Page 32 of Take Me Slowly: part 2
I finally drove past Aurora Lodge and parked in front of the cottages. He might have been at work at the lodge, but I'd try here first.
As I climbed out of my car, I knew I'd chosen right. A light shone from a small window on the side of what looked like a workshop beside his house.
"Josiah?" I called out, my shoes crunching as I walked across the gravel.
The sound of cursing came from inside right before he stepped out, wiping his hands on his grey track pants.
"What are you doing here?" He leaned against the door frame, dark eyes watching, wary, but predatory. Ready to fight or pounce.
"Just checking up on you," I said lightly. "Things were tense between us last time I was here."
"There is no us." But his eyes lingered on my lips as he spoke. "You shouldn't have wasted your time."
"It's my time, I can use it however I like." I stepped closer, trying to see into the building behind him. Failing, because his body blocked the doorway too well. I had a feeling that was purposeful.
He snort-laughed. "Touché. You're still trespassing on private property."
I cocked my head. "Hmmm, maybe. And maybe one of these cottages belongs to me."
Eyes flashing, he straightened up. "Don't start with that again."
"Starting implies I stopped to begin with," I said. "I haven't. Connor and Riley believe me. Fiona too."
Josiah rubbed a hand over the back of his neck. "Fuck, why did you involve her? Or any of them?"
"I told the guys because I'm dating them and I don't want to keep secrets from them," I said evenly. "And I needed Fiona's help to get a DNA sample from Gavin Clarke."
"A DNA…" Josiah echoed. "You're out of your mind."
"What if I am?" I spread my hands to either side. "If it shows I'm not related to him, we'll get on with our lives." I dropped my hands to my thighs.
"Doubtful." He crossed his ankles and supported his chin with his fingers forming a V on either side. "You seem like the sort of person who'd keep digging, even when there was nothing left to dig up."
"Are you calling me stubborn?" I said, crossing my arms over my breasts.
"I am absolutely calling you stubborn," he said. "You wouldn't be here otherwise. Tell me something, what are you going to do if that DNA test comes up negative?"
I lowered my arms and exhaled. "I don't know," I admitted. "I don't know what I'm going to do if it comes back positive, either.”
"My guess is it starts with the words 'I told you so.'" He crossed his own arms, mimicking my pose. "Right before you tip Gavin's world upside down. Do you think he deserves that?"
"I think he deserves the truth," I said without reservation. "Don't you?"
The side of Josiah's mouth twitched. "I tried to give him the truth. They wouldn't let me near him. They told me he was too fragile to hear anything I had to say."
My heart stuttered. "You didn't get a chance to tell him what you saw?"
"I just said that, didn't I? Doesn't matter; the police would have told him. If he wanted to hear it from me, he could have." He seemed more resigned than resentful.
"Were you close?" I asked. "I know you used to watch her when he was working."
For a moment, I thought he wasn't going to answer. Finally, he said, "He was like an uncle to me. My parents and Coral’s used to take turns cooking on Sunday nights. We'd all get together and eat and whatever. Until that day."
"You haven't spoken to him since then. At all?" That seemed harsh. Like they had the perfect little life up here before it was all ripped away.
"What have I said about not feeling sorry for me?" He narrowed his eyes at me. "It was what it was. I let him down. No reason he shouldn't hate me."
"As much as you hate yourself?" I asked. "Although, I still don't think you have anything to hate yourself for."
