Tempest Torn

by Nicole Andrews Moore

  Then the doctor turned to Joey. “Now, the big question is, do you think you can enforce it?”

  Smiling at Marti, then the doctor, Joey responded. “Challenge accepted.”

 

  It was still close to an hour before they were released to go home. The doctor still drew some blood and they had to wait on the results. Everything came back normal. So Marti was released to Joey’s care.

  “You have to listen to me,” he reminded her as they walked back to the truck. “You can’t over do. You are supposed to rest and relax until we can get you in to see your doctor on Monday.” He spoke to her sternly. While they walked, his mind raced with ways to keep her quiet, to keep her off her feet, to make her more comfortable. Going to the passenger side first, he helped her up into the truck before walking around and climbing in behind the wheel. She had been silent and introspective. He knew she was thinking plenty too. It scared him.

  Before Joey could start the truck, her hand shot out and gripped his forearm. Concerned, he whipped around to see what she needed. “Thank you.” Marti’s eyes glistened with unspent tears. “Thank you for taking me, for staying, for being so supportive.” She shrugged like she didn’t know what else to add.

  At first he was baffled. How could she think he’d be anywhere but with her if she allowed it? Then he realized he had earned that, but he could still fix it. Shaking his head, Joey sighed. “I always want to be there for you. I know I’ve made mistakes, but I’m in this for the long haul.” Then he turned the key in the ignition. Before putting the vehicle in reverse, he looked at her. “Let’s go home.”

  When she smiled and nodded, he took that as his cue to finally leave. Still, Joey had a plan for keeping her off her feet the rest of the weekend. As they drove closer to New Hope, he realized the storm had been significant. There were branches down, but the roads were merely slick at the moment, unless the temperatures dropped significantly and froze overnight.

  “So, I think we should stop at a Redbox and grab a few DVDs. We’ll have a marathon tomorrow after you wake up. Just laying around watching movies all day, eating popcorn, ordering Chinese delivery or pizza, your choice.” He smiled, confident in his plan.

  “What? You expect me to believe our little town has Chinese and pizza delivery?” She shook her head.

  “I do know of a few places that will come to the house. And if there’s something you really want, I’ll either cook for you or brave the elements to get it for you. How can you turn down an offer like that?” He watched out of the corner of his eye as she reclined in her seat.

  After crossing her legs and throwing her arms behind her head, she sighed happily. “Be careful. I could get used to this,” Marti warned.

  “If you like this, you’re going to love my plans for Valentine’s Day,” he teased.

  Looking at him sideways, she questioned, “Valentine’s Day?”

  The way she said it chilled Joey. He could feel fear lapping at him, taunting him. Just then, however, he spotted a Redbox. It was the perfect distraction. He could pull his nerves together while they picked movies. Pulling into the drugstore parking lot, he parked right in front of the DVD rental vending machine, but planned to leave the vehicle running with her in it. Tentatively, he asked, “Do you already have plans for Valentine’s Day?” He was almost afraid of her response.

  Looking at him with a frown, she shook her head. “No, why would I?”

  “Oh you know. Brantley.” Joey shrugged and glanced at her before changing the subject. “Movies. What do you want to see?”

  “Surprise me,” she murmured happily.

  After being given the green light, he hopped out of the cab and walked to the machine to pick some movies. Joey quickly picked three movies based on popular new releases. For him, it wasn’t about the movies, it was all about the quality time with Marti. He’d watch a damn Nicholas Sparks movie if it created an excuse for him to hold her on the couch for a couple of hours. Soon, he was back in the vehicle, ready to finally ask her about Valentine’s Day weekend.

  As he clicked his seatbelt, Joey made sure he had her attention while he spoke. “So...I was thinking maybe we could go away for a few days, you could relax…” Before he could even complete his sales pitch, she was shaking her head. “Why not?” he asked bluntly while they drove out of the parking lot and back onto the main road.

  “How can I leave my house to Brantley?” Her eyes were wide, her eyebrows peaked as she responded. She raised her hands at the very suggestion.

  Well, at least her objection wasn’t about going away with him. That offered an incredible amount of comfort. Joey could walk her through this. He wasn’t ready to give up yet. “Have Reagan stay there too,” he urged.

  Her mouth formed a shocked ‘O’ before she spoke. “That’s a terrible idea.”

  Scratching his chin, he struggled to find a solution. There had to be one. “I could have one of my guys stay there. I trust them.” He studied her. Was that it? Did this all boil down to trust? “You have to trust someone sometime.”

  “Ha!” she scoffed. Turning sideways in her seat, she faced him. “I’ve tried that. It seems my trust is always misplaced.” Her eyes narrowed meaningfully.

  Taking a deep breath, Joey hung his head. It had always been hard admitting he was wrong. This time was no different, but the fear of losing her was greater. “I know I broke your trust. I know I hurt you. Though my experience with females is vast…”

  “I believe we’ve already established that,” she grumbled under her breath. Marti looked away.

  Shaking his head, Joey growls. “Let me finish. This is hard enough without you interrupting me all the time.”

  “Fine.” She crossed her arms over her chest and prepared to hear him out.

  “What I’m trying to say is...I don’t have a lot of experience with good relationships or amazing women.” He stared at her, hoping she would pick up on his words.

  “You think I’m amazing?” Her head whipped around to stare at him, eyes wet with tears.

  Looking at her in wonder, he commented, “Wow, you can just pull those tears out for anything, can’t you?”

  “I don’t know what you mean,” Marti teased as she sniffled and wiped her eyes. Then she added ever so quietly, “I don’t think anyone has ever told me I was amazing before.”

  “What makes you think I was talking about you?” Joey asked, feeling immensely better and far more playful.

  Snapping her fingers in his face, she took on a serious look. “Focus, Masters. Get back to the relationship with an amazing woman part again. You were on a roll.” Then she grinned at him.

  “Sorry, I guess those tears distracted me.” He winked before continuing. “I was just trying to explain. I’m a mess. I don’t know how to do this, but I can’t not do this either. Does any of this make sense to you?” His brow furrowed as he struggled to explain what was going on in his mind, the jumble of thoughts he had to make sense of. “Just be patient with me. I need you to work with me on this. Can you do that? Give me a chance to prove I can be trusted.” He offered her a shy grin. “I’ll make it worth your while.”

  It was slightly uncomfortable, watching her watch him. Reaching out, she ran a finger along his angular jaw, looked up into his eyes and nodded. Joey sighed in relief, his shoulders dropping some. Then Marti pursed her lips. “You better,” she warned. Then after a moment she added, “So we’re going away and leaving Brantley the house.” She gripped her chest.

  “Are you okay?” Joey asked, concerned as he gestured towards her heart.

  Tilting her head, she chuckled. “I’m fine. It’s a combination of the anticipation of being away and fear over what we’ll come back to. You do realize this is the only home either of us has at the moment. You may never get a check to rebuild.” Then she crossed her arms over her chest.

  “I’ll have you know Finn’s supervisor called me just yesterday and promised to mail me a check.” Joey mimicked her and crossed his arms over his ch
est for a brief second while driving.

  Giggling, Marti noted, “You know, the way you just said that, you might as well have ended with ‘so there’, right?”

  Reaching out, he cupped her head. His thumb was on her neck, right over her jugular. Joey could feel her pulse. It was positively out of control. “You need to calm down.” His mind clouded with worry. All he could think about was getting her home and making her safe.

  A few seconds later, he pulled into the driveway. Naturally, her vehicle was here, but the house was dark. Smiling, he realized Brantley’s car was gone. Throwing the vehicle in park, he turned off the engine and threw the keys in his pocket before grabbing the movies he had stuck in the door of the truck. “Stay there,” he ordered and watched for some sign of agreement before exiting the vehicle. When she finally nodded, he stepped out, locked and shut the door behind him. Soon enough he was opening her door and scooping her out of the cab.

  Marti wasn’t fighting him in the least. Instead, she wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her head just under his chin. Without saying another word, he carried her up the front steps, kicked off his boots on the porch, and balanced Marti while unlocking the door. Once inside, he carried her into the bedroom and laid her on the bed. “Lay down for a little while. By the time you wake up, I’ll have our surprise trip all planned and dinner will be ready.” Leaning over, he planted a kiss on her forehead. “You won’t regret this.” Then he backed out of the room and closed the door behind him. Leaning against it, he realized the weight of all the promises he had just made. Now he had to deliver on them.

 

  The scent of garlic wafting through the room woke Marti from her slumber. As she sat up in bed, her mouth was already watering. Her heart was happy as she slipped from the bed and headed out of the bedroom. When she reached the doorway to the kitchen, she leaned against it for a moment and watched Joey working in the kitchen. Apparently he knew how to cook at least a little bit.

  Turning toward her, he looked up and realized she was standing there. Smiling he walked over to her. “You’re early! I’m not quite done, but you should have a seat.” Joey guided her to the table, pulled out her seat, and pushed it in for her once she was settled in it.

  Studying the table, Marti realized he had set the table, poured her a glass of wine, and now he was lighting a candle. “Whoa,” I shouldn’t drink this,” she reminded him.

  “It’s sparkling cider. I knew you would refuse the hard stuff,” Joey explained. Walking over to the island, he picked up a salad and brought it back to the table. “Chicken Caesar,” he announced as he laid it on the table in front of her. “And some garlic bread.” He pulled back the linen in the breadbasket to reveal he had made a loaf and sliced it for her.

  “This is amazing,” she murmured. Already she could feel the tears threatening. “How did you do this?”

  Swallowing hard, Joey’s head dropped. “Don’t get too excited. All I really made was the bread. I ran out to get the rest.” Over on the island, he finished plating what appeared to be her main course. “I mean, do you really think I know how to make Mushroom Risotto?” He made a funny face.

  Laughing, Marti smiled at him. “I’m impressed with your efforts.” Looking around, she wondered, “Where’s yours?”

  “It’s nearly seven. I ate it. But I did wait for you to split dessert!” Joey smiled as he held up two large slabs of cheesecake.

  Suddenly it all clicked. “You’ll have to thank Keely for me.”

  Sitting down at the head of the table, Joey grabbed a glass of cider. “How’d you know? It was the cheesecake, right? She’ll be pleased you enjoyed it. Apparently you didn’t eat much at breakfast.”

  Stuffing her mouth with a forkful of salad, Marti chewed and pretended to ignore the unspoken question. She knew he was curious about what had spoiled her appetite. Explaining would give away far too much she wasn’t ready to share yet. How could she tell him she had sat there and watched him drive away? It broke her heart. She knew it was her fault he was leaving. Well, hers and Brantley’s. It was the reason she had come home rather than go to the festival. Marti didn’t want to go without him. She had thought to run into him at the house, but when she was dropped off, he wasn’t there. So she waited, and then she gave up. The sky opening up was an almost welcome distraction. It gave her a purpose: save the garden. Finally, knowing she had killed enough time, she swallowed and spoke. “Just didn’t feel well.”

  The way he was looking at her sideways suggested he didn’t believe her. Still, Joey let it go. “I felt bad for not waiting, but after the night in the garden, I was afraid you might just sleep through and I couldn’t let Keely’s fried chicken go to waste.”

  Picking up a section of garlic bread, Marti prepared to take a bite. As it hovered in front of her lips, she asked, “Just to be clear, are you claiming you made the bread because you warmed it in the oven?” Taking a bite, she giggled.

  “That’s making,” Joey argued.

  “That’s warming,” she countered with a smile.

  Just then, the back door opened and Brantley came walking in. Marti knew there wasn’t a place set for him at the table, or food. It also hadn’t escaped her attention that tonight; Joey had set himself up at the head of the table. Her mouth was full and quite frankly, she was sick of being in the middle of them. Sitting there, she waited to see what would happen next.

  “Sorry, I didn’t know to expect you,” Joey remarked jovially. Clearly he was happy with his current position at the table and in her life.

  “Yeah. I can see that,” Brantley commented as he glanced around. “Well, we really missed you today, Marti.” He pulled out a chair and sat on the other end to her left. “Where’d you take off to?”

  Panic welled up in Marti. She wasn’t ready to reveal her condition, especially since it was still so early in the pregnancy. Opening her mouth, she struggled with what to say, when to her surprise, Joey interjected.

  “I needed Marti to go with me to pick out some of the finishes for the upstairs,” he explained. “We picked up dinner on the way home. Just a few errands.” He shrugged.

  Under the table, his legs sought out hers. Finding them, he captured them with his and gave her a squeeze. “Yeah, errands.”

  “Well, I’m heading upstairs to do some reading and research. I think I have some ideas for your case.” Brantley smiled at her and winked conspiratorially.

  Her mind was reeling. “But I already have a lawyer,” she argued.

  Reaching out, he laid his hand on hers. “I know. I just thought I’d help. After all, since our talk the other night, I’m highly motivated to make sure you are taken care of and Blaine gets everything he deserves.” Giving her hand a squeeze, he stood and left the table.

  Though Joey had remained quiet, Marti could actually feel the anger welling up inside him. Pulling her hand off the table, she wiped it with her napkin. Lately, Brantley had actually been making her feel dirty. “I’m sorry,” she whispered, unable to met his eyes.

  “Just how close did you two get the other night?” he asked in a barely controlled voice.

  “Nothing happened,” Marti began weakly as she finally met his eyes. Standing, she shook her head sadly. “Maybe we should just save the cheesecake for tomorrow. I seem to have lost my appetite.”

  “Wait,” Joey growled. She kept walking toward her room. “Please wait,” he begged.

  Pausing in the doorway, Marti glanced back at him. “Not tonight. I’m worn out. I’m scared. And I just want to curl up in bed and start tomorrow fresh. Can you just let me rest and we’ll talk tomorrow?”

  Watching him, she could tell he was struggling. He seemed to want to make her happy. She believed that. They just seemed to have so much baggage between them, his mistakes with Finn, his jealousy over Brantley, and her fear of misplaced trust. Finally, he looked at her sadly and nodded. With his acceptance, she calmly went in her room and lay on the bed. Marti was too tired to even undress. She kicked off he
r shoes, pulled the comforter over her, closed her eyes and fell fast asleep

  In the morning, Marti woke to the sound of her shower running. Initially, she was gripped with the strong desire to lock her bedroom door, strip down, and join him. Then she remembered there was far too much for them to work through before she could ever shower with him again and her heart ached. Lying there, she waited for him to come out. It took about five minutes for the shower to turn off and another five for him to finally emerge. When he did, he was still towel drying his hair. It was obvious he was trying to tiptoe out. “Where you sneaking off to?” Marti asked quietly. The thermal shirt he wore hugged his pectorals and hid his amazing abs. Her heart pounded excitedly in her chest.

  Jumping, Joey laughed. “You startled me. I thought you were still asleep.”

  “Impossible,” she announced shaking her head. “There was a herd of elephants showering in my bathroom.”