From This Moment (36 page)

Rona, just about to take a bite from her sandwich looks up and sees me.
  She pauses with the sandwich half way to her mouth, placing it back on her plate when she realizes I’m heading over to their table.

“Hello Rona.
  How are you feeling?” I ask, smiling at her.

“Hi Josh, I’m fine thank you.”

I look at Elise who seems more amused than anything and then Justin.

“Josh, this is Elise,” Rona introduc
es.

“We’ve already met.”

I turn to Elise, “Nice to see you again Elise, Justin.”

“Oh right.”

“Do you want to join us?” Justin asks me. 

Not sure whether this is a good idea or not, I reply, “If you’re sure I’m not interrupting anything?”

“No, take a seat,” Elise invites.

Which I do, taking the seat next to Rona.

“We’re taking a breather from Rona’s shopping spree, which is exhausting.”  Elise laughs.

“Hey, I’m not that bad, besides I’m not the only one who has bought a ‘knock your socks off’ dress!”
  Elise blushes.

I look from Elise’s blush to Rona eating her sandwich, “Knock your socks off...
. huh.  You want to try them out on me?”  I suggest, knowing I’m not that lucky.

“They’re packed in the car.
  Sorry,” Rona replies, with a mouth full of sandwich.

I laugh at them now, “You actually went shopping with these two?”
  I ask Justin.

“No chance, I’m not brave enough to do that; I’m chauffeur and bodyguard today.”

I put all the jokin al brave enog and flirting to one side now, “Good, that’s what’s needed until Nick’s in custody.”  I look  towards Rona.  “You need to make sure someone is always with you.”  Then I look towards Elise, “You as well.”

Taking another bite from her sandwich, “Don’t worry, between Cade and Jake I think the only place we’ll get to go alone is the bathroom.”

“That’s probably right,” Elise confirms.

After a few moments of silence, while we eat, I turn to Rona, “Where are you from?
  Sometimes I catch a hint of something else in your accent,” I ask, looking at her unable to hide my interest.

She replies, “I’m originally from Rhode Island, but I’ve lived in Ireland for the past ten years.
  What about you?”

“Alaska originally and now, wherever the job takes me,” I reply, giving her a lingering look, wondering what the hell is wrong with me.
  I’ve never hit on a woman who’s spoken for before and it’s obvious she’s in love with Cade.

Justin now engages me in talk about law enforcement.
  Apparently he started out at the police academy until family obligations put a stop to his career as a police officer.

I’m only half listening to Justin while I’m trying to listen to Rona and Elise talk about dresses and killer shoes.
  Hell, I really need to control my libido.

Finishing our sandwiches Rona catches me throwing glances at her.
  I need to take another trip to see Grace.  I do feel attracted to Rona, but Grace had me hard as steel the minute our eyes connected.  Grace is single whereas Rona isn’t.

Wiping her mouth on a napkin she places it back onto the table, “If you’ll excuse me a minute.”
  She starts to stand.

I stand as well.

She looks at me, “Mmm, I can manage on my own thanks.”

“Nick’s still not been caught yet.”
  My eyes are full of laughter, “I wasn’t exactly planning on joining you in there.”

She quickly glances over to Elise who appears to be snickering.
  No doubt she’s picked up on my attraction to Rona.

“I
t’s just out the door to the left,” she tells me.

“L
et’s go.”  I take her elbow and lead her to the restrooms.

Before she pushes the door to enter, I stop her with my hand.
  She looks up at me, “How involved are you with Cade?”  I find myself asking.  I’m an idiot.

“I love him Josh.”

Nodding my head slightly, “I’ll wait here for you,” I push the restroom door open for her.

“T
hanks.”

I’m resting against the wall opposite the restrooms, wishing I’d kept my mouth shut.
  Yes, I’m attracted to her and it’s cute watching her response to me.  I’m actually enjoying the flirting.  Hopefully Cade won’t punch me the next time we meet.  For some reason though I can’t get Grace out of my head.  While I had a lock of Grace’s hair wrapped around my finger, I wondered how soft the curls between her thighs would be.

Shifting slightly to try and re-arrange the discomfort in my trousers at the thought, I notice the restroom door start to open.
  About to move closer to greet Rona, I catch the panic on her face.

Shit.

Moving quickly, I remove my gun while moving in closer to the opening door.  As Rona starts to walk out she stumbles, I grab Nick’s wrist with one hand and punch him in the face with my elbow, taking him down.

While holding Nick down on the floor, I use a tissue to retrieve the gun from the floor, before someone else decides to pick it up.

Within minutes Daniel, the Sheriff comes running in and seeing I have everything under control with Nick, runs over to check on Rona who’s down on the floor, which is what I really wanted to do.

Dragging Nick to a standing position, I cuff him
, just as Daniel walks over to me.

“Well done Josh.
  I’ll take him back and sort this mess out,” he tells me.  Usually I wouldn’t take too kindly to someone butting in on an arrest, but in this case I’m only too happy, because I want to go and check on Rona.

She makes eye contact with me; I start to walk over to her.

“Come on let’s get you up from here.”  I pick her up in my arms.  She feels really good.

“Elise, can you carry Rona’s things and Justin
lead the way to the car.”   I ignore Elise who has started to snicker.

“I can walk...
. I think,” she tells me.

“If this is all I’m going to get.... humor me,” I whisper, making her blush.

“Okay.”  She starts to get more comfortable in my arms.  She puts her arms around my neck and as her hand touches my neck; I shiver.  Heaven help me.

She looks at me, obviously feeling my reaction to her touc
h, “Don’t get the wrong idea,” she says.

I put my face closer to hers, “I can dream.”
 I look int
o her eyes.

At the car Justin unlocks the doors; Elise climbs into the back, while Justin gets into the driver’s side.

Moving to put her in the car.  “Why am I reluctant to let you go?”  I whisper, for her ears only.

“Josh.”
 She pleads.

“I know.”
 I place her into the passenger seat and lean over to fasten the seat belt.  Pulling away I look straight into her eyes, “Look after yourself Rona.”

“I will.
  You too, and thank you for today.”

Justin clearing his throat finally brings me back to my senses.
  I step back and shut the door.

Standing on the sidewalk, I watch them drive away praying they stay safe.
  I really hope to get my attraction, obsession or whatever it is that I have for Rona under control before I see her again.

~~ Grace ~~

It’s been three weeks since I left the hospital and came back to my house.  Anna wanted me to stay with her for a few days, but I knew I had to go straight back to my house, otherwise I wasn’t sure I ever would.

Tom was buried a few days later in a quiet ceremony.
  I was surprised to see Anna and Beth with their husbands along with Elise and Jake.  I should have known they would be there, but after what he did to Rona, I wasn’t really expecting them to be.  They were there for me.

About to leave the cemetery I spotted Josh Mitchell, the man who I couldn’t get out of my dreams, standing beside his car.
  Watching.

Tonight I’m actually feeling rather mellow, although the bottle of wine I’ve just consumed with pizza may be the cause of the mellowness!
  I’m not a drinker and only usually have a glass of wine with friends.

I feel as though my life is on a downward spiral.
  I can’t go anywhere in town these days without folk pointing their fingers at me, gossiping.  I had a few friends and now I hardly have any, all because of my brother.

Sitting back on the sofa feeling sorry for myself, I take another drink, spilling it down my top.
  “Hells, bells and buckles.”  Standing up, I sway slightly walking to the bathroom, I pull my clothes off as I go.

Switching the shower to cold first, I hope the shock of the water will sober me up.
  Standing under the spray, I really am shocked and scream the place down, slipping and sliding trying to turn the temperature up.  Having never had a cold shower before, I’m not sure what I was expecting, but ice cold freezing wasn’t it.  Screaming again, I finally find the dial for the temperature and turning it up nearly fry my skin.

Giving up, I open the shower door and practically fall out, slipping on the bathroom floor.
  I end up crashing into Josh Mitchell on the way down to the floor, landing on top of him.

Hearing a grunt in my befuddled brain, I lift my head up and look into Josh’s eyes.
  His eyes are dark.  His pupils are dilated.  He has one hand on my rump and the other at the back of my head.  There is also something rather hard and solid digging into my stomach.  I don’t want to move; not because I’m enjoying being up close and personal with Josh, but, because I’m naked and if I stand, Josh will get one hell of a view – at least that’s what I’m telling myself.

Finding my tongue, “How are you in here?”
  I ask.  I can’t believe I’ve spent this time lying on Josh, enjoying myself, and it not even registering that he’s in my house when he isn’t supposed to be.

“Heard you scream.
  Came in.”  He struggles to say.  His hand on my bottom has started to move – in a caress.  Never in a million years did I expect to be lying on top of Josh Mitchell in my bathroom, naked as the day I was born.

He’s just as aroused as I am.
  His penis is throbbing and growing even larger against my stomach.  I wiggle against him.  He thunks his head against the floor, groaning.  His hips surge up.  His erection straining to get closer to me.  I push even harder against him.