Chapter Twelve
Joe watched her go and cursed several times. Something was really wrong with this picture, and he needed to know what it was. The things coming out of her mouth were so opposite to what he felt, it made him sick.
Where the hell did she get the idea that he didn’t want her? Images of the last few times they talked raced through his head. He didn’t have a lot of experience with women, but looking back, he could see how she’d taken some of the things he said wrong. Now, he just had to figure out what to do.
His phone rang as he was headed outside.
“Hello, Mother.”
“Hello, dear. How is everything going?”
“Not great. We’re not communicating very well, and I think I’ve hurt her feelings a few times.”
“Of course you did. Men are obtuse when it comes to feelings.”
“Wow, thanks, Mom.”
“Well, it’s the truth. I’d like to come out and meet Naomi face-to-face. Would tonight be okay?”
“I don’t know … she’s not feeling great right now.”
“Oh, why?”
“I think she overdoes it sometimes and gets worn out.”
“I promise I won’t stay long.”
“Fine. Come out around three. It’s before dinner.”
“Someday, I’d like to stay a bit.”
“And you can. I’m still getting her used to me.”
There was a silence. “Besides miscommunication, are there other things you’re having problems with?”
He had no idea, but he got the feeling his mother was either trying to find out information or had some he didn’t know.
“Can we talk about this later? I want to check on her before I go outside.”
“Now, that’s the way I raised you. Taking care of the woman in your life.”
“I know, Mom. I’ll see you soon.”
“All right.”
He walked up the steps to hear her moving around in her room, and he knocked. He heard her scramble around before she opened the door a few inches.
“Is everything okay?” he asked and tried to see in the room.
“Yes, of course.”
“Can I come in?”
She looked behind her and then nodded. “Yes.”
He saw that her closet was in disarray, which was unlike her, and a few drawers were opened.
“Are you looking for something?”
“Why would you say that?” she asked.
“Because you’re usually a neat freak.”
She inhaled and looked around. “I was just organizing.”
He watched the different emotions cross her face, and every one of them scared him. He could tell he was losing her, and he didn’t know how to fix it. He decided to wait until his mother came. He hoped she’d be able to get them on the right track again.
“Okay, I’m going to head out. I’ll be in for dinner,” he said.
Naomi nodded.
“If you need me, just call down to the barn.”
“I will.”
He turned and walked off, trying to keep his frustration at a calm level before he raised his voice or said something else that hurt her feelings. He didn’t want to do any more damage than he already had.
The next few hours crawled as he waited for his mother to drive up. He wanted things good between them again. Finding out that Naomi thought he didn’t want her flabbergasted him. She had to have caught him staring at her.
He relaxed when he saw the dust from a vehicle driving up to the house.
Good. His mother would help him because she wanted this to work out as much as he did, and he didn’t think she’d let the woman go without a fight.