The Woman He Married (23 page)

“Funny you mention that ’cause I was actually calling about work.”

“You’re not calling to quit, are you? Please say that there’s another reason for your call. Like, you miss me, maybe?” he said with a chuckle.

If he only knew.

“No, I mean yes.”
Ugh!
“Actually, I…I wanted to give you an answer, you know, about working full-time.” When Brian stayed silent, probably holding his breath, Josie said, “I’m going to do it. I’ve decided to go full-time.”

“That’s great.”

He didn’t sound excited though. Josie started to bite her lip again.

“What does your husband say about it?”

Josie cringed. “Well, I haven’t exactly told him yet.”

“Josie—”

“I know. I’m getting around to it.”

“What’s going on? Is this about you being banned from school volunteering?”

“You heard about that?”

“Yeah—I think it’s pretty damn hilarious,” he said with a laugh.

In her mind’s eye, Josie could see his brown eyes twinkle as he thought about how she accidentally designed banana costumes that looked like…

“I’m glad
someone
does.”
I bet Brian would have taken up for me that night at the school
.

“I take it our next Circuit Court Judge didn’t find your little
faux
pas
funny?” Brian still sounded amused.

“That’s an understatement.” Talking to Brian about the whole fiasco almost had Josie feeling like laughing—
almost
. Somehow, he always had a way of making her feel like everything was going to be all right.

“Josie, I can’t imagine how
you
married someone without a sense of humor.”

“Oh, he has one—” Josie stopped talking when she heard a woman’s voice in the background. “I’m sorry, do you have company?”

“No, I mean, sort of. Its just Sandra, we’re…working.” Sandra was an attorney Brian recently hired. Young, enthusiastic, smart, driven, and pretty, Sandra worshipped the ground Brian walked on.

“Oh, is that what you’re calling
it
 
these
days?” Josie tried to keep her voice light—teasing—while she contained the jealousy welling up inside.

Lord, Josie
get
a grip.

“It’s just work.
Seriously.
I really want
you
on this one, Josie.”

Josie talked to Brian a few minutes about the Henry case,
then
he asked about the trip. She told him about the island, the parakeets, golf, shopping—he was probably wondering why she was in her room
alone
, on vacation with her husband, and no kids. Sadly, she hadn’t noticed anything out of the ordinary before now. Looking across the room, Josie saw her golf clubs had been returned from the course.

John must have been here, but where was he now?

Chapter 9

“I hope you plan on behaving yourself today.” John scowled as he slid a
Ron John
surf t-shirt over his head.

Oh, I plan on behaving
. “Bite me!” she said with equal provocation.

“That’s real mature, Jocelyn.” He plucked his sunglasses off the dresser, stalked over to the door, and held it open for her to exit.

“And coming in at two in the morning’s real grown-up, I assume,” she accused as she glided past him. All the way to the lobby, she could practically feel the piercing force of his glower as they headed out for a day at the beach.

Riding in an open jeep, Josie leaned her head back, allowing the sun to heat her face as the breeze whipped her hair around
.
Winter in the
Caribbean
was completely different from the summer. Both seasons were sunny and warm, but the summer heat and humidity were so much more oppressive. Josie remembered the summer she and Brian spent in the
Dominican Republic
and how it was too hot to even go to the beach during the day. Now riding along the shoreline with the alabaster sand and deep blue ocean, Josie understood why so many people liked to vacation down here during the winter. She imagined bringing the kids here, how they would love the beach, pool, birds, and lizards. Almost three days away from her babies and it felt like an eternity.

John scowled as he navigated the road around the island to a designated beach where they could snorkel and
jet ski
. Amy and Patrick were in the back seat.

After a few more miles of nothing but coastline, John brought the jeep to a dusty stop next to a dock. Under a large tent, caterers were setting out a late lunch.
Lanny
, Barbara, and the others had already arrived. Dressed in her bikini again, Josie had donned the board-shorts she’d bought at a local surf shop while shopping with Barbara the other day. Although Josie had lost weight recently, the fact still remained that her hips had given birth to three babies and, therefore, needed to remain hidden.

As they walked down a wooden path leading to the dock, a cool ocean breeze blew in from the water, bringing with it the salty scent of the sea. Lizards with spiky backbones and tails that curled up scurried to and fro. Overhead, large water birds soared against the breeze, swooping down into the water, diving completely under before resurfacing, in search of an afternoon meal.

When they reached the tent Josie gave Barbara a quick squeeze and a peck on the cheek while surveying the lobster, crab, fruit, and desserts lining the white-clothed tables. “Wow, this is really too much.”
Catered food at the beach? What happened to PB&J and sandy potato chips?

“I heard you and John got into it last night,” Barbara said covertly. Evidently, news traveled fast when one was vacationing with four women. “Baby steps, dear. Give him time…he’ll come ’round.”

While filling their plates, Josie and John avoided each other like network news and objective journalism. Heading for a seat next to Amy and Patrick, Josie caught Andy staring at the front of her board shorts for about the millionth time. Completely unable to fathom what he could find so interesting about her attire, she questioned him. “What are you doing?”

“Just looking,” he said.

“Looking for what?” Josie couldn’t imagine. Then she caught John looking away sheepishly, and she knew. Unsnapping the top of her shorts, Josie edged down the zipper and pulled the right side open, exposing the tattoo on her hip. “
This what
you were looking for?” She shot John a contemptuous stare.

“All right.
Jocelyn’s got a tat.” Andy bobbed his head, taking a seat in front of her to get a closer look.

Patrick moved in behind Andy. “Where did you get that?”

“
Shen
Zhen.”

“
China
?” Trisha scoffed from the other side of the table, rolling her eyes.

“Yeah,” Josie said in a crass voice, and John gave her a
don’t-even-start
look.

“You lived in
Shen
Zhen?” Patrick was still mesmerized, eyes locked on Josie’s hip.

“No, in a province just outside.
We went to
Shen
Zhen once, came back with a tattoo.”

“You’re lucky that’s all you came back with.”
Denton
looked bored and extremely hung over from his night of…
Right.
She’d decided not think too much about that.

“What does it mean?” Patrick turned his head from side to side, like maybe from another angle he’d be able to read the Chinese symbol.

“Love,” Josie answered, thinking about how Brian had a similar tattoo on his shoulder.

“Cool. Got any others?” Andy
asked,
a devious smirk on his face. Josie zipped her shorts back up and raised perturbed eyebrows at her husband.

John reached over and slapped his brother on the back of the head.

“What were you doing in
China
anyway?”
Lydia
asked, like going to
Asia
was the most ridiculous thing she’d ever heard of.

“Teaching English and building an aquifer. Not many people in
China
have clean water,” Josie said, her tone patronizing at best.

“Who were you over there with, Brian McAlister?” Trisha asked with a smirk, looking in John’s direction. “You two sure had a
thing
for clean water.”

“I think that it’s interesting,” Amy said with a sideways glance for Trisha. “Where else have you been?”

Josie wasn’t in the mood to talk any more about the places she and Brian had been together. “Oh, different places…” she said. Looking around absently, she spied some Sea-
Doos
next to the dock. “
Lanny
, can we ride those?” Josie set her plate down and pointed toward them.

Lanny
shrugged. “Sure, knock yourself out.
Whatever you want.”

Sliding her sunglasses back onto her nose, Josie made her way down to the water. “Wait for me.” Andy was right on her heels. Slipping one arm into a yellow life vest, she tossed another one to Andy, while the others tentatively made their way down from the lunch buffet, still chewing. Vests donned, Josie and Andy each straddled a Sea-Doo, secured the Velcro strap connected to the key around their wrists, and started them up, revving the engines in preparation for take-off.

John emerged onto the dock.
“Um, Jocelyn.
Do you know how to drive one of those things?”

“I guess we’ll see, won’t we?”

Josie hit the gas, causing the front of the sea craft to pop up. Then, she eased off, allowing the Sea-Doo to settle again before speeding off.

With a “Woo-
hoo
!”
Andy took off right behind.

Swerving through the water, Josie took it slow at first while she got a feel for the accelerator and steering. Then, she and Andy took turns leading as the wind and spray whipped their faces and bodies. After getting the hang of how to maneuver, they both slowed down, pulling alongside of each other.

Andy looked like a little boy with a new motorbike. “Let’s race!”

“What did you have in mind?”

After looking around they plotted a course, deciding to start further back, slalom the next two buoys, round the third, and then back to the dock.

They lined up and Andy said, “On the count of three.” Josie nodded in agreement. “One…two—” Josie gunned it early, on two, and Andy took off after her, swearing as he went.

Laughing and talking trash, Josie and Andy maneuvered the buoys easily, but almost collided when Josie slowed to make the u-turn and Andy sped up. When Andy swerved to miss her, he inadvertently allowed her to achieve a considerable lead.

With her sights on the finish line, Josie turned the Sea-Doo sharp to the left, kicking up water as she skimmed to a stop along side the dock. Andy stopped in a similar fashion and was already whining that Josie cheated before he’d even cut his engine.