by Pj Fiala
As soon as he thought it, she walked in with Chase. She wore a very tight black dress that barely covered her ass and ridiculously high heels that she seemed to be having a hard time walking in. Her hair was some blonde frenzied, big, wild mess, her eyes glassy, and she stumbled just a bit. Chase took her hand, and they made their way to him and Joci. LuAnn leaned in to give him a kiss on the cheek and, of course, to rub her breasts against his arm. He stepped back quickly and put his arm around Joci and nodded at Chase. Understanding the silent message, Chase quickly steered LuAnn to a group by the bar. Jeremiah looked down at Joci and whispered, “Sorry.”
Joci looked into his eyes, her mouth tightly pinched closed and simply raised her brows. The manager approached them and mentioned they could go into the private room and be seated.
After their group had been seated, he stood and cleared his throat. “I’d like to thank each one of you for all of your hard work this year. Our company is growing, and your continued help and outstanding customer service will keep it that way.” He reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out envelopes. He walked around the room and handed each employee a bonus and said ‘thank you.’ He enjoyed being able to make them smile and show his appreciation. At the shop, he was always occupied with what he needed to accomplish next. One of the things he needed to do better was show appreciation. He returned to his table and Joci stood. He enjoyed watching her sensuous body rise from the chair. It conjured up memories of them together and gave him ideas for more activities in the future.
Her full lips parted in a soft smile, the light kissing the shine in the most seductive way. “I have a little surprise.”
He looked into her eyes, enjoying the gray tones shining back at him. Turning to his employees, he said, “Joci has a little surprise, and I’m a bit nervous because I have no idea what it could be.” She giggled, kissed his cheek, and stepped to the computer. She tapped a few keys, and a slideshow popped up on the screen. His eyes followed her as she stepped to the light switch and dimmed the lights. The sway in her dress tantalized him. The cheers and whistles caught his attention as he turned to the screen and saw Rolling Thunder Motorcycles, Inc. splashed across the screen. Then the strains of Kid Rock filled the room, and his heart beat with the timing of the music. She resumed her position next to him and took his hand, but he was mesmerized by the photographs floating across the screen. The room filled with cheers and whistles as pictures of themselves or people they knew flashed onto the screen.
He leaned forward at one point and whispered in her ear, “I love it, Joci. It’s the perfect surprise.”
She looked at him and kissed his cheek. A few moments later, the last picture showed on the screen. He did a quick intake of breath. Everyone grew quiet in the room, and someone got up and turned the lights back up. She turned her head toward him, but the tears in his eyes made her waver and glimmer. He reached forward and hugged her tight.
“Thank you, baby. That was beyond anything I have words for.”
She smiled at him, and the room broke out in applause. She blushed, her beautiful cheeks tinted pink as she ducked her head. He leaned forward and kissed her lips, which brought on a few whistles.
LuAnn was sullen after the video had played. She pushed her food around and ordered two drinks from the waitress as she brought their dinners out. Joci felt sorry for her but honestly didn’t know how to reach out. She wouldn’t carry on a conversation to save her life. So, the hope of ever handing her an olive branch was long gone.
After dinner, they headed out to the bar for a drink and then she and Jeremiah would go home. As nice as the evening had been, she was still a bit uneasy with LuAnn around. Even though nothing had happened other than her trying to kiss Jeremiah, it still made Joci quite uncomfortable.
She excused herself and quickly walked to the bathroom. Her nausea reared up again, and the last few steps were at a trot. She threw up once and heard the door open. She closed her eyes and waited for the sickness to end. As soon as she was able, she walked out of her stall. LuAnn sat on the counter waiting for her. She sucked in a deep breath and waited for what LuAnn had to say while she rinsed her mouth and washed her hands.
“You know he’s going to get tired of you, right? I mean, look at you. Sure, you’re kind of pretty, but he likes this.” She gestured at herself and her body. “If you’ve seen Barbara, you know I’m right. I’ve been giving him some time to get over you, but you’re a pesky little gnat, hanging on so tight. So, I thought I would just let you know that Jeremiah will get married, but it will be to me, not a little plain Jane like you.”
Joci smirked. She didn’t know why she thought that was funny, but she did. Then, she couldn’t help herself and burst out laughing.
As soon as she composed herself, she said, “I could almost take you seriously except for the fact that you can barely speak because you’re wasted. But also, what you don’t see is, while I might be plain compared to you, I’m original. You’re a carbon copy of the loose, classless piece of biker trash who got herself knocked up and took off after having her twins. She rolls through town once a year begging for money and then leaves. Jeremiah doesn’t look for her, wait for her, or in any way want anything to do with her when she comes to town. What you did to yourself was make him steer clear of you because of your silly little-girl imitation of what he doesn’t want.”
She turned and walked out the bathroom door with a smile on her face. Damn that felt good.
She walked back to the bar where Jeremiah and the boys were talking. She caught his eye as she walked back. A soft smile appeared on her face when she looked at her stunning man. Big and strong, lean muscle and the best part, an enormous heart. Her shoulders felt like a weight had been lifted. As she sidled up next to him, he snaked his arm around her and leaned down to kiss her forehead. He pulled back and looked at her with his brows furrowed.
“Honey, you’re very warm. Are you okay? Did LuAnn…”
“I’m okay. I don’t want to cut your night short. If I start feeling too bad, I’ll go take a nap in the truck.”
“No, you won’t. I did what I needed to do here tonight, Joci. There’s nothing more important than making sure you’re okay. Let’s go.”
They said their goodbyes to everyone, and Joci hugged the boys. When she hugged Gunnar, he looked at her with alarm in his eyes.
“Mom?”
Jeremiah spoke before she could, “She’s not feeling well, Gunnar. I’m taking her home. We’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
He hugged each of the boys and took her hand.
As soon as they got in the truck, she began shivering. The air outside just felt so cool to her skin. The drive home wasn’t far, but the rocking in the truck made her stomach lurch. “Baby, pull over, please. Real fast.”
He jerked the truck to the edge of the road; she had her hand on the door handle and opened it before they came to a complete stop. She tripped stepping out and caught herself, then kneeled down and emptied anything that may have been left in her stomach. Jeremiah ran around the truck and knelt alongside her. He rubbed her back as she retched, even though her stomach was already empty. She shivered.
He reached into the truck, grabbed a couple of tissues, and handed them to her. After she had finished wiping her mouth, he picked her up and set her down in the truck.
“Joci, I’m taking you to the hospital.”
“No. I just want to go home. I must have the flu.”
“Joci, people don’t get the flu in August.”
Joci leaned her head back against the seat. “There isn’t actually a flu season.” She couldn’t even argue about this.
He leaned over and grabbed her hand. “Honey. Let me take you to the hospital. I just want to make sure you’re okay.”
“I’m just tired and need something like tea in my tummy. I’ll be fine tomorrow.”
She closed her eyes and leaned her head back, but the motion of the truck made her tummy roll. Opening her eyes, she watched the road and noticed J
eremiah frequently looking at her. She rested her hand on her tummy when it felt queasy and by shear will, she made it home without vomiting again.
She made her way to the bedroom with Jeremiah’s assistance. He gently took her dress and shoes off. He left her underwear on and tucked her under the covers. “Relax, sweetheart. I’ll make you some tea.” She smiled weakly and closed her eyes.
Jeremiah pulled his phone from his pocket and tapped his mom’s number as he walked to the kitchen. “Mom, sorry, I know it’s late. I don’t know what to do. Joci’s sick. What should I do for her?”
“Tell me what’s going on with her.”
“She’s been warm all day. She took a two-hour nap this afternoon and then some aspirin before we went to the employee dinner. She threw up while we were there and again on the way home. She’s hot now and so pale, and she’s sweating and shivering at the same time.”
“Make her some weak tea and bring her some crackers, and I’ll be there in a few minutes.”
“Mom, you don’t have to come over, it’s late.”
“Nonsense, I’m just sitting here in my chair watching your father nod off anyway. We’re so close, it won’t take me long to get there. Go make tea.”
He took the tea and some crackers into the bedroom. “Joci, honey, can you sit up?”
She nodded and pushed herself up. He pulled one of his t-shirts out of the drawer. “Mom is coming over to help. Let’s cover you up.”
She weakly pulled the t-shirt over her head and leaned back against the headboard. He handed her the cup of tea, and she put it to her lips and took a little sip. He gave her a cracker and sat alongside her on the bed. He plumped a pillow and tucked it behind her. He rubbed his hand along her leg, trying to soothe both of them. He watched as she took a couple of nibbles of the cracker and leaned her head against the pillow.
A light knock at the door signaled his mom’s arrival. He squeezed Joci’s hand. “Mom’s here. I’ll be right back.”
He opened the door to see his mom, her hair a bit mussed, shorts and shirt slightly wrinkled, but a smile on her face.
He stood back for her to walk into the house. He motioned to the bedroom and they began walking to Joci.
“So glad to see you. I’ve never been good with sickness and I guess I just wanted some reassurance.” He said a bit sheepishly as they stepped through the door.
“How are you doing, dear?” Emily asked Joci softly.
She opened her eyes and smiled at Emily. “I’m sorry you felt you had to come over. I just think I have the flu.”
“How long have you felt bad, Joci?” Emily asked solicitously.
She shrugged. “Off and on, a couple of weeks. Today was the worst.”
Emily looked at Jeremiah with her brows raised. He shook his head. She had never said anything to him. While they had been at the rally in Milwaukee, she had been tired and didn’t eat much, but that could have been the bullshit with LuAnn.
“Baby, why didn’t you tell me you weren’t feeling well?”
“I didn’t want to worry you. Just when I thought I should go to the doctor, I started feeling better, so I didn’t go. Today is the worst. Before this, I’ve just been tired and a little warm. I thought it had to do with him switching my birth control.”
Emily walked over and touched Joci’s forehead. “You’re not very warm now. Are you starting to feel better?”
Joci nodded and took a deep breath. “A little. Still a little queasy.”
Emily looked at Joci and then at Jeremiah.
“Joci, could you be pregnant?”
Her eyes flew open. She shook her head slowly.
“Are you sure, honey?”
“When I switched birth control they did a pregnancy test.”
“How long ago was that?” Emily asked.
Joci slowly opened her eyes. “About five weeks or so.”
Emily cocked her head to the side and watched Joci’s eyes. She smiled softly at Joci, “Get some rest, dear.” Emily kissed Joci’s forehead, took her empty tea cup and walked out of the bedroom.
Jeremiah followed her to the kitchen. He watched his mom refill the pan with water and set it on the stove. She pulled tea bags from the pantry and added some ginger to the water. He sat at the breakfast bar not saying anything.
Emily turned and glanced at him. She smiled as she mixed her tea. When she had a moment, she looked at him and sighed.
“Any other symptoms?”
He shook his head. “She’s been emotional. I thought she was just working too hard.”
Emily smiled and nodded.
“You think she’s pregnant, don’t you, Mom?”
“Well, I’m not a doctor, but I do think it’s a possibility. She needs to go to the doctor and make sure one way or the other. If she isn’t pregnant, there’s something going on for her to be so tired and now sick. Usually, the flu only lasts a day or two at most. The change in her birth control could be messing with her.”
Jeremiah locked eyes with his mom. They stared at each other for a few moments, and then a broad smile spread across his face.
“I want her to be pregnant, Mom. I want it bad. Since I first met her, I just knew she was the one for me.”
Emily smiled at him. “Don’t get too excited until we know for sure.”
He nodded. She was right, of course. But, he couldn’t help himself. He wanted to have babies with Joci.
Emily finished making her tea, and he followed his mom as she carried it to Joci. She was still sitting up, her head dipping into the pillow, her eyes closed. Emily walked around the bed and set the tea on the bedside table and touched Joci’s forehead.
“I brought you some ginger tea. It’ll help calm your tummy. Will you try it?”
She nodded and Emily handed her the tea and sat on the edge of the bed. Joci scooted over to make room for her. She sipped the tea and smiled. “This is good.”
Jeremiah smiled as he watched his mom tend to Joci. The two most important women in his life were a sight to behold. His heart fluttered and felt so full. He reclined on the bed, propping himself up with his arm.
Emily folded her hands in her lap. “You need to go to the doctor, Joci. If you’re pregnant, you’ll need to take proper care of yourself and the baby. If you’re not pregnant, there might be something else wrong.” She looked over at him and smiled. “Jeremiah worries about you like crazy. We all do.”
Joci smiled. “I don’t want to worry anyone. I’m on birth control because I haven’t had a regular period in a few years. It’s common in my family.”
Emily patted her hand. They sat quietly for a few moments. Then Emily said, “Jeremiah won’t leave you, Joci. He loves you. He told me that very thing a while ago.”
A tear silently slid down Joci’s cheek. He reached over and took her small hand in his and squeezed. She set her cup on the bedside table and swiped under her eye. She looked into his eyes and smiled. He saw her swallow a couple of times, and his heart constricted. Watching her struggle with her emotions was difficult, but she needed to work through this.
Emily broke the silence. “Okay, if you’re feeling better, I’ll go home. But, promise me you’ll call the doctor first thing Monday morning.”
Joci blinked and looked at Emily. “Yes, actually, my stomach feels much better. Your tea is a miracle cure. And I promise to call my doctor.”
Emily smiled again, looked over at Jeremiah and winked.
“You need to get some sleep. Goodnight, honey. Call if you need anything.”
She stood and walked around the bed. Jeremiah winked at Joci and got up to walk his mom to her car. When she got in her car, he leaned down and kissed her temple.
“Thanks, Mom. I appreciate you coming over to help. I was scared shitless. I didn’t know what to do.”
Emily smiled at him. “You may have a few months to get it right if she’s pregnant. I left more tea in the fridge. If her tummy starts acting up again, just warm some up for her. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
He closed her door and walked back into the house. He felt happier than the day Joci agreed to marry him. He turned off the lights in the kitchen and living room and softly walked to the bedroom. She was sound asleep, hugging his pillow. He put his hand on his chest. If his heart got any bigger, there wouldn’t be any more room in there. He undressed and quietly climbed into bed. He slid over to Joci and pulled her into his arms. He laid his hand on her belly and closed his eyes.
34
One Step Back
Joci woke up feeling better. She had slept through the night without waking. She felt rested and had no fever, but Jeremiah wasn’t in bed with her. She looked at the clock—it was nine o’clock. Holy crap, she had slept late. She got out of bed and went to the bathroom before walking out to find Jeremiah. As she walked down the hall, she heard Emily and Thomas’ voices. Good thing she had thrown some clothes on—that could’ve been embarrassing.
“Good morning,” Emily said.
“Good morning,” Joci echoed.
Jeremiah jumped up and hugged her. He cradled her head against his chest. She loved the strong, solid beat of his heart. Of course, the sinewy muscle and strong arms wrapped around her were amazing, too. After a few moments, he pulled back and cradled her head in his strong hands. He looked into her eyes.
“Are you feeling better?”
“Yes, actually, I feel pretty good this morning. It feels like my fever is gone.”
She smiled at him, and he leaned down and kissed her gently on the lips.
“Sit down, baby. Do you want coffee or more tea?”
Joci smiled. “The coffee smells good.”
Joci looked at Thomas. “Good morning.”
“Morning, Joci. Glad you’re feeling better.”
She sat at the table. “What brings you guys here this morning?”