Josie stirred.
Despite the fact that she had ultimately been up late, her inner alarm still went off. Reluctantly, even before her brain kicked in, she opened her eyes.
It was 4:00 a.m. Dawn would be tiptoeing in soon. She became aware of Declan lying to her right, still very much sound asleep. Josie could feel heat from his body radiating toward her.
All sorts of warm, loving thoughts wove themselves through her mind, but she knew that she couldn’t dwell on them.
She needed to leave, Josie thought.
Now.
The fog lifted from her brain. It would be awful if Declan’s mother or his niece saw her sneaking out of his room, or even his house, for that matter. Especially if she was wearing the same clothes that she’d had on all day yesterday.
She had to leave now to prevent that from happening.
So, moving very slowly, Josie began to ease her body out of Declan’s bed.
She nearly shrieked when she felt his arm unexpectedly close around her waist, holding her fast.
Her heart settled down a little just as she felt Declan nuzzling the side of her neck.
“Where are you going?” he asked softly, his breath warming her.
“Declan, I have to leave,” Josie insisted. She thought that why should be very obvious to him.
“Can’t you wait a few more minutes?” he asked, deftly moving his tongue along the outline of her ear, sending warm shivers up and down her spine. “The sun’s not even up yet.”
She could feel her pulse rising again. He was making this really difficult for her.
“We’ve been lucky so far, but if your mother or Shannon wake up, I have no excuse to give them why I’m sneaking out of here at this hour,” Josie pointed out.
His breath continued to heat up her body.
“We could always go with the truth,” Declan said as his lips began to move along the side of her neck, all but branding her.
“I’d rather not have to go through that. I don’t think you want to do that either,” Josie told him.
“All right,” he answered reluctantly, releasing his hold. He drew himself up in bed to look at her. “But only if you promise that we can get together again—soon. Maybe Friday?”
“I’d like that,” Josie readily admitted. A rosy feeling spread all through her at almost lightning speed. “But right now, I really need to go,” she insisted reluctantly.
Released, she began to get out of bed then stopped. She realized that all of her clothes were still on the floor.
And she was nude.
Heat instantly crept up her neck, coloring her cheeks as she pulled the sheet back up to cover herself.
“Turn around,” Josie requested, swirling her finger around to point his face toward the wall.
Declan’s brow furrowed a little. “Why?”
Was he really going to make her have to explain? Apparently so, she realized with an impatient sigh. “Because I’m not wearing anything.”
Declan stared at her. “You’re kidding,” he said in disbelief. But one look at her face and he saw that she was completely serious. “I’ve already seen you without your clothes on,” he pointed out.
He was definitely going to make her explain this, she thought, resigned. “Yes, but that was in the heat of the moment—and the room was dark. Declan, please. I really need to get dressed and make my getaway,” she pleaded.
“All right,” he agreed. “Never let it be said that I gave you a hard time—I mean a difficult time,” he amended, an amused smile playing on his lips.
Declan turned his face away from her and toward the wall.
The moment she was sure that he was no longer looking at her, Josie got dressed at what seemed like lightning speed.
In less than three minutes, she had her clothes on and was carrying her shoes in her hand.
Pausing to brush one final kiss on Declan’s cheek, she eased his door open and then paused for a moment in the doorway, carefully listening.
She didn’t hear anyone stirring either upstairs or down. Taking that as a sign that she was free to make her getaway, she closed Declan’s door behind her. Her heart pounding, she flew down the stairs.
Her heart was beating double-time by the time she made it to his front door. Holding her breath, Josie opened the door then quickly closed it behind her as she made her escape.
She all but ran—still barefoot—to where she had left her car parked. After dashing over the gravel driveway, Josie could feel her feet complaining until she was able to get behind the wheel. A sense of huge relief came over her as she rested her feet on the carpet.
Made it, she thought.
The next moment, Josie started up her car. She drove back to her brother’s house, heading for her apartment over the garage.
She let out a deep breath as she parked. Sitting there for a moment, she got out and made her way up the stairs. Reaching the apartment that had been constructed just for her, Josie unlocked the door and went in.
Once inside, she closed the door behind her then dropped her purse on the floor along with her shoes. By everyone’s time—except maybe for a rooster’s—it was way too early to be awake.
Since Rebekah handled the first feedings, Josie reasoned, that meant that she had about three, maybe four hours at best to take a nap, she estimated.
Lying down fully dressed on the bed, Josie let out a very long, heavy sigh. The odd thing was that she felt both wired and exhausted at the same time.
And exhilarated, she thought as bits and pieces from last night began to replay themselves—in vivid color—through her mind.
It was all so completely wonderful, she couldn’t help reliving every single fantastic moment. Declan had been such a thoughtful, gentle lover—and the man washed dishes, too, she mused, her lips curving as she recalled watching him.
Curling up on the bed, Josie replayed the entire evening in her mind. That included everything from working to set up the soiree, to the dances she had shared with Declan—who would have thought that he could have turned out to be such a great dancer?—to the wonderful night they had spent together in his bed.
As she went over the whole thing, from start to finish, it only kept getting better.
And he wanted to do it again, she thought, remembering Declan’s last words to her before she had left this morning.
Josie sighed again.
If she had a lick of sense in her head, she would just quit while she was ahead, before the disappointment came, she thought.
But she knew she wouldn’t. At least, not yet.
Her thoughts dwelled on Declan again. She had never had an affair before, she realized. For that matter, she had only had one lover before Declan and that had been her ex-husband.
Look how that turned out, Josie’s mind taunted her.
The next moment, she rallied. Just because her ex had broken her heart didn’t mean that Declan would, she reasoned.
You’re forgetting one thing, a voice in her head warned. Declan needs a younger woman. That isn’t you. Get used to the idea that at most, this is just going to be a temporary thing. Wonderful, yes, but still just temporary. Enjoy yourself while you can and then go your own way. This isn’t going to amount to “forever.”
It’s just some fun, nothing more, she silently warned herself.
Still, Josie thought the next moment, that didn’t sound all that bad, she reasoned. Last night had been utterly and breathtakingly delightful. Maybe there were a few more of those evenings in her immediate future, she thought. She could live with that.
Except that this time, she told herself, she would make a point of having Declan come to her apartment. She didn’t want to risk running into either Ruth or Shannon on mornings after. Anticipating that, even if it wouldn’t be foremost in her mind, would definitely put a damper on the evening. It was tantamount to mentally looking over her shoulder the entire time that they made love.
Josie snuggled against her bed. She didn’t expect to actually sleep, not with visions of the dances she had shared with Declan replaying themselves through her head.
But without realizing that it was happening, Josie finally drifted off to sleep.
“How did the catering go?” was the first thing Rebekah asked that morning when Josie walked into the main house, offering to help with the twins.
Making her way over to her sister-in-law and the twin in her arms, Josie smiled broadly. “It went really, really well,” she said with enthusiasm.
Rebekah had just finished feeding Lily, and was now in the middle of feeding Lucas.
Rebekah’s mouth curved. “I heard that you had help,” she mentioned a little too casually.
“I did,” Josie answered, pausing to wrinkle her nose playfully at Lily. The twin cooed. “Declan and his niece came with me to help with the setup. They also helped me serve.”
“Did ‘they’ help with anything else?” Rebekah asked a little too innocently.
Something in her sister-in-law’s voice caught her attention. “What do you mean?”
“That was an awfully big smile on your face just for acknowledging getting some help,” Rebekah noted.
“It wasn’t just ‘some’ help. It was a lot of help,” Josie emphasized.
Rebekah’s smile just grew wider. “Oh, I see.” Then, unable to resist, her sister-in-law casually added, “I like Declan.”
It wasn’t exactly difficult for her to read Rebekah’s mind.
“It’s not like that,” Josie told her, determined to nip any possible misunderstanding in the bud.
Rebekah widened her eyes, giving her the most innocent look she could muster. “Like what?” she quipped. “I didn’t say anything, did I, Lukie?” she asked, addressing her remark to her son.
“You didn’t have to,” Josie told her. “That smile of yours gave you away.”
Rebekah cocked her head as she looked up at Josie. “I’m just happy, that’s all.”
“Uh-huh.” Josie tried to salvage the scenario she was attempting to create for Rebekah’s sake. “He’s a great guy—” she began, only to have Rebekah cut her off.
“I picked up on that from what you’ve told me,” she said with a smile.
Josie stifled a sigh. Maybe she should have this printed up on a card. “But he’s also too young for me.”
Her sister-in-law frowned, clearly not buying the excuse. “What makes you say that?”
“Rebekah, I’m six years older than he is,” Josie pointed out with feeling.
“Oh my. And you’re not in a wheelchair yet?” Rebekah pretended to marvel.
Josie didn’t appreciate her sister-in-law’s remark. “That’s not funny, Rebekah.”
“No, it’s not,” Rebekah agreed. She was serious, Josie realized. “It’s sad, actually. You’re running from the first bit of happiness to come your way in ages,” the younger woman emphasized. She knew what was behind this and for once she said it. “Not every man is a loser like that ex-husband of yours,” Rebekah insisted. “Declan could be the one you’ve been waiting for.”
Josie opened her mouth to protest, but Rebekah held up her free hand, indicating that she should stop talking.
“You need to allow yourself to explore the possibilities, Josie. That means you need to learn to enjoy yourself a little,” Rebekah insisted.
Josie sighed, surrendering. “I’ll give it a try,” she promised.
“You’ll do more than that,” her sister-in-law told her seriously. “The thing that struck me about you from the very first day that I met you is that you’re not a quitter.”
“No,” Josie allowed, “but on the other hand, I am a realist.”
“Since when?” her sister-in-law scoffed with a laugh. Josie began to protest, but Rebekah wouldn’t let her. Instead, she said, “You take on more work than any one person can possibly handle and yet, somehow, you manage to do it all.
“And, if that’s not enough, you also got Shannon to come out of her shell in order to help with the animals. Then you jumped in at the last minute to help cater that big fundraiser.” Rebekah pretended to wipe her brow. “Whew, I get tired just talking about it,” she told Josie with a laugh.
Josie waved away her sister-in-law’s words. “You’re making me out to be some kind of superwoman,” she told Rebekah.
Rebekah didn’t look put off. “Well, if the cape fits, wear it” were her sister-in-law’s words of wisdom.
Lily began fussing. Her sister-in-law’s attention shifted to her immediately.
“Don’t worry,” Josie said, rocking Lily a little more. “She’s all right. You just finish feeding Lucas.”
Rebekah smiled at Josie, her point made. “See, like I said, a regular superwoman.”
Josie shook her head, giving up. “Okay, have it your way.”
“Was he a good dancer?” Rebekah asked a couple of minutes later.
Josie closed her eyes and sighed, remembering.
“He was surprisingly good,” she admitted, then added, “Seeing as how the man spends a third of his life astride a horse.” And then she looked at her sister-in-law, surprised. “How did you find out that he danced with me?” she wanted to know.
“Josie, this is a small town. The main hobby for most of us is gossip. You dancing with that good-looking cowboy had word spreading like the proverbial wildfire.”
Josie frowned. “You’re exaggerating,” she said dismissively.
“No, I’m envisioning,” Rebekah corrected. “Relax, Josie,” she assured her. “Nobody’s about to call you a scarlet woman.”
Her eyes widened. Rebekah knew, she thought. “Why would you say that?” Josie cried.
Her sister-in-law suddenly grew silent for a moment. Seeing how pink Josie’s face turned, she put two and two together. “You slept with him?” she questioned. “You slept with Declan Hoyt?”
“No,” Josie cried. Then, because she hated lying and felt it could only wind up harming her relationship with her sister-in-law, she took back her denial. “Yes,” she told Rebekah in a smaller voice.
“Oh, Josie,” Rebekah cried. Josie braced herself for a lecture or, at the very least, a show of disappointment. Instead, her sister-in-law moved closer to her on the sofa as she continued feeding her son. “Tell me all about it—or as much as you’re comfortable sharing,” she amended, not wanting to impose. “Did he seduce you? Did you seduce each other? Was he a great lover, or is that handsome stud a dud?”
“I can’t answer all that,” Josie protested, growing redder.
“Okay, I understand,” Rebekah said, even if she was disappointed at the lack of any significant detail. But then she asked something she felt that Josie could answer. “Are you going to see him again? You know, in that way?”
“Well,” Josie allowed, “he did say something about seeing me this Friday evening.”
Rebekah’s face lit up. “Oh, Josie, I am so happy for you!”
“Rebekah, please don’t get carried away,” Josie warned her.
“I won’t,” her sister-in-law promised. “That’s your job,” she said with a wink. Then, looking at the twin in her arms, Rebekah said, “Your aunt Josie’s got a date. Can you say ‘yea!’ Lucas?”
Turning the baby so that he faced Josie, Rebekah pretended to be the twin and declared, “Yea” in a muffled voice.
That made it impossible for Josie to maintain a serious expression and she broke down and started laughing.