Welcome to Blissville

by Walker, Aimee Nicole

  “Oh, Sally Ann. I love you so much,” I told her. “I’m taking this memory to the grave, but not before I bring it up at every single one of Adrianna’s birthday parties. My Lord, girl. That’s just priceless.”

  “And painful,” Gabe muttered. I could tell he was squeezing his pucker tight in reaction to her vivid comparison.

  “I’m sorry,” Sally Ann said tearfully. “You’re only trying to help, and I didn’t mean to turn on you.”

  “Honey, you can call me every name in the book; I won’t care,” Adrian assured softly, as he ran his hand over the top of her head. “I’d take this pain for you if I could.” Sally Ann sniffled as she nodded her head. Adrian leaned forward and kissed her forehead tenderly. I was a sucker for forehead kisses, and I felt my eyes tearing up.

  I caught Gabe’s eyes and tipped my head toward the door so he’d follow me out into the hallway. “I think they could use some private time,” I said once he joined me.

  “I agree with you. Want to grab a snack or something?” Gabe asked me.

  “Want to find a supply closet and make out?” I counteroffered.

  “Oh, you’re my favorite kind of snack.” Gabe hooked his arm around my neck and pulled me close so he could growl and nibble on the flesh there.

  “Gross,” a man said hotly, reminding me that we were in public.

  Gabe turned loose of me and looked in the direction of the person who was offended by our PDA. There were several people who had passed us in the hallway, so it was impossible to know who had run their mouths.

  “Who gives a damn what they think?” I asked, slipping my fingers between Gabe’s and giving him a little tug so that we could continue with our day and forget the loser.

  “Frankly, not me, Scarlett,” Gabe replied in his best Rhett Butler voice.

  “That movie you know,” I said, tossing my hands up in the air.

  “It’s my mother and grandmother’s favorite movie. I probably know every word by heart,” he confessed.

  “Did you crush on Rhett?” I asked him. I mean, who didn’t? Ashley was a horrible weasel.

  “I sure as hell didn’t crush on that loser Ashley,” he scoffed.

  “That’s my man,” I said approvingly, giving his hand a squeeze. “How’d your meeting go with Prosecutor Buxton?” Gabe’s laughter at my question caught me by surprise. “What’s funny about Pamela Buxton? She seems kind of kick-ass.”

  “There’s nothing funny about Prosecutor Buxton,” Gabe said. He leaned closer and lowered his voice. “She and Dorchester used to date. He got all flustered and pink-cheeked around her this morning. It was hilarious.” Then Gabe told me about how his teasing backfired when he fell for a bullshit story that Dorchester made up. “He didn’t like it when I razzed him at the station later in front of Adrian and Whitworth.”

  We had arrived at the hospital cafeteria by the time Gabe finished his story. “You’re not the only one with gossip to share. In fact, mine is juicier than yours,” I boasted proudly.

  “Are we still talking about gossip or have you moved onto how juicy your…” I covered his mouth with my hand. No one around us wanted to know about my load of joy juice chilling out in my sac just waiting to be sprayed all over my man. I felt Gabe’s lips curve into a smile beneath my hand.

  “Behave now, and I’ll tell you all about it. You’re not going to believe it,” I said, using our familiar phrase.

  “Try me,” Gabe said, using the familiar response.

  “It was Chaz that was playing World of Warcraft with Kyle,” I told him.

  “What? That’s great!” A deep V formed in his brow as his happiness gave way to confusion. “Why are we acting like this is a secret. They have Friends and WoW. I’ve seen people with less in common give it a go.”

  Like us, I thought. “I know, Gabe, but Chaz feels pretty inadequate compared to Dr. Delicious.”

  “Will you quit calling Kyle those names?” he asked with a hint of aggravation. “I’d like to pretend that you don’t notice things about other men and I’m the only one you see. Let me have my delusions for a little while, okay?”

  I narrowed my eyes at Gabe but decided not to address his absurd remark right then. “Anyway, Chaz created a false identity to go undercover for the book that he wrote and he happened to run into Dr. Dreadfully Ugly in the process. They struck up a friendship then Chaz bolted when he got the impression that Kyle wanted to take things further.”

  “Kyle was ready for that step,” Gabe said. “Wait a minute,” he said after a brief pause. “What book?”

  “Oh! That’s the best part. Remember that book I read Easter weekend about the guy who fell in love with another gamer he met online.”

  “The one where the love interest turned out to be a serial killer?” Gabe asked.

  “Yes!” I told him. “That’s Chaz’s book. He’s C.B. Hesterson!” I said excitedly.

  “Really? Wow!” Gabe tilted his head to the side, and I could tell he was rolling the discovery around in his brain. “That book was really hot. Do you think he based any of it on real activities between him and Dimples?”

  “Art imitating life kind of thing?” I asked.

  “I think the saying is ‘life imitating art,’ but I guess what you said applies more in this instance,” Gabe said. He pulled me to him and smiled down at me. “Just what are we going to do about this new development?”

  “We’re not going to do anything about it,” I told Gabe. “They’re both adults who are capable of making decisions on what’s best for them.”

  “What you’re saying is that you haven’t formulated a plan yet,” Gabe replied.

  “Yeah, pretty much,” I agreed. “How about you buy me some of that fancy chocolate cake and a cup of coffee so I can start my plotting and planning.”

  “Or, why don’t we use this time to pick up where we left off this morning. I want to make an offer on that house before it gets away from us,” Gabe said.

  I doubted that anyone would wrestle us over the mansion, but it probably was best not to take that for granted. For all I knew, Rocky was trying to find a way to get that house back for himself. Georgia would love for kids to live in her home, but probably not the ones that came from his loins. Little rat bastard. “I haven’t given it too much thought yet, but I …”

  “Josh?”

  I turned to see who interrupted me and found myself face to face with a man I hadn’t seen in a very long time. “Trent! Wow, I didn’t expect to run into you here. I’d heard you’d gone to Ohio State University to medical school.”

  His eyes moved appraisingly up and down my body before he answered me. “I did, and now I’m doing my residency here.” Trent’s eyes flickered to Gabe as if he just realized he was standing there. “Hi, I’m Dr. Adamson,” he said, extending his hand to Gabe. Trent winced slightly when Gabe gripped his hand.

  “Josh’s fiancé,” Gabe said sharply.

  “Ahhhh,” Trent said, and wisely took a step back. “Well, it was good seeing you again, Josh. Nice to meet you, Josh’s fiancé.” He chuckled then walked away.

  “About that chocolate cake,” I said, nudging Gabe.

  “I don’t like him,” Gabe said, still watching the doctor walk away.

  “Me either,” I agreed. I tugged on Gabe’s burgundy silk tie until he looked at me. “We’ll probably never see him again.”

  Famous last words because guess who was doing his obstetrics and gynecology rotation with Sally Ann’s doctor? Yep, Doctor Dildo. The look on Gabe’s face when he walked in the door was priceless. I’ll give Trent credit, he remained professional and avoided looking in Gabe’s direction whenever they were in the same room.

  Gabe and I hung out with the expectant couple when it looked like they needed company and gave them privacy when they didn’t. Adrian’s parents showed up after dinner to spend time with them, and Sally Ann learned that her parents were boarding the first flight they could get from Maine. It was a long night, but one that I’d never forget as lo
ng as I lived when I got to hold Adrianna Marie Goode in my arms for the first time around eleven o’clock that night.

  “She’s so tiny,” I told Gabe. “I’m not sure I ever want a little person this small.”

  “She sure is perfect.” Gabe ran his finger over her tiny fists. “You did great, Sally Ann.”

  “What about me?” Adrian asked.

  “What about you?” Sally Ann countered. “I did all the hard work, and she doesn’t even look a thing like me. She’s definitely your girl.”

  “I’ll share her with you,” Adrian promised, grinning from ear to ear.

  We didn’t stay much later because the new parents were exhausted and we were looking a bit droopy ourselves. Neither Gabe nor I said much on the way home, but I loved our comfortable silences. We had our individual space while being together at the same time. We got ready for bed after we paid attention to our pets. Gabe got in bed and curled around me big-spoon fashion like he was holding me close and protecting me from the world at the same time.

  “I can’t wait to start a family with you, Sunshine,” Gabe said softly in my ear.

  “Not even married and you’re already plotting out the little Gabes,” I teased. Hell, we hadn’t even hammered out the details of buying the mansion yet, and we were already filling it with kids. “I can’t wait either, babe.”

  “Tomorrow we’ll have our talk about the house,” Gabe said. “No more putting it off.”

  “Deal,” I said after I yawned big enough to crack my jaws. “Tomorrow.”

  Life has a way of inserting itself at the most inconvenient times and reminding you that you’re not really in charge. Discussing a mortgage versus buying our home outright seemed like a quick conversation two men who were devoted to making a future together would have as soon as possible. As I’d come to learn, nothing with Josh happened quick and it sure as hell wasn’t easy.

  My man was very complicated, and I could see that he was working through his thoughts on the subject. I knew Josh; he wanted to be fair to me, but he wanted to make a decision that made him comfortable too. Accepting a house outright wasn’t going to be one of them. I also suspected that something else was weighing on his mind, but I couldn’t figure it out for the life of me.

  As much as it bothered me that he wouldn’t let me buy the house for us, I respected the struggle he was waging inside. The only thing I could do was let the attorney representing Georgia’s estate know that Josh and I would be buying the home. He was relieved to hear it and promised that he had no issue with waiting for us to make arrangements to buy it. With that assurance in hand, I was fine to sit back and wait for him.

  It wasn’t until the following Saturday, the eve of his apple pie bake-off with Deanna, that he brought it up again. “I think I’ve found a solution to our problem,” he said while peeling apples.

  “What problem?” I asked as if I didn’t know what he meant. To me, it was more of a compromise than a problem.

  Josh gave me the look I expected to receive for the rest of my life when I was acting deliberately obtuse. He raised one brow high over a wide eye and narrowed the other into a one-eyed squint. He gave new meaning to the term two-faced; half surprised and half annoyed. I’d never seen anyone wear two expressions simultaneously and look adorable while doing it. I bit down on my bottom lip so I wouldn’t laugh because I could tell he was serious, plus he held a sharp knife in his hand.

  Josh let out a resigned sigh then turned back to slicing his apples. “Gabriel,” he said in a tone I expected him to use on our future children someday when they were working his last nerve. “You know damn well what I’m talking about so don’t be cute.”

  “I was born this way. My mama said so,” I said smugly. Josh released a cute snort but he didn’t stop his work to argue with me. Secretly, I think he agreed which was why he wasn’t fussing with me over my choice of words.

  “I’m not comfortable with you buying the house outright with no financial contribution from me at all,” he said. I started to open my mouth to argue, but Josh raised his hand holding the knife in the air to stop me. He resumed talking and slicing at the same time. How he didn’t cut off a finger was beyond me. “I needed to find a compromise and work my way through this to see how much of it was pride and how much was practicality. I think I’ve figured it out.”

  “I think I’m ready to listen,” I said.

  “As I said, I’m not comfortable with you buying the house outright, but you have a valid point that we don’t need two mortgages. What you don’t know is that my parents sold this house to me for what they paid for it in the ’70s, which wasn’t much at all. The value of the house was four times what I owed on it before I made renovations to modernize it. I’ve had greater success than I ever imagined and have been able to save a substantial amount of money in a relatively short time.” Josh put his knife down and turned to face me. “I want to be your equal, your partner in every way. I can afford to pay for half of the house myself and then we won’t need a mortgage for the property.”

  “We are making progress, but I think you’re failing to see that we wouldn’t be equal partners in the true sense of the word.” I looped my hand around his waist and pulled him closer. “How is it fair for you to keep the mortgage on this property and deplete a huge portion of your savings to pay for half of the new house?”

  “I can’t let you buy the house all by yourself. That’s not right,” Josh argued. “Then I’ll use my money to pay off this mortgage, and we can finance the new house together.”

  “I don’t want you depleting your savings account to make this happen, Josh.” It was rare that I called him anything other than Sunshine, but I needed him to see how serious I was.

  “It’s okay to deplete your savings but not mine?” he asked irritably.

  “The funds I’d use to buy the house isn’t money that I earned or saved. It’s an inheritance left to me by my grandparents to do something that will make me happy. That was seriously the only instructions they left me. ‘Be happy.’ You make me happy. Building a life with you makes me happier. I’ll still have the money I’ve been saving since I was old enough to work. That won’t be the same for you so how is that equal?”

  Josh nodded his head slightly to the right, and I knew what I said was sinking in. “Okay, then I’ll make you part owner of the salon.” Then again, maybe not. “I see that look,” he said, rolling his eyes. “You want me just to let you buy a house and slap my name on it without paying a cent out of pocket, yet you aren’t willing to be listed as an owner of this property and business. Why? Is my business too girly for you?”

  “Don’t you even go there. I can’t believe you’d say that to me, Josh. I thought we got past my mistake.” He paled at the anger he heard in my voice.

  “We did,” he said so softly I could barely hear him.

  “Apparently, we didn’t if you think that I’m embarrassed by what you do or that I think it’s somehow less significant than my career. I have never implied that to you, Josh. I’m extremely proud of the business you’ve built on your own.”

  “Uh oh, still using my first name,” he muttered.

  “Damn right I am,” I said fiercely. It was our first real fight since the time Josh threw me out of his salon before Thanksgiving the previous year and ended the something we’d just started. Damn, I was angry. Too angry to stand there in the kitchen with him right then. I needed space, fresh air, and time to myself to get over the knife he figuratively stabbed through my heart. I grabbed Buddy’s leash off the hook and said, “I’m going out for a bit. I’ll be back.”

  “You better,” Josh said firmly, but I still heard the fear in his voice. So that he had no doubt about my intention, I slid my hand around to cup the back of his neck and pulled him to me for a hard but brief kiss.

  I let out a short whistle for Buddy to come to me. “Dirty Dog!” Savage squawked jealously from his cage, making me smile.

  “I love you, Dirty Bird,” I told him as I walked by hi
m. Savage lived in a large cage and we let him out of it frequently, but I felt it wasn’t enough. Hell, that mansion was so damned big he could have his own bird paradise inside.

  The thoughts of creating a space for Savage brought me back around to the reason I was taking Buddy for an evening stroll. I knew Josh well enough to realize that he hadn’t meant to hurt me by striking out the way he did. He was scared about the changes in his life and falling back into old habits of projecting his fear into anger—even when it wasn’t warranted.

  Instead of me telling him he had nothing to fear, I needed to find an argument that would make sense to him and not feel like I manipulated him to bend to my will. There was one part of Josh’s life where his pride never wavered, and that was his salon. His business was his first love and the fact that he offered me half of his business was a huge deal. One that I didn’t fully appreciate when he mentioned it because it surprised me so much.

  To him, my perceived rejection was the same as someone calling his baby ugly. It was an insult to him. That was never my intention. What I meant was that I didn’t want ownership of something that I didn’t earn and… Oh, that’s how he felt about me buying the mansion outright. Okay, so I got it, but how did I fix it?

  I continued my walk, trying to figure out the perfect answer to the puzzle that would make us both happy. I didn’t want two mortgages, and I finally acknowledged that me buying the house alone wasn’t right either. I determined that the best answer would be to talk to a banker to find a solution that would make us both happy, which meant that we would own both properties equally but only carry one mortgage.

  The night was beautiful with the sunset casting shades of pink and gold over the small town. Buddy seemed to be enjoying the walk so I didn’t turn back around right away after I concluded that Josh and I would need professional recommendations to make us both happy. I let Buddy take the lead and smiled when I realized he was taking me on the same path that he and Josh took for their morning runs. The gazebo in the little park was the midway point, and I noticed that it was currently occupied.