Chasing Joshua (3 page)

Joshua knocked on the door announcing his presence. He carried in the first aid kit and a pair of pink pajamas. Silk, pink pajamas. It was all that was in the box. No undergarments though her clothes were in the washer downstairs and would be ready when she needed them.

"Here.” He handed her the towel over his shoulder as he turned off the water. He started to wonder where she came from. “Let me know when you have it on."

"Ready.” Evelyn was tired, and the shower relaxed her once it stopped hurting.

Joshua stood looking at her. At least she smelled better. Of course he smelled worse now. She looked better, too. Once all the mud and gunk was off she really wasn't in as bad of shape as he thought. But being beat up at all was still worse shape than she should have ever been in.

"Hang on.” He reached into the shower and picked her up. She wasn't expecting it and flinched like she was going to swing on him. “It's all right. I'm not going to hurt you."

"Like you could.” She wanted to sound mean and tough, but her eyebrow pulled at the black eye she was sure she had and it backfired. “Tssssss,” she hissed.

"Uh, huh. See, be nice.” Joshua shook his head. It was like he was talking to a child or a stray dog. Evelyn seemed feral, untouched by man. Like at any minute she would turn on him and bite. He should be running, fast and hard, in the opposite direction of this woman. But here he was playing nursemaid and growing more drawn to her by the minute.

"That's not my strong suit,” Evelyn confessed. Meanness was in her nature. She was tough; she had to be. It wasn't because of her job; actually it made her job easier.

"Well give this suit a try.” Joshua handed her the pink pajamas and enjoyed the look of disgust on her face.

"You're fucking kidding me, right?” Evelyn had a mouth like a sailor, but he didn't seem phased by it at all. As a matter-of-fact, he didn't seem rattled by any of this.
Who the hell is this guy?

"Have you heard another woman around here? It's what I found. It's what I got, unless you want some of my boxers and a T-shirt...” His patience was beginning to wear thin as the morning drew long. The sun would be rising and, awe hell, who was he kidding? He couldn't go to work today.

"That would be great.” Evelyn set the pink pajamas in the sink. She wasn't about to tell him her car was just outside and in it her clothes. At this point he may toss her out, and she needed the place to stay. To recover. To plan.

"Fine.” Joshua rolled his eyes and huffed down the hall. He returned with a pair of boxer briefs and a T-shirt. “Anything else before we get started?"

"Started with what?” Evelyn again winced. That eye was going to be a pain until it healed. She needed to consciously stop narrowing her brow. It seemed impossible to do. Her natural face was a state of scorn.

"Bandages, disinfectant, you know first aid. Or didn't they teach you that in the Corps?” Joshua wanted the upper hand, so he took it. She wouldn't be expecting him to know anything about her. Maybe if he rattled her cage a bit, he could get her to talk.

"I don't know what you're talking about.” Evelyn looked at him with suspicious eyes.
How could he know that? Grace.
He had to have talked to Grace while she was in the shower. “How's Grace?"

"Concerned. How does this feel?” He pushed two fingers along her ankle. She winced. “I thought so."

Joshua went about bandaging the ankle. Her foot seemed small in his large hands. Soft, no nail polish on her toes, he hadn't met a woman in years that didn't paint her toes. He didn't want to think of that. He didn't want to start measuring her up to his list. She was here to get help and once she was well enough he would boot her out the door.

"She told you I was in the Corps?” Evelyn surrendered that factoid. She didn't like people knowing too much about her, especially a man. It was enough to know she was lethal and got the job done. “Look I know what this must look like, but I'm not in any trouble."

"Really? Because when a woman breaks into your house at three a.m. covered in mud, blood, and God only knows what else, points a gun at you and threatens your life, a man starts to think she REAKS of trouble.” Joshua shook his head and laughed a little laugh. “I'm going to go call out from work, pull the boxers up, and I'll be right back."

He finished the bandage, secured it in place, pushed the boxer briefs over both her feet and pulled them up over her knees. Standing, he pulled the T-shirt over her head and shoulders. Her mouth was agape. Apparently she wasn't used to being talked to like that. Despite himself he smiled. He knew it would hurt to wiggle into them both, but he had to bandage those ribs, and she needed to have clothes on before he would even attempt it.

"Where do you work? Are you a cop?” Evelyn knew he had to be a cop. They could smell their own. He moved too quickly and efficiently in that kitchen.

"I'm a second grade school teacher, and my kids will be devastated someone else has to take them on their field trip today.” With that Joshua shut the door.

Evelyn sat motionless processing the words. No way did a man of his size teach kids that young. It reminded her of that movie,
Kindergarten Cop.
Hell he probably looked like a giant to them. Finally she pulled the boxers on and pushed her arms through the sleeves. Strangely she found the feel of his clothes comforting. They smelled like fabric softener, both cotton and soft. Thanks to her bubble butt the boxers fit just fine. The T-shirt was huge, but her breasts filled out the front of it. She hated her body. It was way too much woman for her job. It was too much for how she felt—ashamed of it.

Joshua knocked on the door again. This time when he entered Evelyn was dressed, and apparently she had decided to stand when she pulled on the boxers. Her gaze was locked on herself in the mirror.

"Probably looks worse than it feels.” Joshua slid past her and reached for the large bandage. “Let me wrap your ribs. We'll put a steak on that eye and some frozen broccoli on that lip."

"I'd kill for a steak right now.” Evelyn watched a tear shoot like a star unstoppable down her cheek. Her right eye was swollen. It would be a good shiner. At least it wouldn't scar. Her lip might. It wasn't a big gash, wouldn't need stitches, but she had to keep it from getting dry, or it would split open and bleed again.

"Is there anything you wouldn't kill for?” Joshua meant it as a joke, but when he looked at her in the mirror, he regretted his words. She had that tear streaking.

"A man. And may I remind you, I didn't kill you.” Evelyn tried to lift the shirt, but as soon as she winced, he grabbed and pulled the back up hooking it on her shoulders. She was afraid he would see it, both of them, but he let go of the shirt as she grabbed it and started wrapping.

"I didn't kill you either.” Joshua began wrapping the lower ribs. He saw the scar. It looked like she was branded. No, must be something else. His mind couldn't wrap around that right now. Her ribs would be bruised, but they would heal in a couple days. Another scar on her back was raised and long, thin like a, no ... Now that he could see her clean face and the tears that abandoned her eyes he felt a sorrowful sad feeling deep in his core.

Evelyn stood there in silence. Seeing her reflection had been the final straw on an exhausting evening. She needed to rest. Food would have to wait. Joshua made no comment on her tears, and for that she was grateful. For a second grade school teacher, he seemed to know a lot about body damage.

"Are you gay?” Evelyn finally whispered. She had to stop thinking of him this way. No straight man was this gentle. Not with her.

"Excuse me?” Joshua pulled the shirt back down and realized she was now steadily crying though her voice was calm.

"You're an elementary school teacher. The only elementary school teachers I have ever known are women and gay men.” Evelyn knew deep down he wasn't gay. She could feel it. That made her want him to say yes, he was, even more. She didn't want to feel anything, especially not for a man. And even if she did, her face was busted up. No one could find her attractive now.

"No, are you?” Joshua wanted to spank her. He wanted to hug her. This woman was crying from pain and yet steadily trying to insult him. Maybe he should hug her then spank her.

"Fuck, no. What gave you that impression?” Evelyn took the comment more to heart. Somehow she was offended by her own question.

"Well, you thought I was gay because I teach elementary school. You were a Marine, right?” He didn't have a good comeback, so he threw the Corps at her. He knew plenty of women Marines by now. They came on to him regularly. This area was home to two major Marine Corps bases, Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, and Cherry Point, up the road in Havelock. He now wondered which she was stationed at.

"All right, I judged.” Evelyn wasn't going to apologize to a man. That was the best he was getting. The closest she ever came to offering one up to a man. “I need to sleep if that's okay? I'm a real bitch right now."

"So, you aren't always like this?” Joshua's eyes slowly trailed over her from head to toe. This was one fine woman. He could tell she was beautiful. Even with the swelling, her features were soft and sensual. Her breasts filled his T-shirt, and a lush ass filled his briefs. It was strange seeing a woman in his clothes, especially his underwear. What she was doing in a high risk job, whatever it was, just seemed unnatural. But he could wait to ask. She wasn't going anywhere.

"Beat up, no. Bitchy, yes, unfortunately I am always like this.” Evelyn grabbed the ibuprofen tablets from the first aid kit and swallowed four of them dry.

"Ewww, that's gross.” Joshua grew more curious about her rough brazen nature by the second.

"It would hurt worse to put my hand under and grab water.” Evelyn started to hobble out of the bathroom.

"I could have gotten you a glass.” Joshua lifted her up and carried her down the hall. He wasn't giving up his bed for her. No way, he had too much personal information in there, and she could not be trusted. He put her gently on the guest bed across from his room. He would be able to hear her if she got up. Evelyn Blade was a hard ass woman, and whatever her job was, he wasn't about to open his life to it.

"Asking a man for a favor would have hurt more than this lip.” Evelyn tried to sound tough, but he was carrying her again, and damned if she didn't let him. It was weird.

"There you go.” He situated her ankle on a pillow propping it up, stuffed another pillow behind her head to keep her chest elevated and finally grabbed the two ice packs he had brought up from the freezer when he called out of work.

"Get some rest, Wonder Woman.” He tapped her gently on the nose, knowing she would feel it but not hurt from it. “I'm across the hall if you need me."

Evelyn watched with one eye as the man walked out of the bedroom and closed the door. Her head was swimming. Her mind was playing tricks on her. She had a tugging feeling in her chest, something new to her. And when he tapped her on the nose that flicker went off in her groin again. When did her vagina get a mind of its own? And why did it want to talk to this man? Of course she knew why. He was the most stunning man she had ever seen, and she had seen a lot of men. When he showed up at the bottom of the stairs and hit the light, she should have shot him. She would have shot him, but he caught her breath and hasn't returned it yet.

Joshua stood in the much needed shower and tried to analyze the events so far. He was sleeping, Evelyn broke into his house, tried to kill him, and now he had doctored her up, and then called out of work.

"I must be losing my mind,” he said to himself. The water helped ease the stress away, another one of Ethan's luxuries that he now enjoyed. Ethan was a millionaire. His grandfather had left him the art gallery that ensured his success. His father and Joshua's father were brothers. When Ethan met Grace, he thought he would move here, and so he made some modifications. Grace surprised everyone by moving to New York. Now Joshua lived here. The cost of rent was the annual tax payment and upkeep.

Otherwise the house came free. Oh, and the family could come visit any time they wanted, which was why the guest room had an assortment of clothes and baby toys on the wire shelving system that otherwise rendered the closet useless.

Joshua shook his head thinking about his last case. It was for Ethan, a stalker. Crazy bitch almost killed him. Now here he was, in his quiet little town away from the city, away from the stress, away from the crime, until this morning. He had put the past behind him, mostly. His partner's death no longer haunted his dreams.

His partner's widow no longer haunted his waking life. It had been a while since any woman haunted his life. There were plenty of opportunities. He had mothers at the school, single and unfortunately otherwise. The women in the military flocked to him. So far he had met Marines, Sailors, Coast Guard women, and also the women at the beach. But he wasn't interested. Candice did a number all right.

Candice, he went back to school to become a teacher because she didn't want to be married to another cop. Of course, Joshua didn't love her, not like a man should love a wife, but she was pregnant, and her husband was dead, and it was his fault. At least he thought so at the time. He wanted to do what was right. He would take care of her. At first she agreed. It made both of them feel better. But, as a graduation present she set him free. Somewhere between his hours on the beat and his hours in school she met someone and didn't tell him the whole year she was sleeping around behind his back. It was a good thing they didn't do a lot of sleeping together.

Instead of a graduation card it was a wedding invitation. His life's plan went down the drain. He had already arranged to quit. Then he met Grace. And now, he lived a quiet life as a school teacher. The mothers all brought him food and desserts; the kids all loved him. It was quiet unexpected, but flattering. It made him realize what he wanted, and he couldn't settle for less again.