The Woman He Married (11 page)

Off to the side, Bobbie was chasing Beth and the twins around while Jack watched, probably wondering if he was too old to join the pursuit. Josie’s mom was trying, unsuccessfully, to rein them in.

Just beyond, the men listened while
Lanny
talked loudly, telling a story and gesturing fervently.
John stood with his hands on his hips, pushing his suit coat back, the slimness of his waist in apparent contrast with his muscular shoulders.

Josie’s heart leapt. Regardless of the growing frigidity between them, she still regarded John as the most attractive man she’d ever seen. She felt a sudden urge to run to him, slide her arms beneath his jacket, and bury her face in his chest while he enveloped her body with his strong arms. She wanted him to protect her from the disapproving stares threatening to assault her already wounded core. But, as Lori’s hateful insults echoed once more through her mind, she knew that what she wished would never be anything more than a fantasy.

Mustering one last encouraging smile, Gina said, “Give ’
em
hell,” as she released Josie’s arm and sent her forward on her own.

“Momma!”
Bobbie spotted Josie lingering at the corner and started running toward her, full speed ahead. “Did you see me?” He came to a skidding stop at her feet, wrapping his arms around her hips. Everyone turned their gaping eyes on them.

“Was I the best banana ever?” Bobby grinned up at her, looking exhilarated after his first public performance.

“You absolutely were!
The
best banana ever
.”
Josie’s face was tight and her voice sounded choked, but she managed to force a smile.

“Right.
Banana.
Is that what they’re calling
it
these days?”
Lydia
’s sarcastic sneer was the first thing Josie saw when she looked up from Bobbie’s elated face.

Josie’s smile dissipated as she returned
Lydia
’s mocking glare with a frosty look of her own.

Trisha crossed her arms and said, “The video-
agrapher
let me take a look at the tape. Lucky for you, the image is pretty muddled. Still, I
am
going to have to think of how we can spin this if the press gets wind of it.”

Glad to hear you’re on top of things. What else have you been on top of lately, my husband maybe?
Josie wanted to snap Trisha’s skinny neck.

Sensing the tension, Bobbie released his grip and backed away slowly before returning and joining the girls who were still running circles around the adults.

“Now, now, ladies.
I’m sure Jocelyn has a reasonable explanation for why the bananas looked…well, like they did,” Gloria interceded. Her manner was supportive but she was giving Josie
that
look. The look Southerners get when they’re thinking the worst about someone—something so awful they won’t dare say it out loud.

Giving herself a moment to choose her words wisely, Josie let her gaze drift to Amy who’d kept quiet, her face pensive as she watched the drama unfold. But before she had a chance to say a word—

“Well, there she is at last. Barbara and I’ve been
waitin
’ for you to make your appearance.”
Lanny
pushed his way between Gloria and
Lydia
. Holding his hand to the side of his mouth, he said, “Thought you might have given us the slip…you know, out the back,” he finished with raised brows and an exaggerated wink.

How did he know I was planning to make a run for it?

Barbara appeared at his side, an overly supportive smile on her face. “Everything was just wonderful, dear.” Then changing the subject quickly, she said, “Well, I’m beat.
Lanny
, honey, we’d better go or I’ll be no good to anybody come morning.
Gotta
rest up for the big trip.”

“Yep.
We old folks need our beauty sleep. See ya’ll in the morning—ten a.m.—bright and early,” he announced. Taking Barbara’s arm with one hand, he sent back a casual wave with the other.

As the
Montgomerys
headed out, Andy stepped forward and took his turn at bantering Josie.

“Nice job, sis. Can’t wait to see what’s on tap for next year. Just a suggestion, maybe you could include breasts—get more of the daddies out. You know what I’m saying.” His eyes flashed with amusement, and Josie decided he was enjoying this mishap a little
too
much.

She gave him an uninterested stare. “Thanks for the tip,” she said and then noticed Patrick listening in. He was grinning humorously, or sympathetically, through his horned-rim glasses—Josie couldn’t tell which—maybe both.

Andy clapped his hands together to get the twins’ attention. “Come on now, time to go.”

John’s petulant stare swept over Josie. “Yeah—time to go.” His authoritative, teetering-on-irritated, voice chilled Josie to the bone and stopped the kids dead in their tracks.

“’Night, Momma. ’Night, ladies.”
He hugged Gloria and then nodded to
Lydia
, Trisha, and Amy before starting toward the door. In his wake, the kids obediently fell into line.

Josie gave Gloria, Lydia, and Trisha one last baleful smile, and wishing that she had something smart to say—somehow
“What are you
lookin
’ at?”
didn’t seem sufficient—she hurried off after her family.

As she passed her mom, Carol caught Josie by the arm, and with a look of concern, she smiled and said simply, “Ah…honey. What can I say?” before sending her out to catch up with John, and what was sure to be round two of her sentencing.

* * * *

Fog like a smoldering fire clung to the damp streets as droplets from the passing rain littered the windshield, obstructing John’s view.
Of all the ridiculous screw-ups, how could she have let this happen?
 
He gripped the steering wheel as if his last measure of control depended on it. Still, he could feel his anger mounting with every passing second.

Up to this point, he’d been reluctant to believe his wife could in any way be trying to sabotage him. Except now, after what had occurred at the school tonight, his confidence was beginning to wane.

He knew he was in no condition to discuss anything with her at the moment, but he needed to hear from her own lips how she could have allowed such a public ignominy to take place.

After pulling the van into the garage, he turned to the back seat. “Jack, take your bother and sister into the house and start getting ready for bed. I need to talk to your momma
alone
for a minute or two.” He was looking his eldest son in the eye to let him know that this was
not
negotiable.

Beth whined, “But, I don’t want Jack to. I want Momma.”

John felt his temper rising with the severe words he knew would come next if the children didn’t comply. He exhaled loudly, giving himself a moment to steady.

Josie turned to Beth and said, “Its okay, Baby.
Momma’ll
be right in. Now run along and don’t give Jack any trouble, you hear me?” Her voice quivered as she spoke gently to their daughter.

Hesitantly, the children made their way out of the van and into the house. When Bobbie reached the door he looked back. John could see the worry in his son’s eyes, but his sympathy had been spent, he felt, months ago, on his wife.

Deliberately, he removed the keys from the ignition and let them fall, still in his hand, to his lap. “What the
hell
happened tonight? Have you completely lost your mind?” John asked, unable to even look at her. “Please tell me you and
Gina
didn’t do that on purpose.”

Josie stammered, “I, um, forgot to go back and well…of course not. Why does everyone think I would do that on purpose?”

“Then you
knew
our son’s
costume looked like a… And didn’t do a damn thing to fix it?” John was livid, and at the same time, regretful. “And, yes, I’m afraid I do think you might do something
like
that on purpose,” he finished, still unable to face her.

“But I didn’t,” she asserted, and then added lightly, “although if I
had
, it actually
might
have been funny.”

“Are you making jokes?” he asked, finally looking in her direction. He couldn’t believe she could be flippant at a time like this. “It’s like I don’t even know who you are anymore.”

Josie’s eyes turned to stone. “Like you ever did,” she said hotly. “You
don’t
know me. After eleven years, you still don’t know anything about me.”

He knew she was right.
But is that
my
fault when she keeps so much about herself carefully guarded?
His anger erupted. “Why didn’t you fix the costumes, Jocelyn?” he roared, feeling his voice reverberate through the van.

Her face dropped as she recoiled. “I only noticed yesterday. I’m not the one who painted them.”

Steeling his anger, he leveled his voice. “But you
are
the one who was responsible.”

“There wasn’t any time with the fire and all…and today…the trip. God! Why do I have to explain this to you? You know what the last few days have been like.” Her words seemed to choke her. “Why couldn’t you just take-up for me? You just stood back and let your friends, your family…I’m your wife!”

Like always, she was turning this back onto him.
John dropped the keys to the van floor. “Yeah, you’re my wife all right,” he admitted, yanking the door handle so hard that he felt the van quiver under his might.

After he got out, he turned and said, “And, a wife is careful not to do things that will embarrass her husband in the
midst
of his campaign!” He slammed the door shut. “I am
done
with this.”

Fumbling to get out, Josie yelled, “What’s that supposed to mean?”

John kept his back to her as he moved toward his own car. He couldn’t be certain himself what he was saying.

“John?” she tried again.

Turning deliberately, he knew one thing for sure. “Means that I’m sick
and
tired of cleaning up your messes,” he
said,
his voice resentful.

“What messes?” Josie looked confused.

“Your behavior, Jocelyn.
I’m sick of having to make excuses for your behavior.”

Josie’s eyes started to moisten. “John, we need to talk.”

He wanted to believe her tears were evidence that she was telling him the truth, but he was still too angry to show her any compassion. And he knew he didn’t want to say something he’d later come to regret. Even with everything that had happened, he still loved her. She was his wife and he wanted to keep it that way. But for now, he just needed to focus on winning the election,
then
he could concentrate on salvaging what was left of his marriage.

“I’m done talking for tonight.” He opened his car door and slid behind the wheel. He reversed the car away from her,
then
headed off toward someone who knew what he needed.

* * * *

Josie’s fists were balled so tight she could feel the sting of her nails digging into her palms. For the second night in a row she was watching John go away from her.

“What a coward!”
she wanted to scream, but didn’t.

As John backed out of the garage, Josie fought the urge to grab the tools hanging on the wall behind her and start throwing them at his car.
Stay here and fight like a man, you
wuss
!