Chasing Joshua (15 page)
Joshua and Ethan made dinner, and about six o'clock it was time to eat.
"Ready when you are, ladies.” Ethan headed out to get Gray.
"I got him.” Evelyn swooped him up under her arm like a duffle bag, and the child laughed.
"You smiling at me, Evelyn?” Ethan drew his brows together, trying to look mean and dark.
"Well, that face makes me laugh.” Evelyn handed him Gray and heard Grace laughing behind her.
"What? I am a tough looking guy, Gracie, rough.” Ethan knew he was as physically imposing as Joshua was. Why didn't this chick realize they were big brawny men, tough, strong guys? Evelyn was Grace's size for crying out loud. She couldn't hurt a fly.
"She's not afraid of anyone, Ethan. I know you like to look tough. You are, honey. Very scary.” Grace put a hand on her husband's cheek and shook her head. Poor guy spent most of his life being thought of as a brute, and now a woman smaller than his wife thinks he's a joke. Men never understood Evelyn. They were either scared of her abilities or repulsed by them. Maybe Joshua was the one for her. He had seen enough women in law enforcement to know a woman can hold her own, but he treated them all with respect and like ladies because that's just how he was.
Dinner was quiet, awkward.
Evelyn had taken her contacts out and pulled her hair in a ponytail when she went to wash up. She sat next to Joshua, and the tension was so thick she'd need a sword to cut it. Ethan held Gray as he ate alternating between his bites and his son's bites though Gray wanted what his daddy had most. The sight of Ethan holding his son so Grace could eat in peace made Evelyn reevaluate him. Maybe good men ran in Joshua's family. She resolved to be nicer to Chase when she met him next week. It was only fair to give him a chance, and that poor man was married to Megan. Hell hath no fury like Megan's wrath. Evelyn knew she was a bitch, but Megan was worse than a bitch, she was a diva with a capital D.
"This is really good.” Grace had to break the tension. Ethan and Gray were the only ones talking, and that was to each other. She was at a table having dinner with an old friend, her husband, and his cousin, and no one was talking. She could see Joshua's face, and he seemed so melancholy. It wasn't like him.
"Yes, very.” Evelyn was relieved at the chance to speak. She really didn't know what to say. Grace and Ethan changed the dynamic in the house. Maybe he didn't want his family to really know about them. She wanted to talk to him, to touch him.
"Thank you,” both men answered at the same time. They gave each other looks.
"Now, boys, I'm sure you both contributed to dinner.” Grace smiled a knowing smile. Joshua was just like Ethan. They may not have been born brothers, but they acted like brothers.
"Yes, and it's all delicious.” Evelyn looked at Joshua, but he looked back at his plate. Her chest felt heavy. She wanted desperately to connect with him. She felt more alone right now than she had ever felt. “Joshua, I can make a cake for dessert."
"If you want to.” Joshua nodded.
"Will you help me?” Evelyn laid her hand on his arm. It was a desperate plea, and she knew it, but she also didn't care. She wasn't ashamed of him, and she desperately wanted his attention again. She didn't want him to be ashamed of her.
"Of course.” Joshua shifted his gaze to hers and smiled. Maybe she didn't want to hide after all. He felt like an ass for revealing their relationship, and she bolted out the backdoor with Grace all afternoon. He felt distance sliding between them, reality crashing in on him. And fear of losing her had washed over him.
"Don't tell me you can't cook?” Ethan laughed.
"She can cook,” Joshua said at the same time Evelyn said, “I can cook."
"Whoa Big Dog, I'm not accusing. You know Grace caught the stove on fire.” Ethan pushed her red curls behind her ear and kissed her cheek. “I love this woman, I do, but she can't cook."
Evelyn tried not to laugh. “She can cook some things."
"Yes, that's true,” Ethan agreed. “Not that I care, she makes up for it in other ways."
Grace, unlike Evelyn, was a lady. A real lady, she didn't swear, she used manners, and so when she cursed, Evelyn realized a whole lot had changed. Not just men and babies. Grace was stronger, more confident. Free.
"Damn Ethan, they have it on DVD. They don't need the live show. I'm good but really.” Grace blushed as she said it, but Ethan brought out the naughty side of her. It didn't matter at this point. Everyone in the family had caught them in the act or on the verge of it, as evident by Joshua's squirming.
"Grace!” Evelyn was just flabbergasted.
"Oh, she's worse than he is, but let me remind you there is a child present.” Joshua pointed at Gray.
"Oh, he got me, too. Let me tell you. That's the day you start being more careful.” Ethan shook his head. “Thank God he's too young to understand what he saw."
"He doesn't even remember it.” Grace waved her fork in the air.
"It's all those romance novels she reads. I tried to tell her she could write one by now. Woman tries to act out every scene she reads.” Ethan stood with Gray who was now getting fussy. “Almost broke my back once."
"Oh, um, the bedroom.” Evelyn remembered all the gear she had in there. Joshua knowing she had all that stuff was one thing, but Ethan and Grace, she wasn't ready to let everyone in. Grace had seen her train, well, show off, but she had no real idea how dangerous her job was. Evelyn always made it sound easy, and that she was always in control. A lot of times she felt like it was easy, but when it was personal, like Noel, she always made mistakes.
"They don't use that room, no worries.” Joshua stood and started clearing the table.
"Hold on, Ethan, I'll take him. You go get the stuff out of the car.” Grace smiled and kissed her husband.
Evelyn watched and wanted. Grace and Ethan didn't hide their feelings or their sex life apparently. She wanted that, too. “God, they make me sick."
"Yeah, I know.” Joshua frowned at that statement. What he envied most about Ethan as an adult was his relationship with Grace.
"No, I mean sick like why can't I have that, sick.” Evelyn didn't want him to think anything other than the truth. Though having that kind of relationship seemed impossible for her to ever achieve.
"You can.” Joshua stepped behind her as Ethan walked out the door and Grace headed up the stairs. With no one else in sight he kissed her neck. Evelyn leaned into him, and his arms moved around her. “God, I wish they weren't here."
"Why, you don't like them?” Evelyn's eyes were closed, and she was falling quickly into lust again.
"I like having you alone. They interrupted my dinner, interrupted my plans,” Joshua whispered as his hand slid farther down her stomach toward her sex. Thankfully Ethan cleared his throat before his hand got there.
"Sorry to interrupt, Josh, think you could give
me
a hand here?” Ethan's smile was devilish. Joshua shook his head.
"See.” Joshua kissed her on the shoulder and stepped away.
Evelyn cleared her throat and straightened herself out. It was embarrassing to get caught twice. Joshua seemed comfortable in front of Ethan, but what about Grace? Was that her move?
Joshua and Ethan came in with the portable baby pen and other bags. Joshua set the pen down in the living room and followed Ethan up the stairs. Grace returned with a sleepy Gray, dressed in his truck pajamas.
"E, you think you can pop that open for me?” Grace rocked the little boy slowly back and forth. “He'll sleep for a while, get up around two a.m. and go back to sleep around four."
Evelyn had put together a lot of things in her life, but somehow popping up a playpen seemed harder than putting up a shelter half in the field. It only took a minute, and it just seemed too fast and flimsy to hold him. “Are you sure that's right? I've locked everything in place?"
"Yes."
"No, let me check again. It seems too unstable for a baby. He could tip it over.” Evelyn didn't want to seem crass, but hell, this was a child.
"E, I swear you did it right. It will hold him. He's not Hercules.” Grace laid the child in the playpen while Evelyn circled it several times. Grace smiled at her friend. Evelyn was always very protective of those she cared for.
"But his daddy is, right, babe?” Ethan stepped behind Grace and held her belly.
"If you say so, honey.” Grace patted his hands and rolled her eyes. Before coming on this trip, Ethan and his brother Chase were on full testosterone overload. Apparently a woman bounty hunter packs quite a kick to the male ego. They had devised plans as to how they could escape if a woman ever tracked them down. As if either of them could commit a crime. And since a woman had set Ethan's stairs on fire once before, Grace really enjoyed their delusions. Joshua was a hero, a real fighting hero. Ethan and Chase played sports. They were pretty, not heroes. Not in the sense they wanted to be.
"So, Evelyn, what's the status on that cake?” Ethan swayed Grace back and forth in his arms. “I love chocolate, especially icing."
Grace pinched him causing him to wince. “What? You act like I said whipped topping.” Ethan got another pinch “Woman, stop pinching me, I'm a fragile man."
"I thought you were Hercules,” Grace retorted.
Evelyn listened as Ethan took her pinches and then called himself fragile. He was an inch taller than Joshua and just as big, yet Grace at her size was bullying him. Yes, Evelyn thought. Good men do run in his family. Maybe there were more good men than she had ever imagined, but she still only wanted one, Joshua. And no way would Joshua let anyone bully him.
"Honey, did you mean by help you make a cake you wanted me to make a cake?” Joshua had set up all the ingredients and already turned the oven on.
Her gaze lifted from the sleeping toddler toward her angel. She couldn't help wonder if their son would look like his daddy, or maybe even a little girl, with her red hair and his green eyes. Evelyn shook it off. Those thoughts were getting her nowhere.
"No. Sorry. I was distracted.” Evelyn walked to the kitchen. Ethan and Grace settled on the couch and turned on the television.
"With Ethan?” Joshua's face went flat. His voice was quiet. She had called Ethan hot before, seemed to avoid him, and those were signs of a crush.
"No, with Gray. That playpen makes me nervous.” Evelyn smiled up at him, noticed the look on his face, and frowned. “You thought?"
"You said he was hot,” Joshua whispered as he shrugged and turned to mix the ingredients.
"You look at me, Joshua Young.” Evelyn grabbed his face and pulled him close to hers, so she could see him eye to eye. She wasn't as quiet. “He has nothing on you,
nothing
."
Ethan's voice interrupted from the living room. “I have an inch on him, thank you very much."
"In height, but that's the only place. You forget I've seen the video.” Evelyn didn't take her eyes off Joshua. His face blushed and his smile widened.
"Grace?” Ethan feigned offense. “Say something."
"I lived the video, baby. She's right.” Grace squealed as Ethan launched a tickle attack on her. “Megan told me! Megan told me!"
Evelyn looked at Joshua confused. He licked his lips. “You're right about that, babe."
"About what?” she whispered. In the background Grace threatened to pee her pants if Ethan didn't let her go. He did and then acted like his feelings were hurt. Grace playfully soothed his ego. Evelyn had inadvertently stepped into a long standing family joke.
"I told you, we were like a pack of wild dogs.” Joshua didn't whisper.
"You told her, Joshua!” Ethan shouted playfully, and Gray started to wake up. “Damn it, now look.” He stopped playing and went to pat Gray on the back to help him back to sleep. “I can't believe Chase told Megan. He's due for an ass kickin’”
"No, I didn't tell her, but I will now.” Joshua shrugged. “We were measured. Chase turned twenty-one that year, and we celebrated. The three big dogs. We were walking to the next bar, and a lady of the night overheard us talking about who the lead dog was. Ethan's the oldest, so he thought it should be him.” Joshua mixed all the ingredients while Evelyn stared at him with her arms crossed. “She called out to us and said for twenty bucks she'd tell us who the lead dog was."
"You had sex with a hooker?” Evelyn's face twisted, and her hands went to her hips.
"Hell no,” both Ethan and Joshua replied the same. Grace began to laugh.
"We let her measure us. Right there on the street. In front of everyone who walked by. It was humiliating the next day, but it seemed like a fine thing to do at the time.” Joshua bowed. “I'm the Great Dane, Ethan's a Doberman, and Chase is a big Poodle."
"That is about the most absurd thing I have ever heard.” Evelyn shook her head.
"I was twenty-three, drunk off my ass. I can't lie about it. It wasn't my finest hour, but we've laughed ever since.” Joshua poured the batter into the pan, placed it in the oven, and turned to look at Evelyn. She still stood there, hands on her hips.
"And you think I have problems.” Evelyn shook her head and looked at him, head to toe. In the back of her mind, she reminded herself that she tied men up and teased them, but the thought of another woman touching him there just made her mad.
"Oh, don't be mad at me.” Joshua hugged her, pulled her into his arms, and kissed her forehead. They would definitely have to rework her identity because no way in hell could he act like he didn't know her. It took all his might not to touch her every five seconds.
"Yeah, don't get mad, Evelyn, get even,” Grace called from the living room.
"Thanks for your support, Gracie.” Joshua shook his head. “She's evil when she's pregnant."
"That's not all she is.” Ethan winked at her.
"Do they do anything else?” Evelyn asked loud enough for them to hear, but she was more excited by the fact that he was giving her his full attention in front of them.
"Eat, sleep, and procreate. It's a good life, Evelyn. You should try it.” Ethan wasn't embarrassed. He didn't embarrass easily, and neither did Evelyn. He knew women, and one thing he knew about Evelyn, regardless of what Grace had said, she could handle Amelia Young. Joshua may have found himself a keeper. That was if she would stay. “You know Stephanie is still with Malcolm."
"Stephanie?” Evelyn searched Joshua's face for a telling look.
"My sister. She works for Ethan.” Joshua smiled. She was jealous. That had to mean something.
"Who's Malcolm?” Evelyn relaxed. He had told her about a sister, but Grace had warned her about the mother. The idea of meeting either of them was nerve-racking.
"Malcolm is a very nice, respectable man, who is also a firefighter, he's Irish and African American and my mother hates him.” Joshua drew out the whole picture because he really liked Malcolm. He knew he loved his sister. At twenty-five Joshua would have never met with a father to ask a daughter out, but Malcolm sought his dad out last year when they started dating to be sure it was okay. He was mature and responsible. Stephanie adored him.
"Why does your mother hate him?” Evelyn couldn't figure it out. There were many reasons to hate a man, on principal alone was the best, but Joshua dragged that description out. Was it his race? His job?
"Because she hates anyone we date. She liked him when they did the fundraiser for the fire department, raved about him and a few other guys. As soon as he started dating Stephanie, she hated him. She thinks Stephanie should marry a doctor or lawyer. Not a fireman.” Joshua wanted to choke Ethan for bringing it up. He had all week to go over this stuff, but now Ethan forced issues.
"So she'll hate me.” Evelyn got it. It wasn't about Malcolm; it was about her. The cake timer went off saving her from anymore discussion on the matter. She quickly changed topics as soon as he bent to pull the cake out. Evelyn was feeling like maybe she was getting in over her head with the whole relationship thing. Wanting Joshua was one thing. Accepting an entire family was another.