Serving Trouble(56)

Josie walked into The Lost Kitten’s Toy Chest, inhaled the familiar scent of coffee and turned around. She’d made it to the parking area feeling as if she might lose her breakfast. She placed her hands on her thighs and bent over.

But she knew this feeling. The worst never happened, just loomed nearby, presenting a constant possibility.

“The toy chest inspires too many naughty thoughts first thing in the morning, huh?” Daphne said, moving to her side and running her hand over her back.

Josie braved an upright position and glanced at her friend. “It was the coffee, not the naughty nurse costumes and whips.”

Her best friend’s smile faded and her eyes widened. “Does that mean you’re—­”

“I’m pregnant.” She doubled over again, wrapped her arms around her middle. But this time it wasn’t nausea. Fear churned in her belly. How had she ended up here?

“Noah?” Daphne asked softly.

She nodded, but didn’t stand upright. She wasn’t ready. Not yet. “It’s still early. Only four weeks. But I know.”

“You took a test?”

“This morning.” After she’d nearly thrown up her dad’s eggs and bacon celebration breakfast. Her father’s relief that Dominic would be all right, that he was coming home after rehab, probably to stay—­it was palpable and led to large breakfasts. If only she had an appetite . . .

“At first, I told myself it was nerves. I came home planning to tell Noah that I love him, that I’ve fallen in love with him all over again. Or maybe I never stopped loving him.” The words spilled out in a rush, aimed at the pavement covering the strip club parking lot.

“Whoa, wait,” Daphne said, bending down to look at her.

“But I didn’t tell him,” Josie continued, pressing her eyes closed. “He looked so tired and overwhelmed by the past few weeks.”

“Maybe he’s been worried about you,” Daphne said, placing a hand on Josie’s back. “I’m guessing he knew this was a possibility.”

“Maybe.” But she knew it had more to do with Caroline and the man hunting them. “But I didn’t tell him. I asked him to come in and . . . well, then at work last night, at the bar, the way he looked at me. I swear it’s like he wants me, but still can’t escape the guilt. For a guy who wants the world to think he’s an asshole, it’s kind of funny.”

Josie let out a brittle laugh as she stood up and tried to see the humor. She struggled to feel better even as the ground felt like it was slipping out from underneath her. At this rate, she wouldn’t be able to stand up on her own two feet much longer.

“Josie, come here.” Daphne wrapped her arms around her and held her tight. “You have to tell him. How you feel, about the baby, everything. You’ve kept too much inside, trying to do everything on your own for so long. It’s not possible and I won’t let it tear you to pieces. Not this time.”

“You’re right,” she whispered. “I’ll tell him. Before the bar opens today.”

“CAROLINE’S TAKING THE day off,” Noah called as Josie walked into the bar. Her father had taken her Mini to the shop for a new starter while she’d been in Germany. Noah wished he’d thought to take that on too instead of leaving it to his best friend’s dad. Chief Fairmore had enough on his plate. But he’d been so overwhelmed by the things he couldn’t fix that he hadn’t turned his attention to the things he could. “So we’re on our own for dishes,” he added.

“Is she OK?” Josie set her purse and apron on the bar and took a seat.

“Yeah.” Noah focused on unloading the last rack of pint glasses. He’d come in early so that Caroline’s absence wouldn’t stretch his already overworked staff. April, the other bartender, had hugged him when he told her Josie was coming back to work. He suspected April thought he was holding out hope—­and keeping a job open—­for something that was never going to happen.

“I asked her to stay home today,” he added. “It’s been a few weeks since Dustin reached out.” And shot at us. “I think it best if she lays low for a while. Plus I hired a private investigator to poke around down where Dustin’s from in California. His wife and kids are still there, but no one’s seen him in a while. Turns out his wife got a restraining order against him. So chances are he’s still hanging around here somewhere, biding his time and trying to turn Caroline into a nervous wreck. Or more of a wreck. If that’s his plan, it’s working. She’s losing it a bit.”