Marriage For One

“Date?” I asked in an uncertain tone. I wasn’t so sure about that.

The bell over the door chimed and her smiling eyes shifted in that direction. In just a second, right in front of me, all the color in her face drained and her expression went blank until she looked nothing like my Rose. I looked over my shoulder.

Joshua Landon.

He was staring at Rose, and she was staring right back.

I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Rage like I’d never known rolled through me. It took a lot for me not to pummel him where he was standing.

When Rose moved, my hand shot out and I caught her elbow. She met my eyes, her hand covering mine. “It’s okay, Jack.”

No. No, it wasn’t okay.

Joshua made it to our side.

“Hawthorne.” He inclined his head to me then turned his entire focus on Rose. When my fingers were starting to curl, forming fists, I had to let go of Rose’s arm before my grip could hurt her. Instead, I linked our fingers together and faced Joshua like that. He noticed it, as I wanted him to, but his only reaction was a fleeting grin I was just itching to wipe off of his smug face.

“Rose.”

“What are you doing here, Joshua?” she asked, her grip around my fingers just as tight as mine around hers.

“I heard you had a little health problem. I wanted to see how you were doing, and, well…” His hands in his pockets, he looked around the coffee shop with an appreciative smile and shrugged. “I also wanted to see your place. You wanted this for such a long time, and I’m glad you finally made it happen, honey.”

I started to draw in slow and steady breaths. The endearment coming from his lips kept echoing in my brain. He was goading me. It was only by sheer luck that I was holding myself together when I wanted to kill him.

“I had surgery, and I’m fine. Where did you hear about it?”

“Here and there.”

Roses’s fingers tightened around mine.

“If I had known before, I would have visited you at the hospital. I hate to think you were going through that alone. But then again, you like to be alone, don’t you.”

Rose took a side step and rested her shoulder against my arm. We looked like an unbreakable unit in front of him, and I liked that. “Thank you for your concern, but I wasn’t alone. My husband was with me.”

The son of a bitch tilted his head and fully took me in. When the smug bastard smiled, my jaw clenched, and without even realizing what I was doing, I took a step forward, only to feel Rose’s arm wrap around mine to keep me in place.

“Your husband. Right. I can see that,” he murmured with amusement.

“How is my cousin, Joshua?” Rose asked, surprising both me and Joshua, it seemed.

“She…” He faltered, eyes flitting my way. “She’s good. Rose, I want you to know it wasn’t anything we had planned, and it had nothing to do with—”

“I don’t need or want your explanation. It’s not my business what either one of you does.”

More customers trickled in, and Sally called out to Rose. After a quick look shot my way, she went to see what Sally wanted. Leaving me with Joshua.

I fisted my hand, my eyes fixed on him.

“You son of a bitch,” I whispered.

He chuckled and shook his head.

“If I were you, I’d watch my words. The next time I show up you might not be here and who knows what will come up. So if I were you, I’d answer my calls.”

Before I could slip in a word, Rose came back to my side.

Joshua turned his attention to her. “You seem to be busy so I won’t keep you any longer. I just wanted to see that you were okay with my own eyes. I know I made a mistake in the end Rose, but you can’t even imagine how hard it was for me.”

He leaned forward, and every muscle in my body tensed.

Rose leaned back before he could get to her, and Joshua somehow feigned a very believable hurt expression as he sighed and said, “I deserved that.”

Rose chuckled and I turned my confused gaze to her. “You’re a joke. Seriously? I mean seriously? God, you have no idea how thankful I’m that you dumped me. Have a good day,” Rose said, ice in her tone.

“I deserved that too,” Joshua murmured, but there was a hardness in his eyes. He didn’t like what he heard at all.

He nodded to her once and then to me. Without another word, he walked out the door. The blood in my veins was boiling. Him showing up had been a show for me. A warning.

If Rose hadn’t been holding on to me, I would’ve followed him.