Chapter 26
“I can walk myself.” She slapped Jeremiah’s hands away as he tried helping her from the truck. She’d eventually calmed down, thrown up, and then gone into a state of disbelief.
Jeremiah blew out a breath and stood to the side of the truck, waiting for her to jump out.
She stepped down, then pulled her shirt down.
The very shirt he had lovingly given her just a few short hours ago, while knowing he was lying to her.
She numbly walked around the front of the truck and to the door leading into the house. His house. Not hers. Not anymore.
She stepped to the cupboard above the sink, pulled a glass from the shelf, and filled it with water, watching the water bubble and spin as it filled her glass.
These stupid, mundane thoughts kept her sane.
She had been so careful all these years not to fall in love, not to get hurt.
This was why. The pain was unbearable. She felt numb.
“We should talk.” His voice was raspy. Weary even. He wanted to talk.
She raised the glass to her lips, almost in slow motion, and drank.
The cool water slid down her warm throat, cooling her from the inside.
She enjoyed the feeling of…feeling—for just a moment.
Setting the empty glass on the counter, she sucked in a deep breath and slowly let it out.
Turning to face him for the first time since ‘the news,’ she looked into his eyes.
The sadness and pain she saw there threatened her equilibrium.
It was dizzying dealing with all these emotions.
Seeing them written on his face was almost devastating.
Her voice barely above a whisper, she asked, “How long have you known?”
He took a step forward, and she swiftly held her hand up to halt him. She never took her eyes from his. “How. Long?”
He released a shaky breath. “Since Wednesday at Mom and Dad’s.”
She nodded her head. “So, you weren’t dizzy or sick?”
He raised a hand palm up then let it drop like a hot rock. “I was dizzy and sick. She…Deborah…”
At the sound of her name, Joci turned to look at the picture she had just this morning hung on the wall of her and Jeremiah at the Veteran’s Ride. How happy they looked, holding hands as they spoke to friends. But she was finished with tears.
“Texted me. When I saw the text, I felt physically ill.” He turned and grabbed a beer from the refrigerator, twisted the cap, and tossed it on the counter. He gulped down the majority of it before leveling his eyes on hers.
“She was at the shop because I didn’t return her text or her voicemail. She wanted to talk about the ba….” He swallowed. “Her pregnancy.” He finished off his beer, set the empty bottle on the counter, and briskly strode to the patio doors. Wrenching them open, he sucked in several deep breaths.
“Why didn’t you say anything to me?” Joci crossed her arms in front of her, her jaw set. She hated lying more than she hated anything else. Now that the shock was wearing off, she was pissed.
He turned toward her, hooked his thumbs in his jeans, and set his jaw. “I wanted to be sure before I knew anything. For the record, I don’t think it’s mine. I did have sex…” He faltered as she turned her head. She turned back to him, looked into his eyes, and waited.
“I had sex with her. Once. Many months ago. I’ve been trying to remember, but honestly, it just didn’t mean that much. I just wanted to get laid. You wouldn’t go out with me.”
Joci flew into a rage. “Don’t. You. Dare.” Each word punctuated with a finger jab. Her eyes shrank as she squinted at him; she was nearly yelling. “Don’t you dare blame this on me. If you had kept your cock in your pants, we wouldn’t be dealing with this now.”
He looked down and quickly back up. “Jesus. I wasn’t blaming you.
I’m trying to explain. If you can’t stand here and listen, don’t ask me the fucking questions.
” His voice grew louder with each word. He turned and stalked to the living room and then swiftly came back.
Still in a state, he finished, his voice a bit calmer, “You wouldn’t let me touch you.
I was horny. Deal with it. But that was probably eight months ago.
She’s not eight months pregnant.” He slammed his fist on the top of the counter.
“I don’t know what her game is, but that kid isn’t mine. ” He stalked back to the living room.
Joci followed him, saw him standing at the picture window, and flopped on the sofa.
She pulled her legs up to her chest and hugged them.
Resting her chin on her knees, she stared at the blank television screen, a faint reflection of herself staring back.
She felt the sofa dip. His scent floated over her, and she closed her eyes.
Softly, she said, “Why would she do this? Why would she say it’s yours if it isn’t? Did she ask for money?”
He shook his head but didn’t say anything. They sat quietly for long moments.
Taking a deep breath, she said, “LuAnn.” She turned toward him. “Deborah is friends with LuAnn. I saw them talking when I walked in the shop the other day, and they giggled when I walked past them.”
Jeremiah turned his head and stared. When she met his gaze, her lips thinned, then turned down. He flung himself back against the sofa and let out a string of curses that would make the devil himself blush.