Goody Two Shoes (Invertary Book 2) by janet elizabeth henderson
Authors: janet elizabeth henderson
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on her heels and stormed out of the centre. Josh frowned after her. The domino boys, for once, were too shocked to speak. Caroline sat down in the free chair beside Archie.
“You stood up for me,” she said to Josh. “People don’t do that.”
He shrugged like it wasn’t a big deal.
“It’s true,” Archie said. “She’s so damn scary, most folk assume she can take care of herself.”
“And I can.” She scowled at Archie, and he patted her hand patronisingly.
“Up for a game of dominoes?” Brian asked Josh.
“Sure.” Josh pulled his chair over beside Caroline and stretched his arm across the back of her chair. Caroline found herself leaning in to him. Archie watched every move with rapt fascination. Josh bent towards Caroline. She held her breath. “Just for the record.” His words were soft against her ear. “There’s nothing mean about you, baby, and I don’t have a problem with anything you wear.”
Her breath hitched as her heart beat faster.
“We playing or what?” Archie demanded.
“We’re playing.” Josh used his thumb to trace little circles on Caroline’s shoulder. “We betting on the game?”
Brian thumped his elbows onto the table. “Pies and cakes. Winner visits Morag’s bakery.”
“Done.” Josh’s hand slid to the back of Caroline’s neck and gently held her.
She felt his touch shoot through her body like a ball in a pinball machine. She didn’t dare glance at him. She wasn’t sure what her face would betray.
“While I remember.” Josh turned to her with his dominoes in hand. “My parents are in town. We’re having dinner with them Sunday night.”
Caroline felt her eye begin to twitch. She put a finger up to stop it. Josh gave her a questioning look.
“Your parents are in town? From America?” Caroline tried to keep her tone calm. She wasn’t sure it was working. “And you didn’t tell me?”
“I was about to tell you, then you bolted from your office.”
It was all a bit much. “I need a cup of tea.” Caroline jerked up from the table.
As though she didn’t have enough to deal with, now she had to spend an evening explaining their wedding to Josh’s parents.
Helen had borrowed a car from Mitch and driven to Fort William to go shopping. She needed new clothes. Something brighter and more modern. She also needed someone to fix the mess she’d made of her hair. She’d managed to stay away from Andrew for the whole day, and almost felt calm when she sneaked into the castle a little after ten o’clock that night. The place was dark. Josh had sent her a text saying he was at the pub with Mitch. And experience told her that Andrew was probably already asleep. Helen tiptoed past the living room, so as not to wake him, and headed for the stairs.
She patted her new cropped hair. It feathered over one eye and curved around to the base of her skull. It was young, it was chic and for the first time in forty years it was her natural colour—or as close as she could remember her natural colour to be. It was a warm honey shade, too dark to be blond but too light to be brown. She liked it. A lot.
“I liked your hair better the way it was,” a voice said from the TV room.
Helen spun to find Andrew standing in the doorway.
“I don’t care what you think.”
“I don’t know who you are anymore.”
Helen scoffed. “You haven’t known me for years. And I don’t understand why it’s bothering you now. As soon as we’ve told Josh all about the divorce, we’ll go our separate ways and you won’t have to puzzle over me any more.”
As usual, he didn’t say anything. Helen made herself shrug like she didn’t care, and continued to walk up the stairs.
“It’s just…”
Helen looked down at him. “Just what?”
He thrust his hands into his pockets and scowled. Helen waited longer than she probably should have for him to make up his mind to talk. At last she shook her head. “I’m going to bed.”
She was done waiting for Andrew to
“You stood up for me,” she said to Josh. “People don’t do that.”
He shrugged like it wasn’t a big deal.
“It’s true,” Archie said. “She’s so damn scary, most folk assume she can take care of herself.”
“And I can.” She scowled at Archie, and he patted her hand patronisingly.
“Up for a game of dominoes?” Brian asked Josh.
“Sure.” Josh pulled his chair over beside Caroline and stretched his arm across the back of her chair. Caroline found herself leaning in to him. Archie watched every move with rapt fascination. Josh bent towards Caroline. She held her breath. “Just for the record.” His words were soft against her ear. “There’s nothing mean about you, baby, and I don’t have a problem with anything you wear.”
Her breath hitched as her heart beat faster.
“We playing or what?” Archie demanded.
“We’re playing.” Josh used his thumb to trace little circles on Caroline’s shoulder. “We betting on the game?”
Brian thumped his elbows onto the table. “Pies and cakes. Winner visits Morag’s bakery.”
“Done.” Josh’s hand slid to the back of Caroline’s neck and gently held her.
She felt his touch shoot through her body like a ball in a pinball machine. She didn’t dare glance at him. She wasn’t sure what her face would betray.
“While I remember.” Josh turned to her with his dominoes in hand. “My parents are in town. We’re having dinner with them Sunday night.”
Caroline felt her eye begin to twitch. She put a finger up to stop it. Josh gave her a questioning look.
“Your parents are in town? From America?” Caroline tried to keep her tone calm. She wasn’t sure it was working. “And you didn’t tell me?”
“I was about to tell you, then you bolted from your office.”
It was all a bit much. “I need a cup of tea.” Caroline jerked up from the table.
As though she didn’t have enough to deal with, now she had to spend an evening explaining their wedding to Josh’s parents.
Helen had borrowed a car from Mitch and driven to Fort William to go shopping. She needed new clothes. Something brighter and more modern. She also needed someone to fix the mess she’d made of her hair. She’d managed to stay away from Andrew for the whole day, and almost felt calm when she sneaked into the castle a little after ten o’clock that night. The place was dark. Josh had sent her a text saying he was at the pub with Mitch. And experience told her that Andrew was probably already asleep. Helen tiptoed past the living room, so as not to wake him, and headed for the stairs.
She patted her new cropped hair. It feathered over one eye and curved around to the base of her skull. It was young, it was chic and for the first time in forty years it was her natural colour—or as close as she could remember her natural colour to be. It was a warm honey shade, too dark to be blond but too light to be brown. She liked it. A lot.
“I liked your hair better the way it was,” a voice said from the TV room.
Helen spun to find Andrew standing in the doorway.
“I don’t care what you think.”
“I don’t know who you are anymore.”
Helen scoffed. “You haven’t known me for years. And I don’t understand why it’s bothering you now. As soon as we’ve told Josh all about the divorce, we’ll go our separate ways and you won’t have to puzzle over me any more.”
As usual, he didn’t say anything. Helen made herself shrug like she didn’t care, and continued to walk up the stairs.
“It’s just…”
Helen looked down at him. “Just what?”
He thrust his hands into his pockets and scowled. Helen waited longer than she probably should have for him to make up his mind to talk. At last she shook her head. “I’m going to bed.”
She was done waiting for Andrew to
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