“That’s just half of what I’ve been wrestling with,” Josh admitted.
“And what have you come up with?” Treat asked.
“I can’t imagine my life without her. I’ve spent my career worried about doing the right thing, dating the right women, dressing appropriately, attending all the right events, and for the first time in my life, when I’m with Riley, I feel free from that. But it’s more than that.” Josh took a deep breath, hoping his brother wouldn’t think less of him for what he was about to say. “It’s like there’s another person controlling my emotions. The anger…” Josh looked away.
“Go on,” Treat urged.
“Treat, man, if someone were to say something derogatory about Riley in my presence, I don’t know what I’d do. When those media hounds were all over her, I felt something I had never felt before. I swear my blood was on fire. It was all I could do not to rip them to shreds, and that’s not who I am. I had to stop myself from getting physical. I mean, really stop myself. Tell myself, ‘This isn’t you.’ You know me. I’m not a fighter, never have been. ” Josh watched a smile spread across Treat’s face.
“You’re also a man in love, little brother, and that’s something you’ve never been before either. It takes you by surprise, doesn’t it?”
“Like you wouldn’t believe,” Josh said.
“All those protective urges that you always thought were reserved for your family members suddenly apply to someone else in a bigger, more powerful way, and it scares you. That’s natural. It should scare you,” Treat said.
“Scared the shit out of me. It still does.” Josh sighed, feeling the tension in his shoulders ease. Treat understood. He wasn’t losing his mind after all.
“Your rational mind will always override the physical,” Treat assured him.
“I keep going over and over this in my head. As scary as all this shit is—and believe me, lately it feels like the Incredible Hulk is trying to break through my body—it’s not half as scary as losing Riley. I know I fucked up. I should have fired Claudia ages ago, before Riley ever came to work there. Claudia’s been an issue for a long time, but she was so damned good at her job, and she’s Peter Stafford’s niece, so there’s the whole damn loyalty thing. I never thought…”
Treat leaned back and crossed his legs. “You’re a good person, Josh. You see the best in people and want to believe no one is as slippery as they are. You’ve been that way your whole life. Hell, when Hugh used to do stupid shit, you’d try and take the blame for him so that he didn’t get in trouble. Dad would turn his back and chuckle.”
“If he didn’t believe I did those things, why did he allow me to take the heat?” Josh remembered a handful of times he’s taken Hugh’s punishments, usually for Hugh being selfish toward others. Josh had never wanted to believe that his little brother could be selfish and self-centered. He’d learned a lot about Hugh over the years, and he’d come to accept that the youngest Braden was, in fact, exactly that. Although, Hugh’s recent call had him questioning if the assessment was still accurate.
“Because Dad was teaching you a lesson just as he taught the rest of us. If you’re going to step in to take the heat, you’re going to get it. It was a good lesson, at least for me. You learn to pick and choose your battles. You do realize, Josh, that if you move forward with Riley, nothing in your life will ever be the same.”
“You’ve convinced me. No one could ever make me believe Riley stole anything, and I feel better knowing you understand the anger that’s been eating away at my gut. I’ll trust your experience, Treat, that I won’t hit someone,” Josh said.
“What are you saying?” Treat asked.
“I’m picking this battle.” Josh nodded as he stood from his chair.
“And what if you’re wrong and she stole the design? You can’t have a life with a woman you can’t trust,” Treat said.
“Maybe I really am an asshole, because now I want to hit you,” Josh said.
Treat shook his head. “Seriously, Josh.”
“It’s Riley. She’s worth it, and I’m not wrong. She didn’t steal the drawing, and even if we can’t prove it, I’m ready to take the heat.”
Chapter Forty-Three
RILEY, JADE, MAX, and Savannah sat in a café in the village of Allure. They’d spent the morning walking through shops and talking about how crazy Claudia was, Max’s wedding, and the house Jade and Rex were having built. Riley tried to add to the conversations, but as each hour passed, the fissures in her heart deepened. She hadn’t heard from Josh since the text he’d sent at four in the morning, and she couldn’t get the photo out of her head.
“What does my brother have to say about the latest?” Savannah asked. She looked chic in her jeans, long-sleeved white shirt, and suede blazer.
Riley drew in a breath, trying to formulate an answer that didn’t sound whiny or clingy. The best she could come up with was “Not much.”
“Do you think he’s all right? Gosh, maybe he needs one of us down there with him.” Savannah pulled out her cell phone.
“Treat’s with him,” Max said.
“What?” Savannah and Riley asked in unison.
“He chartered a plane in the middle of the night. He said he was worried about Josh. Apparently, he had tried to call him several times, and he said Josh had a tendency to pull into himself and block out the world when things went awry.” Max sipped her iced tea and then continued. “He’s with him now. He texted me about half an hour ago.”
Treat texted you? Why didn’t Josh text me?
“What did he say? Is Josh okay?” Savannah asked.
Riley was dying to know the same thing. She was relieved Savannah had stepped in to ask.
“He said he’s having a hard time, but they’re going to meet with the PI and get this figured out today,” Max explained. “He sounded pretty firm, like neither of them was going to let this nonsense continue.” She touched Riley’s arm. “Treat said Josh was worried about Riley but that he was in no shape to call and that they were rushing around taking care of things.”
“No shape to call? What does that even mean?” Riley asked.
“I guess he’s really angry about everything, but, Riley, he’s also probably in that befuddled stage that guys go through, where they don’t know up from down when they’re first in love. Imagine being newly in love and thrown in a blender with your lover’s nemesis.”
“I’m living that nightmare, remember?” Riley said.
Jade touched her arm. “Oh, I know that befuddled stage,” Jade said. “Remember, Ri, when Rex was all tied in knots? He was so cute and so passionate.”
Riley knew Jade was trying to sidetrack her from her hurt over Josh not calling.
“Please.” Savannah pretended to cover her ears.
“No, I mean he was protective and loving.” She winked at Riley. “And passionate that way, too.”
Savannah swatted her arm. “Ew! That’s my brother, okay. Let me think of him as a brother, please. Gross.”
Jade laughed.
“Well, Josh isn’t that way. He’s loving, but he’s not passionate like Rex is. He’s very in control when it comes to his protective urges. I can’t even imagine him getting that mad at anyone,” Riley said.
“Not even Claudia?” Max asked.
“Well.” Riley reconsidered. “Mad, yes, but viscerally angry, I doubt it.”
“Don’t underestimate my little brother, Riley. I bet this situation is making him see all sides of himself that he’s not used to.” Savannah leaned closer to Riley and whispered, “And please, when he does, don’t use the words passionate and Josh in the same sentence. He’s still very pure in my eyes,” she teased.
Riley couldn’t take it anymore. Why hadn’t he called her? Why hadn’t he warned her about Claudia? What was she missing?
“Savannah, you said Josh pulls into himself. What did you mean?” Riley finally asked.
“Josh is the most passive of my brothers. When something goes wrong, he tends to close himself off until he has a way to deal with it.” Savannah narrowed her eyes. “Riley, is he doing that to you? Shutting you out?”
“No.” The word shot from Riley’s lips.
“Oh no, honey. Haven’t you talked to him since you saw that picture? Oh goodness, you’ve been with us the whole time. We’ve been monopolizing your time. We’re such idiots.” She looked around the table. “Call him, Riley. It’ll make you feel a lot better.”
Everyone stared at her. She didn’t want to call Josh in front of everyone. What if he hadn’t called because he wasn’t sure about them anymore? What if he didn’t tell her about Claudia because he was on her side now?
“Call him,” Savannah said.
Riley pressed speed dial and put the phone to her ear. Don’t pick up. Don’t pick up.
“Riley,” he said in a rushed whisper. “You okay?”
Hearing his voice made her want to climb through the phone and crawl into his lap. “Josh? Yes. You?” Too many questions cluttered her mind.