“But you kissed him, didn’t you?”
“Yes!” I yell. “Yes, we kissed. It was...nothing. No sparks.”
“Did you fuck him?”
I shake my head. I don’t want to lie, because I’m afraid she could tell, but if I tell her the truth, I have no more leverage. “I don’t–”
“Answer the damn question, Teresa!” she yells. “Yes or no?”
“Please, Donna,” I beg, pleading again while praying help is on its way, and Donna can hold it together longer. “I’ll answer all your questions, but I need you to let go of my brother first.”
I’m distracted by a noise coming from down the hall, then a door pushes open.
“Put the knife down, Donna,” Josh says softly but severely. His eyes go over me a mere second, but he immediately focuses back on Donna.
“Josh,” Donna gasps, clearly startled by his presence. I search for Felipe’s eyes. He appears so cool and calm on the outside, and I couldn’t be prouder of him. If Donna puts so much as a scratch on him, I swear I’ll kill her with my bare hands.
“What are you doing, Donna?”
“I just want to know where I stand, Josh. That’s all.”
“Okay, we can talk about that back at the restaurant.” He slowly closes in on them. “But just you and me. This is between us, so let Felipe go.”
“I only want the truth, Josh.” Her devilish tone has vanished, replaced by a weak and insecure voice.
“I know, and you’ll get it, I promise. I also promise that if you hurt Felipe, the only cooking you’ll be doing is inside the prison walls, because I’ll make it my life’s mission to get you there.”
He takes another step toward them. If he raised his arm, he could touch her.
“Don’t come any closer, Josh,” Donna warns, gripping Felipe tighter.
“Put that goddamn knife on me, Donna! It’s me you wanna hurt, not an innocent boy.”
Suddenly, Ed strides into the room, and then my eyes can’t keep up with everything happening around me. Like me, Donna is distracted by his sudden appearance, and Josh grabs her wrist. “Go, Felipe!” he shouts.
“No!” Donna growls as Josh twists her arm in such a way the knife drops to the floor, and I release my bated breath as I wrap Felipe in a big hug while tears stream freely down my face.
“I’m okay, Tess,” he assures me in a calm tone, rubbing my back. I scan his neck, which shows a red stripe from where she held the blade, but thank God he’s not bleeding. “That crazy bitch didn’t hurt me.”
“I’m so sorry, sweetie. I shouldn’t have let her in.”
“You couldn’t have known.”
I gaze around Felipe’s shoulder and watch how Josh hands Donna over to Ed. “Take her to the restaurant,” he instructs with a croak in his voice. “I’ll be right there. I’ll call the police.”
Suddenly, Emma is hugging and kissing us. “My God, guys...”
“Thanks for getting help, Em,” I say as I wipe my tears.
“You were so smart, Tess, saying what you did. I immediately knew what was going on. Thank God Josh and Ed were sitting in the dining room.”
I gaze at Josh, standing a few feet away, looking at us while softly talking into his phone. “One moment,” I tell Felipe and Emma as he hangs up. I walk toward him and he spreads his arms. I walk right into them.
“Hey, baby. You okay?”
“Yes. She didn’t hurt Felipe. I was stupid letting her in.”
“Don’t beat yourself up, Tess. This is my fault. I fired her yesterday.”
I look up into his face. “What?”
“I couldn’t work with her anymore, so I sacked her. I should have thought about it more carefully before reacting on impulse. I’m so sorry, Tess. I should have protected you and Felipe from her. If I would have paid more attention, I could have known there was something wrong with her.” He presses his mouth onto the crown of my head. “I’m so glad you two are safe. I almost lost it when I saw that knife against Felipe’s throat.”
“You and Em saved us, Josh,” I whisper. “If you hadn’t come so quickly... I don’t want to think about what could have happened.”
“Thanks, Josh,” Felipe says. “Thank you for stepping in.”
Josh releases his hold on me, and hugs Felipe. “Are you okay, man?”
“Yeah. I’m fine. Are you seeing my sister?”
“Yeah, I am,” he says with a smile. “If she wants to see me too.”
“What’s going to happen to Donna now?” I ask, throwing an arm around Felipe’s waist, holding him close while I still can. “Do we need to press charges?”
“The police are on their way. It’s possible we need to go to the station.”
Felipe’s face falls. “I’ll miss my flight. I don’t want to press charges.”
“Felipe...” I say.
“No,” he says adamantly. “I’m not letting that psycho ruin my trip. I just wanna leave now and see my cousins, Tess. Please don’t make me stay. She’s Josh’s employee anyway. He can deal with her, right, Josh?”
Josh nods. “I’ll do it for you. Your sister and I will talk to the police and explain what happened. If they want to talk to you, or if you change your mind about pressing charges, they’ll have to wait until you come back.”
“We can still make it to the airport in time if we leave now,” Emma chimes in.
“Josh,” Felipe says, “is it safe for my sister to stay here? What if the police let Donna go?”
“I’ll be fine, Felipe.”
“Come with me to Spain.”
“I can’t close the restaurant for two weeks. You go and have fun, okay? I’ll be fine.”
“She’s right, Felipe,” Josh adds. “She’ll be fine, because I’m not letting her out of my sight until you come back.”
“Will you stay at our apartment?”
“I’ll tell you what I’ll do. I’m taking your sister with me.”
I whip my head to the side. “What? Where?”
“To Stockbridge. We’ll spend Christmas with my family.”
“But I’m already spending it with Emma,” I say, shaking my head. As much as I want to be with Josh, I’m not leaving my best friend, who just saved us, for crying out loud, hanging out to dry. “I’m not leaving her by herself.”
Josh turns his gaze to Emma. “Do you mind if I steal her from you for a few days?”
“Not at all, Josh,” she says with a laugh. “I want her out of here too, at least until we’re sure what will happen to Donna.”
“Perfect. I’ll make it up to you, Emma. You won’t be spending Christmas alone, I promise.” He gazes back at me with a smug smile. “Pack a bag for three nights. We’ll leave this afternoon.”
Felipe chuckles. “Thanks, man,” he says, then expresses his gratitude by fist bumping Josh as if they’re best buddies.
And the sight of the two of them bonding couldn’t make me happier.
“Anytime,” Josh replies. “You make sure you have a good time with your cousins, okay?” He winks. “And don’t go breaking Spanish hearts.”
CHAPTER TWENTY
joshua
I exit off the Massachusetts Turnpike and drive into the Berkshires. My stomach is churning because I’m going to introduce Tess to my family. Never brought a woman before, hence the reason for my nervousness, yet I’m highly excited for the same reason. We spoke little during the three-hour drive, and I hope I didn’t come down too hard on her by ordering her to pack a bag and spend the holidays with my family and me.
I glance to the side and watch her gaze outside, seeming lost in thought. Hell, she’s a grown woman and adept at sassing, so I shouldn’t be worried at pushing her too much. After all, she wouldn’t be sitting here next to me in the passenger seat if she lacked enthusiasm. This woman is getting under my skin so rapidly, I hardly have time to gather and explore my thoughts on how I feel about being in an intimate relationship that exceeds carnality.
And fuck me, but I want to know if I’m getting under her
skin too.
“You okay?” I ask softly.
She pushes her hair behind her ear and clears her throat. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just can’t stop thinking about this morning and what could have happened to Felipe if you hadn’t come to our rescue.”
I reach over, grab her hand lying on her thigh, and squeeze softly. “Felipe is up in the air, safely on his way to his beloved cousins, and you’re here with me. Forget about Donna. She’s a confused woman and getting help as we speak. She’ll never threaten you or Felipe again, and I’ll be there to make sure she doesn’t.”
Tess turns her hand around and links our fingers. “Thank you, Josh.”
I caress the back of her hand with my thumb. “She’s my employee. If I paid more attention, this would never have happened in the first place.”
“This isn’t you fault, Josh. You couldn’t have known what was going on inside her head.”
I loosen the grip on her hand and grab the wheel. “Still, I ignored the signs because I was too distracted with other things.”
“You saved us, period. Anyway, you told Emma you’d make it up to her if you could take me with you.”
“Yeah, I remember I said that,” I say, smiling as I stare at the road in front of me. I steer left, following the Stockbridge sign. Almost there.
“Who’s Emma spending Christmas with, Josh?”
I notice Tess’s curious gaze. She’s achingly beautiful with her sun-kissed skin glowing as though it just absorbed all the sunlight, and it’s hard to look away from her. “Let’s just say she’s being served the finest food and drink at a Michelin star restaurant.”
She gasps. “You invited her to have dinner at Suite 63? That’s so nice of you, Josh! She’ll love it!”
“It’s the least I could do. Anyway, she’ll have her own private server named Ed.”
She shifts in her seat and turns to face me. “Oh my God, you’re trying to fix them up, aren’t you?”
“I don’t think they need me to fix them up,” I say, laughing, “but I can do them a favor. So, you can relax; our friends won’t be spending the holidays by themselves.”
With a satisfied sigh, she leans back in her seat. “Everyone’s going to be fine and happy this Christmas. Couldn’t ask for more.”
“Does that include you?” I ask hoarsely.
“Yes, that includes me, Josh,” she replies with a soft voice.
I focus back on the road. Maybe Christmas this year won’t be so terrible after all.
“Have you ever been to the Berkshires before?” I ask as we drive through town.
“We went camping in the Litchfield Hills once, but I’ve never been to this part. I remember our visits to the covered bridges. My mom was on a mission to turn us into civilized and cultivated people.” She laughs. “Felipe’s mood soured at the mere mention of another bridge or historic garden. All he wanted to do was go to the amusement park.”
“How old were you?”
“Seventeen. It was our last vacation with our parents.”
“That’s hard.”
“I’ll always carry those memories with me. Whenever Felipe’s ready, we can talk about it and look at the dozens of pictures we took.”
“Did he get his day at the amusement park?”
“Yep. He actually rode every waterslide in the park and had the time of his life.” She turns and points at the colonial mission house. “Wow, what’s that old building?”
“That’s the Mission House, built in the eighteenth century by a Christian missionary for the Stockbridge Mohicans. It’s a rare example of a colonial.”
“Is it a museum?”
“Why, you wanna check it out?”
“Can we?”
I smile at her childish enthusiasm. “I’ll find out. If it’s open, we’ll go.”
“I’d love that.”
“We’re here,” I say, then frown when I find myself staring at the unwelcoming closed gate. That’s a first. “I’ll be right back,” I say, then step out of the car and jog toward the gate. As I reach to press the gate button, I size up a dark-haired man in jeans and a puffer jacket approaching.
What the fuck?
“You’re aware you’re on private property?” I ask. I’m taller, and firmly believe bigger muscles don’t automatically equal greater strength, and maybe it’s just the jacket giving him a broad appearance.
“I’m perfectly aware of that fact,” he replies, while assessing me through the wrought iron gate. “You must be Joshua Vandenberg,” he says matter-of-factly.
“How do you know my name?”
“I know all I need to know about you. You’re thirty years old, live in Portsmouth, and you throw together a decent meal.” He gestures to the car with his chin. “The graceful lady sitting in your Cherokee that’s barely in a functional state is Teresa Sainz. She’s twenty-seven, takes care of her younger brother Felipe, and has nothing to hide.”
I cock my head. “Meaning?”
“She’s okay. You can trust her.”
“Why wouldn’t I?”
He props his hands in the pockets of his jacket and fixes his gaze on me. “Because someone is blackmailing you and you have no fucking idea who. It isn’t her.”
“Didn’t doubt it for a second. Now, what I’d like to know is who the fuck you are, what you’re doing on my family’s property, and why you have all this information on me?”
“I’m Reeves, and like it or not, I’m here to protect your ass. For all other questions, you can see your cousin, Mac. Get into your car, I’ll open the gate for you.”
“Fucking stop investigating Teresa, you hear? Her business isn’t yours to investigate.”
“Just doing my job, Vandenberg. If you have a problem, take it up with Mac.”
“Asshole,” I murmur as I return to the car.
“Oh, FYI,” Reeves adds, “your family thinks I’m here because of an unsatisfied customer who made a threat. They don’t know about the letters you and Mac received. Let’s keep it that way.”
“Everything okay?” Teresa asks as I get back into the car.
“Yeah.”
“Was that one of your cousins?”
“Hell, no. That was...nobody important.”
“Ah. Well, he sure looks cool for someone of no importance,” she says.
Is she fucking kidding me, checking him out?
Chagrined, I put the car in drive and pull up the driveway as soon as the gate opens and park next to Tristan’s A7. From my peripheral vision, I see Teresa’s head spin around, and I know what she must be thinking – a Lexus, a Bentley, an Audi, and since recently, a Tesla. Needless to say my family, plus party members, like their cars fast and expensive.
“It’s quite the carpark, isn’t it?” she remarks dryly.
“Yep,” I reply as I cut the engine. I almost feel like apologizing. The security guard back at the gate was right; my car is barely functioning, and it’s about damn time to move on to the next one if it weren’t for the fact I couldn’t give two shits about vehicles. I happily invest thousands of dollars in a set of copper pots and pans, but never, ever, in a car, no matter how fast it gets me from A to B.
I open the door and circle the car to open Teresa’s side, then hear Harley announcing our arrival from inside the house. “Are you afraid of dogs?”
“Generally, no, but I’m just not too sure about the barking mastiff.”
I cock a brow.
“Hannah showed me a picture when I thought Harley was her son.”
I chuckle as I take our bags from the trunk. “I think that’s exactly what she thinks, because she sure as hell treats him like her son. Anyway, he’s huggable. A bad motherfucker, but okay. Keeps out the bad people.”
“Are we still talking about the dog, or the man by the gate?” she asks, winking.
“Yeah, well...”
“You don’t need to explain, Josh,” she says, then gawks as the house comes into view. “Oh my, what a lovely house...”
“Don’t
know if you’re interested in old architecture, but it’s Victorian. You can tell by the steep, gabled roofs, and the porches everywhere.”
“I’m fascinated by history in general, and that includes historic homes on condition they’re not haunted, because that would scare the bejesus out of me.”
“Don’t worry, as far as we know, this farmhouse was the site of only two deaths somewhere in the eighteen-hundreds, and every now and then, the antiques move of their own accord, but that’s pretty much it.”
She stops dead in her tracks. “You’re kidding, right?”
“Right,” I reassure with a wink. “Nothing fucked up happened in here, so no angry ghosts roaming the house. You don’t have to sleep with the lights on tonight.”
She exhales a relieved breath. “It must be wonderful to spend the holidays here with your family.”
“I only go if my sister’s here too, but that’s not usually the case. Most of the time she’s touring with her band outside the country.”
“That must be lonely for you.”
“The kitchen is a great distraction. I’m sure you know all about it.”
“Yes,” she admits quietly, then her eyes brighten as we ascend the staircase to the front porch. Rows of Christmas trees, decorated with lights and ribbons, flank each side. “What a great welcoming!”
I smile down on her. She looks too cute if not naughty with that green knitted hat on her head. “Ready to meet my family? They can be a bit overwhelming.”
“Let’s bring them on,” she says, laughing. “Spanish roots, remember? Overwhelming doesn’t send me running for the hills.”
“I’ll remind you of that when they’re giving you the third degree.”
At that moment, the door opens, and Aunt Louise, her eyes shining and smiling, and dressed in a stylish outfit, comes out to greet us. “Josh, finally...” she says, squeezing me like a mother bear would her cub.
“It’s good to be here, Aunt Louise. You look amazing, as always. How are you?” It’s not a meaningless compliment. She’s sixty-six, but shows no signs of looking her age, and definitely gives much younger women a run for their money.
“Thank you, darling. I’m feeling great. Why don’t you introduce me to this lovely young lady?”
Joshua Page 19