Chapter 10 Josie
JOSIE
I shuffled across the lawn and up the steps of my house, still dazed and confused by what just happened. He kissed me, and not just any kiss, but a kiss that could only be described as explosive, passionate, volatile, meteoric, or hell, even hazardous.
Because that’s what JR was. He was hazardous for me and my lust-addled brain at the moment.
In all my teasing, I was sure I was getting to him, but never in my wildest dreams did I think he would ever grab me like that and shove his tongue down my throat.
Not that I was complaining.
He was an excellent kisser. Like, top-notch. I would be hard-pressed to find anyone who could set my toes on fire like that.
I shoved the door open and stumbled inside, staring off at absolutely nothing as I replayed every single second of that kiss.
And how he kicked me out afterward.
What did that mean? Did he only kiss me to shut me up? Was his plan to draw me in, only to squash any hope of anything happening between us? Then again, maybe he didn’t mean to kiss me. Maybe I really fell against him and inadvertently shoved my tongue in his mouth.
Oh, God. He was an innocent bystander, just minding his own business, when his crazy neighbor came along and attacked him with saliva! I was a horrible person. I should go apologize.
Except, if I apologized, that meant that I would have to see him, and seeing him right now was definitely out of the question.
He would probably slam the door in my face and call me a floozy or a swindler.
Then it would get around town and everyone would look at me like the witch who cast some evil spell on him and got him to fall for the woman he detested based on my love of Milo.
I would be a laughing stock.
“Are you alright?” Sawyer asked, dragging me out of my internal debate.
“Huh?”
“You have that…spastic eye thing going on.”
“What spastic eye thing?”
“You know, the one where you’ve done something you shouldn’t have, and now you’re freaking out.”
I laughed nervously at that. “Why would you assume I’ve done something? I haven’t done a thing.”
“Are you sure?”
“I think I would know if I had done something I shouldn’t have,” I said, storming past him to get away from his watchful stare.
If anyone could get to me, it was my brother. He knew me too well. I just had to hope that he was too depressed over losing Pearl that he would drop the subject.
“The neighbor was just here.” He jumped up from the couch and hurried over, eager for information.
“So?”
I couldn’t look at him. He would see right through me. I opened the fridge and buried my head inside. The cool air hit me, immediately freezing the panic rising in my chest.
“So, did it have anything to do with him?
I shuffled around the yogurt, taking my sweet time to delay the inevitable response. “Um… what?”
“The flushed look on your face. The reason you’re burying your head in the fridge. Is it because of him?”
I spun around and glared at him. “Why would I hide from anyone?”
“Because—”
“Have I ever hidden from anyone?” Going on the offensive was the only strategy I could employ right now.
“No, you don’t, but you do—”
“It’s ridiculous to think that I would hide in a fridge. I was looking for something to eat.”
“You don’t have anything in your hands.”
“Because you started accusing me of hiding!”
“Fine, then get something to eat.”
“Fine, I will,” I snapped, turning back around to the fridge. Digging through it, I found a yogurt, hoping I could stomach it when my insides were flip-flopping like a gymnastics tournament was being held inside my body.
If I couldn’t eat this damn yogurt, I’d never live this down. I needed another distraction, something that would put him on edge just as much as me.
“Don’t you think it’s time you moved on from Pearl?”
His eyes narrowed. “That’s low, Josie.”
I peeled back the lid, tossing it away to buy myself a few more seconds. As I sauntered around the room, I stirred my yogurt thoughtfully.
“I just mean that maybe it’s time for you to take a trip and get away. Who knows? Maybe you’ll meet someone.”
His left eye twitched with indecision. Good, I had him thinking about something other than what just happened with me.
“Well, I mean, I don’t know where I would go.”
“I’m sure you’ll think of something. Somewhere you can escape. Where nobody knows you.”
“If you tell me to go to the Cheers bar, I’m outta here.”
“I’m just saying that you’re missing the whole point of being single. And this is the perfect time because we’re supposed to have that snowstorm coming in. They’re calling for a massive amount of snow, and you could escape it all.”
“That’s true—”
“Ooh, you could go visit Grandma and Grandpa!”
“Because I would meet a lot of hot women over there?” he deadpanned.
“No, but you could stay with them for a night on the way to wherever you’re going.”
“You just want me to go so they don’t summon you.”
“Well, that may have something to do with it, but it would kill two birds with one stone.”
He scrubbed a hand over his jaw, thinking it over. Meanwhile, I was still stirring my yogurt, trying desperately to get out of answering any more of his questions.
“Well, you may have a point.”
Then his eyes landed on my hand. “Are you gonna eat that?”
My stomach twisted at the thought of putting anything inside the churning bin that was my insides. I lifted the spoon, but the moment the smell hit me, I knew I couldn’t do it. I was too wound up, too anxious over what had happened.
I needed tea.
Setting down the yogurt, I quickly moved about the kitchen. “Tea?”
“Ha! I knew it! This is because of the neighbor!”
“It is not.”
“It so is,” he laughed. “What did he say?”
“Nothing. It was absolutely nothing. We argued about the dog.”
“Right, the dog,” he nodded as I continued to do my level best to be busy.
I found my teacup and got to work on making my tea, but still, he didn’t let up.
“Oh, come on. You’ve seen me at my lowest, and you’re not going to tell me?”
“There’s nothing to tell,” I said, spinning around and pinning him with my best aggravated look, though I was pretty sure I probably looked constipated.
“Nothing to tell. Right, that’s why you marched over to his house.”
“Because I was arguing with him!”
“Arguing about your love for him?”
My cheeks flamed red as the kiss we shared flashed through my mind.
His smile dropped at the look on my face. “Holy shit,” he whispered. “You love him?”
“Of course I don’t love him!”
“Then why are you being all weird? What happened?” he asked, chasing me around the room as I stormed away, trying to reclaim my sanity. “Did he kiss you?”
I spun around so fast I bumped right into his chest. “Listen here, mister. There is nothing to tell. And even if there were something to tell, which there isn’t, I wouldn’t tell you. Not even if my life depended on it.”
“Why not?”
“Because you’re a sap. You fall in love with the thought of love, and the last thing I need is you acting all…lovey dovey over some imaginary thought in your mind that I’m getting together with the neighbor!”
“So, you have thought about it,” he grinned.
“Do you want me to stab you in your sleep?”
Tossing his head back, he laughed raucously. “Oh, man. This is so good. Him?” he pointed in the direction of JR’s house. “The grouch next door is the man you’re falling for?”
“Not falling for!”
“You kissed him! I can see it all over your face! Man, wait until Grandma and Grandpa hear about this.”
I snatched his arm as he turned to go, my eyes pleading with him when no sound would leave the voice box that was suddenly useless.
“Alright,” he sighed. “I won’t tell them, but this means you can’t give me any shit over any of my relationships for at least a month.”
“Two weeks,” I countered.
“A month, and if you try to counter my offer again, I’ll make it two months.”
My lips snapped shut in agreement. “Fine. One month.”
He spat in his hand and held it out. I did the same, sealing our agreement with saliva and a handshake.
With a new bowl firmly in hand, I went to my property line and dropped it on his side, careful not to cross into his territory.
Though technically, I wasn’t sure he had a leg to stand on. He was renting from the Parker family, so it wasn’t really his place to order me around.
“Milo!” I called the precious dog over.
Yipping, he sat up, his ears perked high as he waited for the usual rattle. Bag in hand, I shook it just once, and he came running toward me. Pouring the food in, I was careful not to cross the property line.
Brushing his wet nose up against my hand, he delighted in a few pets before he shoved his face in the bowl and started scarfing down his delicious bites. Well, I hoped they were delicious, anyway. I had thought of getting some wet food for him, but the price would absolutely kill me.
“You’re such a good boy. Yes, you are,” I cooed as I ran my fingers over his mangy coat. “You really need a bath. You should definitely talk to your owner about fixing this situation. Maybe sneak into his house and get in the shower with him,” I smiled.
“What the hell are you doing?” JR shouted from his front steps.
He was flying down them and stalking toward me, the anger on his face nearly making me laugh. But I had enough common sense not to poke the bear.
“I was petting your dog.”
“You were feeding him!” JR shouted.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“I can see the bag of food in your hand.”
Looking down, I frowned at the bag that was very clearly marked as dog food. “What, this? Oh, no. This is mine.”
Those gray eyes narrowed on me in a way that I knew I wouldn’t like the challenge that followed.
“Yours, huh?”
“Yep.”
“You eat dog food.”
“It’s a healthy treat,” I countered, unwilling to give in.
“Then let me see you eat some.”
“Oh, I can’t,” I chuckled. “See, you’re only supposed to eat three bites a day, and I already had my fill.”