The Woman He Married (33 page)

So she ventured out to the guest house to thank him and found John sitting on the bed surrounded by papers and legal documents. He’d cut down on his hours at the firm during the election, but still maintained a few clients.

Josie stood in the doorway. “I just wanted to say thanks for your support, for saying you believed in me today.” She smiled awkwardly, feeling uneasy being in the guesthouse, alone with John. The last time they were out here, just the two of them, they were…naked.

“I hope this Brian McAlister is as good as everyone says, or I’m going to have some explaining to do—to the voters that is,” John said in no uncertain terms.

Josie stayed quiet, considering what he’d just said. Here she was assuming John was being supportive. Now, it was apparent he was simply portraying an image—playing the loyal husband.

Her smile faded. Sarcasm replaced her ill ease. “Great, no pressure then,” she said, crossing her arms defensively.

She thought about how encouraging Brian had been since coming back to
Birmingham
, urging her to take the bar and start back to work—bringing her in on this important case. How John continued to only think of himself.

“What?” John said, clearly unaware he had said anything offensive.

“Nothing.
I’m sorry to have bothered you,” Josie said, turning to leave, feeling like she couldn’t get out of there fast enough. “I’ll let you get back to what you were doing.”

“Wait! Jocelyn—”

Josie slid the door shut and headed back to the house.
What did I ever see in that man?

* * * *

A little more than a week after her drive with Brian, the trial date arrived. Dressed in her Calvin Klein navy suit, off-white satin fitted blouse, sheer hose, and three inch navy sling-backs, Josie made her way into the kitchen for coffee and a bite of breakfast before rousing the kids.

Sitting at the counter, in a crisp white shirt and tie, John drank his coffee while concentrating on the screen of Josie’s laptop.

“What are you doing in my kitchen?” she asked. “I swear you’re here more now than you ever were when I
wanted
you here,” she said, pouring coffee into her favorite mug inscribed with, “
If I learn any more, I’ll be a threat to national security.”

“I got news for ya, babe, it’s still
my
kitchen too,” John said, keeping his attention on the screen.

Holding back a yawn, Josie realized John was messing with something on her computer. “What are you doing?”

“Reading your closing argument.”
John still didn’t look up, but instead he started tapping some of the keys. “That’s better.” He sat back, admiring his work.

“I was up all night last night working on that.
It’s
fine the way it is.” The trial was expected to last only a few days at most with the only witnesses being the station owner’s family. Although the bullet pulled out of the deceased was the same caliber as that used in the gun found in
Slidell
’s home, ballistic investigations were
inconclusive.
Knowing Josie was an excellent speechwriter, Brian had asked her to put together a closing argument.

John said, “I know. You were up until two in the morning.”

“You were watching me?”

John smiled deviously. “I was just looking to see if you were going to put on another show.”

A few nights back, Josie had gone out late to get the mail, and got caught in a random
Alabama
downpour. By the time she’d come back in, the electricity had gone out. Soaked, Josie removed her dripping blouse in the dark kitchen. Just as the lights came back on, John appeared with a flashlight. Watching his wife as she fumbled to cover herself up, he’d teased, “It’s not like I haven’t seen
it
before.”

Josie had responded, “It’s not like you’re ever
gonna
again.”

“Great, first you’re an adulterer—now you’re a voyeur?” Josie opened the refrigerator. “I really should have taken more time to get to know you before saying, ‘I do.’”

John laughed. Looking up momentarily from the screen, he did a not so subtle double-take when he saw Josie in her sleek suit skirt and heels, leaning over to retrieve something from the bottom shelf.

Pulling out the blueberry bagels, Josie stood up and caught his appraising glance. With a
what-are-you-looking-at
stare, she said, “You mess that up, and I
will
take you out.”

“I believe you would, too,” he said with a chuckle. “This is actually pretty good. I’m impressed.”

She closed the refrigerator and turned to face him. “Damn straight,” she said, taking a smug swig from her steaming cup.

The phone rang. Josie felt a little uneasy when John continued to watch her as she moved across the kitchen to answer.

“Hello…
Hey, Momma.”

“
Jocelyn, I’m not going to be able to pick up the kids today. I’ve been throwing-up all night and I still feel sick.”

Josie’s face dropped. “But, Momma, I have a trial today and Beth has—”

“Baby, there’s just no way—”

“Well, how nauseated are you?” Josie’s brow tightened while she nervously bit her bottom lip. “Where am I supposed to find somebody else?”

“I still have chills and I feel like hell.”
She sighed
. “What about
Lydia
?”

“No,
Momma
,
Lydia
can’t. You’re supposed to drop the twins—”

“
Well, those little monsters aren’t even my kin, and—”

“I know they aren’t your kin, but—”

“
Jocelyn, honey, I really can’t today. Besides, you don’t want me infecting your children, do you?
”

Josie thought about how Beth hadn’t been feeling well last night and had wanted to be held for
two
hours. “All right, I’ll see what I can do. Feel better.”

After hanging up, she stared, bewildered, at the floor, her teeth cutting deep into her bottom lip.

“I can see by the way you’re torturing that lip you have a problem,” John said.

She looked at him. “Momma’s supposed to pick up the kids today for me, but…” Josie didn’t finish—she was trying to figure out who she could call.

“Is she going to be okay?”

“Yeah, I ’
spose
,” Josie said. Preoccupied, she tried not to panic while racking her overtaxed psyche to come up with an alternate plan.

“I can clear my afternoon,” John offered casually, focusing back on the laptop. “I can do it.”

“Thanks, but I don’t think you can—it’s a lot of back and forth and such. Beth has dress rehearsal for dance—”

John shrugged. “How hard can it be?” He squinted at the screen and tapped a few more keys. “Just leave me a schedule.”

How hard can it be?
Josie thought,
you have
no
idea.
Then she thought again—
He has
no
idea!
A wicked smile tugged at her lips as she contemplated the ramifications of the decision she was about to make.
I shouldn’t…should I? Oh yeah, I definitely should!

Snatching the schedule prepared for Carol off the refrigerator, Josie strode over to John. After slapping her computer shut, she said, “Stick to the schedule, or you’ll be sorry,” while making serious eye contact with her husband. “Beth has dress rehearsal so I’ll leave out her costume. After dance the twins need—”

“Relax, Babe. It’s not rocket science,” John said. “I think I can handle it.” Then, standing, he slid his arms into his suit jacket, and picking up his keys and briefcase, made his way around the counter to face her.

“The press will probably try to ask you questions today, now that they know you’re
my
wife.” He paused for emphasis. “‘No comment,’ is the best way to handle it for now. You got me?” Eyeing her one second longer, he said, “And don’t lose; I don’t have to remind you how much I have riding on this.”

“Yeah…whatever.”
Josie’s eyes did a quick roll—he really did think the world revolved around him. She reached around him, picked up the carpool schedule, and folding the paper once, slid it into the inside pocket of his jacket. “Don’t forget, Beth at noon.”

He smiled slyly at Josie while she smoothed his jacket back into
place,
and repeated, “Beth, noon. I got it.”

Josie felt his wanton eyes directed down at her and decided to have a little fun.

She softened her expression, moved closer, and smiled coyly back up at him. “Aren’t you forgetting something?”

John regarded his wife carefully before leaning tentatively down, bringing his lips dangerously close to hers.

Putting a hand to his chest to stop his progress, Josie said, “Um—no.” Then turning her hand over, she said, “I’m going to need your keys. You’re driving the van today.”

When her expression changed from demure to a deceitfully satisfied
Gotcha!,
John dropped his keys into Josie’s hand. “Oh, I see how it’s
gonna
be,” he said, shaking his head as he disappeared through the door.

“Have a nice day!” Josie called after him.

Chapter 12

The clock on the dash read eleven-fifty as John pulled into the parking lot at the
First
Baptist
Church
, home to Beth’s pre-K. Seeing the vans and SUV’s snaked in a line around the building, he mumbled, “I’m not waiting in that,” before swerving around and pulling into a parking space. When he stepped from the van he found the day had morphed into one of those warm
Alabama
February days when spring emerged only briefly to tease everyone before retreating back into winter just a little longer. Squinting at the sun, John loosened his tie and ducked around a blooming Bradford Pear, knocking a few white, stinky blossoms to the ground.

As John strutted up to the front counter, a young woman in a floral dress and feathered bleached-blonde hair looked up and said, in a strong country accent, “May I help you?”

John turned on his Southern gentlemanly charm. “Why, yes.” He smiled cordially, while leaning one elbow on the counter. “I’m here to pick up my daughter.”

“Okay, what’s her name?” She smiled warmly before turning her focus to the computer on the desk.

“Beth…Elizabeth Bearden.”

“What class is she in?”

“Pre-school.” John felt confident with his answer.

“Right.
K-2, K-3, K-4…”

“Is that a trick question?” John asked with a wink, before offering, “She’s four.”

Her cheeks colored with John’s flirtation. “Okay. What’s her teacher’s name?”

“Now,
that
I’m sure I don’t know the answer to.” John flashed his newly bleach-enhanced smile while wondering why this had to be so complicated.