She frowned unhappily. “I know this upsets you. I haven’t told anyone else yet. I wanted to tell you first.”
“Any particular reason you’re confiding in me?”
She nodded several times. “Considering everything that’s happened, I felt I should.”
“So you’re in love with Josh?”
Joy bit her lip. “I don’t know.”
“But you’ve already decided you’re leaving with him?” Lonny asked, not understanding her logic. Joy didn’t seem to notice that he was caressing her back with one hand and cupping her breast with the other.
“I won’t leave right away.”
“Of course,” he agreed quietly.
“Josh and I…we’ve been talking and e-mailing and—” She let the rest fade.
“Renewing your acquaintance,” he finished.
“Exactly.” Her eyes were half-closed as she spoke.
“And you’re thinking that because of Josh, you’ll leave Red Springs?”
“Yes.” Slowly exhaling, she looked directly at him. “The thing is, I hate to go.”
“The town will miss you. So will I.”
“I’ll miss you, too,” she whispered.
It was exactly what Lonny had hoped to hear. “Then don’t go.”
She didn’t respond.
“I’m hoping you’ll reconsider.”
“I…I don’t think I can.”
“If you stay here, we could get married,” he suggested.
Apparently he’d shocked her into speechlessness. “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about what went wrong with our relationship earlier,” he said, “and I realize now I was the problem.”
“You?”
“It was my fault. I reacted the same way then as I did when we had the traffic accident—I mean incident.”
“You were unreasonable and high-handed and—”
He stopped her before she could continue with the list of his faults. “I love you, Joy, and I don’t want you to move away.”
She scrambled off his lap, nearly stumbling in her eagerness to get off the porch. “You’re trying to confuse me!”
“No. I’m telling you right now, it’d be a big mistake to make such an important decision while you’re unsure of what you want. That’s what I did, and it cost me two good years I might’ve spent with you.”
“I…I’ve already made up my mind.”
She was fighting herself just as hard as she was fighting him. He longed to kiss her again, but he knew that would only infuriate her.
“I’m…l-leaving,” she said, stuttering as she turned away. “I can see it wasn’t a good idea to talk to you about this.”
He didn’t make a move to stop her. “You might want to fasten your bra before you go,” he said in a reasonable tone.
Embarrassed and flustered, she whirled around and fumbled with her clothes.
It occurred to Lonny that she might have expected a different reaction to her announcement. “Do you want me to be jealous?” he asked. He was prepared to act as if he was, and it wouldn’t be that big a stretch. He’d never even met Josh Howell, but he didn’t like the man.
“No!” she blurted out irritably.
“Good. Because I will if that’s what you want. But truth be told, I’m more confident than ever that we’re meant to be together.” He smiled at her. “Like I said, we’ve already lost two years and I’m not planning to repeat that mistake. I hope you aren’t, either. We’re not getting any younger, you know, and if we’re going to have kids…”
That really seemed to upset her, because her eyes went wide with shock. At least, he hoped it was shock and not horror.
“Joy,” he said, staying calm and clearheaded. “We were pretty involved physically just a few minutes ago. I can’t believe you’d allow a man to kiss you and touch you the way I just did if you didn’t have strong feelings for him.”
She backed away. “Josh will be here tomorrow, and all I ask is that you leave us alone.”
He shrugged. “I’m not making any promises. You’d feel the same if some other gal was stepping in and trying to steal me away.”
“I’m not a prize to be won at the carnival. You’re so sure of yourself! I should marry Josh just to spite you.”
That was an empty threat if he’d ever heard one. “You won’t.”
She made an exasperated sound and marched down the porch steps, almost tripping in her haste.
“Joy,” he said, following her. “I don’t want you to leave when you’re this upset.”
“I have to go!”
“I love you. If you want, I’ll be furious and jealous and I’ll corner Josh Howell and demand that he get outta town.”
She shook her head vigorously. “Don’t you dare!”
“I’m serious. I’m not willing to lose you to Josh.”
“You’ve already lost me. I came here to tell you I’m not renewing my teaching contract.”
Rather than argue with her, he sighed heavily. “Kiss me goodbye.”
That seemed to fluster her more than anything else he’d said. “No!”
“Joy, my parents never went to sleep without settling an argument. That’s the advice they always gave newly married couples. I don’t want us to get in the habit of parting angry, either.”
Aghast, she glared at him. “But we’re not a couple!”
“But I believe we should be a couple. Because I love you and I know you love me.”
It looked as if she was about to burst into tears. “No, I don’t. I refuse to love anyone as stubborn…and—”
“Pigheaded,” he supplied.
Climbing into the car, she insisted one final time, “I don’t love you!” She slammed the door shut and started the engine. A moment later, she tore out of the yard, kicking up a trail of dust.
“Oh, yes, you do,” Lonny whispered. “You do love me, Joy Fuller. And I’m going to prove it.”
Chapter Eighteen
After the confrontation with Lonny, Joy barely slept that night. The man’s arrogance was unbelievable. How dared he insist she was in love with him!
It’d seemed only right that she tell Lonny about her decision. Going to him had been a mistake, though, one that made her question her own sanity. He’d been condescending, and treated her as if she was too feeble-minded to form her own opinions. He’d practically laughed at her! Mortified, Joy wanted to bury her face in her hands.
She’d thought…well, she’d hoped they could part as friends. That was what she’d wanted to tell him. Instead, she’d ended their conversation feeling angry and uncertain. To be fair, she had to admit there was a certain physical attraction between them. But that was his fault, not hers. Well, it wasn’t really a question of fault, she supposed. The man could kiss like no one she’d ever known. So of course she’d kissed him back; any red-blooded woman would.
She got out of bed, yawning, unable to stop thinking about last night. Just remembering the way he’d pulled her into his lap, and then proceeded to seduce her, had her cheeks burning with embarrassment. As she readied for school, she chose her pink pantsuit. Today was the biggest event of the year in Red Springs. Her eyes already burned from lack of sleep and it was going to be a long, long day. First, the carnival, then the high school dance. On top of all that, Josh would show up sometime around four—just when everything was getting started. If she could make it through today without losing her mind or breaking into tears, it would be a miracle.
The last day of school was more of a formality than an occasion to teach. The students were restless and anxious to escape from the moment the bus dropped them off. It was a bittersweet experience for Joy to see her students move on to the next grade. Each one was special to her. Most of the third-graders would be back in this classroom next year as fourth-grade students, and there’d be a group of new, younger kids, as well.
At noon, the bell rang and her pupils dashed out the door, shouting with excitement and glee.
Smiling, Joy walked onto
the playground to wave goodbye, thinking this might be her last opportunity. The contract sat at home unsigned. Even now, she wasn’t sure what to do. She’d made her decision and then Lonny had kissed her and all at once her certainty had evaporated.
The school buses had already lined up, their diesel engines running. The children formed straggling rows and boarded the buses with far more noise than usual. Most would return with their families for the carnival in a few hours.
As Joy grinned and waved and called out goodbyes, she reflected that her afternoon would be busy, getting everything done before Josh arrived. She’d made a reservation for him at the one and only local motel, the Rest Easy Inn. When she saw Josh, she told herself, she’d know her own feelings, know what was right for her. Joy couldn’t help wondering what this weekend would hold for them both. She wished…Her thoughts came to a dead halt. What did she wish?
If Josh had contacted her a few months earlier, everything would be different, and yet the only real change in her life was resuming her relationship with Lonny.
“Goodbye, Miss Fuller,” Cricket said, coming up to Joy and throwing both arms around her waist.
“I’ll see you later, won’t I?” Joy asked, crouching beside the little girl.
“Oh, yes,” Cricket said. “I’m going to ride the Ferris wheel with my daddy, and he said he’d buy me a snow cone and popcorn and cotton candy, too.”
“I’ll roll you an extra-big cotton candy,” Joy promised.
An unfamiliar vehicle pulled into the parking lot. Ever wary of strangers, Joy narrowed her eyes suspiciously. Then the car door opened and a man stepped out.
“Josh,” Joy whispered. He was early—and every bit as handsome as she remembered.
He gazed around as though he wasn’t sure where to go. Staring at him, Joy was again struck by his good looks. She’d been afraid he couldn’t possibly live up to her memories—or her expectations. Wrong. He was even more attractive now. More everything. He exuded success and ambition.
Joy began walking toward him. “Josh!” She raised her arm high above her head.
As soon as Josh saw her, he smiled broadly and strode toward her. Then they were standing face-to-face and after a moment of just staring at each other, they hugged. It was so good to see him.
“Hey, let me take a look at you,” Josh said, holding her at arm’s length. “You’ve changed,” he said, his bright blue eyes meeting hers. “You’re more beautiful than ever.”
His words embarrassed her a little and she laughed. “I was just thinking the same about you.”
“Miss Fuller, Miss Fuller,” Cricket said. She’d trailed behind Joy and now stood there, her eyes as round as pie tins.
“Yes, Cricket?” Joy said, turning away from Josh to focus her attention on the child. “What is it?”
“Who is this man?” Cricket asked, with uncharacteristic rudeness.
“This is my friend, Mr. Howell.”
Cricket frowned.
“Mr. Howell drove to Red Springs to visit me,” Joy elaborated.
“Is he your boyfriend?” she asked.
Before Joy could answer, Josh did. “Yes, I’m Miss Fuller’s boyfriend.” He slipped his arm around Joy’s waist and brought her close to his side.
The girl’s lower lip shot out. “I’m telling my Uncle Lonny.” Having made that announcement, Cricket stomped off the playground and boarded the school bus, the last child to do so.
“And just who is Cricket’s Uncle Lonny?” Josh asked, quirking his eyebrow at her.
“A local rancher,” Joy said, not inclined to explain if she didn’t have to.
“Really?” Josh didn’t sound too concerned, which pleased Joy. She didn’t want him to worry. And there was no reason for him to be jealous….
“Did you tell me about ‘Uncle’ Lonny?” he asked.
“I’m sure I did,” Joy said in casual tones. “He owns a ranch about twenty minutes outside town.”
“He’s not the one you had the near-collision with, is he?”
“Yes,” she cried, surprised Josh had remembered. “That’s Lonny. We dated for a while when I first moved to Red Springs—I know I mentioned that in my e-mails—but we broke up and I haven’t had much to do with him since.” Because it was bound to happen at some point this evening, she added, “You’ll meet him later.” She dreaded the prospect, but there was no help for it. Her only hope was that Lonny would ignore both her and Josh, unlikely though that seemed.
“Is your rancher friend still being unreasonable about the accident?” Josh asked.
“Actually, he’s been pretty decent about it lately. He said I should just forget the whole thing.”
“And you have?”
She nodded, more than eager to get off the subject of Lonny. Taking Josh’s hand, she smiled up at him. “Let me finish a few things at school and then maybe we could go to lunch.”
“Sure. In the meantime, I’ll check into the motel.”
“Okay.” Releasing his hand, she nodded again. She hadn’t expected Josh this soon and she still had loose ends to tie up in her classroom. All the arrangements were in place for tonight. When Letty had learned Josh would be coming, she’d volunteered to take the second half of Joy’s shift so she’d have a chance to be with her visitor. From her past experience with the cotton candy machine, Joy knew she’d need time to clean up before the dance, too.
“There’s a nice Mexican restaurant on Main Street,” she suggested. “I could meet you there in an hour.”
“Perfect.”
Hands on his hips, Josh looked over at the school. “This is a rather quaint building, isn’t it?”
Joy had thought the same thing when she’d first seen the stone schoolhouse, built fifty years earlier, but she’d grown used to it. The school felt comfortable to her, and it evoked an enjoyable nostalgia.
“I love it,” she said fondly. They just didn’t build schools like this anymore, and while the budget called for a new schoolhouse two years from now, Joy would miss this one. Although, of course, it didn’t matter because she wouldn’t be here.
Josh nodded sympathetically, as if he understood her feelings. “I’ll see you in an hour, then.”
Joy felt light and carefree as she returned to her classroom. She intended to go into this new relationship with Josh wholeheartedly, see where it led. Deep down, though, Joy suspected neither one of them was ready for marriage. Still, she wanted to make this work. The fly in the ointment, as her grandmother would’ve put it, was Lonny Ellison. He arrogantly claimed she was in love with him and…he might not be wrong. Or not completely. But that certainly didn’t mean a long-term relationship between them would succeed.
By the time Joy hurried into the restaurant, she was ten minutes later than she’d planned. She’d left several duties unfinished, which meant she’d have to go back in the morning. Because it was almost one-thirty, only a handful of people were in the restaurant.
Josh was seated in a booth, reading the menu, when she slid breathlessly into the bench across from him. She really didn’t have time to linger over lunch. She had a hundred things to do before the carnival opened at five.
“Sorry, I’m late,” she said, glancing around for Miguel so they could order.
Josh reached for her hand. He’d changed out of his business suit and was dressed in slacks and a shirt, with the top two buttons left undone. He looked no less attractive in casual clothes—and maybe more so.
“You didn’t have any problem finding your way around, did you?” she asked, using a chip to scoop up some salsa. Miguel seemed to be busy in the kitchen.
“You’re joking, aren’t you?” He laughed as he said it. “There’s only one road through town.”
There were more, but apparently he hadn’t felt any need to investigate the side streets.
“The other end of town is blocked off for the carnival,” she reminded him. The motel and restaurant were located at this end of Red Springs.
“Have you decided what
you’d like to eat?” she asked.
“I have.”
As if he suddenly realized Joy had arrived, Miguel appeared to take their order. “I’ll have the luncheon special. I can have the chili relleno baked, right?” Josh asked.
“We cook them the regular way,” Miguel said in a heavy accent.
“Baked or fried?” Josh pressed.
Miguel looked to Joy to supply the answer.
“I believe they fry them, Josh,” she said.
Josh frowned. “In that case, I’ll have the enchilada plate.”
Miguel gratefully wrote that down and turned to Joy, who nodded. He went back to the kitchen.
“Aren’t you going to order?” Josh asked.
“I already did. I always have the same thing and Miguel knows how I like my tostada salad.”
Josh reached out to clasp both her hands. “You look fabulous,” he said, studying her. “Really fabulous.”
She smiled at his words.
“I thought you’d come running home three months after you accepted this job,” Josh admitted.
That wasn’t exactly a flattering comment, but she let it slide.
“It’s hard to believe you actually live here, so far from civilization,” Josh added, glancing around as if he couldn’t quite picture her in this setting.
“I remember thinking that when I first got to Red Springs. But it grew on me. I love it now.”
“Don’t you miss all the great restaurants in Seattle?”
“Well, yes, but…”
“This place is hardly Mexican,” Josh murmured under his breath.
“The Mexican Fiesta isn’t as fancy as the big chains in Seattle, but I like their food,” she said, struggling not to sound defensive. She remembered her first visit to Red Springs. She’d wanted to live in a small community, but it had taken a while to adjust to the lack of amenities. The first time she’d eaten the town’s version of Mexican food, she’d had to make an effort not to compare it to her favorite Seattle restaurant.
“We used to have Mexican food almost every week,” Josh said.
Joy didn’t think it had been that often.
He wrinkled his forehead. “If I recall correctly, you used to order chicken enchiladas.”