Page 26 of Inevitably Yours

It feltweird not to be in contact with Augusta, even if it was his idea. They had exchanged a handful of generic texts over the last week, but nothing with any depth to it. No phone calls or visits. When he opted out of the big breakfast the family planned, Stacy had given him her disappointed look, but he needed space. He needed to regain control.

Of course, he had damn near lost all reason when Andy casually mentioned earlier that she had been in pain the night before that because of contractions. That was somewhat of a turning point for him. John wasn’t ready to dive head first into a serious relationship, but he had heard Augusta was thinking of dating. Even though the thought of her with another man pissed him off to no end, it also gave him back some control. If she wasn’t looking for forever, he could be her right now.

Besides, she won’t let just any man touch her. That thought had saved his ego, more often than not, in the last handful of days. While the idea of her being able to do casual was appealing to him, the thought of another man so much as tasting her lips turned him into a territorial asshole who wouldn’t think twice about beating anyone to a bloody pulp who dared touch her. Which is ridiculous considering I don’t want exclusivity, but for some reason, where Augusta is concerned, I want her to be a nun. This is why I need to regain control.

“Thank you, Stacy,” he said to the empty room. If she hadn’t told him Augusta was going to start dating soon, he wouldn’t be heading out the door to go over and ask her out.

The drive over to Augusta’s just solidified that this was the right thing. John already felt more in control as he knocked on the door.

When a beautiful young lady with Augusta’s eyes opened the door, John was slightly relieved. There was no rhyme or reason why, but a small measure of peace came to him when she shook her head and said, “John, John, John. I’m January. I was wondering when I’d get to meet you, come on in.”

January possessed a cool demeanor, one that put him on edge after the kind of warm feeling he had upon seeing her. As she offered him a drink, he realized the peaceful feeling was because Augusta had her baby sister here, finally. He knew how much it meant to her and that made him a little more relaxed.

However, the chilly and analyzing looks she was tossing his way had him on his toes. I wonder how much she knows? Not that Augusta was the type to tell intimate details as a rule, but this was her sister…and she was giving him the stink eye.

“So, John. I have about ten minutes before I must leave for work. That means you’ve got about two to finish your Coke, three to decide what you should and shouldn’t say to me, then four to win me over to your side.”

“That’s only nine.”

“Well, you wasted precious seconds stating the obvious, and I’ll probably have to look for my keys now that Rick thinks my mini pop-Dean keychain is his. Tick-tock.”

“I’ll pass on finishing my drink and planning my talking points and cut right to the chase, then.” January crossed her arms and cocked her hip onto the marble countertop. John couldn’t help but smile at that. It was almost exactly the same thing Augusta would do. He could even imagine Augusta talking to someone in January’s life if they were in John’s position. “You ask, I’ll answer to the best of my ability. That way, I don’t waste your time, or mine, with unnecessary information.”

“A man who cuts through the bullshit, that’s a point in your favor. However, you can’t cut through the bullshit with Gus, why?”

Wow, off the top rope.Jan was a tiny force to be reckoned with. Much like Augusta, but oh so different. They both liked to get to the heart of the matter, but their approach was night and day. How do I answer this and not come off like a callous dick?

“Well, because, without overselling it, I do care about your sister, and the current situation makes that an issue for me.”

January cut in. “Issue? With the current situation or the caring part?”

Smart.

“Both, but, I am trying to find a happy medium.” A few moments of silence struck, and January chewed on his answer.

“Lynyrd or Skynyrd?”

What?“Are you asking my favorite cat?”

“Maybe, or maybe I’m just asking which name you like best, you tell me.”

Now he was starting to stumble. This question came out of left field and had nothing to do with anything. For a minute, he had a flash back to Es and Is and wondered if he were actually talking to Francis.

“Neither.” John took pleasure in puzzling her instead of the other way around.

“Elaborate.”

“I choose neither, instead I say Rick.” The look on her face was comical. Is it wrong that I’m enjoying this a bit too much? She motioned for him to continue. “Simple, if I have to choose, it has to be Rick. Lynyrd is afraid of his own shadow; Skynyrd isn’t afraid of anything. They are both too extreme. But Rick, Rick just came to the party late and is trying his damnedest to find his place. He questions everything because it all seems too good to be true, and he doesn’t trust it yet. That’s why he runs around out of control, because he is. One day, he’ll figure it out, and he will be a perfect balance of the two extremes of the others.”

January’s face practically glowed before she caught herself. John half-expected her to start clapping and hopping up and down if her eyes were any indicator. That made him think about what he said. Wow, he had just had an epiphany…talking about cats, of all things.

“Have you heard she’s dating?”

“Yes.”

“And you’re okay with that?” And here is where it gets tricky.

“There is no right answer to that.”

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