Page 56 of Something True


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Chapter 24

Obviously, Joel had been waiting for me. Either that, or he'd heard my car and decided to greet me at the front door. Either way, the look on his face was making me just a little bit nervous.

At something in my expression, he paused. "Baby, what's wrong?"

It was a funny question, but I didn't feel like laughing. I should be askinghimthe same thing, because it was pretty obvious that something wasn't quite right.

Stalling, I turned and pulled the door shut behind me. Night had already fallen, and I should've been home hours ago. But between Derek's interruption and a long, tense conversation with Cassie, followed by an impromptu trip to the grocery store, I'd been delayed well past my expectations.

I still had my purse dangling from one hand and a couple of plastic grocery bags dangling from the other. Joel looked to the bags and said, "Here, lemme get those."

When he moved forward, I silently handed over the bags and watched as he set them – not in the kitchen as I might've expected – but on the floor beside us.

I gave the bags a perplexed look. In them were all of the ingredients for homemade pizza, along with a bottle of the best champagne I could afford, meaning, of course, that it was the cheap stuff.

But it was the thought that counted, right? Between our engagement and my news about the endowment, I'd been in the mood for a celebration.

Now, I wasn't so sure.

I was still looking at the bags when Joel took me into his arms. He felt warm and wonderful, and I couldn't stop myself from leaning into him.

Into my hair, he said, "Bad day?"

"No. Not really."Not yet, anyway.

"So, what is it?" he asked.

I pulled back to say, "When I walked in, you looked like you had bad news."

He gave me a smile filled with regret. "Sorry, but I do." He glanced toward the front door. "I've gotta go."

Something like panic seized at my heart. "You meannow?"

He hesitated. "No. But soon."

"Why?" I asked.

Briefly, Joel explained that Cal had just called him, asking for help. Apparently, he'd broken his leg trying to move a dresser down a stairway alone, and now, he was in a bind, because he'd made some commitments that he couldn't break.

When Joel finished, I realized I was smiling –oh, crap– because nothing says smile like a nice, broken leg. I wiped the smile from my face and said, "Poor Cal."

Joel gave me a perplexed look. "What'd you think I was gonna say?"

"I don’t know," I admitted. "It's just the way you were looking, I thought it might be something worse." I smiled up at him. "So you offered to help?"

"I wouldn't gothatfar," Joel said. "But he needs a favor, and I sure as hell can't say no."

"Because you feel sorry for him?"

"No," Joel said. "Because I owe him."

"For what? Letting you stay at his place?"

"Not just that." Joel pulled me closer. "For keeping you safe when I was too pissed off to think."

I smiled against him. "You mean in the parking lot?"

Joel's voice held no hint of humor. "Don't remind me."