sight of her. She was slowly returning to the comfortable, confident Tess he’d witnessed a few weeks earlier. As they’d drawn closer to her apartment, and gotten further from town, Josh noted that the walls around her were falling brick by brick. “It’s good to be with you again,” he whispered.
Tess reached for the door to her apartment. “You too,” she said with a smile as she widened the door. “You want to come in?”
“I…probably shouldn’t,” he said carefully. “Hey, didn’t you lock your door when you left?”
Tess leaned in the doorway and shook her head with a laugh. “No one wants my stuff,” she said. “Besides I’m so far out of town…no one comes out here without a reason.”
Josh nodded, certain he was being ridiculous. Still, he couldn’t stop himself from saying, “OK…be careful. I hate the idea that something might happen.”
Tess laughed.
Relief washed over him and Josh noticed the tension in his neck and arms begin to ease. He reached up and touched her cheek. Tess closed her eyes and Josh’s heart constricted. He cleared his throat as his hand slowly dropped to his side. “I, um, should probably go.”
Tess smiled as she opened her eyes. “Yeah.” She paused. “They’ll love you tomorrow.”
“I hope so. I wouldn’t want to bother putting on the suit if it wasn’t really important.”
Tess laughed again.
Josh couldn’t resist.
He leaned down and kissed her softly. “I’ll call you tomorrow and let you know how it goes.”
“OK. I’ll be praying.”
Josh stepped away from her, reluctant to leave but certain he’d be in trouble if he didn’t. “Thanks.” Josh got into his car. He smiled at her one last time, memorizing the way she waved as she stood in the doorway. “Soon,” he muttered. “I won’t be telling you good night at the door, Tess.”
~*~
The ringing telephone ripped Tess from a dream about Josh. With a groan she reached beside her bed and grabbed it, pressing it to her ear, not caring to mask her irritation at having her one day to sleep in destroyed by the fact that she’d forgotten to turn her phone off. “Hello?”
“Hey, T, it’s Brody.”
“What the heck?” she muttered in annoyance.
“Sorry—I didn’t mean to wake you,” her brother’s voice was apologetic.
“Don’t worry about it,” she grumbled.
“Oh, uh, well, I was on my way to pick up some papers I left at the office this morning and I was sure I spotted Josh coming out of the convenience store. Is he back in town?”
The words dragged Tess to the moment, reminding her that the night before they’d been together—along with her undesirable old friend. “Why did you call me and not him?” Tess asked.
“Well…”
Tess glanced at the clock and realized she should already be up, even if she did have the day off from the diner. “It was him. He’s interviewing for a position at North Street church,” she said with a yawn. “I saw him for a few minutes last night.” She deliberately left out the rest of the story. That was enough for her brother to chew on.
“Hmm. So, it’s getting serious?”
“He wants to put down roots—the church called to interview him. I don’t think that has a whole lot to do with me, bro.”
Brody laughed, making Tess’s nerves bristle. “Sure, it doesn’t. How long is he in town?”
Forgiving Tess Page 15