Josh grinned. “None. She’s perfect. We made the right choice. In f
act, I was just getting to know her a little better when I got the call to come home.” He felt a tingling in his spine. His eyes widened. “Now that I think about it. Caroline freaked out a bit at us getting physical. She ran to the bathroom, and the next thing I knew I was being called away.” He looked at Mitch, whose eyebrows had shot up his head. “You don’t think she was the one who called?”
“She wouldn’t. Would she?”
“Caroline is capable of anything.” He didn’t know whether to be proud or angry.
They stared at each other until Mitch burst out laughing. “I love that woman. You are so not getting any until you’re married. I bet she’s keeping you at arm’s length until she makes sure the wedding goes through. You are so screwed. Or not, as the case may be.” Mitch snorted beer.
“Funny. You’re funny.” Josh thought about it. There was something off. Surely Caroline didn’t want him to stop touching her so badly that she called the cops. “Caroline wouldn’t lie. She’s got that whole moral code thing going on.” He didn’t sound convinced.
“Or maybe she just doesn’t find you attractive? Maybe this whole wedding thing is more of a chore to her than you thought? You’ve been so busy thinking about whether or not you’re attracted to her, you never figured that your woman might not want you.”
“Naw.” The thought horrified him. “No. It can’t be. I’ve never had any problems. Hell, I’m fighting women off.”
“Not this time, buddy.” Mitch was laughing so hard he started to choke.
No. Mitch had to be wrong. Caroline had responded to his touch. She was definitely as attracted to him as he was to her. He relaxed slightly. He was being an idiot, letting Mitch wind him up. He should know better. Nope. Everything was fine. Caroline wanted him just as much as he wanted her.
Didn’t she?
CHAPTER NINE
“Want to tell me why you’re sleeping on the couch?” Josh asked his dad the following morning, over a late breakfast.
Bacon and eggs. It made him think of Caroline. He bet she wasn’t indulging in her favourite food. She was probably eating some healthy granola crap that tasted like cardboard.
“Hello to you too, son. Good to see you.”
“Yeah, it’s great. So what’s with the couch?”
“It’s between your mother and me,” his dad grumbled into his coffee.
“You must have done something really dumb. It takes a lot to piss Mom off.”
His dad grunted.
“Are you going to be this cheery right up to the wedding?”
“This wedding is a farce.”
That answered that question. Josh turned his focus back to his food. But looked up when his dad made a strangled noise.
“What the hell happened to you?” His dad’s attention was on the doorway.
Josh followed his father’s gaze to where his mother stood stiffly. Her hair was short, and stuck out from her head. It looked like she’d been assaulted by Edward Scissorhands.
She touched her choppy hair self-consciously. “What do you care, Andrew McInnes?”
She smiled at Josh, who had to work at closing his mouth. His mother had worn the same hairstyle his entire life, and now she looked like an abused version of herself.
“Hello, sweetheart.” His mom pulled him into a hug.
Josh swallowed his shock. “Good to see you, Mom.”
“Even when she looks like that?” His father’s words made him cringe. No wonder the fool was sleeping on the couch.
“We’ll catch up later.” She patted his cheek like he was five years old. “I’m going out right now.”