Her Boss: Braxton Brothers Series Book One

by Meyer, Anne-Marie

  He was stronger than this. He was stronger than his cheating ex-wife.

  “I’m so sorry, Josh. She was a fool.” Beth’s voice was soft and soothing. And he loved it.

  Glancing over at her, the desire to kiss her took over. Her lips were soft and supple, and her spirit was sweet and gentle. Everything Cindy wasn’t.

  He swallowed as he allowed his gaze to linger on her lips. He didn’t even care if she noticed. And when he met her gaze, he saw something there. A desire that filled his chest.

  She wanted him too.

  He set down his glass on the table and stood. Throwing caution to the wind, he reached out and grabbed her hand. A soft tug, and she was standing—inches from his chest.

  He could feel her heavy breathing as he wrapped his arm around her waist and drew her in close.

  “Josh,” she whispered.

  When he glanced down at her, he saw her eyes were wide and there was a hint of fear in them. She was worried, and that was the last thing he wanted her to feel.

  “Beth,” he said, cradling her cheek against his palm. “I don’t know how…” He let his words drift off as he debated what to say. Just as he gathered his strength to be truthful with her, a phone rang.

  It was coming from Beth.

  Her eyes widened as she reached behind her and pulled it out. One glance at the screen made her face drop. In a matter of moments, she pulled away.

  “I—I’ve got to go,” she said.

  Before Josh could respond, she was gone, and he was standing on his balcony alone and confused. Worried that he’d just made a giant mistake.

  Chapter Twelve

  Beth groaned as her alarm sounded the next morning. She flung her arm over her eyes as she attempted to block out the world.

  Just when she thought she and Josh would have their moment, her phone rang. Sam. Mom wouldn’t stop throwing up, so Beth had rushed home to help load her up into the car and take her to St. Jude’s in Jordan, an hour away. It have been a long night, but the doctors eventually calmed Mom’s stomach down, and she was going to be there for the next 24 hours for observation.

  It wasn’t until two in the morning that Beth finally crawled into bed and fell asleep.

  Her alarm sounded again. It didn’t seem to care how stressed she was, it had a job to do. Groaning, she pulled the blankets off her lap and stumbled into the bathroom, where she showered and dried off.

  She threw on a white shirt and jean shorts, slipped on her Converses, and threw her hair up into a messy bun. With the way she felt, today was a casual day.

  After a quick bowl of cereal, Beth slipped out of the house. There was no way she wanted to stay in that place a moment longer. Everything reminded her of how sick her mom was.

  The sun was peeking up over the horizon as she crossed the street and made her way up the Braxtons’ driveway. The sky was streaked with purples and yellows.

  She climbed the garage stairs two at a time, and when she got to the top, she knocked.

  When no one responded, she turned to handle to discover that it was unlocked. Quietly, she pushed it open, half expecting Jordan to be on the couch, watching TV. But there was no one there. She entered and slipped off her shoes.

  The apartment was eerily quiet as she glanced around. Not wanting to just stand there, she made her way into the kitchen and located the peanut butter and jam from their grocery shopping trip and set them on the counter.

  Might as well get lunch covered right now. She wasn’t sure what was happening with Jordan and Tanner, so she figured being prepared was the smartest option.

  “Jordan, what are you doing?” Josh’s voice grew louder.

  Beth tensed as she closed her eyes. The memory of their almost-kiss the night before washed over her. What had she been thinking? There was no way she was ready for any of that. Not with Zander’s words still lingering in her mind or with her mother lying in a hospital bed.

  She was a fool to think that anything could happen between them.

  “Beth, you’re early,” Josh’s voice sounded from behind her.

  Gathering her strength, she turned and almost dropped the butter knife. Josh was standing in the kitchen with just a towel wrapped around his waist. His hair was damp, and drops of water still clung to his shoulders, chest, and…

  “Yeah…I…” Words weren’t forming in her mind. All she could think about was his muscular chest and toned abs. Instead she just nodded as she unscrewed the peanut butter cap and dipped the knife into it.

  The tension between them was thick. Beth could probably cut it with the knife she was holding.

  “Sorry. I thought Jordan was getting into things. I’ll go get dressed,” he mumbled as he backed up toward the hallway.

  Beth nodded, keeping her gaze trained on the sandwich bread. He turned and left. Once he was gone, she let out the breath she’d been holding.

  Wow. Time had certainly been good to Josh. How was she supposed to stay away from him when he wandered around the house in a towel? Next time, she was not coming in until she was certain everyone was up and dressed.

  There was no way she could keep her resolve if she saw him half-dressed on a regular basis.

  Once the sandwiches were made, she packed them in a black cooler she’d found under the sink and continued collecting lunch items from the kitchen. By the time she was zipping the top closed, Josh came back into the kitchen, this time dressed in dark jeans and a black t-shirt.

  He had a concerned expression when he met her gaze.

  Worry brewed inside of her, and she stepped toward him. “What’s wrong?”

  Josh cleared his throat as he walked over to the kitchen counter and flipped on the coffee maker. “Jordan’s not feeling too good. He’s…kind of warm.” He took down a mug from the cupboard above him and set it down on the counter.

  “Okay, what can I do?” A protective feeling clung to her chest as she thought about that little boy. Even though it had been only days since she met him, she couldn’t help but care for him. Much like she was rapidly doing for his father.

  “Just keep him here and monitor him.” Josh scoffed as he ran his hand through his hair. “Squirt didn’t even want to get out of bed. That’s how you know it’s bad.” He sighed as he pulled the coffee pot from the base and poured himself a cup.

  After a few sips, he set his mug down and glanced over at Beth. She must have looked worried because his furrowed brow relaxed.

  “Don’t worry, Beth. I’m sure he’ll be fine. Kids get fevers all the time. We just need to monitor it.”

  Even though Josh was trying to help her feel better, it wasn’t really working. Not when every pet her parents had given, her had met an untimely death. She didn’t need a repeat of her gecko or hamster.

  “Are you sure? Do you think I’m the most qualified to stay here?” She studied her hand as she listed off ten people in her mind, all of which would be better equipped than her to keep Jordan alive and well.

  Suddenly, Josh appeared in front of her. His hand reached out and cradled her elbow. “It’s just a fever, Beth. I’m sure he’ll be fine.”

  Warmth spread across her skin from his touch. She couldn’t help but glance down and study his hand. Was it wrong that her heart was pounding in her chest? She didn’t want him to stop touching her. In fact, her body longed from him to touch her more.

  But she knew nothing could happen between them. Her life was a mess, and her mom was forcing her to keep a giant secret. One that she wasn’t sure how to keep quiet anymore.

  So, despite the fact that she wanted to lean into his touch, she moved her arm slowly away, to brush her hair from her face.

  If Josh noticed, he didn’t say anything. Instead, he folded his arms across his chest as he studied her.

  Beth let out her breath as the stress that had built up inside of her diminished. “Okay. Just keep your phone on you in case I need to get a hold of you.”

  Josh traced a cross over his heart. “You have my word.”

&nb
sp; Beth nodded, and, as she glanced around the room, she suddenly felt foolish for having packed the cooler. “If you want some lunch, I made some.”

  Josh glanced behind him, toward the lunch box. “Great. Thanks.”

  Not wanting to stand there and stare at Josh as he got ready for the morning, Beth grabbed her phone from her pocket and held it up. “I should let Tricia know I won’t be there today.” She didn’t wait for him to respond. Instead, she headed into the living room and dialed Tricia’s number.

  It took some convincing, but Beth finally got Tricia to calm down and realize that bringing Tanner to Josh’s house, where he could get sick as well, was probably not the smartest idea.

  By the time Beth hung up, Josh had his boots on and the lunch box slung over his shoulder. He waved to Beth as he pulled open the door. Just before he shut it, he told her that he would call to check in during his lunch break.

  Grateful to have some space away from Josh so that she could actually think about her feelings and what they meant, Beth returned his wave and gave him a relaxed smile. Even though she was a jumble of nerves inside, she forced herself to be calm.

  She could do this. She could take care of Jordan. Besides, she had experience taking care of her mom. How was this any different?

  * * *

  By midafternoon, Beth’s worry was on full alert. She’d checked on Jordan a few times, feeling his forehead and waking him up to make sure that he got some fluids. But, each time she went into his room, he was more lethargic than the last.

  After digging around in the bathroom cabinet, Beth finally located the thermometer and took his temperature. 103.4 degrees.

  Panic rose up inside her chest as she reached out and felt his forehead for what seemed like the hundredth time today. Why wasn’t it getting better? She’d given him a fever reducer, but it didn’t seem to be working.

  Jordan moaned as he tried to lift up his arm. His eyes fluttered open, and instead of being bright and full of excitement, his gaze was dull and cloudy.

  “How are you feeling?” she asked, but then felt stupid. Of course he felt terrible.

  “Mommy?” Jordan glanced over to her. It took a few seconds, but recognition passed across his face. “Ms. Beth,” he said as he collapsed on his pillow. “Where’s Daddy?”

  Her heart broke that this poor, sick kid was stuck with her, instead of his parents. She reached out and rubbed his arm—something she’d beg her mom to do growing up. Jordan’s expression relaxed, and it didn’t take long before he was asleep.

  This was one of the few times in Beth’s life that she felt completely helpless. Most of the other times had to do with her mom. It was excruciating to sit back and watch someone you love be in pain. If she could, she would take it all away. For her mom, and for Jordan.

  Frustrated, she slipped out of Jordan’s room, shutting the door behind her. She shouldn’t be here. Josh should.

  Walking out to the kitchen, she located her phone and called Josh. After listening to the ringtone over and over again only to end in his voicemail, she let out a frustrated groan. She took a deep breath to try and calm her nerves, and she hung up and tried again. Why wasn’t he picking up? He’d promised.

  After trying to reach him a dozen times more, she finally set her phone down on the counter. What was she going to do? Jordan seemed to be getting worse, not better.

  Tricia. She could try her. She picked up her phone and called the only number she had. A ring barely sounded before three beeps and an annoying voice filled her ear. “I’m sorry, but the number you are trying to reach is currently out of order. Please hang up and try again.”

  She let out a groan as she tried the number again only to have the same thing happen.

  Panic rose up. How could it not be working? She’d used this same number to contact Tricia just this morning. The feeling of helplessness rushed through her, and she started shaking. She located Mrs. Braxton’s number and tried that. Finally, after three rings, she picked up.

  “Hello?”

  “Mrs. Braxton?”

  “Beth? Honey? What’s wrong?”

  “I, um, I’m watching Jordan, and his temperature keeps rising, and nothing I do seems to be working. Josh told me to call him, but he’s not answering, and I don’t know what to do.” Her words rushed out of her mouth like a strong summer breeze.

  Mrs. Braxton was quiet for a moment. “Honey, I’m about an hour away visiting my mom. Pack him up and take him to the Emergency room. It’s better to be safe than sorry. He’s probably dehydrated, and they can give him an IV.”

  Beth nodded as she located a notepad and pen. For some reason, she needed the security that writing down Mrs. Braxton’s words gave her. She cared about Jordan and didn’t want to see anything happen to him.

  “Okay,” she breathed out, feeling rejuvenated.

  “I’ve got five minutes left here, and then I can head out.”

  “Right.” Beth was already over to the door and slipping her shoes on. She was nodding even though she knew that Mrs. Braxton couldn’t see her.

  “I’ll keep calling Josh. You just worry about Jordan.”

  “Thank you.” She grabbed her purse and slung it over her shoulder. After she said goodbye to Mrs. Braxton, she quietly went into Jordan’s room and slipped her arms under his knees and around his back. She lifted him off the bed, and, after grabbing a blanket to lay over him, she carried him from the room.

  It amazed her how much strength she mustered as she carried Jordan down the stairs and across the street and set him gently into the car. It must be similar to what people talked about when they said moms found the strength to lift cars off of their kids. Right now, she didn’t care how much her arms burned or her legs shook. She was going to take care of Jordan if it killed her.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Josh switched off the jackhammer and shook out his hands. He’d been working for three hours straight, and his hands were numb.

  He rubbed his hands on his thighs and squinted as he glanced around. Tricia could be seen in the distance, talking to some guy in a dark blue jumpsuit. She looked pretty upset as she waved her hands in the air.

  He leaned over and grabbed the glass of ice water that Tricia had her maid bring out to him. The ice clinked against the sides of the glass as he tipped it to his lips. The cool liquid rushed down his parched throat.

  Man, he’d gone soft living in Colorado. This heat was definitely getting to him.

  As he set his glass down, he noticed the screen of his phone light up. Anxiety pinged his chest as he picked it up. Was it Beth?

  He clicked on his screen to see that he had a dozen missed calls from her and an equal amount from his mom. In his attempt to distract himself with work, he’d completely forgot about Jordan.

  Wow. Dad of the year over here.

  Just as he moved to pull up Beth’s number, his mom’s name flashed across the screen. He tapped the green button and brought the phone to his ear.

  “Mom? What’s going on?”

  “Josh!” his mother exclaimed. “Where on God’s green earth have you been?”

  “Is it Jordan?”

  “Beth took Jordan to the hospital. She couldn’t get his temperature down. She’s been trying to call you all day. I’m a half an hour out.”

  Josh was only half listening to his mom. He was already out of the pool and halfway across the yard. His dad was lingering by the truck, which was a miracle. It meant Josh didn’t have to track him down.

  “I’ve gotta take the truck, Dad,” he said, lifting his hand.

  Out of instinct, Jimmy threw him the keys without a word.

  “Jordan’s in the hospital. Fever.”

  Jimmy nodded. “Need me to come?”

  “Mom will be there. I’ll keep you posted.”

  Jimmy saluted him and stepped back as Josh peeled out of the driveway. The fifteen-minute drive to the hospital felt as if it took an eternity. Josh kept his hands grasped so hard on the wheel that his knuckles were
turning white.

  He took a few deep breaths as he lingered at a stoplight, but it did little for his nerves. By the time he pulled into the parking lot, he was more nervous than he’d felt in a long time. He had no idea what he would do if something happened to Jordan. It was his responsibility to take care of his son. How could he have failed him so horribly?

  He pushed his hand through his hair as he walked through the sliding doors and made his way straight over to the woman behind the counter. She was talking on the phone, and it took all of Josh’s strength not to reach over and hang up for her. She just acknowledged him with a raised pointer finger.

  Finally, she hung up and turned her attention over to him. “How can I help you?”

  “I need to see my son. My nanny brought him here.” He let out his breath slowly so that it stifled his irritation. He doubted he would get anywhere with a curt tone.

  The woman clicked on the keyboard for a moment before turning her attention back to him. “Son’s name?”

  “Jordan Braxton.”

  The woman typed that in and then studied the screen for what felt like ages.

  “Josh?”

  Beth’s soft, nervous voice eased his frustration. He turned to see her standing next to him.

  “Where’s Jordan?” His winced at the bite in his tone. He hadn’t meant for it to come out like that, but he was on edge and nothing would calm him down until he saw his son.

  “Follow me,” she said, waving him toward the two wood doors to the right. She pressed the button on the left, and the doors swung open.

  There may have been people lingering around as they walked past the beds, but Josh didn’t notice them. All he focused on was finding Jordan. Finally, at the end, Beth pushed a fabric curtain open, and Josh laid eyes on his son. The relief that flooded his body almost caused him to shake.

  Jordan looked pale, but his blue eyes were open, and he was sipping on a juice box with an IV hooked up to his arm.

  “Daddy,” Jordan said as he grinned over at Josh.

  Josh dropped onto the side of the bed and pushed Jordan’s hair back from his forehead. He allowed his fingers to linger on Jordan’s skin, testing his temperature. “How are you feeling, buddy?”