Page 71 of Wingwoman
“Why don’t you like her?” Josh asked. “I spent a little time with her yesterday, and I have to say, she’s really fucking cool. I wish my stepmom was half as great as she is.”
I pushed up and forced myself to take a sip of coffee, despite my roiling stomach. “You have a stepmom?”
“Yep,” Josh said, bending to scratch Cash’s belly. “And she’s every bit as evil as the ones in Disney movies.”
“Ouch.”
“Yeah. My mom and dad divorced right before my tenth birthday, after my dad gambled away my mom’s life savings. Then he remarried two years later to his secretary.”
“Yikes,” I said.
“Tell me about it. I wanted her to like me so badly and I knew she really wanted these slippers from the department store. I saved for a whole year to try to buy them for her for Christmas, but she liked, but I didn’t have enough. My dad told me we would split the cost and both give them to her. But of course my Dad bought her other gifts, too.”
“It seemed like your dad was trying, too.”
Josh snorted. ‘Sure, my dad wanted us to get along… for no reason other than it would have made his life easier.”
I cringed. “Why do I get the feeling she didn’t like the slippers?”
“Not only didn’t she like them, but she berated me for only seeing fit to buy her a single slipper, then she locked herself in the bathroom crying that her stepson only loves her enough to buy half a present for her.”
I gaped at Josh, horrified. I didn’t love all my dad’s wives, but they never treated me likethat. Some of them thought I was annoying or wished they had Dad all to themselves, but that was the worst I’d had. My issues stemmed more from my father’s behavior than theirs. “That’s… oh my god, Josh. I’m so sorry.”
“What made it worse? My dad took her side. Placated her. Enabled that behavior. And mademeapologize toher.”
If I thought my stomach hurt before, it downright turned over itself at that story. “That’s so awful. Are they still married?”
“They are,” he nodded. “And they’re both still awful.”
“I—I have no words.”
Josh waved off my sympathy. “It’s fine. I barely ever see him and he only calls now when he needs money. But Vivian’s a good person. Maybe you should give her a chance?”
He wasn’t wrong. “I know she’s a good person,” I whispered. “I’d heard it in my dad’s voice on our calls how happy he’s seemed these last few months with her. But…” I blinked back the tears, blaming my heightened emotions on the hangover. “I was just so taken aback seeing them together before the bachelorette party. Learning things about his life with her I’d had no idea about. He raises chickens, Josh.Chickens. And apparently they’re getting a goat!”
“And that’s… a bad thing?” he asked, honestly seeming to try to understand what I was saying.
“It’s not bad.” I shook my head. “It’s great, actually. But never in my whole life have I known my father to take care of anyone but himself. Hell, he could barely even do that. Half the time as a kid, I had to take care of him when he came home drunk as a skunk. I had to clean the puke off the floor. Roll him over so he didn’t choke on his own vomit. And now he’s made this miraculous change. He’s become the dad I’d always wanted him to be.” I swallowed the lump in my throat. “But he made that change forher. Not for me.”
Josh nodded, sincere comprehension softening his face. He reached out, taking my hand in his and giving it a gentle squeeze. “I get it,” he said. “That sucks. But take it from me, it doesn’t suck as much as having the parent whoneverchanges. And Vivian has nothing to do with any of that. She’s just a woman who fell in love.”
I inhaled a shaky breath. “I know. I’m angry at him. And jealous of her. Jealous that she gets this heroic version of him and I got the drunk asshole for most of my life.” I paused. “Which, speaking of taking care of drunk assholes… thank you.”
A smile twitched on his full lips. “You’re welcome.” Then, leaning back, his grin widened. “Want to know how you can make it up to me?”
My groan was stifled by my chuckle. “I’m almost scared to ask.”
Intentionally, keeping the suspense alive, he lifted his coffee to his lips and took a long sip before answering, “Agree to be my muse. The press is already saying we’re together. And your two weeks are almost up anyway. Might as well wave that white flag now.”
I blinked, the smile fading from my mouth. My heart raced, and despite the glass of water I’d chugged when I first woke up, my mouth went dryer than a lint ball. Images flashed in my mind of the texts Maxie and Carrow sent me. Of Brent proposing. Of Brent’s stupid one word text.
I remembered the gnawing jealousy of seeing Josh laugh so easily with Julianne.
Maybe it was the hangover. Or maybe it was the adorable, boyish way he was leaning the chair back on two legs. Or the earnest, heartbreaking confession he made about his father and stepmother. But suddenly six weeks of being Josh Gabriel’s muse didn’t sound so bad.
“Yes,” I finally said.
Josh blinked, his cocky grin vanishing instantly. “Wait… what did you say?”
