Faithful (13 page)

I want to be like Elizabeth when I grow up!

“I did. I told her I had invited you over to talk about plans for Josh’s birthday party and that I thought her visit should be coming to an end. That little bitch got all excited and begged Josh to let her stay and help with the party plans. He said…he said…” Elizabeth turned and threw her hands in the air.

“He said what?” I practically shouted.

“He said she could stay and help…that you wouldn’t mind. I just stared and told my own son that he was an idiot, and then I stormed out. That was when I saw you.”

I rolled my eyes because I could so see Victoria doing just that. For some reason, she had gotten her hooks into Josh, and it scared the shit out of me, especially with me not being around as much as I wanted to.

I started pacing as my mind started spinning. I had to do something. With me being gone all the time, she was getting closer and closer to Josh. I’d brought it up the other night on the phone, and he’d sworn to me that he didn’t have feelings for her like he did for me. Even though I believed him, that whole conversation with Victoria in the restroom kept coming up in my mind. I could still hear her bragging about giving Josh blow jobs and how much he liked it.

Oh god. I’m gonna be sick.

I snapped my head up at Elizabeth. She grabbed my arm and began leading me toward the back of the barn. I barely made it before I started throwing up.

Elizabeth pulled back my hair and held it up for me while I just threw up over and over again.

Damn it! The stomach flu again!

When she started rubbing my back, I almost cried because my mother would do the same thing when I got sick.

After my stomach finally settled down, I stood back up.

“Come on, baby girl. Let’s go in the house and get you some water. You need to sit down.” Elizabeth began heading back toward the house.

“I’m going to take a leave of absence,” I blurted out.

“What?”

“I’m going to take a leave of absence from my job,” I said, standing up taller.

What the fuck am I saying? I love my job…but I love Josh more.

“Heather, why? You love your job!”

“I love Josh more. I need to be here more since this bitch is moving in on my man. I won’t let her take him from me, Elizabeth. I will not let her take him from me. I’ll just tell the school I’m having personal issues that I need to take care of. With Amanda staying at my house for a while, I won’t have to worry about things in Fredericksburg. I can talk to Ari’s parents about staying at the cottage.” I started to walk toward the house.

“No,” Elizabeth said.

I stopped and turned to look at her. She had a smile as wide as the Grand Canyon on her face. “I think you should stay here…with us. We have three extra bedrooms and all.”

“Um…I guess I could stay here,” I said as she skipped up and hooked her arm in mine.

She threw her head back and laughed. “Oh my god! Please let me be the one to break the news to Victoria!”

I giggled at the thought of seeing Victoria’s face when she found out I would be moving into the same house as Josh. I peeked over at Elizabeth. She was now humming a song as we made our way back to the house.

She looked over at me as her smile grew. “Oh, this day has turned out to be one of the best days of my life!” she said with a wink.

I laughed, shaking my head. “Why?”

When she glanced back at the house, Josh was talking with Victoria at her car. It looked like she was leaving.

“Oh, you’ll find out soon enough, baby girl. Soon enough.”

As we got closer to the car, I heard Josh telling Victoria about us all going to Luckenbach dance hall next weekend.

No! Shit! No, no, no, don’t tell her!

“Oh, I love that dance hall! Who’s all going?” she asked as she glanced over at Elizabeth and me moving toward the stairs.

“Normal gang, I guess!” Josh said, laughing. “I’ve only met Ari and Ellie twice now, but they’ll be there with Jeff and Gunner. I think Brad’s wife will be there, too.” Josh turned and looked at me. “Right, Heather? The whole gang?” He smiled.

“Yep,” I said with a weak smile.

Please say no. Please say no.

“Oh, I’d love to see Jeff and Gunner again. Yeah, count me in. I’d love to meet their wives,” she said with a shit-eating grin on her face.

I changed my mind.
Ari will kick your ass so fast you won’t know what the hell hit you.

Just then, Elizabeth leaned in closer. “You must be making evil plans ’cause that smile on your face is speaking volumes!”

I glanced at her and giggled. “This could actually be fun.”

“Josh, you might have to take a drive out to Fredericksburg with Heather to help her bring some stuff to the house.” Elizabeth dropped her arm from mine and started to head up the stairs to the house.

Josh looked at me and then glanced over at his mother. “Okay…for the party?” he asked, confused.

Elizabeth turned around and gave a smile like I’d never seen before. “Oh no…Heather is taking a leave of absence from work. She’ll be staying with us for a bit until you’re fully recovered. You know how I hate leaving you home alone while I’m at work,” she said with a wink. She turned and walked into the house.

I slowly peeked over toward Josh and Victoria. Victoria’s mouth was hanging open, and she was just staring at the door Elizabeth had just walked through. Then, she shot a look at me. I reached down inside and pulled out my inner Ari and Ellie. I gave her the biggest go-to-hell-bitch smile I could muster. Then, I glanced over at Josh. He was completely focused on me.

“Hell yeah!” Josh walked up to me and hugged me.

As he held me in his arms, I picked up my hand and gave Victoria a wave of my own.

“I need to leave, Josh.” She pulled open her car door and got in. She didn’t even give him time to turn and say good-bye before she was speeding off down the driveway.

“I think my mom pissed her off earlier when she asked her to leave,” Josh said with a shrug of his shoulder.

I just looked at him.
Yep. Stupid ass, he was indeed.

I smiled as I pulled up to Ari’s parents’ house. The past week had been so fucking great. Heather had moved into the house the same day my mother announced it, and everything had been perfect. Since Victoria hadn’t called, texted, or stopped by the house, I could focus all my attention on Heather.

I parked my truck and thought about last night. Heather had packed up some sandwiches and fruit, and we had taken a walk down to the main pasture.
God, it felt so good to be alone with her.
We’d talked, we’d laughed, and we’d even played I Spy. I’d never felt so alive in my life.

When I asked her why in the world she would take a leave of absence from her job, she had pulled away from me and tried to change the subject. I knew she was trying so hard not to push her feelings on to me, but I’d kept asking her to tell me why. When she told me it was because she missed being near me and because she loved me, it had taken every ounce of energy I had to not pull her into my arms and make love to her.

God, I just want to be with her…but I can’t. Not yet. I need to make sure I do this right.

Just then, someone started knocking on my truck window. I turned to see Gunner holding up a little guy, who I assumed was Matthew, Ari’s little brother. After Jeff and Gunner had told me all about Matt, I was dying to meet him, so we were going to take him fishing today. Jeff had said that Matt and I were pretty close, and I used to come over all the time to play video games or just hang out with Matt.

I took a deep breath as I tried to remember everything Jeff had told me. I opened the door and got out as Gunner placed Matt on the ground.

“Josh! I’m going to hug you!” Matt yelled as he grabbed me by the legs and hugged me. “I’ve missed you, Josh, you assmole!”

Did he just call me an assmole?

I glanced back up at Gunner and Jeff as I started laughing. They were both shaking their heads and mouthing,
No
.

No?

“Holy shit! Did he just try to call me an asshole?” I laughed harder. I bent down and got face-to-face with Matt.

“Dude!” Gunner said.

When I glanced back at him, he mouthed,
Don’t laugh when he swears
.

Oh shit, that’s right! Jeff warned me about that.
“Oh, right! Sorry, but that was some funny shit. Oh shit! Ah, motherfucker!” I stood up and covered my mouth.

“I wanna be a mudderfuckin’ cowboy, Josh! Just like you and Gunner and Jeff!” Matt started running around. “Oh shit! Ah, mudderfucker!”

“Nice, dude. Ari’s going to be so pissed off at you,” Jeff said.

Gunner let out a laugh and shook my hand. “How are the ribs feeling?”

I smiled as I thought about Heather asking me the same thing while I’d watched her make pancakes this morning. She’d been wearing a pair of my boxer shorts—at least I hoped like hell they were mine—and one of my old UT football shirts.

“Almost feel normal again. Doesn’t hurt either that I have the most beautiful girl in the world living with me at my parents’ house!” I said as I watched Matt running around. “Shit…sorry, I forgot about the whole swearing thing. Funny as hell little guy though. I see why we got along so well.”

Jeff walked up and gently hit me on the back. “You remember anything at all from spending more time with Heather?”

I shook my head. I was starting to get frustrated. “No, nothing. I feel something for her though. I feel like I just need her so much, and it scares the fuck out of me. I just want to be around her all the damn time. I wake up, thinking about her, and go to sleep, thinking about her. What the fuck is that?”

Gunner threw his head back and laughed. “That, my friend, is called love!”

Love?
I knew that I loved her before the accident.
Do I love her now? Is that what this is?

Jeff started laughing, too, as he shook his head. “Don’t push it, Josh. It’ll come back, dude, and you’ll remember exactly how head over heels in love you were with Heather.”

I sure hoped they were both right. I could see the pain in her eyes every day. She would try to hide it, but I knew she wanted so much more from me. I also knew the only reason she took a leave from her job was to keep Tori away as much as possible. I shook my head and let out a small laugh.

“What’s so funny?” Gunner asked as he walked over to his truck and started taking out his fishing gear.

“It just blows my mind she would leave her job to stay with me. I mean, I’m fine now. My mother is treating me like I can’t do a damn thing. Do you think she asked Heather to stay with me? Or do you think it was Heather’s idea?” I asked as I helped Gunner put the poles in the back of my new truck.

Gunner stopped, looked at me, and smiled. He took a deep breath and chuckled. “Well, according to Ellie, Heather did it to keep Victoria at bay.”

No fucking way. I was right.

“Well, fuck me, I knew it,” I said, laughing.

Gunner put his hand on my shoulder. “Josh, you and Heather went through hell and high water before you finally got together. That girl loves you with every ounce of her being. She’s not going to give up on you. She’s going to fight for the both of y’all. I’m gonna be honest. Your whole let’s-be-friends-first thing has her world turned upside down. Just don’t string her along, Josh, and please don’t hurt her. She’s been through enough as it is.” Gunner looked away.

“Some girl named Lynda called me the other day. I asked my mother about her, and she pretty much gave me the lowdown of what she knew. She basically told me to keep the fuck away from this chick. She mentioned Lynda was your cousin.”

Gunner headed back over toward his truck. He called over his shoulder, “Your mom gave you good advice, dude. If Lynda calls again, don’t ever answer the phone.” He stopped dead in his tracks and turned to face me. “And don’t fucking tell Heather you talked to Lynda. Shit, poor girl already has one to tend with. She doesn’t need to worry about two.”

After getting everything loaded in my truck, we all got in and headed out. Matt was a hoot. That kid had me in stitches, and I could feel my side every time I laughed. I loved that he knew all the words to Blake Shelton’s “Boy’s ’Round Here.” We had to play it over and over for him. I loved him already.