Joshua's Folly (11 page)

“Is that a challenge?”

“Here we go,” he muttered under his breath.

“I
could
eat an entire carton of ice cream.”

“I don’t doubt it.”

“Do you want me to prove it?”

“Please, no. I’ll take your word for it.” His eyes sparkled at her with mischief.

“I’m sorry, go on…Kobe beef…”

“After growin’ up on a cattle ranch, I was fascinated by the practices of Japanese ranchers. They pamper their cattle like babies. They feed them beer mash and sake. They even massage them. They believe that calm, content cows make better beef.”

“What made you decide to enter the market?”

“To save the ranch. I realized there was a huge market for this kind of beef in the United States and not very many distributors. It’s still a growing market and extremely lucrative. It’s a work in progress, but it was the exact thing we needed to help turn the ranch around. That and sound business practices, that is.” Josh bumped her foot with his and she bumped his back.

“And you did it,” Marisa said, completely bowled over by him. He was amazing.

“Once I got the ranch back into workin’ order we were turning a huge profit within two years and I was able to turn my attention towards the much needed renovations on the house and property. But none of this happened without a fight. Unfortunately, my father didn’t see things the same as I did. I laid out my plans for him and he disagreed. It was very disheartening. When he became ill and I took over, I immediately made arrangements to purchase a Wagyu Bull to cross-breed with my Angus cattle, thereby producing the American version of Kobe beef. I didn’t want to upset him, so he never knew what I’d done as he passed shortly thereafter.”

“Do you massage your cattle?”
Do you want to massage me?
Oops. Did I say that out loud?

“No, massages don’t actually contribute to improvin’ the quality of beef. At least, I don’t think so.”

“I’m disappointed. I was looking forward to seeing that practice put into play.”
Or experiencing that practice.

“You’d be surprised at how many people ask me that. I’ve read that the practice actually began as a way to help the cattle who lived in rough terrain and didn’t get enough exercise.”

“Interesting.” A brief wrestling match ensued between their feet as Josh’s big toe swiped the bottom of her foot, making her gasp. The bottom of the foot was simply unfair territory when it came to tickling. Marisa captured his right foot with both of hers and got him back. He threw his head back and laughed aloud. Their conversation continued as if nothing had happened.

“You miss your dad,” Marisa commented, a statement, not a question.

“Yeah. He’d be pleased with what I’ve done with the place.”

What he’d ‘done with the place’ was downright amazing. He’d taken a bankrupt ranch and turned it into an extremely lucrative enterprise. “I think he’d be a little more than pleased.”

“My dad was not an easy man to please. He was moody as anything. Did I ever tell you about the time I went on a road trip with him? The only road trip he and I ever went on in my life. He had some business to tend to in New Mexico and he invited me to come along.”

“Tell me,” Marisa coaxed, keeping his foot prisoner. He didn’t fight it.

“It’s a long story.”

Marisa shrugged. “I have time.”

“All right, but you asked for it. We hardly ever left the ranch. I was so excited I couldn’t sit still. While at first I was fascinated with the surroundings, I quickly tired of it. The dull landscape left me bored out of my mind. Not a good place for a ten-year-old, very active young boy. Dad sensed my restlessness and started to tell me about different creatures that inhabit the desert areas. That piqued my interest. He started tellin’ me about Gila Monsters, pronounced as heela, but spelled g-i-l-a. They’re considered to be an endangered species in southern New Mexico. I’d read about them before and knew it was spelled g-i-l-a. I listened raptly as he told me fascinating facts about them. They’re a venomous lizard with a bite like that of a pit bull. They bite quickly and hold on tenaciously. Even though he told me they grow to be only about two feet long and that they’re slow moving creatures, in my young mind I didn’t see the small lizard he was speakin’ of. I saw a big, slimy reptile with beady eyes, standing at least four feet high with a long, slithering tongue. After all, it was called a monster.”

Marisa giggled, knowing this was going to be good.

“My eyes began to scan the desert, looking for a giant lizard somewhere out there fixin’ to eat me. I asked my dad some questions about Gila Monsters. I didn’t realize it, but I was sayin’ it wrong. I was pronouncing the G as a hard G when it’s supposed to be a soft H sound. Every time I asked my dad a question about a Gila Monster, he would come back with, ‘it’s Hila Monster,’ emphasizing the sound of the soft H. I didn’t pay much attention, I just kept saying Gila Monster this and Gila Monster that, with a hard G. Now, mind you, my dad had a bit of a temper. Finally, in frustration he yelled at the top of his lungs, ‘Hila Monster!!!!!’ He yelled it with the soft H sound in an attempt to get me to say it correctly. But I, not realizing this, shot out of my seat and yelled, ‘Ahhhhhh, where????’ and then proceeded to duck down on the floor of the car, hiding in fear.”

Marisa couldn’t help herself, the laughter bubbled forth, almost uncontrollably.

“Go ahead, laugh at my expense. My dad did the same thing. He laughed so hard I thought he was goin’ to have a heart attack. I never did live that down. He liked to share that story time and again, to my great dismay.”

“It’s a good story.”

“I suppose it is, even if it makes everyone laugh at me.”

“Only because it’s so cute.”

“Cute is what Bethany is in all of her new outfits. Every day is like a fashion show.”

It was true. “I’m having just as much fun as her, believe me.” During the last two weeks, they’d fallen into a happy routine. She and Josh went out for a run every morning in the Folly, then went up to their respective rooms to shower. Marisa then got Bethany up and ready for the day. Every morning Bethany picked a new hairstyle and Marisa loved styling her hair. Then they ate breakfast with Josh, showing off Bethany’s ‘new look’ for the day. She and Josh had continued with their afternoon rides everyday while Bethany napped. Secretly, this was Marisa’s favorite time of the day, the time when she could be completely alone with him. They always stopped somewhere for a break and sat close together. They spent the time talking about everything under the sun, whatever subject took their fancy at the time. Marisa was beginning to feel as if she knew him, as if she could look at him and know what he was thinking. They had become fast friends. She wasn’t just in love with him anymore, she really liked him.

“I really love all of the things you’re doin’ with her, Marisa. She’s a different child since you arrived. Thank you so much.”

“I’m enjoying my time with her too. She’s a sweet child, easy to love.”

Marisa and Bethany had all morning and afternoon to spend on their adventures, as Marisa called them. They spent hours reading from the new books they’d purchased. They rode bikes, visited the horses, baked cookies in the kitchen, and crafted homemade bracelets and necklaces to match all of Bethany’s new clothes. Bethany even made a masculine California-style bracelet for her dad, which he loved, and promised he’d wear it always and never take it off. This pleased Bethany immensely. They also persevered with the swimming lessons. The Bethany that Marisa had first met began to disappear and she was becoming confident, happy, and strong. Whatever Marisa suggested they do together, Bethany responded with alacrity. It was very endearing.

“That, she is,” he said, releasing his foot easily from her grasp, and beginning to put his socks and boots back on. “You’re good for her, kind and loving. I learned to be kind the hard way. I was teasin’ one of the ranch hands mercilessly about his bald head one day. My dad pulled me aside and said, ‘Josh, you have a great sense of humor. Don’t use it to tear people down. Use it to build people up.’ I’ve never forgotten those words. Probably the best advice I’ve ever received.”

“I think your dad was a good man.”

“Most days he was. Guess we’d better head back. I have a day job,” he said with a disarming wink.

They stood and faced each other. Marisa smiled at him and he smiled back. She stared into his eyes, willing him to kiss her. He didn’t break the eye contact, nor did he shy away. But he didn’t kiss her either. Instead, he flicked her under the chin as if she was his kid sister or something.

It was the ‘or something’ she was hoping for.

He plopped his cowboy hat onto her head, pulling it low over her eyes. “You look cute,” he said.

Cute wasn’t what she had in mind. Maybe beautiful or gorgeous, perhaps even pretty.

Guess
cute
would have to do.

One hot afternoon, unbeknownst to Marisa and Bethany, Josh stood at the window on the second story of his home looking down onto the backyard. He’d finished with his work early and had gone in search of Marisa and Bethany. He found them in the pool. And it was more than obvious to him as he stood there thoughtfully and observed them, that Marisa was teaching Bethany how to swim. Judging by what he was witnessing, she was doing quite well. Marisa was amazing with Bethany. Actually, she was amazing, period. One minute she was playful and laughing, the next, an intelligent and mature woman with a promising career as a teacher. Bethany adored her and so did he. He found himself thinking about her at the oddest times. Her smiling face would pop into his head and there it would stay. He couldn’t stop thinking about her and when he wasn’t with her he was thinking about the next time he could see her. She had definitely made her way into his heart and she was there to stay. He hadn’t anticipated this at all. And then, there she’d stood in front of him at the airport, a total surprise when he’d least expected it. He admitted to himself that he’d felt an immediate attraction to her right then and there. He felt rather as though someone had hit him in the head and he still hadn’t recovered or even regained consciousness. Nor did he want to. He smiled as Marisa got out of the pool and jumped into the deep end while holding Bethany, who plugged her nose cautiously. They did this a number of times and Bethany seemed to be enjoying it. They seemed to be discussing something for awhile and then Bethany stood on the edge of the pool as Marisa tread water beneath her, holding out her arms to her. He could tell that Marisa was coaxing her into jumping in on her own. Bethany finally jumped and Marisa confidently caught her. Gaining courage, Bethany jumped to Marisa several more times.

He let out a sigh. He was falling in love with her. She was everything he could ask for in a woman. He just wasn’t sure what step to take next. He’d almost kissed her on several occasions, almost being the key word. He wanted to kiss her so much, he found himself staring at her mouth as she spoke, imagining what it would be like to feel her lips on his. What was holding him back?

He knew the answer.

He wasn’t positive how she felt about him. Would she slap him and be completely offended? Did she look upon him as her employer? Would she claim sexual harassment? Or did she feel as though they were family of sorts? Would he be crossing some forbidden line between them that should never be crossed? He simply wasn’t sure. There was something in her eyes that told him she felt the same. She didn’t shy away from him, just the opposite. She seemed to like the physical contact they’d shared. But what if he was misreading the situation? What if he was dead wrong? He’d be breaking her trust in him. Maybe she looked upon him as the playful big brother she’d never had. He just wasn’t sure which way to go with this. He wasn’t exactly a ladies’ man but, he wasn’t naïve either. He was pretty sure she was an innocent when it came to love, so perhaps she didn’t recognize the messages she was sending him. He’d never felt so unsure about anything in his life and he didn’t like the feeling, not at all.

One thing was for sure, though. He wasn’t just falling.

He was hopelessly in love with her.

–8–

Marisa had been in Texas for a little over three weeks now and as far as she was concerned they’d been the best three weeks of her entire life, but she knew in her heart that things were about to get better. She knew Josh had come close to kissing her on several occasions, she also knew that he’d held back. Perhaps he felt it was too soon, but it couldn’t be soon enough for her. She was completely head over heels in love with him and she didn’t care if it showed all over her face or in her actions. She wanted him to know. Her heart soared, knowing it was going to be like this long before she’d ever arrived.

Presently, Marisa sat with Josh and Bethany on the patio, having just finished with a late lunch. Josh complimented Bethany on her yellow blouse and she informed him that it was chartreuse. Josh said nothing in response, having learned to accept the fact that he’d never get a color right with Bethany around. Josh, who’d just returned from a trip into town, had purchased a pack of bubble gum for Bethany as a treat. They were trying to teach her how to blow a bubble and laughing rowdily when it landed all over her mouth and nose. They helped her to peel the gum off her face, and then she tried again. Before long, she was blowing huge bubbles. This quickly turned into a bubble gum blowing contest between them. Josh ran upstairs to retrieve the other packages he’d bought for another day. Soon, they each had huge wads of gum in their mouths and were blowing bubbles like mad. Bethany creamed them, blowing bubbles practically the size of her face. They were having so much fun, they ignored the passing of time and played the afternoon away, skipping Bethany’s nap. When a bubble popped and landed partly in Bethany’s hair, Marisa took her upstairs to deal with the minor emergency. Just as Marisa finished the delicate task of cleaning her up, the doorbell chimed through the house and she heard Josh answer it. Marisa, holding a clean and pajama clad Bethany, wet hair and all, made her way downstairs.