RG2 - Twenty-Nine and a Half Reasons (12 page)

I hesitated. “Well…neither did I …until this afternoon.”

His face froze as his eyes narrowed slightly. I recognized it for what it was—the Joe Simmons Arkansas State Police face.

Time to change the subject. “I’m hungry and you’re gonna take me out to dinner to make it up to me. After I take a shower.” I turned to walk down the hall to the bathroom.

Joe grabbed my wrist and tugging me back into his arms. “Who said I was done making up?” He slowly covered my lips with his, his tongue continuing its sweet torture.

I knew what he was doing. He’d used these questionable interrogation attempts over a month ago when he thought I was involved with Daniel Crocker. He hoped to distract me with his mouth and make me give up my secrets. “I’m taking a shower.”

A slow sexy grin spread across Joe’s face as his held my hips to his. “Now that’s the best idea I’ve heard all day.”

I swatted his arm and stepped backward, breaking his hold. “Alone. I’m showering alone. That’s your punishment.”

“You’re a cruel woman, Rose Gardner. Gettin’ a guy’s hopes up like that.”

“You and Muffy can watch TV while you’re figuring out where to take me.”

“Well, hurry up,” he growled, but his eyes twinkled. “I’m hungry.”

I rolled my eyes. “That’s why I told you to figure out where to go.”

“That’s not what I’m hungry for.”

A blush crept up to my face. I still wasn’t used to that kind of attention.

Fifteen minutes later, I emerged from the bathroom showered and in fresh clothes. Joe stood in the doorway of Momma’s bedroom and turned to look at me.

“I put the paint tray and roller in a bag so they don’t dry out. I like the color.”

“Thanks.”

“If you’d have waited until the weekend, I would’ve helped you.”

“I know, but we got out of jury duty early today and I couldn’t face an afternoon of nothing.”

“You could have spent the day with Violet.”

I pinched my lips. “We’re not exactly speakin’ right now.”

His eyes widened in surprised as he led me down the hall to the kitchen. “Let’s go and you can tell me on the way. The sooner we eat dinner the sooner I can have dessert.”

“You’re awfully confident for a man who’s in trouble.”

Joe leaned down and kissed my neck. “Good thing I know your weak spots.”

Dear Lord, wasn’t that the truth?

We went to Little Italy, one of only two nice places to eat in Henryetta. The other was Jaspers, and I refused to go back there after the disastrous first date that Violet had arranged for me a month ago. Between getting left at the restaurant by the Pillsbury Doughboy, running into Daniel Crocker and feeling guilty about Sloan, the nice bartender who’d helped me and gotten murdered, I had no desire to ever walk through those doors again.

After we ordered, Joe reached across the table and took my hand. “Why are you and Violet fighting?”

I had to admit it was hard to stay mad at him. He was a charming man and the dark atmosphere and candlelight in the restaurant dampened my irritation. We needed to talk about what happened the night before, but it wasn’t like we could discuss Bruce’s situation in public. That discussion needed to happen at home. Talking about Violet wasn’t going to solve our disagreement, and I worried it would be throwing another log onto the fire. Maybe going out to eat wasn’t such a good idea after all. “I don’t think you want to know why we’re fightin’.”

He leaned back a few inches, confusion crossing over his face. “Why not?”

There was so much to tell and none of it good. Mostly, I didn’t want to hurt him. “Violet’s been unhappy lately.”

“Why?”

“She and Mike seem to be havin’ problems. It started right after Momma died.” I paused, unsure whether to continue. Yet I knew honesty was the best way to go. Secrets had nearly been our undoing in the past. “If I’m honest, I’d have to say it all started after I started seein’ you.”

“
Me
?”

I sucked in my lip before I blew a breath away. Staring Joe in the eye, my fingers tightened over his. “Violet thinks I’m settling.” Hurt filled his eyes and I hurried to add, “It’s nothing against you, Joe. She says I’ve never dated before and that I need more experience so I can be sure.”

Joe sat in silence.

“Mike was her first and only boyfriend, and they got married soon after high school. As hard as it is to believe, I think Violet’s a little jealous of me.”

A scowl lowered his brow and his gaze pierced mine. “Why is that hard to believe, Rose? You’re a beautiful woman and you’re sweet and funny. You’re wonderful.”

My face grew hot. “But how can Violet be jealous of me when she has everything I ever wanted?”

Joe sat as still as a statue.

Crappy doodles. I’d freaked him out.

His voice softened. “What does she have that you want?”

I looked away. “This is embarrassing, Joe.”

He put his finger under my chin and turned my face back to look at him. “No, it’s not. What does she have that you want?”

After sucking in deep breath, I released it in a gush. “A loving husband, beautiful children. A family.”

His gaze held mine.

I tried to turn away in my horror, but Joe’s grip on my chin tightened. Why on earth did I admit that? I’d always heard talking about that kind of stuff too early was the kiss of death for a relationship.

He smiled. “I want that stuff too.”

This was a first. Other than me moving to Little Rock, the only long-term subject we’d discussed was whether five-day-old Chinese food was still good. I grinned. “You want a husband?”

Joe laughed, releasing my chin. “No. I want to be married and have a family someday.”

My heart swelled with happiness, and for the first time I let myself think that far into the future.

“So why is Violet jealous of you?”

My smile fell away. This couldn’t end well. “I think Violet thinks she settled and for some reason she’s jealous that I have options.”

“Oh.” He stared out the window for several seconds before turning back, his happiness gone. “So what’d she do?”

“Huh?” My heart kick-started into overdrive.

“I know Violet well enough to know that if she doesn’t want you to settle for me, then she thinks you need to be movin’ on. And if you’re not talkin’ to her right now, she’s done something. What is it?”

“Joe…”

“Spit it out, Rose.”

The waitress showed up with our food, giving me a temporary reprieve. I was so torn. I didn’t want to lie to Joe, but I sure didn’t want to hurt him. I worried that telling him the truth would destroy any chance of a friendly relationship between him and Violet. But in the end, I knew what I had to do. “She set me up.” I said, my voice so quiet Joe leaned forward.

“
Excuse me
?”

My shoulders tensed. “She set me up. With a guy.”

Joe’s jaw tightened and he swallowed. “You went on a
date
while I was gone?”

“No.” I shook my head. “It wasn’t like that. Violet invited me over for dinner last night and she’d invited someone she and Mike went to high school with. So it wasn’t a date.”

I was sure Violet would disagree.

“But I take it he was single?” His words were clipped and tight.

“Well, yes…”
Oh, my word. Could Joe be jealous
?

His eyebrows rose, the rest of his face expressionless. “And?”

“And nothing. I went over, Mike grilled steaks, and Austin and Violet caught up on what they’d all been doing since high school.”

“Austin.”

It wasn’t a question so I wasn’t sure how to respond. Violet was right about one thing: I was inexperienced and out of my element in this situation.

“Joe, I swear to you, I didn’t know anything about the dinner being a set-up. I was sad and missing you and worried about,” I lowered my head toward his, “
the situation with my vision
, and then Hilary had answered your phone, talkin’ sexy and telling me you were in the shower, and I could hear water in the background—”

“So you did this because of Hilary?”

“No! Joe, I told you I didn’t know anything about it or I wouldn’t have gone.”

“Really? Even after what happened with Hilary?”

“Joe, I don’t want to be with anyone else but you. I wasn’t interested in him at all even though he asked me out for Friday night. I told him no. This didn’t have anything to do with you and Hilary. This was all Violet taking too many liberties in her big-sister role. I still would have told him no even if Neely Kate hadn’t convinced me that if you wanted to be with Hilary, you would have been already.”

His shoulders relaxed. “Who’s Neely Kate?”

“I met her at jury duty. She didn’t get picked, but she works at the courthouse so we’ve been eating lunch together every day. She found me cryin’ on the courthouse steps yesterday.” I cringed. Why did I tell him that?

“
You were crying
?” His mouth dropped in horror. “Why?”

My mouth twisted.

“Me?” Joe groaned and covered his face with his hands. “Rose, I’m so sorry. It was nothing. I swear to you.”

“I know that now.”

He grabbed my hand again. “Thank goodness for Neely Kate.”

“Yeah, I think she and I are friends.”

His face softened. “Good. I’m glad you made a friend.”

“Me too.” I took a bite of my ravioli. “But we have to talk about our phone conversation later.”

Joe nodded with a worried look then broke out into an ornery grin. “But first we get dessert.”

After three days of my Joe famine, I wasn’t about to complain.

Chapter Ten

We didn’t talk much when we got home. We were too busy making up and then too exhausted to carry on a serious conversation.

In the morning, Joe and I crammed into my tiny bathroom. Since I had more time to get ready, I sat on the edge of the tub watching as he stood in front of the mirror, smearing shaving cream on his face.

“We still have to talk about my problem.”

Joe spun around and leaned down until his face hovered several inches over mine. His eyes twinkled. “Problem? Darlin’, as you’ve demonstrated over the last twelve hours, you are perfect.”

Giggling, I reached up to swipe a streak of shaving cream off his face, leaving a thin line of his skin exposed. “If you kiss me with that stuff all over your face, you will regret it.”

He lifted his eyebrows and laughed. “I’ve always had a hard time ignoring a challenge.” He lowered his mouth to mine.

I squealed and leaned back to escape, nearly falling into the empty tub.

Joe grabbed my arm and righted me with a chuckle. “No need hurtin’ yourself to get away from me.”

“Joe, seriously.”

He sighed and turned back to the mirror. “Okay.”

“Joe, I’m sure he’s innocent.”

“Rose, you could very well be right, but I’m at a loss of what to do.”

“The guy who killed poor Mr. Mitchell was hanging out at the hardware store after the murder.”

Joe stilled, his razor stopping mid-stroke. He watched me in the mirror as his eyes darkened. “Please tell me you know that because you had another vision.”

I pursed my lips. I had vowed to myself not to lie to him.

He closed his eyes as the muscles along his naked back tensed. “You went to the hardware store to buy paint yesterday.”

Since he already knew the answer, I saw no reason to say anything.

He put the razor on the counter with a loud
whack
and spun around to face me. “Rose, you know what you did was illegal, right?”

“I had to do something, Joe.”

Without a word, he grabbed a towel and stormed out of the bathroom, leaving me perched on the tub. Tears welled in my eyes. We’d been getting along so well and I’d ruined it. But my visions were part of who I was, whether I liked it or not. The good Lord knew I’d never have a vision again if I could help it, but what did Joe expect me to do? I knew Bruce Wayne was innocent, and I couldn’t stand by and do nothing.

Several minutes passed and I wondered if he was going to leave for Little Rock without saying goodbye. Surely, he wouldn’t do that. Maybe I’d really blown it this time.

The phone rang, jolting me out of my brooding. I ran into the kitchen and picked up the receiver. “Hello?”

“Rose? This is Marjorie Grace from down at the courthouse.”

“Oh, hi.” Standing on my tiptoes, I looked out the window over the sink, checking to see if Joe’s car was still there. He was leaning against the hood, talking on his cell phone, his face dark and gloomy. Obviously, he was still mad at me.

“Most of the jury is still sick with food poisoning so Judge McClary is postponing the trial until tomorrow. There’s a chance we’ll be out again, but for now, plan on comin’ in the morning.”

“Okay, thanks, Marjorie Grace.”

The side door opened after I hung up and Joe pulled me into his arms and kissed the top of my head.

“I thought you were mad at me.” My words were muffled as I buried my head into his chest.

Joe sighed, his arms tightening around my back. “I was, but then I put myself in your shoes.”

I looked up in surprise. “You did?”

“Yeah, I understand why you went to the hardware store. Believe me I do, Rose. But do you have any idea what could happen if you get caught?”

We both knew the answer. I nodded.

“Rose, listen to me.” He lifted my chin so he could look into my eyes. “Please, please don’t do anything crazy, okay? Let me do some behind-the-scenes checking and see if I can come up with something.”

I had no trouble relinquishing control to Joe. If anything, I was grateful I wouldn’t be the only person carrying the weight of Bruce Wayne Decker’s innocence. At least Joe had more resources and authority to do something. “Okay.”

“Good.” He kissed me lightly.

I clung to him, wishing it were Saturday.

He lifted his head with a chuckle. “Since we had another disagreement, maybe we need to make up again.”

“You’ll be late. I don’t want you to get in trouble.”

A grin lit up his face. “I fell into trouble the first time you showed up on my front porch.”