Chapter 23
Thursday night found Jeremiah and Joci sitting in his parents’ living room, celebrating Eli’s graduation. He was the youngest of Bryce and Angie’s children. The whole family was there, including Gunnar.
Gunnar nudged Joci’s arm. “I invited JT, Ryder, and Connor to listen to the Golden Girls on Saturday.”
“It appears the crowd is growing. I’m going to need to practice; we haven’t done that for a long while.” She would tell Jeremiah as soon as they had a minute alone with each other. They hadn’t seen Connor since the birthday party. “What made you decide to ask Connor?”
Gunnar looked into her eyes. “He called me the other day to talk. I feel sorry for him. He said he didn’t mean to make things weird; he just feels the way he feels.
” He shrugged and looked across the room at Jeremiah talking with his brothers.
“I’ll catch ya later.” He walked outside where Ryder and JT were sitting on the deck drinking beer.
Staci sat down next to Joci and patted her on the knee.
“Looks like you and Jeremiah are doing well. How are you?”
Joci smiled. “I think we’re good.”
She looked over at Jeremiah talking to his brothers. He glanced at her and winked. Her smile grew. “We’re really good.”
She blushed. Staci giggled and nudged her. “We’re thrilled, you know. He has never, in all the years I’ve known him, looked so happy. Whatever you’re doing, keep it up.”
Angie joined them, and soon so did Erin. They talked about kids and Joci moving in with Jeremiah, family, and all that was going on.
* * *
Jeremiah glanced at his mom and saw that she was watching him. She smiled, and he smiled back. She walked over and hugged him. “I can see you’re crazy for that girl. I love the look on your face when you look at her. You look happy.”
Jeremiah snickered. “God, Ma, I’m so happy I could bust.”
Emily looked over at Joci with her daughters-in-law and nodded her head. “What are you going to do about it?”
Jeremiah leaned down close to her ear and said, “Mom, I’m going to marry her. I’d like to have babies with her, but...” He shrugged.
His mom glanced at him, then back to her daughters-in-law. “Does she know that?”
Jeremiah’s brows drew together. “About the marriage, not yet. I don’t think she wants to have another baby. I’ve brought it up a couple of times, and she gets scared and changes the subject.”
Emily shook her head. “Don’t you think that’s because she doesn’t want to be a single mother again?
Even if you would marry her if she got pregnant, she may not want you to marry her because you have to.
She would more than likely only want to get married because you wanted to marry her.
The baby could—and should—come after.” Emily stared into his eyes and raised her eyebrows.
He took in his mother’s expression. “You’re a smart woman, Mom. I didn’t think of it that way.”
She became slightly exasperated. “Jeremiah, you’re my son, and I love you to death, but you’re such a…man. Treat that girl right and you’ll have a happy life.”
His gaze slid over to Joci and his sisters-in-law.
“Thanks, Mom.” He took a step toward the women and turned back to his mom.
“Just so you know…” A sly smile creased his face.
“One of the things I think she loves about me is that I’m a man.
” He smirked, winked at her, and started toward the lady in his life.
He felt his phone vibrate and pulled it from his pocket.
He swiped his thumb across the screen and tapped the text message.
He began reading and then froze. His brows furrowed.
His heart raced like he was flying down the highway at midnight with no headlights.
Sweat beaded on his forehead. His eyes darted to Joci.
The icy dread that filled his stomach almost brought him to his knees when his eyes met hers.
She stood and walked to him. “Are you okay? Your face just drained of color, and you look like you’re going to be sick.
Come on and sit down.” She led him to a chair in the kitchen and immediately touched his forehead.
She frowned, turned toward the sink, and wet some paper towels with cool water.
She placed the towels on his forehead as she knelt before him. “Are you going to be sick, Jeremiah?”
The concern in her eyes made his stomach roil. He took the towel from her hand and laid it on the table. “I’m okay, babe. Just dizzy for a minute. Don’t fuss.”
She clucked. “Get used to it. If you’re sick, I’m going to take care of you.”
He pulled her up to his lap and lay his head on her shoulder. “Just give me a minute. I need to let my heart slow down.”
* * *
She held him, her arm around his large shoulders, her other hand gently soothing his face.
He’d grown a beard, and the hair now felt soft and silky where before the stubble had felt like sandpaper to her skin.
He was warm, and his heart was still pounding away against her ribs.
She’d make sure he went to the doctor first thing tomorrow.
Emily walked into the kitchen and caught Joci’s eye. “Everything okay in here? Jeremiah?”
He lifted his head and looked at his mom. “Yes, I’m fine. I just got a little dizzy—it’s nothing.”
“People don’t just get dizzy. Has this happened before? When was the last time you went to the doctor and had a check-up?”
Jeremiah inhaled deeply. He picked Joci off his lap and stood her next to him.
He rose from the chair and said, “It hasn’t happened before.
I can’t remember my last appointment with Dr. Jerzak, but I will call him tomorrow.
I’m fine, really.” He dropped his phone into his pocket and took Joci’s hand. “Do you mind if we go home?”
Joci looked in his eyes. “No. Of course not. I’ll drive.” She smiled as she held her hand out for the keys to his truck. He frowned for a minute and then reached into his pocket and handed them to her.
* * *
“I don’t need to go to the doctor, I’m fine.
I had a couple of beers in a short amount of time, and it hit me.
” He finished pulling his hair into his signature ponytail and looked at Joci in the mirror.
He saw her lips turn down into a frown, and he felt bad.
Stepping closer to her, he whispered close to her ear, “You’re stuck with me for a good long time. ”
She smiled sweetly, her dimples winking at him as she lifted one shoulder.
“I’m counting on it.” She swiped the lip gloss across her lips, and he had the powerful urge to immediately lick it off.
The light reflected on her perfectly shaped lips, and he balled his fists together.
“You told your mom you’d call Dr. Jerzak today. ”
He frowned. “I’ll deal with my mom.”
His phone chirped, and he grabbed it as he stepped out of the bathroom. Tapping the screen a few times, he entered the password for his voicemail.
“Dog, it’s Deborah. You didn’t respond to my text last night. We need to talk about this. I don’t know what to do. I’m stopping by Rolling Thunder later to talk. Bye.”
There it was again, that icy cold dread planting itself in his stomach. His heart began racing, and he broke out in a sweat. He walked to the sliding patio doors and opened them. Sucking in the fresh air, he leaned against the door frame, trying to figure out what to do.
“Are you feeling sick again?”
He swung around and plastered on a fake smile. His face felt wooden, and just smiling took a huge effort. “No.” His voice cracked. He cleared his throat again and, with more air than he felt he had in his lungs, he said, “No. Just checking the weather.”
Joci’s brows drew together; she glanced outside and then into his eyes. She raised her brows. “Really?”
He nodded and pulled the door closed. Flipping the lock, he stepped into the kitchen. “I don’t have time to eat anything, so I’ll see you later, okay?”
He walked toward the door to the garage, but Joci stopped him.
“Jeremiah?”
He quietly took a deep breath. He turned to face her. “Yeah?”
“What’s going on?” She crossed her arms in front of her and stood directly in front of him. His eyes searched her face, and his stomach twisted a bit tighter.
“Nothing. I have an issue with Chase to deal with this morning, and I almost forgot about it. I need to get there before the day gets busy.”
He leaned forward and pecked her on the lips, then quickly turned and left.