When I returned and began working at the wine bottle, Joel held out his hand. "Here. I'll get that."
Silently, I handed it over, along with the corkscrew, and then watched as he opened the bottle easily and set it down on the nearby counter.
I gave Joel and Bishop a hopeful look. "You're having some too, right?"
Bishop declined, saying that he wanted to – in his words – check the perimeter for more breaches.
It was a nice thought, but I wasn't sure that was a good idea. "But it's so late."
Bishop nodded. "Exactly."
"But—"
Joel spoke up. "Just let him, alright?" He reached for my hand and gave it a squeeze. "Besides, we need to talk."
Before I could protest further, Bishop turned away and started heading toward the back door. Unable to stop myself, I called out after him. "Be careful. The steps are probably slippery..." But he was already gone, so I let my words trail off. "…because it's been raining and all."
Next to me, Joel said, "He'll be fine."
"But—"
"Stop thinking about it."
But I couldn’t stop, even as I poured two glasses of wine and took a long, steady drink from one of them. I still felt guilty. Outside, it was dark and muddy. And where was I? In a nice, warm kitchen, drinking wine.
When I returned my half-empty glass to the counter, Joel gave me a concerned look. "Don't worry. They won't be here long."
"Who? Your brothers? I'm not worried." I glanced toward the back door. "Well, I'm a little worried about Bishop being out there in the dark, but I'm not worried on my own behalf, if that's what you mean." I considered the time. "It's pretty late. Should we see if they want to spend the night?"
Joel stiffened. "No. Not gonna happen."
"Why not?"
"Because I don't trust him."
I didn't need to ask who. "You mean Jake?"
"Yeah. That's exactly who I mean."
"I don't get it," I said. "When you guys showed up, you seemed to be getting along just fine." Under my breath, I added, "Sort of."
"We were," Joel said. "But that doesn't mean I'm gonna trust him."
I bit my lip, thinking of what Luna had told me during her recent visit. She'd asked me to tell Joel a secret, something that Joel should've heard years ago.
I glanced around. Was now the time? After a long, jumbled moment, I decided that it probably wasn't. The plan was to tell Joel in private, not blab it while Jake could walk in at any time.
I tried to smile. "Let's talk about it later, okay?" I hadn't quite given up. It was more of a strategic retreat. In the back of my mind, I was still thinking. Maybe we talk upstairs for a few minutes?
Joel moved closer, and his expression softened. "Listen, forget my brothers, alright? There's something I want to ask you."
There were things that I wanted to ask him, too. But even though Joel and I were the only ones in the kitchen, it still didn't feel like we were alone. Reluctantly, I said, "Should we wait until later?"
"Probably," he said. "But I'm not gonna."
"Why not?"
"Because I've waited long enough." He leaned closer. "Fuck waiting."
I paused. "What?"
"I love you. You know that, right?"
Gazing up at him, a wonderful gooey glow settled over my heart. It wasn't the first time tonight that he'd told me that. But the way I saw it, he could tell me a million times over, and I'd never tire of it. I smiled. "I love you, too."
"That other night…" He glanced around. "…right here in this kitchen, come to think of it, I was an ass."
"You were not, at least not any more than I was."
Joel gave a slow shake of his head. "You weren't the one who messed up."
Now, I was shaking my head, too. "It was both of us." Even now, I was beyond embarrassed about the whole thing. "I guess I should've realized that you wouldn't just show up and propose out of the blue." I gave a nervous laugh. "I mean, who does that, right?"
Joel looked at me for a long intense moment. And then, he did something that I totally didn't see coming. He sank slowly to one knee.
I felt myself go very still. "What are you doing?"
He gazed up at me. "Funny, that's the same thing you said the last time."
My heart was pounding, but with what? Joy? Nervousness? Raw, unbridled fear? The last time, everything had ended so very badly, and the thought of a repeat performance was more than I could take. Suddenly, I could hardly breathe. "Seriously, get up, okay?"
"Sorry, not gonna happen." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, red velvet box. And then, he opened it to reveal a massive diamond engagement ring.
I felt my eyes widen. "What's that?"
"You know what it is."
I did know, but it looked well beyond anything that Joel could afford. And that wasn't even the point. For some reason, I thought of all that teasing from Steve. And before I could even process what I was saying, I said, "You know I'm not pregnant, right?"
"I know." His gaze locked onto mine. "But you're gonna be."
I sucked in a breath. "What?"
The corners of Joel's mouth lifted. "You told me you wanted ten kids."
"Well, yeah, but…"
His eyes filled with mischief. "What? You wanna wait?"
I tried to laugh. "Oh, stop it. You don't really want ten kids."
"Wanna bet?" His expression grew suddenly serious. "The night you told me that you weren't pregnant, wanna know what I was?"
"What?"
"Disappointed."
I blinked. "What? Why?"
"Because I don't wanna wait." He gave me a crooked smile that melted my heart. "And I don't think you want to either."
My head was swimming. "Wait for what?"
"For any of it," he said. "You. Us. A family." His voice softened. "Like the one you lost. And the one I never had."
I stared down at him. He was still on one knee, and the longer he was down there, the more surreal this all seemed. "Really," I said, "you should get up."
But again, he shook his head. "No way."
"Why?"
"Because I haven't even asked you yet."
Almost in a panic now, I blurted out, "Maybe you shouldn’t."
I almost expected him to be angry. After all, this wasn't what the script called for. Yes, I wanted him. I wanted this, more than words could express. But what if he didn't? What if he was just telling me what he thought I wanted to hear? What if, once again, I'd be crying in the end?
My statement hung between us, like a bomb waiting to explode.
But it didn't.
Joel flashed me a sudden grin. "Or maybe, I should and see what you say." He reached for my hand. "Melody—"
Breathlessly, I said, "What?"
"Will you marry me?"
"I, um…" Oh, my God. I could hardly think. Desperately, I wanted to say yes. I loved him, and if he meant all those things he'd just told me, he and I wanted exactly the same things. But it all seemed so far-fetched.
I searched his gaze. He looked surprisingly unruffled in spite of my unconventional reaction. I said, "How can you be so calm? I mean, isn't this awkward for you?"
He grinned up at me. "Nope."
"Why not?"
"Because I know you're gonna say yes."
"But what if I don't?"
He gave something like a shrug. "Then I'll just ask you tomorrow."
I stifled a sudden laugh. "You wouldn’t."
He was still grinning. "Try me."
But I didn't want to try him, and somehow, his smile was contagious.
Joel said, "See?"
"See what?"
"You're gonna say it."
"What?"
"Come on. You know what."
Damn it. He was right. Who was I kidding? I couldn’t stop myself, even if I wanted to. And I didn't want to, because he was exactly what I wanted and exactly what I needed. And in my heart, I knew that I was perfect for him, just like he was pe
rfect for me, in spite of all our differences.
When I said it, it came out in a breathless whisper. "Yes."
And then, right there on my kitchen floor, he slipped the ring onto my finger and said, "I'm gonna hold you to that." With that, he stood and pulled me into his arms. His lips found mine, and he kissed me like there was no tomorrow.
As his mouth claimed mine, I almost couldn’t believe this was happening. Either this was a dream come true, or I was being stupid beyond belief. But I couldn’t bring myself to care. All I knew was I was happy, and felt full and complete for the first time since he'd left.
And then, something was ringing.
The doorbell.
With obvious reluctance, Joel pulled away. He looked toward the front of the house and gave a low curse. "That was fast."
I didn't know what he meant, but I felt like cursing, too. I glanced at the kitchen clock. It was practically the middle of the night. I didn't care who was at the door. There was no way I'd be answering it.
Besides, there was only one person I wanted to see, and he was already here.
But then, Joel said something that made me pause. "It's your aunt and uncle."
I shook my head. "It can't be."
"Why not?"
"Because they just left."
"Yeah," he said. "And now they're back."
"How can you be sure?"
He smiled. "You'll see."
Chapter 51
By the time we reached the edge of the foyer, the front door was already open. I saw Jake standing in the open doorway, looking out at whoever had just rung the bell.
In a bored tone, he said, "Can I help you?"
Aunt Vivian's voice echoed off the walls. "Well, someone's gotta help us!"
"Yeah?" Jake said, looking oddly unconcerned. "Why's what?"
"Because," Aunt Vivian announced, "someone stole our car!"
"No kidding?" Jake said. "Wow, sucks to be you, huh?" And then, with a shrug, he began to shut the door, only to stop in mid-swing when the bottom of the door thudded against a stylish black pump, caked with mud.
Jake looked down at my aunt's foot. "Nice shoe. Where's the other one?"
"It's stuck in the mud!" Aunt Vivian yelled. "Not that you seem to care. So, are you gonna let us in or what?"
Jake stroked his chin, as if giving it some thought.
My aunt gave an exaggerated sigh. "Well?"
"I'm thinking," Jake said.
"About what?" she demanded.
"Breakfast."
After a long pause, she said, "What?"
"Yeah," he said. "You think it's too early?"
Aunt Vivian made a sound of frustration. "For what?"
"Waffles."
"Forget the waffles! Forget breakfast! Aren't you listening to me?"
"Not really."
"Oh, for God's sake," she muttered. "Where's my niece?"
I gave a resigned sigh. I guess that was my cue. I moved forward, only to stop in mid-step when I felt Joel's hand on my elbow. I turned and gave him a questioning look.
In a low voice, he said, "Wait."
"For what?" I whispered.
He smiled. "You ever see someone lose it before?"
I felt my brow wrinkle. "Lose it?"
He flicked his head toward the doorway. "I'll give it two minutes, three tops."
At the door, Aunt Vivian and Jake were still going back and forth. And with every exchange, my aunt was sounding more and more unhinged.
I looked back to Joel and whispered, "If you're talking about my aunt, she's already losing it."
The words had barely left my mouth when Aunt Vivian hollered out, "Forget the fucking waffles!"
I froze. I'd never heard my aunt curse before.
I gave Joel another questioning look. Did that qualify as losing it?
He made a low, scoffing sound. "That's nothing. You watch. In a minute, she'll be throwing things."
"How do you know?" I asked.
His gaze slid to Jake. "You gotta ask?"
I saw what he meant. The way it looked, Jake had a real knack for goading people. Even now, he was standing there, looking utterly unconcerned as my aunt raged and sputtered on the other side of the doorway.
I recalled what Jake had said earlier, about waiting for company. I edged closer to Joel and said, "Wait a minute. Did Jake know she was gonna show up?" I paused. "And did you know?"
Joel shrugged. "We figured the odds were good."
"Oh, my God," I said. "Did you steal their car?"
He looked ready to laugh. "No."
I closed my eyes and breathed a long sigh of relief.
And then he said, "Bishop did."
My eyes flew open. I stared up at Joel. He looked utterly serious. In a hushed voice, I said, "Let me get this straight. You're telling me, your brother stole their car?"
"Nah," Joel said. "He moved it. That's all."
Well, that was a relief.
I guess.
"To where?" I asked.
"Down the road." Joel smiled. "See? Not a big deal."
That's what he thought.
From the doorway, my aunt yelled, "Yeah? Well you can take those waffles and shove them up your ass!"
Jake said, "Sorry. Not my kink."
"What?" she sputtered.
Jake held up his hands, palms out. "Hey, I'm not judging."
"There's nothing to judge!"
"I'm just saying, what you and the leprechaun do is your own business."
"For the last time, he's not a leprechaun!"
Trying not to snicker, I leaned closer to Joel and asked, "How far down the road?"
"Not that far."
I gave a confused shake of my head. "But why?"
Joel looked to the door, and his voice hardened. "Because they had it coming."
I followed his gaze. My aunt's foot was still there, preventing the door from closing. If nothing else, I had to give her points for persistence.
Suddenly, my aunt hollered out, "Melody! I know you're in there!"
In front of her, Jake made a scoffing sound. "Dude, I'm not Melody."
Through gritted teeth, my aunt said, "I'm not a dude, and I know you're not Melody."
"Then why'd you call me that?"
"I didn't!"
"Yes, you did."
Her foot was still there. And then, it disappeared, pulled out of sight. A moment later, a familiar, muddy black pump flew through the partially open doorway, and splatted against the far wall before thudding to the floor in a messy clump.
I couldn’t help it. I snickered.
Next to me, Joel said, "See?"
The sound of a car pulling into the driveway made all of us pause. Soon, I heard Officer Nelson's voice coming from just outside the front door, "We got a call about a stolen car?"
Aunt Vivian snapped, "Well, it sure took you long enough!"
I still couldn’t see Officer Nelson, but I could hear him just fine. He told my aunt, "Sorry, I was on break."
She gave a derisive snort. "How nice for you."
"By the way," he said, "I found your car."
My aunt paused. "Really? Where?"
"A mile down the road. That way."
"But that's not where we parked."
"If you say so."
In a tight voice, she said, "I know so."
For the first time, I heard my uncle's voice. "I know so, too."
My aunt snapped, "Well goodie for you!"
Officer Nelson asked, "You want a ride?"
My aunt gave a loud sniff. "Well, we're certainly not going to walk there, are we?"
From inside the door, Jake said, "Hey, Officer."
"What?" Officer Nelson asked.
"You should probably hose 'em off first."
Aunt Vivian gasped. "What?"
Jake gave a loose shrug. "I'm just sayin'."
"Well, don't!" my aunt said. "I've had enough of hoses, thank you very much."
But outside the door, Officer Nelson said
, "Hate to tell ya, but the guy's got a point."
Aunt Vivian paused. "What?"
"Sorry," Officer Nelson said. "City property and all."
My aunt gave a long-suffering sigh. "I don't believe this."
Officer Nelson asked, "So, you want the ride or not?"
"Oh, fine," my aunt muttered, "since this tattooed freak won't let us in."
Ignoring the insult, the freak-in-question pointed to something beside the porch. "There's the hose. Have at it."
A moment later, I heard stomping down the front steps, followed by the telltale sounds of water running, more bickering, and finally, car-doors slamming.
And then, at last, I heard the sound of a car – the police car, obviously – driving slowly away.
I felt myself smile. Good riddance.
Chapter 52
Standing in the entryway, I was still smiling. It was a funny thing, because in a way, I felt like I was exchanging one set of family members for another.
I was definitely trading up. I moved closer to Joel and whispered, "Oh c'mon, let's invite them to stay."
He stiffened, but said nothing.
From near the front door, Jake said, "Forget it."
Oh, crap. He heard that? I turned to face him. "But why?"
Jake's gaze shifted to Joel. "Don't worry," Jake said. "As soon as Bishop's back, we're outta here."
I spoke up. "But you can't leave."
"Oh yeah?" Jake said. "Why not?"
I gave him my sunniest smile. "Because we have news."
Jake's gaze strayed to my ring finger, where my new engagement ring sparkled in the foyer light. "It's not news to me," he said. "Good luck with that, by the way."
My smile wavered. "Shouldn't you be saying congratulations?"
"That depends," Jake said. "You really want to put up with him?"
"There's nothing to put up with," I said. "He's perfectly wonderful."
Almost in unison, both guys made a scoffing sound. And then, just as quickly, they both stopped to glower at each other.
I sighed. I would've killed for a brother. And what were they doing? Fighting over little stuff. It was time to end this. I said, "You know what? You guys don't know how lucky you are."
Joel reached out and pulled me close. "Me? I'm the luckiest guy around."
As sweet as that was, I forced myself to pull away. "I'm not talking about that." I looked from Jake to Joel and back again. "Like tonight, you guys backed each other up. Wasn't that nice?"
Something True (Joel Bishop Book 2) Page 20
