"Honey, I'm home,” Evelyn called and went to the kitchen table to set down the books. She heard him coming down the stairs, but then he stopped abruptly. She could feel tension. Oh yeah, she forgot. “It's me, Joshua."
Evelyn turned around to face the man who was on full alert. “Here.” She pulled the short blonde wig off. “You need me to take the contacts out, too?"
"Shit, woman, it's like living with Sybil.” He relaxed and moved toward her. He hadn't been home long, just long enough to worry. All her things were still in the guest bedroom and her car was in front of the house, but still. “How many disguises do you have?"
"Enough to get your neighbors talking.” Evelyn winked her now blue eye at him, reached for his tie, and pulled him down to her lips. She had been at the library all day. She was hungry, but food could wait. “I should start dinner. You shouldn't have to wait to eat."
"You lock the door?” Joshua pulled her in tight.
"Yes.” Evelyn smiled.
"Good.” Joshua pushed her up to the table, lifted her, and sat in a chair in front of her. “'Cause I don't wanna wait to eat."
Joshua teased his fingers between her legs, and Evelyn gasped for air. She was sitting up in front of him holding herself up. He propped her legs on his thighs removing her shoes in turn. Joshua had just gotten the top button undone when the loud knock hit the door. Evelyn jumped. He didn't move. He pulled at the zipper. “They'll leave."
The lock began to turn, and Joshua rose to his feet quickly. Evelyn didn't have time to do anything but fasten her pants when the door swung open.
"Surprise,” Ethan shouted. Ethan raised a brow at his cousin, who was flushed, looked at Evelyn scrambling to get off the table, and then looked back at his wife, Grace, waddling up the stairs behind their two-year-old, Gray. “Gracie, I think you surprised them all right."
"Ethan.” Joshua reached behind him pulling Evelyn to his side with one hand and making a not so discrete adjustment with the other. “It's just Ethan."
"Gracie!” Evelyn shouted as the pregnant woman entered passing the toddler off to his father's hands. Evelyn was flushed and nervous, but she was so happy to see Grace she left Joshua immediately and hugged her.
Ethan lifted the tike and moved closer to Joshua before setting the headstrong child back down to walk on his own. “Counter's a lot easier to work with, Big Dog."
"Ethan.” The look Joshua gave him would have made a normal man cower, but Ethan was family, and Joshua didn't scare him, except when he was really pissed.
"Grace made me come. What can I say?” Ethan winked.
Joshua looked at Evelyn who now fawned over Grace and realized that his plans to seduce her had been put on hold. He was now second fiddle, and that made him jealous. At least he had Ethan and Gray to occupy his time. “How long are you here for?"
"Two days max, I wanted to tell you in person I got your meeting set up. Grace doesn't know anything other than Evelyn's lying low for a bit, so the whole other name thing has her and Megan in a frenzy of excitement. Apparently Miss Blade has a reputation among women, like a damn superhero or something.” Ethan smiled at his son who now pulled a blonde wig on. “Gray, come her with that. Bring that to daddy."
"Oh, it's okay.” Evelyn smiled. He was a handsome little tike. He looked just like his father except for his eyes.
Joshua held up the little rascal and walked toward Grace and Evelyn. “What do you think Grace? He look good as a blonde?"
"He looks like his uncle as a blonde.” Grace pulled the wig over his eyes and said peek-a-boo. Gray laughed and began playing.
"You guys drive here?” Joshua asked and gave Grace a kiss hello on the cheek. He kept his distance from Evelyn unsure how she wanted to look in front of others. Ethan had seen the suggestive pose she was in but only for a flash. It could have been misinterpreted. Though his counter suggestion let Joshua know otherwise. “Yes.” Ethan grumbled, “It took forever, like fourteen hours, with all the stops."
"You must be exhausted.” Evelyn looked at Grace.
"No, not too bad, we left yesterday, got a hotel room,” Ethan answered just to feel the woman out. She hadn't said a word to him, and that seemed strange. Now she looked at Joshua. He just smiled at her, damn him. How rude.
"He's not used to women ignoring him.” Joshua spoke to her like Ethan wasn't even in the room.
"I'm not ignoring him.” Evelyn now looked to Grace, who smiled from ear to ear.
"Do you feel left out, baby? Come here.” Grace held her arms out to Ethan. She knew Evelyn and was flabbergasted that she interacted so easily with Joshua, but even if she thought Ethan was attractive, she wouldn't make any attempts to acknowledge him. And for Ethan, that was a shock. Women still drooled all over him, and she knew in many ways he had grown to expect it.
Grace moved toward her husband and hugged him. She pushed her hand through his chocolate brown hair and tiptoed to kiss his lips. Evelyn's chest hurt. She visibly winced and grabbed it.
"You okay ba ... Evelyn?” Joshua caught himself. Maybe it was a good thing they had shown up. Surely no one would believe they just met if he called her baby.
"Fine.” Evelyn felt a little hurt he didn't call her baby. She wondered if he was ashamed of her. Maybe he didn't want them to know. The fussy toddler reached out and grabbed her nose. Funny, how she felt it in her heart. Joshua seemed right at home holding him, playing. That set off a longing she definitely wasn't expecting to feel.
"Look at you, little man.” Evelyn reached for the child, and Joshua handed him over. He trusted her to hold a child? Gray put the wig on Evelyn's head crooked. Her natural hair was straight down her back. She had only tucked it under the wig this morning since she was just going to the library. “You're a handsome little devil, you know that?"
Watching her play with Gray made Joshua's heart full. He had never been a sappy guy, but time had changed him. He wanted what he thought he was going to have with Candace, a family, but now he wanted more. He wanted a real family, a woman that loved him, and a child of his own. Evelyn seemed comfortable, and why wouldn't she? She was a woman. It made him think about a future he was sure wasn't in her plans, and that saddened him.
Gray leaned in to give Evelyn a kiss. She puckered up and made a big sound for him. The child giggled and kissed again making his own big sounds.
"Quit kissing my woman, Gray.” Joshua made a very telling joke, and there was no going back from there. His face blushed, and Evelyn looked at him with big blue eyes. He liked her brown eyes better.
"Joshua?” three adult voices said in unison. Only one came with an uncertain look, Evelyn's.
"I'm just playing, damn.” Joshua kissed her on the cheek as he took Gray holding him up at arms length. “You're stiff competition, buddy. She's kissing you within minutes. She's been in this house for days now and I'm still working on getting one."
The child stuck his tongue out and giggled some more. “Damn."
"Evelyn, look at what you taught him.” Joshua handed him back to Evelyn fast. “Shame on you, woman."
"No, actually his mother taught him that.” Ethan rubbed Grace's shoulders.
Evelyn looked toward them, and it appeared Grace was in shock. Her mouth was open, and she just blinked. Evelyn held Gray on one hip and walked to her old friend. “Let's go out back and talk.” And over her shoulder, she said, “Joshua, can you start dinner?"
"Yeah, Joshua you have guests for crying out loud.” Ethan winked at Joshua and Evelyn lifted a brow at him. “I am allowed to speak to him."
"Ethan, if she hurts you, I'm not going to rescue you.” Joshua started about the kitchen, and Ethan opened the refrigerator.
"Like she could.” Ethan just reached for the margarine when Evelyn poked him in the side with her finger. He never heard her set Gray down, and he never heard her walk across the floor next to him. He jumped dropping the margarine. It was both a poke, and unfortunately, he was very ticklish, so it was a double shock.
"Oh, I can, but I won't. After all, I'd hate to miss the sequel to your video debut.” Evelyn winked at him and walked off.
"Ethan, you said you had that at home!” Grace was blushing. The two of them had a history of mishaps, but now even friends were catching them. Grace wished she could be embarrassed, but by now she was used to being sexual. And since she wanted Ethan everywhere, they usually got caught.
"Come on, Gracie. Joshua wouldn't let me watch it.” Evelyn turned back to Ethan and whispered, “But he was at work all day."
Ethan's mouth dropped. His face was full flush red. “Joshua."
Grace and Evelyn laughed as they headed out the backdoor to the yard. Grace picked up the toy bucket and scattered some things for Gray to play with. In the kitchen Ethan finally picked his jaw up and started about dinner.
"Well, at least she didn't point a gun at you.” Joshua loved it. Evelyn had put Ethan in his place in a big way. Kinky bastard deserved it. “The DVD's up there. What I don't get is how you used all my condoms in one day."
"Three hours actually.” Ethan picked up the bowl of margarine and tried to be cool. “And by what I saw when I walked in here, you know exactly how."
"No, actually I don't because
I
didn't have any condoms.” Joshua nudged his cousin out of the way with his shoulder. They were both large men, and though the country kitchen was big, the two masculine bodies made it seem small.
"Oh, well, if it makes you feel any better, one broke, so I think you should thank me instead of being mad. I saved you from fatherhood.” Ethan popped him with a dishtowel.
"Who says I want to be saved?” Joshua's tone was too serious for the moment. He didn't mean it to be, but he hadn't meant to force their relationship out in the open earlier either. He wouldn't make another move on her in front of anyone. Evelyn made it clear she was a man hater. He didn't want to get pushed back in that category.
"Shit man. I told you, this house makes you crazy.” Ethan thought back to his own experience here. He met Grace when he had banned all women from his life. She came up with a plan to shake things up a bit and shook him right to the core with love. “What does she think?"
"Hell, I don't know. One minute she's threatening my life, the next she's crawling into my bed.” Joshua shrugged. “She's in trouble Ethan, and I have to protect her. Once that's done, she'll realize I'm just a school teacher. Not a cop, not a hero. She'll leave and go back to a life of high adventure."
Ethan grabbed his cousin's shoulder and then let go. He understood why she was important to Joshua now. He was in love. God help him.
"You'll always be my hero, man.” Ethan feigned a tear.
"I need to change clothes ... Ass.” Joshua slugged him in the shoulder and headed upstairs.
Grace settled into the hammock, and Evelyn climbed in next to her. Gray was occupied running around the yard playing with the wig.
"I miss this hammock.” Grace held Evelyn's hand. “And I missed you."
"Don't get all mushy on me, Gracie.” Evelyn squeezed her hand. “I have a rep to protect."
"And a fine job you're doing by the way.” Grace laughed. “Did you really watch that video?"
"Hell no.” Evelyn laughed now, too. “But I can't say I wasn't tempted. I haven't really experienced a lot, and with my impending death I have become a little curious to say the least."
"What?” Grace turned to look at Evelyn.
"Joshua, God, he is amazing. His lips are like..."
"Evelyn, forget Joshua, what are you talking about?” Grace was worried. No wonder Joshua had been acting weird. She thought for sure maybe Evelyn was trying to push him because she had admitted that she liked him. But no, something bigger was going on.
"Oh, I have a bounty on my head. They accused me of killing a man. I didn't do it of course. Something's going on, and I have a feeling deep inside that it has to do with my father and my sister."
Evelyn shrugged it off. She watched Gray go around the yard shaking the wig and finally shake it at the Great Dane statue in the middle of the garden. She smiled, knowing Joshua had put that there. The thing was taller than Gray, but like his mother he was fearless. It was because she was so lost in thoughts of happiness for a change she didn't realize Grace's mouth was wide in shock. “Do you love Ethan?"
"Evelyn!” Grace was amazed at how unconcerned she was with her life being threatened and how concerned she was with her life, and suddenly it dawned on Grace. Evelyn didn't have a crush, a little hero worship for the guy who nursed her back to health. No, she was in love with Joshua. The man hater was in love. It all made sense now.
"I mean how did you know you loved Ethan?” Evelyn was still oblivious to Grace's reactions.
"Hum?” Grace made her thinking, planning noise and started twisting a wild curl on her head.
Evelyn's head turned to see Grace watching her with that left brow up and her hair twisting. She knew something was up. “What?"
"You're in love with Joshua, aren't you?” Grace searched her eyes and hated those blue contacts because they hid her.
"Don't be ridiculous.” Evelyn felt like she had just got caught with her hands in the cookie jar. What a pointed question. She had to get away from Grace. She pulled out of the hammock and sat in the yard. Gray came running up to her like he'd known her all his life. “I can't fall in love. I mean, Grace, this is me. I don't know about men, not like that."
"Evelyn.” Grace nodded her head. Yep, Evelyn had it bad. “You do know about love. You love your sister. You loved Stella. You love your friends. Romantic love is a category all its own but only in the intimacy department. Love is love, E.” Grace smiled and shook her head. “Have you two ... you know?"
"No, but I sleep with him.” Evelyn shrugged and then smiled at the child. Thank God Grace never judged her. She knew her current position regarding Joshua was a stretch of the imagination to those who knew her well.
"He let you tie him up?” Grace was struggling with her six-month pregnant belly in the hammock. She felt like one of Gray's toys that rolled and never got anywhere.
"No, of course not. Here, hang on. I'll help you.” Evelyn laughed at the sight of her old friend, so flustered wiggling in that hammock. She handed the wig back to the toddler and went to help Grace out of the hammock. “I can't explain it, Grace. I haven't been myself here lately."
"Do you want to stay here?” Grace was serious now, breathless from trying to get out of the hammock.
"It depends.” Evelyn looked down.
"On what?” Grace was more than curious now, about all of it.
"Noel. I can't stop till I find out what happened to my sister.” Evelyn helped the woman stand.