Goody Two Shoes (Invertary 2)

They sat in silence as they followed the cop car to the castle.

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

Josh was mad. He just wasn’t sure whom he was mad at. Caroline for calling the domino boys to rescue her instead of calling him? Danny for turning his fiancée into a spectacle? The press for hounding them? Mitch for sending away the bodyguard? There were too many options to choose from. Unfortunately, the only one available to shout at was Caroline.

“I’ve had it.” Josh pointed at Caroline. “No more going out on your own. No going to work this week. No going anywhere without your damn cell phone. Even if I have to glue it to your hand.”

Caroline sat tall and proud on one of his kitchen chairs. His mother pottered about in the background, pretending she was invisible while making emergency tea.

Caroline’s shoulders snapped back. “I’m sorry, but for a minute there I thought you were telling me what to do. I think I was mistaken, because you can’t possibly think that it’s okay to lay down the law with me.”

Josh stopped pacing in front of her. He folded his arms and glared down at her. He had the height advantage, but somehow Caroline seemed to have more power. He considered sitting at the table beside her, but he was too keyed up to stay still.

“You’ll do what I say. Your life is in danger. There’s a nutter out there sending you bleeding hearts and voodoo dolls. The town is overrun with paparazzi, who don’t care what damage they cause as long as they get their payday. You’re too available for people. You walk everywhere and you work in a public building. I’m not having it. How are we supposed to keep you safe until the wedding? You’re staying here, in this castle, where I can protect you.”

“No.” Caroline folded her hands in her lap. Her chin rose. “I don’t need you to look after me. What is this, the fifteenth century? I’m perfectly capable of looking after myself.”

“Yeah, right. That’s why you ended up stuck in that penis building with a guy I have a restraining order out against.”

Caroline shot to her feet. “That building is not a penis. It’s a folly.”

“Yeah, way to focus on the most important part here.”

“You are not my keeper, Josh McInnes. I can leave my house to walk around town any time I like. All I did was go to buy coffee. For you, I might add. I don’t even drink the stuff. I’m sure I could have handled the press. They just caught me by surprise.”

“So you ended up running through the streets hand in hand with my stalker.”

“He’s a nice man.” Caroline’s voice began to rise. “A bit deluded, but nice.”

“Great. A nice stalker. That makes it okay, then. There are photos of you both all over the internet.” Josh took a step towards her. He could feel the heat coming off her as her anger visibly grew. “There’s one of him with his hands all over your ass, while you climb a fence. Tasteful.”

“He was helping me!”

“He was groping you!”

Caroline’s hands fell to her sides and clenched into fists. “I don’t care about the stupid photos.”

“Well, I do. This is my career we’re talking about here. Half the world thinks it was me in the suit shoving my fiancée over a fence into a graveyard, the other half thinks you’re having it on with my stalker. And don’t even get me started on the old folks’ rescue. What the hell was that?” Josh threw up his hands in disgust. “You called the domino boys instead of me. Instead of Lake. Hell, instead of the cops. You called three geriatric old men, who came armed with golf clubs and an eighty-six-year-old psycho carrying a bullhorn. You’re turning our wedding into a pantomime.”

“Since when do you care about the press?”

“Since it started to affect my reputation.”

She scoffed. “Your womanising reputation or your carefree idiot reputation?”

There was a gasp from the direction of his mother. Josh had forgotten she was there. He lowered his voice and had to work to get the words past his clenched jaw.

“Look.” Josh was trying to remain reasonable. It was hard, hard work. “I told you what you were getting into when I proposed. I told you again when the minister asked if you were keeping your job. I don’t live in the same world you live in. In my world you have to fight for privacy. In my world there are people who can cause you harm, just because they think they know you. In my world you need to think twice before you do things, because everything you do can attract the wrong sort of attention. The dangerous sort. You are now in my world. You don’t have the same freedom you did before, because that freedom will put you at risk. And I won’t have that.”

She put her hands on her hips and glared. “Well, what if I don’t want to be in your world?”

Josh felt the wind go out of him. There was silence. He could hear Caroline’s breathing. Her eyes flashed at him. Her skin vibrated with anger.

“Are you saying you want out?” Josh kept his tone carefully even. “Are you saying you don’t want to marry me?”

“I’m thinking about it.” Her words were like a kick to the gut. “When I said yes, I didn’t realise I was agreeing to marry a man who wanted to be in charge of me. Who thinks he has the right to order me around.”

“So what?” Josh scowled. “I’m not supposed to give a crap about your safety? If you decided to jump out of a plane without a parachute, because you ‘can take care of yourself,’ am I supposed to wave you off with a smile? Get real. You’re behaving like a baby. You could have been hurt today. I won’t allow it to happen again. Not while I can do something about it.”