The Way to Her Heart (24 page)

Josh wouldn’t let her do any of the heavy lifting and talked a bunch of his former football teammates into doing the work. They got her moved into her new place in record time. Although he was tempted to spill his guts and confess all his feelings for her that very night, she was still dealing with depression from her ordeal and he worried she wasn’t ready to hear him. Who was he kidding? He was scared to death she’d reject him. So, he waited.

***

They
were called to the office during fifth period about a week after she moved out. Garcia was waiting for them in the principal’s office. Josh’s stomach clenched; this couldn’t be good.

“What happened?” Bernie asked.

“Sofia’s dead.” The detective gestured for both of them to sit. “She and Natalia were being held at the youth detention center. Yesterday Sofia didn’t return to her room after the recreation break. They found her body beneath the bleachers in the gym. It looks like her neck was broken.”

“Oh my God! Did Natalia do it?” Bernie asked.

Garcia shrugged. “Probably not directly, but I’m sure she got someone to do it for her. We’re questioning all the inmates, and we’ll get to the bottom of it. I just figured you two should hear it from me.”

Josh appreciated the thought; he would hate for Bernie to have heard it while she was alone at her apartment.

“Now what?” she whispered. “If Sofia’s dead, will they be able to get Natalia for Gabby’s murder?”

“I don’t know, Bernie. But I swear to you she won’t get out of jail. You don’t need to be afraid. You’re safe.”

“I wish I could believe that.”

***

“Hey, Mom. I’m home.” No return greeting was forthcoming. He set the bag of food he’d brought on the counter and picked up the note.

Out with Mike. Back before ten. Luv u. Mom.

He wasn’t terribly surprised. They’d been out several times since Bernie had come home from the hospital. He sighed and crumpled the note. Oh, Garcia was okay, he guessed. He just didn’t know if he was ready to face the idea of his mother
dating
.
Should he have a talk with her? What on earth would he say? He put the food in the fridge and ordered a pizza. He texted Bernie to see how her day had been and received a short—curt?—reply. It was fine. He threw his phone on the couch in disgust and went to the refrigerator for a beer. Screw underage drinking laws! Sometimes a guy needed a beer. He hated Bernie not being here. He knew she needed to be independent, but hell! He missed her. He hadn’t seen much of her over the past week since both of them had resumed their work schedules. Senior finals were looming, and all their limited free time was spent studying. She had been standoffish since she moved out, and he was worried maybe that Ben guy had called her again. What if she was dating him already? What if he’d missed his chance with her? He grabbed another beer before he completely freaked out and drove straight to her apartment. Time to make a plan.

Saturday evening he returned home from work and showered, shaved, and dressed in a new shirt and pair of dress pants before driving to Bernie’s apartment. He parked and wiped his sweaty palms on his slacks. Why was he so nervous? This was Bernie, for God’s sake! Yeah, that’s why it mattered. He spent a few minutes gathering his waning courage, grabbed the white box on the seat next to him, and got out of the truck.

She answered his knock too quickly. He wasn’t ready and stuttered a weak hello.

“Josh? I, uh, I wasn’t expecting you. You should have called.” She was wearing yoga pants and a Hello Kitty t-shirt. Josh thought she’d never looked more beautiful.

“Can I come in?”

She stood aside and motioned for him to enter. “You look all dressed up. What’s the occasion?” She picked up the cereal bowl from the coffee table and took it to the kitchen.

He waited until she returned. “This is the occasion.” He handed her the white box tied with a blue ribbon.

“For me? What is it?” She took the box and pulled the ribbon with trembling fingers. “Josh?” She stared at the five perfect chocolate-dipped strawberries, each with a letter written in white chocolate:

P-R-O-M-?

He stepped close and took one of her hands in his. “Bernice Abeyta, would you go to prom with me?” Did his voice sound as raspy as he thought?

She looked up from the box, her eyes shining. “You want to take me to the prom?”

“Yeah. I really, really do.”

“I thought you were sick of me,” she whispered. “You didn’t come over or call and I thought—”

He was done talking. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her the way he’d wanted to kiss her for months. She sighed and melted against him, her arm curling around his neck as she returned the kiss. He’d thought their first kiss was amazing, but it didn’t even begin to compare with this one. Her lips were heaven as they opened under his, allowing his tongue to slide against hers. He groaned and deepened the kiss, pulling her closer. The damned box of strawberries got in his way, and he paused long enough to gently take it from her hands and set it on the table. “So, will you?” He kissed her again before she could answer.

“Will I what?” she asked a few moments later.

He smiled and tilted her face so he could nibble along her jawline. He’d always enjoyed kissing, but this was a whole new level of wonderful. “Go to prom with me.”

“Yes. I’d love to go to prom with you, Josh.” This time she kissed him. “I can’t believe this is happening. I thought you were tired of me and all my drama.”

He drew her to sit next to him on the couch he’d helped her pick out at Goodwill. “No, I’m not tired of you. I hope you’re not tired of me, because I’m in love with you, Bernie.”

She literally gaped at him for a full minute before throwing herself into his arms. It took him a moment to realize she was crying. Should saying “I love you” to a girl make her cry?
Crap.

“Bernie?”

“I’m sorry, Josh.” She pulled back and wiped her eyes. He was relieved to see she was smiling. “I was sitting here, eating cereal for dinner and feeling sorry for myself. Then you walk in looking great and smelling amazing.” She laughed self-consciously, obviously remembering her drug-induced admission in the hospital. “And you ask me to go to the prom. Then you say you love me. I look like a wreck! I feel like Cinderella.”

“You look amazing, but I don’t have a glass slipper or anything. Just strawberries, which I crushed. Sorry about that.” He cupped her cheek in his palm and leaned in to kiss her softly.

She somehow ended up in his lap, and they indulged in the kind of kissing they’d both been craving for months. “I love you too, Josh. I never dreamed you’d love me back.”

“I couldn’t help it. I was asleep for an entire year. But then I woke up and there you were.”

She put her face in her hands and sobbed. Again. He’d pictured this evening with fewer tears, but he hugged her close until she calmed down.

“I’m so sorry. I never cry.”

He’d beg to differ but figured he should keep his mouth shut.

“It’s just that I’d given up. I thought you were done with me. I’ve been in love with you for months, Josh.” She mumbled the last sentence against his neck, her tears turning his collar soggy.

“Don’t give up on me yet, sweetheart.”

***

“You look wonderful.” Claire leaned against his open bedroom door. “Please take lots of pictures.”

“I will.” He noticed she was dressed up too. “Hot date with Detective Garcia?” He winced as he realized what he’d implied. “Ugh. Please forget I asked.”

“Already forgotten. How about we make a pact to not ask about the details of our respective love lives?”

“Absolutely. Except…are you happy, Mom?”

She pushed off from the doorway and crossed the room to hug him. “I’m getting there. You?”

He nodded. “I love her.”

“I know.” She smiled, and it was perhaps bittersweet. “Have fun at prom, son.”

***

She opened the door to his knock, and his knees went weak. “Wow. You look gorgeous.” She was wearing a strapless dress in some sort of shimmery blue-green material with high heels, which made her legs look amazing. “Oh. My. God.” He took her hand and spun her around.

“You look pretty spiffy yourself, Mr. Harris. Wow, a tux.”

“Of course. Only the best for you, Miss Abeyta.” He pulled her close for a lingering kiss. “Have I mentioned how beautiful you look tonight?”

“You did, but it’s good to hear. Thanks. Did I mention that I love you?”

“Not yet.” He grinned at her. “It’s good to hear. I should probably mention that I love you too.”

He took her to dinner at The Rancher’s Club, the kind of place where there were no prices on her menu and the waiter wiped the crumbs from the tablecloth between courses.

“You know I don’t need expensive dinners like this, right?”

“I know.” He leaned across the table to kiss her, mainly because he could. “But you wouldn’t let me rent a limo, so I had to bring you here.”

“Oh, that’s how it works, huh?”

“Yes. That’s exactly how it works.” They laughed together. He loved laughing with her.

They took their time with dinner and arrived at the convention center about an hour late. They met Kayleigh and her date in the parking garage.

“Bernie!” She squealed and hugged Bernie. “You look amazing! Oh, I’m so glad you and Josh are together! You
are
together, aren’t you?”

Bernie nodded as Josh put his arm around her. “Yeah, I finally worked up the nerve to ask her out. Hey,” he said as he pulled Kayleigh aside under the guise of giving her a hug. “I can’t help but notice your date is, well, a
guy
.”

She chuckled. “Yeah, it’s complicated.”

“I’ll bet.”

***

They stayed until the last dance. Josh held her in his arms, one arm around her waist, the other smoothing over her bare shoulders. He was gentle as he encountered the angry raised scar where she’d been stabbed.

“I shouldn’t have worn a strapless dress.”

“I’m glad you did. I’m going to dream about this dress.”

She laughed and gazed up into his eyes. “This night has been like a dream. Thank you.”

“It’s not a dream, Bernie. It’s real. It’s better than a dream.” And he kissed her.

Epilogue

Four Years Later

“Hey, big bro. It’s been a while.”

“Caleb.” Josh ran to his little brother and pulled him into his arms. He pulled away and looked into Caleb’s face. He hadn’t changed since the first time he’d had this dream. He still appeared just as he’d last seen him in life—eleven years old, wearing the same clothes as the night he died.

“I don’t suppose there’s any way I could talk you into not crying every time I see you, is there? It’s kind of not manly, dude.”

Josh laughed and wiped his eyes. “Sorry. I’ll try to control myself. How are you, Caleb?”

His brother smirked. “I’m great. That’s how it works up here, you know?”

“That’s what they say. So, what’s up? Should I be worried?”

“Nah, not this time. I just wanted to congratulate you. I’m going to be an uncle! How cool is that?”

Josh smiled sadly, wishing Caleb could meet his future niece or nephew and be part of their life.

“Hey, no more tears! It’s cool. Besides, I know a secret.”

“Seriously? You show up to taunt me about a secret?”

Caleb laughed. “Sucks, huh? You’ll know soon enough.”

“I wish you were here.”

“I know. But you’re going to have your hands full soon enough. You’ve got a long life ahead of you, Josh. Be happy. I am.”

“I’m not going to see you again.” It wasn’t a question. He didn’t know how he knew, but he felt it deep within his soul these dreams, or whatever they were, would end after tonight.

“Bye, Josh. I love you.”

“I love you too, Caleb.”

Josh woke with a start, heart pounding.
He felt a warm arm embrace him from behind.

“Bad dream?” she asked as she snuggled close.

He turned over and pulled her close, tucking her head under his chin. “Yeah. Sorry I woke you.”

“Caleb?”

How did she know? He simply nodded, unable to speak. He kissed her hair, the scent of strawberries soothing him as always.

“Is anything wrong? He usually has bad news.”

“Not this time. He knows about the baby.”

She kissed his neck, and he could feel her smile. “Of course he does.” She rolled over and spooned against him.

He wrapped his arm around his wife, his warm palm spread across her still-flat stomach. “How’s junior tonight?”

“Fine, but it’s morning. The alarm will be beeping soon.”

“Let’s turn it off and spend the day in bed.” He pushed aside her shoulder-length, black hair to nuzzle her neck and nibble her earlobe, which he knew drove her crazy.

“Mmm. Tempting, but I have an exam.” She was nearly finished with her engineering degree and would graduate in less than a month. “Plus, I’m meeting my mom for lunch.” Much to everyone’s surprise, her mother had successfully completed rehab and had remained sober ever since. She was gainfully employed and was trying to build a relationship with her daughter. They met for lunch nearly every week.

“Spoilsport.” He was silent for a few minutes, content to feel her even breathing against his body. “I won’t be seeing him again.”

“Oh, Josh.” She reached a hand up to his cheek. “I’m sorry.”

He clutched it in his palm and kissed her fingers. “Don’t be. It’s probably better for my mental health to not dream—or whatever—about Caleb.”

She turned over again to face him, insinuating her leg between his. “I don’t for a minute think those were simply dreams.” She pulled his face down to hers and kissed him deeply. “I love you, Josh.”

“I love you back, Bernie.”

***

“Sorry we’re late, Mom. I had a hard time getting away from the restaurant.” Josh handed Claire the bottle of wine he’d brought and kissed her cheek. He was the sous chef at Trouvaille and spent long hours working alongside Maurice. He’d ended up despising college and had quickly transferred to the local community college for a two-year business degree. Then he’d spent a year in Boulder, Colorado, at the culinary institute. It had been excruciating to be away from Bernie for that long. They spent at least every other weekend together, sometimes meeting halfway in Raton, near the Colorado border, sometimes with Josh driving back to Albuquerque. They both racked up a lot of mileage that year. He’d proposed six months into his program, and they’d married as soon as he returned. They were living in the same apartment Bernie had moved into at the end of her senior year but were planning to buy a house before the baby came.

“No problem. Come on in. Mike’s out back grilling the steaks. Bernie, sweetheart, you look wonderful!”

They disappeared into the kitchen, and Josh headed to the backyard to make sure his stepdad wasn’t burning the meat. Claire and the detective had married two years earlier, much to Josh’s chagrin at the time. Mike had spent quite a bit of time with them during the months following the attack on Bernie, helping them understand the legal process involved in Natalia’s trial. The district attorney had opted to not charge her with Gabby’s murder because there simply wasn’t enough evidence without Sofia’s testimony. There had been enough evidence—thanks to a jailhouse snitch—to charge her with accessory to Sofia’s murder as well as the attempted murder of Bernie. She was tried as an adult and was convicted on all counts. Life without parole was the sentence. Bernie was finally able to sleep well again.

“Hey, Josh. What’s up? You want to take over here?” Mike offered the barbecue tongs.

Josh did want to take over but felt it was rude to usurp his stepdad’s place. “No, no. I’ll just grab a beer. You want one?”

Mike laughed and handed him the tongs anyway. “How about I grab beers for us and you do what you do best?”

Later, as they all sat around the dining table with perfectly cooked steaks in front of them, Josh noticed his mother, as well as Bernie, had opted for water rather than wine. He barely had time to begin to process this when Bernie cleared her throat and nudged him under the table.

“Oh, yeah. Well, Bernie and I have an announcement. You’re going to be grandparents. We’re pregnant. She’s due in November.”

“Oh my goodness!” Claire squealed and leapt out of her chair to hug Bernie. Both had tears in their eyes but were laughing.

“That’s kind of a coincidence,” Mike said as he took a rather large gulp of his wine. “Shall we tell them our news, sweetheart?”

Claire took the hand he held out to her. “We’re having a baby too. Surprise.”

Josh stared at his wife in disbelief. “Oh my God. I’m going to have a brother or sister the same age as my own child.”

Bernie smiled at him in that way she had; he could see the love shining in her eyes. “Well, that’s pretty convenient. Built-in playmates. I guess we know what the secret was, huh?”

He didn’t care who was watching. He
had
to kiss her right that second. He stood and pulled her into his arms—this girl who had helped bring him back to the land of the living. He’d thought he was helping
her
, giving
her
a home, but it was Bernie who showed
him
what home was all about.

The End