Tangled Paths

by Kimi Flores

  He smiled, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “Yeah. Really good.”

  Filled with nervous anticipation, Josh made his way up the colorfully tiled stairs at Bri and Dani’s Spanish-style condo complex. He wasn’t happy about why Bri had become so vulnerable to him, but in all honesty he was thankful she’d opened up after the kids left the ranch. Although he had a feeling she was holding something back, he couldn’t believe what she did share.

  Josh had never met someone whose parent rode them every step they made. It seemed as though Bri’s mom wasn’t happy about any of the choices she made and was sure to tell her.

  And today, they were leaving town together. He couldn’t wait to get her away for a few days and take her mind off of everything. Nothing had been spoken, but it seemed as though their relationship was moving in a new direction, and he was happy to see where they ended up after Alison and Paul’s wedding this weekend.

  Come Monday, she could hate him all over again. Man, I hope not.

  Lifting his fist, Josh exhaled a long breath as he knocked on the door. The loud cackling on the other side was unmistakably Dani’s. He hadn’t spent a lot of time with her yet, but her laugh was easy to identify.

  “Those were new, dammit!” Josh heard Bri scream.

  The door flung open as Dani yelled behind her, “That’s what you get for leaving them in the middle of the room.”

  Turning to face Josh, Dani held a small dog in her arms and a huge grin on her face. “Hi. Come on in.” She stepped a little closer, chin down and her eyes looking up at him. “If you dare.”

  Confused, he peeked around the very girly living room filled with purple velvety furniture. “Should I ask?”

  Dog in arm, Dani plopped on the couch and whispered, “Yeah, let me tell you my side before Messy Marvin gets back in here.”

  Craning her neck to the side, she peered down the hallway. “Okay, so my girl in there has a bad habit of leaving her shit all over the place. I’m dog-sitting for a friend, and Buster here has become quite protective of me.”

  She peeked down the hall once more as she stroked the dog’s head. “Anyway, I tripped on a pair of her too-high heels this morning, while Buster followed me. I fell flat on my face, almost landing on top of him. I may have yelled and threw them while he watched. Well, apparently when I wasn’t looking, he chewed on the heel and…”

  Josh and Dani snapped their heads toward Bri when they heard her approach. With her hair up in some sort of bun, she leaned on one leg, popping her hip out.

  Damn, she looks hot when she’s pissed. Glad I’m not the source this time.

  Her hands went wild once she began to speak. “He shit in my brand new shoe. That’s what he did.”

  Pursing her lips, Dani brought the dog up to her face, kissing his head. “All he knew was that those damn things laying in the middle of the room were trying to kill me.”

  Strutting toward him, Bri’s eyes met Josh’s as she mouthed, “Sorry.” Then leaned, allowing him to hug her before she turned and warned Dani, “That dog better be gone when I get home.”

  Dani huffed, “He will. I only have him for a few more days.”

  “Good.” Bri whipped around, grabbed her purse from the counter, the handle of her extra-large designer suitcase, and the garment bag that Josh assumed held her dress for the wedding. “Let’s get out of here.”

  Stunned, Josh looked back and forth between Dani and the front door Bri had just left wide open. Her heeled sandals clacked as she made her way down the concrete stairwell.

  “Um, okay, I guess I’ll see you later then.” He awkwardly started after Bri.

  Before he closed the door behind him, Dani said discreetly, “She’s been on edge all morning. I think her mom’s been trying to text her, but she’s ignoring her phone. The dog crap was just the cherry on her shit-tastic sundae today.”

  He wondered how he was supposed to respond to that.

  Noticing his discomfort, Dani told him, “Just keep her mind off her mom, and she’ll be fine. I’ve met her mother and that is one evil woman.” She bent down and picked up Buster, who’d followed her.

  Waving goodbye, Josh jogged down the terrace until he caught up to Bri in front of the elevator he hadn’t noticed when he arrived. “Hey,” he held onto her face, catching her eyes. “Do not let anything ruin your time away.” He held his hand out. “And I’ll take your phone.”

  She shook her head. “No. I’m fine. You don’t need my phone.”

  “You’re right, I don’t need it, but neither do you.” He wasn’t taking no for an answer. “Everyone important already has my number and can call my phone if they have to get a hold of you. Please, Bri.” He gave her a light smile. “Let me show you what a few days of living without that dread and fear can feel like, okay?”

  Her mouth scrunched up. “Fine.” She pulled her phone out of her purse, slapping it hard on his open palm.

  “Be right back.” Spinning around, he jogged back to the condo. When Dani answered, he handed her the phone. “Let Stefen know about this, so he can handle it while Bri has a little peace over the next few days. Tell him to call my phone if he needs anything.”

  Lifting an eyebrow, Dani smirked. “Dude, I don’t know how you managed to shift the power there, but you’ve got my respect. Now go rock my girl’s world this weekend. She deserves it.” Dani gave him a naughty wink.

  Not sure how to respond to that.

  Josh chuckled, making his way back to Bri. He pushed the down button.

  She shifted back and forth before, hanging her head. “How am I supposed to stand up for myself if you guys keep me in a bubble?”

  Josh’s eyes shifted from Bri to the open elevator door. Grabbing her suitcase with one hand, he led her in with the other.

  As the doors closed, he ran his knuckles across her cheeks. “Bri, you need to heal first. While you’re healing, I’ll be here to keep anything harmful away from you. And when the time comes, I’ll step aside and let you kick ass.” He leaned in, kissing her cheek before a bell sounded and the doors opened to the parking garage.

  A woman stood outside of the doors with one hand on a stroller and her other holding a little boy.

  “Ewww that’s gross,” the boy said. The woman tried to cover his mouth as Josh and Bri started to exit.

  Josh snickered, standing in front of the door to make sure it stayed open for her. As the boy passed, Josh leaned down, rustling his hair. “You won’t always think that way, buddy.”

  Standing up, he reached forward to grab Bri’s hand. He lit up when he saw her smiling.

  I intend on keeping that there the whole weekend.

  The sound of her heels echoed through the garage. Once they made it to his truck, Josh carefully tossed her bag in the bed.

  Bri bit her lower lip, allowing her clasped hands to hang in front of her. “Thanks for picking me up and letting me hitch a flight with you.”

  Walking toward the passenger side, he pulled the door open for her. “My pleasure.”

  Thank God I was able to charter that plane last minute. When Bri initially mentioned her seasickness, he’d blurted out that he’d chartered a plane, before he actually had.

  Once she was in and he closed her door, he made his way around the front of the truck, hopped in and headed toward the airport. He couldn’t wait to take Bri away from all the shit she’d been dealing with.

  Let the adventure begin.

  Bri shifted in her seat, trying not to look as devastated as she felt while the side of her head began to pulse. The moment they got on the plane, she went into the bathroom and took one of her pain killers. With the stress from the morning texts she’d been fighting hard not to read and the change in altitude, she felt a migraine in her near future.

  Back in her seat, Bri asked Josh if he minded her taking a nap. Just as she thought he would, he kissed her forehead and handed her a travel pillow. The truth was that she was still processing all of her mother’s words that were rolling around i
n her head.

  Tightening her closed eyes, she wanted to give Josh a break from her drama. Though those words still rolled around in her head, haunting her.

  Did my mother really say that she wanted to drown me?

  Bri had no plans of ever bringing a child into the world, but for her mother to remind her that she wasn’t good enough to be a mother was heartbreaking.

  She still couldn’t believe she’d said, I hate you. The words had just tumbled out of her mouth. It didn’t matter how much she wanted it, she really wasn’t strong enough to deal with this alone.

  Even though he doesn’t know how bad it is, I’m not sure how I would get through this without Josh right now. Hopefully he’ll stick around once he sees the entire clusterfuck my life has become.

  Moving her head to look at their intertwined fingers, she smiled. He’d held onto her hand the entire flight. She peered up to his face. He’d apparently gotten bored and fell asleep himself. His head tilted back onto the headrest, and his mouth was wide open. Surprisingly, he wasn’t snoring.

  Unable to stop her roaming eyes, she took in his golden tanned skin, long lashes, straight nose, and luscious bowed lips. Damn, he has gorgeous lips.

  Still asleep, his tongue darted out, licking them before closing his mouth. She lifted her free hand, touching her mouth with her fingertips. They hadn’t really had a first kiss this time around yet, but it was tempting to sneak a quick peck while he slept.

  Nah, I don’t want to disturb him.

  Her fingers continued to trace her own lips as she stared at him, attempting to ignore the discomfort building in her aching head. A dreamy look covered her face when his eyes popped open and his head snapped down toward her.

  Knowing she’d just been busted, she tried to look around the plane. The heat that radiated off of her face was a telltale sign that she was also blushing.

  He stretched his legs, then let go of her numb fingers, reaching his arms straight out in front of him, grunting. “How long was I out?”

  “Um, I don’t think very long.” The pulsing of her head was becoming a little more intense.

  No, please. Not a migraine, she pleaded internally. Peeking out the window at the island below, she rested her head back in the seat.

  Thank God we’re landing soon. Hopefully she’d caught it in time and it wouldn’t be so bad.

  Stretching her legs as well, Bri repositioned her body, looking for a comfortable spot in her chair.

  The blaring over the intercom did not help her head. “Mr. Tucker and Miss Hunter, we’ll be landing momentarily on Catalina Island where the weather is currently a beautiful seventy degrees. Please take your seats and fasten your belts. A taxi is waiting on the tarmac to take you to your hotel. Thank you for flying with us today, and we look forward to serving you again on Sunday. Enjoy your stay.”

  The flight attendant, which Bri had completely forgotten about, came out to make sure they were all buckled up before taking her own seat. Josh leaned forward, tilting his head to the side as his hand covered Bri’s. “Hey, you okay?”

  Her eyes squeezed shut, the throbbing becoming more unbearable by the minute. “I have a migraine coming on.”

  “Oh man, I get those too. Do you have any meds?”

  Forcing a breath through her mouth, she answered, “Yeah, I took them earlier.”

  “Have you had any caffeine today? That always helps me.” Reaching over to the ice bucket on the table next to him, he pulled out a cola as the plane made contact with the ground.

  Squinting, she offered a labored smile. “Thanks.”

  He raised his index finger. “Oh hold on.” Bri watched through narrowed eyes as he grabbed a napkin, dried the can, then cleaned the mouth before popping the top and handing it to her. “Here, take a drink.”

  How sweet. Her heart fluttered momentarily. Without hesitation, she took a sip. It was her favorite soda.

  By the time the plane landed, they’d taken the twenty-five minute taxi drive, and entered the elaborately decorated spa and resort, Bri knew she had to lay down as soon as possible. Everyone from the wedding party was scheduled to meet for dinner in a few hours, so she hoped the nap would be sufficient.

  Josh stepped up to a beautiful dark-haired attendant, whose eyes widened when she saw him.

  Oh brother. Can she make it more obvious?

  Bri would’ve rolled her eyes if they didn’t hurt so badly.

  She stood in front of another clerk, who seemed too young to be working the front desk of a luxury resort. She attempted to smile as she gave her name. She couldn’t wait to go lay her head down for a few hours.

  Hopefully this migraine will go away before dinner.

  After pecking away at the keyboard for far too long, the young woman looked up, seemingly uneasy. “Um, I’m sorry but the last room was just taken, and we won’t have any available until tomorrow.”

  Bri’s head began to spin, adding to the nausea she’d started to feel. “What?” she groaned.

  “I’m so sorry. The plumbing went out on the west wing, and we can’t guarantee those rooms’ availability until tomorrow. We will be happy to put you up at another hotel for the night.”

  Bri threw her elbows on the counter, clutching onto her head. I’m gonna pass out right here in the lobby.

  A soothing hand ran down her back. “Hey, what’s going on?”

  Bri’s eyes were closed tightly as she listened to Josh and the counter clerk’s conversation. There was no way she could possibly contribute.

  In a panicked voice, the resort employee clarified, “I was explaining that we don’t have any more rooms right now, but we can get one at another hotel for Ms. Hunter, then she grabbed her head. Is she okay?”

  Josh continued to slowly trail his hand up and down Bri’s back. “I need you to have someone bring these bags up to room two-sixteen.”

  Wrapping his arm around Bri’s waist, he pulled her toward his body. The pain was so intense that she didn’t put up a fight as he directed them out of the lobby, up the elevator, and into a bright room.

  All she saw when they stepped inside was the king-sized bed that beckoned her. Stumbling through the room, she made it to the bed, laying her head on a pillow while her feet hung over the side.

  Tears seeped out of her closed eyes. “I’m sorry, Josh. I just need to doze off for a bit.”

  Light fingertips caressed her cheek, wiping her tears away. His calming words, nearly lulled her to sleep. “Don’t apologize, Bri. I’ve been there before. A nap is the best thing for you right now.”

  She felt light as he carefully lifted her feet, removing her shoes. Gently, her legs were placed on the bed before a soft blanket covered her body.

  As she began to fall into a comatose state, she heard Josh talking to someone about dropping luggage at the door, then what she thought was a few minutes later, a cool washcloth was placed on her eyes, the curtains were closed, and Josh said he’d be back in a bit to check on her.

  The world around her faded to black as she passed out.

  Cringing, Josh cautiously opened the hotel door as quietly as he possibly could. With his printed agenda in hand, he’d just left the welcome dinner the bride and groom arranged for their wedding attendants.

  Wish Bri had been there.

  He’d already been back to check on her two other times, including bringing her dinner. She was completely knocked out each time he looked in on her.

  The bathroom light was on, giving just enough illumination for him to find his way around. Thankfully, she’d eaten half of the food on her plate and drank the entire bottle of water he’d brought earlier. Sitting on the same table with her dish was a prescription bottle. He assumed it contained the pain meds she’d taken earlier. There were also a few containers of vitamins and what looked to be herbal pills.

  His eyes were immediately drawn to the mess on the floor.

  It looked like she dumped everything out of her luggage. Wonder what she was looking for?

  Bend
ing down, he picked up her clothes, including the shorts and tank top she’d been wearing earlier, and placed them back in her open suitcase.

  Scanning the room, he tried to figure out where he was going to sleep. The resort still didn’t have any other spaces available and all the other guys already had someone else with them. Although, it seemed kind of convenient that nobody had a place for him once he mentioned Bri was asleep in his room.

  Paul’s sister, Brandy, had caught up to him as he left the dinner table. She’d offered to share her room with him, but he knew what that meant. Brandy had been trying to get together with him since they were teens. That was one line he would never cross.