Chapter 14
“Don’t forget, we’re going to The Barn tonight to have a couple drinks with Kevin.”
Joci met his gaze in the bathroom mirror as she dusted blush on her cheeks. “What time do you want me to be ready?”
He pulled his hair back into a ponytail and tied it with a rubber band. “What time do you want to go? Did you want to go out to eat first?”
“I can make something here if you’d like. Or maybe my place. I feel like I haven’t been there in weeks. I probably have food going bad in the refrigerator.”
Jeremiah chuckled and turned to lean against the counter. “Wow, you make that sound great. I’ll have a helping of bad food, please.”
She laughed. “Not what I meant. I just meant you’re going to have to let me go home eventually. I played hooky with you yesterday. I have to go to work and clean my house. Let me make you supper there.”
He frowned a bit. “I like you here. I don’t want you getting used to being without me. Move in with me, Joci.”
She packed her blush brush into her little makeup case and turned to face him.
“I can’t, Jeremiah. It’s too soon. I need office space to work. I have a house…full of stuff. What would I do with all of it? Where would I work?”
Jeremiah walked to her, looking into her eyes. “Those are simply excuses. You know all of that can be worked out.”
He ran the backs of his fingers over her cheek. “I want you here. I want to wake up with you every day. I want to go to sleep with you every night. I want to see you in my space—our space—every time I look around. Will you think about it, please?”
He leaned down and kissed her tenderly.
She tucked her hands in his back pockets and gazed up at him. “Yes, I’ll think about it.”
Jeremiah nodded slightly. “Maybe one of the boys will want to live in your place rather than pay rent somewhere else.”
She shrugged her shoulders. “It’s a thought. It’s also a big step.”
She turned to pack up her toiletries and zipped the top closed.
Jeremiah crossed his massive arms over his broad chest. “Are you more comfortable making something for dinner at your place, Joci?”
She tucked her makeup bag under her arm and turned to face him.
“It’s not about comfort. I feel oddly comfortable here with you.
” Joci took a deep breath. “It’s scary, Jeremiah…
I’ve never lived with a man before, except my son, and he doesn’t count.
I’m his mom. If it doesn’t work out, then I have to find another place to live.
And I work from home most of the time. My work would be disrupted, too. ”
She looked down at the counter. Her heart beat like it was trying to burst out of her body. She opened and closed her fists to relieve the building tension.
“Joci?” Jeremiah’s voice was soft. “Look at me, baby.” He sighed.
She looked into his eyes. He reached over and slid his hand in her hair at the temple and pulled her close to him.
“I would like for us to build a relationship looking forward. When Jackie and David moved in with each other, don’t you think they had the same concerns? We’ll have disagreements over time, and we will need to work through them. I’m committed to that. Are you?”
Joci looked into his eyes. Those beautiful green eyes never wavered. She took a deep breath.
“Yes, I’m committed to making it work. I just worry about…everything. This is a big step.” Her voice was soft and shaky.
Jeremiah pulled her to his body and wrapped his arms around her. She breathed deep and inhaled his scent, strength, and comfort.
After a few moments, Joci looked up at him. “I’m sorry, Jeremiah.”
He shook his head. “No need, babe. I know it’s scary for you. For me, I’ve thought about you moving in with me for months. I’m excited as hell for you to be here with me.”
She took a breath. “How about I make us supper here tonight, and then we can head to The Barn later?”
Jeremiah kissed her lightly. “That sounds amazing, Joci. Thank you.”
They walked together to the kitchen and made breakfast. Jeremiah had to go to the shop, and Joci had to go home and get some work done today.
She would run through her cupboards and see what she had to bring here and stop at the store on her way back to Jeremiah’s if she needed anything else.
She thought she could stay at Jeremiah’s the majority of the time and go home in the mornings to work.
She wanted to try it that way for a while and see how that worked without making it a permanent move right away.
Jeremiah opened a drawer in the kitchen and handed her a garage door opener. “Keep this with you. Come and go as you like. I’ll have a key made today. Your bike is fine at the shop. I’ll run you home this morning on my way.”
She smiled at him. “Thank you.”
* * *
At 7:30 that evening, they were in Jeremiah’s truck heading to The Barn.
It had been a beautiful day, but still a little cool in the evening, so they opted for the truck instead of the bike.
As soon as they walked into The Barn, Kevin waved at them as he was serving customers at the far end.
Jeremiah held Joci’s hand as they walked to the opposite end and took a seat.
Kevin finished with his customers and headed their way.
Jeremiah got up and walked behind the bar to ‘man hug’ Kevin.
Kevin looked at Joci, a big smile on his face.
“How ya doin’, Joci?”
She couldn’t help but giggle. “I’m great, Kevin, how are you?”
Kevin held out his arms and looked up. “Livin’ the dream, darling.”
She giggled. Kevin got them their drinks. “At eight o’clock, I have a bartender coming in so we can sit and shoot the shit. My girlfriend, Kathy, is coming in as well.”
Joci smiled. “That’s great. I’m looking forward to meeting her and chatting.”
They sat at the bar talking, and suddenly Kevin’s face lit up like a Christmas tree.
“Hey, baby, give me some lovin’.” He stretched his arms wide as his smile lit up the room.
A beautiful redhead walked around the end of the bar and wrapped her arms around Kevin, and he swung her around. Jeremiah chuckled at Kevin’s display. They were a fascinating couple.
Kevin turned toward Joci. “I want you to meet Kathy. Kathy, this is Joci James, Dog’s girlfriend.”
“Kevin’s been excited all weekend that you were coming in to visit. It’s very nice to meet you,” she said.
Kathy reached over the bar and shook her hand, and Kevin pointed them all over to the corner of the bar where there was a fireplace and a couple of sofas.
They grabbed their drinks from the bar and made themselves comfortable on a sofa while Kevin and Kathy got drinks for themselves.
Kevin and Kathy joined them. Joci admired Kathy. She was beautiful, with long red hair, bright blue eyes, a vivacious personality, and a killer body. But she was also genuinely sweet and pleasant to be around. She practically sat on top of Kevin.
Joci asked Kevin, “How did you and Jeremiah meet?”
Kevin laughed. “I met Dog years ago at another bar I was managing. He was on his bike, and it had started pouring rain outside. Dog stopped in to wait for the rain to stop, and we struck up a conversation. From there, we became fast friends.” Kevin inclined his head at Jeremiah.
Jeremiah tightened his jaw. He had picked up a woman in the bar that night. Something Joci didn’t need to hear.
Kathy leaned forward, winked, and said, “They had to kiss a lot of frogs to find us, Joci.”
Joci smirked. “I suppose you could look at it that way.”
Jeremiah shot Kevin a look, and Kevin took the cue. “Dog, are you ready to shoot some pool?” Jeremiah leaned over and kissed Joci on the temple.
“If you’re ready to have your ass kicked, I am,” he said, laughing.
* * *
Kathy came over and sat on the sofa next to Joci. “Holy crap, Joci. I’ve never seen Dog so head-over-heels. How did you wrap him up so quickly?”
Joci sighed. “I don’t know that I would say wrapped up. We’ve known each other for close to a year now. Just recently we moved into a relationship.”
Kathy laughed out loud. “I would definitely say ‘wrapped up.’ He can’t take his eyes off you. He’s always touching you, and the fact that he wanted us to meet you says a ton.”
Joci turned to look at her new friend. “I’m trying not to get too caught up in all of this. With him. I don’t have a great track record. You know?”
Kathy shook her head. “Baby, you have nothing to worry about. Dog has been with women—a few, not a ton. Kevin was a huge whore before he met me. I’ve only seen Dog with one or two women all the time I’ve known him, and that’s been about four years now.
And then, he barely paid them any attention.
You could tell it was simply a booty call for him. ”
Joci sighed. “Yeah.”
Kathy chuckled and put an arm around Joci. “Girl, don’t you worry about that. The past is the past. You have to look forward. Think about what you have now and what you want in the future. If you live in the past, all you’ll get is more of the past!”
Joci frowned. She wanted nothing to do with the past. She decided to change the subject and steered the conversation to other things.
“Tell me all about you, Kathy.”
“Let’s see. I have three children, all grown now.
I met Kevin four years ago when I started working for him here as a bartender.
We’ve been together ever since. Not always easy, after all.
He used to be a manwhore; I had to overcome that.
We’ve had a lot of rocky times, but we’re doing well this past year and a half. ”
Joci and Kathy talked for a couple of hours while the guys shot pool and bullshitted.
Around 1 in the morning, Jeremiah and Joci pulled into his garage and closed the door.
He got out of the truck and reached in to pull Joci out.
She slid over and was about to step out when he scooped her up and carried her into the house.
She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and nuzzled his neck and ears.
He carried her straight back to the bedroom and laid her carefully on the bed. He started to stand up but stopped and swept a lock of hair away from Joci’s brow, softly, tenderly, sliding his fingers along her forehead and temple.