Seven

L

eora pressed the flannel bag filled with rice more firmly against her side. It had lost all its heat about an hour ago but the weight of it still gave her some comfort. A heating pad was more constant than the heated rice bag, but a wire hanging out from the throw she had wrapped herself in would be more conspicuous. Her family didn’t need any more reminders of her condition.

Wade, Gray, and Micah had been entertaining the rest of the family for a couple of hours now with their instruments. Zane had sung a few songs with them before saying he had somewhere to be. Like she didn’t know he spent his Saturday nights at the local juke joint, singing for a bunch of—

Lord, forgive me. It’s not my place to judge those people, I just worry about the influence they have over my boy. But I also know he’s more Yours than mine. He might be taking a little detour right now, but I have faith that You’ll herd him back in the right direction in Your own time.

“Do y’all know Tennessee Blues?”

Most of the songs Micah picked reflected back on his hometown. Did he miss it terribly much? He seemed happy enough here.

The other two said they didn’t but a few minutes after Micah got started, they were able to join in. This one was a jaunty little tune that had everyone moving and clapping.

All except for Jolene.

She’d been sitting on the floor in the corner with Lala in her lap, staring moon-eyed at Micah. Jo wasn’t one to show her feelings much. She either thought no one was looking, or she didn’t realize she was doing it. Whether she realized it or not, her attraction for the man was growing. Hopefully, that meant she’d left the married doctor behind for good. Even so, it didn’t necessarily change her soul status.

Maybe there was nothing to worry about. Leora had been keeping an eye on the situation. Micah hadn’t looked Jo’s way even once tonight. But Jo is holding his daughter. Seems like he would’ve at least glanced at her. Leora pursed her lips. If he was avoiding looking at Jolene, that could be an indication of his attraction in itself. He knew she wasn’t saved and wouldn’t want to encourage anything.

Micah stood, the instrument still gripped in his hand. “That’s it for me. Work is calling.”

He carefully made his way through the crowd to Leora’s room just off the living room where his mandolin case and a change of clothes awaited him. Lala was spending the night here and he would rejoin them after church tomorrow for lunch. Leora had told him he could leave his things with her to save time.

It wasn’t long before he came out dressed in blue scrubs. Jo stood to hand over Lala so he could say his goodbyes and for the first time tonight, Jo avoided looking at him and she wore a frown now. Could it be that the scrubs reminded her of someone else?

Lord, I’ve been speculating on this all night, but here again, You already have the answers and You know what’s best for Micah and for Jolene. All my speculation could be for naught. As always, Your will be done.

Jo used every free moment of work tonight to give herself a mental kick. Last night while listening to the guys play and sing, it was like her mind had split in two and while one part was in the present, the other part played out a fantasy that could never become a reality. One that had her married to the too good to be true man playing the mandolin.

She hadn’t been aware that she was even doing it until Micah walked out in those blasted blue scrubs—the only color Tage ever wore. She should be suffering from whiplash at how quickly her mind shut the fantasy down and replaced it with an image of her low-down, rotten to the core ex. The one who still haunted her dreams and still had the power to tempt her back into an unhealthy relationship.

Shift change was coming up. She’d already looked at the roster and knew Tage was working the next shift but no amount of steeling herself prepared her for when he stepped next to her. At the scent of his cologne, she closed her eyes.

“Daydreaming about me?” His whisper brushed against her skin, sending chills through her.

“You think I don’t have better things to dream about?”

“Why dream when your reality is standing right here waiting for you?”

She turned to look at him through half closed eyes. “You are not my reality.”

Shantille popped up on the other side of Tage and smiled at Jo. “Whew, I bet you’re ready to get out of this mad house. Got plans to work on your new place this evening?”

“No. It’s Sunday, I’ll be hanging out with the family and then church.” Jo looked right at Tage when she said the word church because she knew it made him uncomfortable, but he studied the chart in front of him as if unaware of the conversation going on around him.

“I know y’all are having something good to eat. I hear you talking about your family get togethers and it makes me miss my momma’s cooking.”

“Shantille, you are welcome to join us any time. Everyone is always welcome.”

“You keep saying that and one of these days I’m going to surprise you by showing up.”

“Like I said, any time.”

Shantille raised her brows then cut her eyes at Tage. “I need to go check on a patient, but I’ll be right back.”

Message received. Shantille wouldn’t leave her alone with Tage again if she could help it. Not after the talk they’d had.

“How come you never invited me to dine with your family?”

He only asked stupid questions like this to get her attention and he had it now. She stared at him for a few seconds before responding. “Was I supposed to invite your wife too?”

His mouth turned down at the corners. “Come on, Jo. You could’ve introduced me as your boyfriend without mentioning that I was married. It’s not like they ever would’ve found out.”

“Don’t you mean am married? And you really think my family wouldn’t see right through you?” She lowered her voice and leaned closer. “We were together for years.” She held the back of her left hand up in front of his face. “Years, and no ring on my finger. My family expects better than that and I should have too.”

“That’s right. You and your pious family are so much better than me. Maybe if you’d have had as much faith in me as you do them, I would’ve had a reason to leave my wife and you’d have that blasted ring on your finger—as if that even means anything.”

“It obviously doesn’t mean anything to you. Your wife has one and it didn’t help her any.”

He looked around them. “Do you mind lowering your voice?”

Heat flared in her face. No matter how much she tried to close him off in the hopes that the rumors would die, he would say or do something to draw her back in.

He leaned closer, his voice almost a whisper. “That’s not what I meant, and you know it. I believe it’s still possible to have a good relationship without getting married, but I would have done it because I know how important it is to you. But that was never our problem. The reason it never happened is because I knew I would never be good enough for you or your precious family.”

“You’ve got that right. Now do us all a favor and stay away from me.” She turned on her heel and walked away. If she had stood there another second, she probably would have punched him in the face. The slight to her family had gotten under her skin and the rest of what he’d said was just bull hockey.

The reason they weren’t together was because it was wrong for them to be together in the first place. She may not be as pious as the rest of her family, but Jo had sense enough to know that he should’ve been faithful to the wife he had, and she should’ve cut him loose as soon as she found out he was married.

Jolene managed to finish her shift without seeing Tage again. Her phone pinged as she crossed the parking lot. At one time, she would’ve ignored it, but that was before her mother got sick. Her temper flared when she saw it was from him.

I’m sorry. The things I said about your family was uncalled for. Mark it up as heated desperation. Sorry for letting you down when we were together by not being everything you needed. And sorry for pursuing you while knowing that you didn’t know I was married. I should probably apologize for pursuing you at all, but that was out of my control. I simply can’t help how you make me feel. Forgive me? Please.

Her tension drained away in an instant. In all the time she’d known him, Jo had never known him to apologize for anything. She understood saying things that were better left unsaid in the heat of the moment. It had happened to her before. She could forgive him for that, but she wouldn’t take him back.