Joshua's Folly (29 page)

Presently, however, they were all invading her space as if involved in some kind of conspiracy to cheer her up. Mary and Bethany made her happy, but Josh’s presence, she could do without.

“That’s a lovely idea, Marisa. Join us downstairs again. It will be good for you to be up and about,” Mary encouraged. “You haven’t been out of bed all day. Getting up and moving around is good for you.”

“Constance is making spaghetti. Our favorite,” Bethany added. Bethany was cuddled up at Marisa’s side and they were reading her favorite book.

It was hard to feel down and depressed when surrounded by the people she loved the most. Especially when those people spent every second trying their best to keep her spirits up during her recovery. Marisa knew that Mary suspected her downward spiral, even though she tried to hide her grim mood.

“Let Josh carry you down the stairs, sweetheart,” Mary said innocently.

That was the moment when Marisa knew what Mary was up to. A little matchmaking. Although Mary knew something had happened between her and Josh, it was clearly evident that whatever had happened was over. How could she not notice? She and Josh were walking on pins and needles around each other and their conversation was stilted and awkward. Marisa hated every ill at ease, uncomfortable moment.

“I’d be happy to carry you down the stairs, Marisa,” Josh stated quietly, knowing the exact cause of her discomfort.

Marisa put herself in his shoes, wondering how disturbing this must be for him. The girl he’d just jilted was stuck in his home. Not only that, his aunt—the one who’d raised him for a portion of his life—was here observing everything he did and said with her foster daughter who happens to be the very same girl he’d just jilted. He was in a tight spot, to be sure. Mary was watching them both with an eagle’s eye. And she didn’t miss a thing.

Josh brushed her hair out of her eyes before swooping her up into his arms. He ran his lips over her forehead, and kissed her lightly.

He was giving Mary a lot of ammunition.

It only continued. At the dining table, he solicitously propped her leg up on a chair, placing pillows underneath her foot, and a throw blanket around her waist as if she was some sort of invalid who could catch a chill. It was a little unsettling. He cupped her cheek, gently.

“Comfortable?” he asked.

“Yes, thank you.” For just a moment, Marisa thought he was going to kiss her on the lips right in front of everyone. But he didn’t. He ran his hand through her hair ever so gently as if she was precious to him, and then retreated to his seat.

They sat at the table, across from each other as usual, flanked by Mary and Jerome on one side, and Bethany on the other.

“Dad and Marisa like to debate,” Bethany announced. “What will you debate today?” Her smile was infectious. Marisa never realized how much Bethany had enjoyed their banter, even if she didn’t actually understand everything they were saying.

“What do you say, Marisa? Are you up for a good debate?” Josh asked expectantly.

“No, I don’t really feel like it today,” she answered, avoiding eye contact. Their debates had always felt as if they were connecting on an intimate level and she needed to separate herself from him, rip the band-aid off, so to speak.

“Aw, come on, there was a great topic in today’s paper.”

Okay, he had her. “What was it?” Her mouth spoke before she could stop it.

“Which animal makes a better companion, a cat or a dog?”

“Can we debate something more substantial?”

“I don’t really want to debate politics. I think we see eye to eye on most things, Marisa. What fun would there be in that?”

If they saw eye to eye on most things, they wouldn’t be in this weird situation. Marisa decided to avoid that notion. “I say a cat,” she said without elaborating.

“I say a dog. They’re man’s best friend.”

“No clichés,” she threw right back at him.
Take that, Joshua Kensington.

“Touché,” he said with a warm smile.

Marisa did not smile back at him. Just like last night, she still felt a little miffed with him. Hell hath no fury and all that.

Speaking of animals, you are a pig, Joshua Kensington! A big, fat, greedy pig that takes whatever it wants with no thought to others and…

“Are you going to expound on that concept?” he coerced.

Oh yes, I am.
He was asking for it. “Cats are easy. They stay in the house and sleep all day, cuddled up on a windowsill. When you want to pay attention to them, they’re ready and willing. They purr happily when you pet them, and they’ll curl up in your lap and sleep like little babies at your invitation. If you’re busy, they keep to themselves and are quite independent. They use a litter box, never bothering you when they need to do their business. They’re a little like an indifferent boyfriend, they’re not very demanding or difficult. They don’t require much attention, but when you offer something, they’re there.”

Josh stilled at her words, looking unswervingly into her eyes. He was silent for a full thirty seconds. Then he responded with, “Dogs are about a hundred times friendlier than an independent, finicky cat. A dog will follow you around the house, grateful for a glance, a pat on the head, or a stroke of their fur. All they want is attention, but they’re content just to be in the same room as you. Men in love have been known to act this way. Hence the term,
love sick puppy.
”

“Cliché again.”

He went on as if she hadn’t spoken. “When you speak they hang on your every word, anxious to please their master. They are utterly selfless, willing to play at a moment’s notice whatever game you happen to feel like playin’ with them; they don’t care, as long as you’re payin’ attention to them. And they will defend you against an enemy, to the death if necessary. They are unshakably loyal and faithful, the perfect constant companion to humans.”

“Only if you enjoy having someone follow you around, constantly begging for your attention, annoying and bothersome,” Marisa remarked sarcastically, feeling as though she had behaved like a dog towards Joshua. How pathetic. “They jump all over you and lick you incessantly, forcing you to endure their doggie kisses. It’s really rather disgusting.”

“A cat can take you or leave you, they don’t really care either way, as long as they get what they want.”

“I know people like that,” she remarked bluntly. Her meaning was not lost on him.

Joshua paled at her words, the double meaning behind their wordplay suddenly hitting him. She was positive he hadn’t caught on till that moment.

“You always know where you stand with a dog. I love that,” he said.

“The cat knows you love it without you ever having to do a thing,” she returned.

“Sometimes you have to say it, or they don’t know it or even realize it,” he rallied.

“Sometimes you say it, and they still reject you,” Marisa said, her tone slightly scathing.

Bethany, sounding discouraged, said from the sidelines, “Whew, I don’t want a cat or a dog. I just want a pony.”

“Some people aren’t meant to own animals. Just butcher them,” Marisa remarked unkindly.

One glance at Mary, and Marisa knew she was upset at Josh and Marisa’s banter. Her eyebrows were deeply furrowed as she looked upon them each in turn. Jerome was eating heartily, oblivious to the underlying messages. He laughed at Marisa’s jab, and said, “She has you there, Joshua.”

“She’s always had me, Jerome,” Josh said quietly.

Marisa looked away, tired of this game. In the end, she didn’t really want to fight with Josh. She was the dog in this situation, loyal and faithful—and ridiculously in love with him no matter what.

Utterly pathetic.

Josh was the cat, taking whatever she offered, yet shrugging carelessly as she walked away.

“So who won?” Bethany asked.

“No one,” Josh told her. “Absolutely no one.”

“I think both cats and dogs have their place in this world. They both love unconditionally, they just love differently,” Mary said aloud to the group as a whole.

Josh and Marisa said nothing.

“People are often the same way. Sometimes they love someone, but have a hard time showing it. Everyone expresses love in their own way,” Mary continued.

Constance served dessert then and the conversation, thankfully, turned to other topics. Marisa pled a headache, and Josh took her upstairs. As he laid her in the bed, he said slowly, “Marisa, there are a few things I’ve been wantin’to talk to you about…”

Mary rushed into the room then. “I’ll help you get ready for bed, Marisa.”

Saved by Mary once again
.

Josh was clearly feeling the tension between them and he wanted to make things right. Marisa had to admit, she hated feeling apart from him. From the moment she had first arrived at the ranch, at the very beginning, they’d been joined at the hip. It felt odd to be in the same room with him and not be cuddling or kissing or, at the very least, bantering in their usual fashion. Not like tonight’s rather caustic exchange.

“Have a good night, Marisa,” he said and quietly left.

Mary closed the door. “What was all that about?”

“What?”

“At dinner.”

To Marisa’s horror, she started to cry. The tough girl act was over. Mary hugged her, patting her back reassuringly. “There, there, now. It’ll be better in the morning, it always is, you’ll see.”

“Can we go home to California now? I don’t want to stay here anymore.” Marisa said, feeling like a child.

“When you’re well enough, yes. But Marisa, I think you have some unfinished business here.”

“It’s already finished, believe me.”

“I don’t think it is.”

“You don’t understand, Mary. Josh asked me to leave. He was sending me home early. I was on my way to the airport when I got in the accident,” Marisa told her.

Even though Mary had known most of that information, she didn’t know about Josh asking her to leave and her face darkened as she said, “What?”

Marisa immediately backtracked. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that.”

“Josh sent you home? He asked you to leave?”

“He doesn’t feel the same as I do, Mary. It’s okay, really. He was just being honest. I don’t want to cause bad feelings between the two of you.”

“Is that why you haven’t told me anything?”

“Well,” Marisa stammered, “…yes. Please don’t be mad at him, Mary, please…”

“Marisa, calm down, honey. You’re not going to cause a family quarrel just because things didn’t work out between the two of you. It takes two people to make a relationship work. And just because I would love to see the two of you together, I’m not going to interfere and make things worse.”

“Wait, you would love to see us together?”

“Yes, sweetheart. I would love to see you and Joshua together and happy. Personally, I think you’re perfect for each other.”

“You do?” Marisa couldn’t hide her disbelief.

“Yes, I’ve always known you had a bit of an obsession with him. It wasn’t just the fingerprints, my dear. I witnessed the kissing-of-his-picture-with-your-fingers ritual on more than one occasion. I decided to pretend like I didn’t notice. I didn’t want to embarrass you. But it was obvious to me that you felt some sort of connection with him. You were drawn to his picture the moment you laid eyes upon it on your very first night in my home. Whenever Josh called, your eyes lit up as you spoke with him. I figured either one of two things would happen when you decided to come here for the summer. One, you’d realize he wasn’t what you’d imagined him to be or, two, you’d fall madly in love with each other. It would appear the latter of the two possibilities occurred. Am I right?”

“Sort of. I think I fell a little harder than he did.”

“I’m not so sure about that,” Mary said cryptically.

Marisa remained silent. She’d already said too much as it was.

“I also saw the way he kissed you the other day.”

Marisa knew she blushed horribly. That Mary had witnessed their passionate kiss was mortifying.

“It was the kiss of two people who love each other very much.”

Marisa didn’t correct her.

“Give it some time, Marisa. These kinds of things can’t be rushed.”

Mary helped her to prepare for bed, each of them lost in their own thoughts.

“Goodnight, sweetheart. And don’t worry, things will work themselves out. I know they will.”

Mary hugged her tightly and Marisa said, “Thank you, I love you, Mom. I love you.”

Mary pulled away and looked upon her with an incredulous expression. A tear slipped down her cheek unchecked. Marisa hadn’t called her ‘mom’ deliberately. It just sort of slipped out. Mary’s response surprised her. It meant a lot to her, more than Marisa had ever realized. But Mary was her mother in every possible way, except biologically.

Marisa wished she could tell Mary the whole sordid story. Mary would be her champion, her great defender, there was no doubt about that. But she felt as though she would be betraying Josh. And she just couldn’t do that to him, no matter what had transpired between them.

One thing was for sure though. It was obvious that Mary thought they would work out their little ‘tiff.’

Mary was about to be very disappointed.