“No, but I had them checked out pretty thoroughly. I wanted to know any potential roadblocks up front. Not that I was going to let anything stop me, but I just wanted to know about them. Hell, Sam, they’re college students. They’re at the experimentation age. They’re supposed to have an open mind about stuff like this.” Chance dropped his head in his hands.
Sam looked at his friend in horror. This was not the Chance Reynolds he was used to seeing. Chance always had a plan. If something went wrong, he went under it, over it, or around it. When he said as much, Chance told Sam that he didn’t understand.
“Those two girls are Josie’s life. Sam, if they aren’t on board, then there is no way Josie will go for this,” he explained.
“We don’t know for sure what Becca said. Josie’s sick. She could be overreacting to one little thing, blowing it all out of proportion.”
Chance got up and poured himself another drink. “I pray to God you’re right.”
Chance was passed out in his bedroom when Sam went in to take Josie’s temperature. He’d been in periodically to make her drink water and apple juice and to see if she needed to go to the bathroom. He hated to have to wake her up again, but he wanted to ensure that her fever hadn’t increased. He’d called Betty after Chance downed his seventh shot of whiskey and went to bed. Just hearing his foster mom’s soothing voice made him feel better. She’d explained that the flu was going around, and it was likely Josie caught it on the airplane flying to Florida.
Sam asked if Betty had known about Josie’s trip to visit the girls, and she admitted she had. Sam asked why Josie felt it was necessary to see her sisters just prior to their planned visit for spring break. Betty tried to explain how Josie just felt it was important not to surprise the girls with her relationship when they arrived. Sam was still wrapping his head around the fact that Josie had flown down to Florida, instead of telephoning or Skyping. It said a lot about her sense of responsibility.
When he got to the master suite, Josie was sitting up, reaching for a glass of water.
“Hey, before you drink that, can we take your temperature?” Sam asked.
“Sure.” Josie patted down her hair and pulled up the blankets, ensuring that she was completely covered.
“Baby, it’s a little late to be covering up now. Who do you think put you to bed?” Sam winked. He shook out the thermometer and popped it under her tongue. She stared up at him, taken by his smile. “If your fever is down, do you want to come out to the living room?” he asked.
She nodded her head. He reached down and pulled the thermometer out of her mouth and read it.
“Looking good,” he said. “Your fever is down to a hundred.”
“If that’s good, what was it before?”
“When we got to your apartment, it was about a hundred and three. Why didn’t you call us, Baby?”
She turned her head away from him. He let it go for the moment, focused instead on lifting her up along with the comforter, and taking her to the living room.
“I can walk, you know.”
“I know. I just like holding you.” He placed her gently on the sofa.
“Where’s Chance?”
“He’s feeling a bit under the weather.”
“Oh, no! Did he catch the flu?” she worried.
“No, it was a totally man-made illness. He drank too much, and passed out,” Sam explained. He grabbed the afghan off the back of the couch, wrapped it around her, too, then handed her the remote control to the television.
“Oh, no you don’t,” she said, trying to hand back the remote. “You need to explain why Chance drank himself into a stupor.” Josie gave Sam a hard look.
“If you really want to talk, Baby, then it is going to go both ways. You’re going to have to explain exactly what happened in Florida. I’ll want to know who said what. Are you really up for having that conversation now?” he challenged.
Josie looked down at the remote control, which suddenly seemed to have a lot more appeal.
“That’s what I thought. Why don’t you and I just sit here and cuddle tonight, and save all the heavy stuff for tomorrow?”
“That sounds really good, Sam. Thank you.” She curled into his warm arms and they spent the night not paying attention to the television.
The next morning, Chance found them asleep on the couch. He called Elise and told her that Josie was sick and not coming into the bakery. He then went into the kitchen and made some oatmeal and toast for Josie, and bacon and eggs for him and Sam. Sam must have smelled the food or the coffee because he shuffled into the kitchen.
“How’s Josie doing?” Chance asked.
“Her fever was down to a hundred last night. We’ll need to take it again this morning.”
“Did you guys talk about her trip?”
“No, she wasn’t up for it, and I didn’t push. We just vegged out in front of the TV.” Sam reached for a plate and started serving himself.
“Is she awake?”
“Nope, she’s still out cold. I thought you would be, too,” Sam said dryly. “Let’s just eat, then we can wake her up, take her temp, and see if she’s up for solid food. Eat up.” Sam motioned to the food that Chance had prepared.
Chance made a plate and sat down at the island. “You don’t seem worse for the wear,” Sam finally said.
“I got up in the middle of the night and took some aspirin and drank a lot of water. I think all the booze helped to clear my head.”
“Jesus, Chance, you are the only person in the world who would say getting shitfaced cleared their mind.” Sam shook his head at his friend.
“What can I say? I’m a breed of my own.” Chance put down his fork and finished his orange juice, then lowered his voice. “Even if Josie caught some grief from her sisters, we could still work past that.”
“How do you figure that?” Sam asked.
“We win them over. They’re planning on coming to visit in three weeks for spring break. We make sure that they meet every permanent triad relationship in town, and we woo them with our charm. If that doesn’t work, we take out our big guns.” Sam raised his eyebrow. “We sic Betty on them.”
The knot of fear that had started in his stomach yesterday afternoon when Josie started crying, the one that had grown exponentially with every shot Chance had drunk, was now beginning to unravel. Sam hadn’t realized how much he depended on his brother to come up with an idea, but that was his role. Chance came up with the plans, and Sam executed and enforced them. That’s how it had been all their lives. Chance had an idea now, and it had potential.
Sam smiled. “Okay, let’s go wake up our girl, and find out what we’re up against.”
Chapter 26
Josie luxuriated in the feel of her hair being stroked. She couldn’t imagine a better way to wake up, until she felt big, warm hands massaging the arch of her foot. She thrust into the magical fingers pushing into the bottom of her foot. Sam, she thought to herself, recognizing his touch, and the way her hair was being brushed back from her face, she knew those hands belonged to Chance. She was having a tough time remembering how they’d gotten into her apartment, but when they were making her feel so good, who really cared?
“Zee, it’s time to wake up. Do you feel good enough to eat something?” Chance whispered softly in her ear, causing tendrils of hair to blow and tickle her neck. Her stomach growled.
“I guess that answers the question.” Sam laughed.
“Let’s get you sitting up, Honey. Before you get anything to eat or drink, we have to take your temperature, okay?” They maneuvered her into a sitting position resting against Sam, while Chance placed the thermometer in her mouth. Before she ate, she so wanted to brush her teeth. Opening her mouth for Chance made her want to cringe. She rubbed her neck. It was killing her. As a matter of fact, her entire body felt like she’d been run over by a Mac truck. Chance pulled the thermometer out of her mouth and read it.
“Okay, it’s a little less than a hundred, so it’s down from
last night,” he said. “Do you feel like some oatmeal or toast?”
“Maybe you’d like both, huh, Baby?” Sam asked. He reached up and brushed her hand away from her neck and started to rub her shoulders. God, his hands felt wonderful, it’s like he knew all the perfect places to rub.
“I’d really like to brush my teeth, then I’d like to know how I got here. The last thing I remember, I was sick at my house.” Josie stood up, then immediately plopped back down on the couch for two reasons. One, she realized she was naked. Why am I always naked around these two men? Two, she realized she was as weak as a kitten, and needed to get up a whole hell of a lot slower.
Chance grinned at her, and Sam looked concerned. She turned to Chance.
“So, explain to me why the hell I’m here, and not at my place.” She wrapped the comforter around her, trying to cover all the important bits.
“We hadn’t been able to reach you since Friday night. When we went to Sweet Dreams Saturday afternoon, Elise spilled the beans and said you’d gone to Florida and she expected you back on Tuesday. We figured you’d call us when you got back. When you didn’t, we went over to your apartment. That’s when we found you delirious with fever. You scared us to death.” Chance ran his fingers through his blond curls in frustration.
“Fine, I had the flu and I didn’t feel like talking! I just needed some alone time to get well. It’s not the first time I’ve been sick alone and had to take care of myself.” If she had to yell at him, she at least wanted some mouthwash.
“It’ll damn well be the last time!” Sam roared. “There will be no more leaving across the country without telling us and getting so sick you almost need to go to the hospital without calling us for help.” Josie pressed her back against Chance’s chest as Sam pushed into her space.
“I’m a big girl. I have been taking care of myself for years just fine,” Josie yelled back, hurting her head in the process.
“You’re one of the strongest and most capable people I’ve ever met, Baby,” Sam relented. “I’m just saying you have two people who want to be here for you, who want to make your life easier because they care about you. Now don’t yell anymore. You’re hurting your head.” He reached around her and massaged the back of her scalp in slow, soothing circles. Josie dropped her head onto his chest.
“Still want to brush my teeth,” she slurred into the muscled warmth of his chest.
“Give yourself a minute,” Chance said, as his hands began to knead her shoulders. Josie’s fingers released the blanket, giving Chance more to massage. These men have talent, she thought. She was never going to win an argument at this rate.
When her stomach growled again, they both slowly stopped their ministrations and got her back up to a sitting position. “Let me carry you to the bathroom,” Sam offered.
Josie laughed. “I have the flu, not a broken leg.”
“All right, let me walk you to the bathroom, so you can brush your teeth.” Sam smiled down at her.
“That’d be a no. Seriously, I’m fine.” She got up, then almost fell back down on her butt. She gave a rough laugh and looked up at too unsmiling faces.
“I’m carrying you,” Sam grated out.
“You can put your arm around me and help me to the bathroom,” Josie growled back.
“Josie—” Sam started.
“Sam, you of all people should know how important it is not to be treated like an invalid.”
She watched as he relaxed.
“You’re right. I wasn’t getting it. I’m sorry.” He offered his hand and she took it. Then as she gathered the blanket around her to stand up again, he wrapped his arm around her, and they started down the hall.
“I’ll start on a fresh plate of food for you,” Chance said.
“Thanks,” she smiled.
After Josie was done in the bathroom, she made her way to the bed and sat down.
“How about we just get you a nightie?” Sam pulled out one of the exquisite pieces of silk from the fourth drawer.
“Sam, can I just sleep in one of your shirts?” Josie asked.
Sam pulled back the covers and got her settled. “Let me go get one from my room. I’ll be right back.”
She frowned, knowing she wanted to ask something but was having trouble plucking the question from the fog inside her brain. He placed a kiss on her forehead and left the room. Josie rested against the pillows, and when he finally got back, she had figured out her question.
“Why aren’t your clothes in one of the dressers? Chance has his clothes in that one.” Josie indicated the dresser to the right side of hers.
“I guess for the same reason you didn’t tell us you were going to Florida, or that you were sick,” Sam said slowly. “Let’s call it out. Chance is already in the deep end, but you and I are in the shallow end.” Sam helped Josie into his T-shirt, and she absorbed what he was saying. She looked down at her hands. “Hey, look at me, Baby. I didn’t say that to make you feel bad. I’m just not sure about this whole relationship with the three of us working. You and Chance make sense to me. There’s not a doubt in my head that you two could live happily ever after. But I have my doubts about adding me to the picture.” Sam’s voice trailed off.
“Can you come here?” She patted the spot beside her on the bed. Sam sat down with a wary look on his face.
Josie opened her mouth to talk, but her throat was thick with tears.
“Hey. What’s wrong? You feeling worse?” Sam cupped her cheeks and pressed his lips to her forehead. “Doesn’t feel like your fever has spiked.”
She shook her head and her curls whirled around them both. “No, it’s not that,” she choked out. “I can’t believe you don’t realize how much I adore you. Sam, I came alive when you walked into my life. I never realized how dark everything was until you brought in the sun. You, Sam, you make me feel cherished. But that’s not the reason I will forever hold you in my heart.”
Josie leaned forward and brushed a lock of hair away from his forehead so she could see his scar. She brushed her thumb against it. “I love you for the brave, loyal, and loving man that you are. To Chance, to Betty and Butch, and to Leif, but most of all to me.”
He drew in a deep breath. Before he could say something, she covered his lips with her hand. “Wait, I’m not done. You said I was in the shallow end. You’re wrong. I love you. I love Chance. I want a relationship between the three of us to work with my whole heart. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t have gone to Florida. I can’t tell you how sorry I am that I made you think I didn’t love you.”
Sam’s stare seemed to go on forever.
“Ah God, Josie,” he choked out. “I don’t want you to ever, not ever, think that you haven’t crawled into my heart and taken residence. Because you have. I love you, Woman. That shallow end of the pool? God, I have my head up my ass.”
“Does that mean you’re moving your clothes?”
Once again, his eyes glittered, but this time she saw that it was definitely with tears.
“Baby. Tell me,” she begged.
“Every time I see you. Every time I picture a future for us. I keep seeing Rhonda and Nathan and Leroy. I can’t get them out of my head. Rhonda was engaged to be married. Did I tell you that?”
Josie’s shoulders slumped. It wasn’t the scars on the outside, it was the much deeper scars on the inside.
“No, you never told me about Rhonda,” she answered.
“Just know I love you. Fuck, I even love Chance—”
“Hey, I never signed up for you loving, loving me,” Chance chimed in as he brought in a tray. “I mean, yeah, I brought up the ménage thing, but I thought—”
“Go fuck yourself, Reynolds,” Sam said without heat.
Josie snickered at their antics. Once again, Chance had managed to diffuse an emotionally turbulent situation. Was it any wonder that she wanted to fight for this relationship?
“I brought you breakfast Josie, you need to eat, and I want to hear about the trip to Florida.” C
hance sat down right beside Josie, picked up the spoon, and handed it to her.
Josie hesitated. There was so much more she wanted to say to Sam. But, what could she say?
This time Sam sighed. “He’s right, you need to eat.”
Josie took a reluctant bite of her oatmeal. As soon as she swallowed, she realized just how hungry she was, and started to really eat.
“So, Florida,” Chance prompted. “Why did you think it was necessary to fly out there in the first place? They’re going to be out here in three weeks.”
Josie set down her spoon and took a sip of juice, trying to get her thoughts together. “I’ve raised them. Becca can normally roll with things, but Sarah needs a little more time to get information and think it over. She never does well when she feels like something has been sprung on her.”
“So why not tell them over Skype?” Sam asked.
“If there was fall-out, I wanted to be there for a couple of days. Like I said, Sarah takes time to process things.”
Sam nodded. Figured, Sam was like Sarah in that. Chance was more like Becca.
“So, it must have been really bad, huh?” Chance nudged her to have another sip of her juice.
“You would have thought so by how bad I was reacting yesterday, but I think some of that was because of the flu. Now that I have a little time and distance, I really think I overreacted. I mean this is tough, don’t get me wrong. But I’ve sure as hell dealt with tougher. Boy, have I dealt with tougher, and so have they.” She grinned.
“What’s tough about this?” Chance frowned. “I thought this was pretty good.”
“What’s tough is that Sarah is really happy, and I quote, ‘thrilled you have two boyfriends who treat you well after the douchebag’.”
Sam snorted out a laugh. “I’m with Team Sarah. Now what about Becca?”
Josie felt her bottom lip tremble, despite all the talk about being tough.
“Becca said that a relationship like ours wasn’t normal. She wants me to get married and have kids so she can be an aunt. She said she just didn’t feel that in her heart it was the right thing for me to do. Then she hugged me.”
Theirs To Treasure: Happily Ever After (Fate Harbor Book 1) Page 19
