Chapter 38 Josie
JOSIE
I sullenly filled the next order, sighing heavily as JR’s words floated around in my head. I didn’t understand how he could be so callous and completely miss the mark on my feelings toward my mother’s cancer.
Did he really think I was hiding behind this shop?
I snorted to myself, shaking my head. The whole thing was ridiculous. I knew that taking herbal supplements and drinking herbal tea would not cure the world. I wasn’t naive.
“Stupid men,” I muttered as I packed the order into the box and closed the lid.
The bell rang over the door and I pasted a smile on my face so my customers didn’t think I had suddenly become depressed by using my own advice.
I shouldn’t have worried. Ellie May strolled through the door with a knowing look.
“Don’t say it,” I snapped, carrying the box over to my other packaged orders.
“Someone looks a little down in the dumps.”
“What do you want?”
“Me? Oh, I don’t want anything. I mean, I suppose I could take a few of those lavender eye pillows if you have any.”
“You know I do.” Walking over to the cabinet, I pulled out a few and set them on the counter for her to choose from. “Why are you really here?”
“Oh, a little birdie told me JR left town,” she mused, picking the pink eye pillow. “I was wondering what you knew about it.”
“Same as you,” I said, keeping my tone even.
The last thing I needed was for her to start questioning every emotion I had.
“I heard he left with Archer.”
That did surprise me, and dammit, she caught me. Holding back a smile, she pulled out her wallet.
“So, you didn’t know that part. It seems strange, don’t you think?”
“What part?”
“That he knows Archer. Yet, no one in town truly knows Archer. Except the Parkers.”
“They know everybody.”
“No, I mean, they really know him.” Leaning in closer, she lowered her voice. “Look, not that it’s my business, because I know how badly rumors fly in this town—”
“Then why are you saying anything?”
“Because I have a feeling you know very little about the man you’re sleeping with, and I don’t want to see you hurt.”
I let out a comical, “Ha!” Fat chance of that not happening.
“Look, when I was helping Liam out with his problem with Austin, he was having Archer look after Bailey.”
“Well, that’s nice.”
“No, I mean, he was there for protection.”
Okay, that was confusing. “I mean, I guess he could have just trusted him to look after her.”
“Right, but he called him home to help him out. Doesn’t it seem odd that a guy who only lived here for six months would be the guy Liam Parker called in a time of crisis? Why him?”
I had no idea, and thinking about it only made me think of JR and how he just showed up one day. It was a little too coincidental, and I didn’t like musing about town gossip.
“Honestly, I’m not sure why he showed up, and I don’t think I want to know. We had this huge fight before he left, and I doubt we’ll ever get back to the friendly relationship we had before.”
“But aren’t you curious about the man you’re sleeping with? And what about Alyssa? It’s weird that she just showed up, too.”
“I agree, but he’s not exactly telling me his deepest, darkest secrets. Frankly, I don’t want to know.”
“Not even a little?” she asked in shock.
“No. I just want to move past all this. I knew all along that I couldn’t be with a man who didn’t want to open up to me. It’s no surprise that he won’t share a thing with me, and that’s fine. But I don’t want to keep doing this. I’m not up for all the secrets.”
“Wow.” She stepped back, shock plastered all over her face. “You really are walking away.”
“Basically.”
“But…what if he’s the guy?”
“Trust me, he’s not the guy.”
He so was the guy.
I desperately wished he would open up to me and let me in, but I wasn’t about to turn into my brother, moping around about a man who would never love me. I couldn’t do that to myself, so I chose to walk away before it devastated me even further.
“But you haven’t even given him a chance!” she argued when I grabbed the next order and started filling it.
“I gave him enough chances, but honestly, I wasn’t hoping he would change. I could see damaged scrolled across his forehead from a mile away. He was never going to open up to me.”
“But he still might!”
“No, he won’t, Ellie,” I snapped. “Yes, he’s gorgeous and hot and amazing in bed.
I like him very much, and I even think if he opened his mouth for an actual conversation that didn’t include snarling at someone, he might be a pretty decent guy.
But he doesn’t want to open his mouth. He doesn’t want to converse with me or anyone else.
In fact, I’m pretty sure he’s content as a hermit, and the only reason he comes up for air is because he needs food and sex to survive. ”
Wow. That was a lot to get off my chest, but it felt fantastic.
“Alright, I won’t bring it up again.”
“Thank you,” I smiled. “Look, I get it. You’re the happily-ever-after type. I’ve seen the way you watch a guy with stars in your eyes. But I’m more realistic. I can’t and won’t wait around for Mr. Wrong to figure out that he could be Mr. Right.”
Huffing, she snatched the eye pillow from the counter. “Fine, I’ll just pay for this and go on my way.”
“Thank you.”
“But I really think—”
I held up my hand to cut her off, but she just pushed through.
“—you should give the man a chance to be who you need him to be! And maybe he’s not the perfect man, but he’s hot, and he’s obviously got it bad for you. Do you know how many women would kill to have a man look at her the way JR looks at you? You’re killing me, Smalls! You’re killing me!”
My lips twitched in amusement not only at her rant, but also the classic movie line she tossed in for fun. “Are you done?”
“For now.” Growling, she pulled out a twenty and tossed it down on the counter. “Keep the change, you filthy animal.”
And with that, she strode out of the shop.
I smiled despite the situation, but the energy it took to force myself to be happy just wasn’t worth it. I still had to take all my orders out, and I was waiting on Mrs. Abernathy to show. She usually came in early, and it was beginning to worry me that she hadn’t stopped in for her order yet.
After waiting another half hour, I decided to pack up her order and take it to her. I locked up the shop and chose to drive over there instead of walking today. I wasn’t even completely sure why, but something told me to get over there as quickly as possible.
The moment I walked up to the older craftsman-style home, I knew something was wrong. Pounding on the door, I called out to her.
“Mrs. Abernathy! It’s Josie!”
When she didn’t answer, I tried the doorknob, surprised when it opened so easily. Shoving inside, I practically rushed into the house, searching for the old woman. Veering off to the right, I looked all around the living room, hoping she was just sleeping in her chair.
“Mrs. Abernathy! It’s Josie!”
“Over here!”
I spun around, rushing into the dining room, gasping when I saw her on the ground in a pool of urine. “Mrs. Abernathy! Are you okay?”
“Do I look okay, you witch doctor?”
Well, her temper was fine.
“What happened? Are you hurt?”
“Of course I’m hurt. I didn’t just lay on the ground all night for the fun of it. Help me off this floor right now.”
“But—”
“You’d think with your hoodoo power, you would have been here sooner.”
I gripped her under the armpits and tried to lift her. “I’m not a witch,” I grumbled, doing my best to haul her up.
But it was no use. I was only a small person, and she wasn’t able to lift herself at all. After struggling for a few minutes, and fending off her verbal attacks, I finally conceded that I was not able to do this on my own.
“Mrs. Abernathy, I need to call the paramedics.”
“You’ll do no such thing. I don’t need those hippies in my house, telling me I need to go to a nursing home.”
“They’re not going to tell you that. They just need to help you off the floor and check to make sure you’re okay.”
“They’ll help me into an early grave,” she hissed. “Don’t think I don’t know what you’re doing.”
“Helping you!”
“Bah! You’re just like the rest of them. You just want my money!”
Sighing, I didn’t know what else to do. “Mrs. Abernathy, I don’t want your money. Would it help if I wrote out a document for you with my signature, promising I’m not here to take your money?”
She studied me for a moment like she was actually considering it. When she didn’t answer, I turned on my heel toward the door.
“Alright, have fun trying to get up on your own!” I called over my shoulder.
“Wait! Fine.”
I popped my head back in and cupped my ear. “I’m sorry. What was that?”
“I said fine!”
Pursing my lips, I walked back into the room. “Fine, what? I don’t quite understand what you mean.”
The old lady rolled her eyes at me. “Fine, you can call an ambulance.”
“And?”
“And what? I gave you the ambulance. Don’t push me.”
“You’d better watch it, old lady, or I’ll put a spell on you.”
I bit back a smile as she glared at me. The old woman could give even the most grouchy teenager a run for his money.
After calling 9-1-1, I waited patiently with Mrs. Abernathy.
I did everything possible to make her comfortable for the five minutes we waited together, including putting a pillow under her head, wiping up the urine around her, and even spraying air freshener, though she grumbled she really didn’t need it.
But when the hot paramedics walked through the door, I knew she was grateful I had cleaned up.
“Hurry!” she hissed. “Help me up.”
“That’s what the paramedics are here for,” I whispered.
The old woman narrowed her eyes at me. “You just want them for yourself. CPR Charlie is mine. Keep your paws to yourself!”
Gaping, I nearly snorted out a laugh as Charlie walked over, his face as bright as a tomato as he checked over Mrs. Abernathy.
“How are you feeling, Mrs. Abernathy?”
“Please, call me Agatha.”
I slapped a hand over my mouth and walked away, ducking into a corner where I could laugh in peace. Robert, the other paramedic, walked over to join me.
“Something funny?”
Biting back my laugh, I shook my head. “Not at all.”
“She’s got names for us all.”
“What’s yours?”
He cocked a smile at me. “Bandage Bob.”
If she had names for the paramedics, I couldn’t wait to hear what names she had for the doctors at the hospital.
After a good fifteen minutes of fussing over Mrs. Abernathy, they loaded her up on the stretcher to take her to the hospital. I grabbed a bag for her with some of her things and locked the door behind me.
“Here’s her bag,” I said, handing it over to Bandage Bob. “Don’t let her take advantage of you.”
He flushed bright red and slammed the back door.
Pulling my keys out of my purse, I headed back to the car when I felt like someone was watching me. I glanced behind me, and that’s when I saw it. Those heated eyes watching me.
Despite my anger, I raised my hand in a wave, but he disappeared just seconds later. It was as if I didn’t even exist.