CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

"Thank you very much sir," Josie said with a sweet smile pulling at her lips. Her resume had been sent in only two days before, but with the school suddenly needing a science teacher to teach anatomy, she knew she had to take the job. There was no clearer sign.

She had been looking for jobs that would be far less time consuming than working in the hospital so that she could have more free time. She giggled softly to herself as she made her way out to the parking lot. This was a good start.

The high school was happy to have her! She was almost giddy. She softly rubbed her stomach without thinking twice of it. She got into her car and headed home slowly. Excited as could be.

"Did you get it?" Came Blake’s voice over the phone.

"Dinner and I'll tell you everything?"

"If I don't like it we'll never talk of it again?"

"Of course,” she chuckled over the phone as she made the next left turn.

"Good, because you know... we shouldn't talk about bad things or be around any of that negative stuff."

"I'll meet you at our diner?" she purred through the phone.

"That sounds good to me,” he said softly.

“Great.”

They both hung up and she headed home to quickly shower and change.

At the restaurant, she tapped her fingers in anticipation of Blake's arrival. He was late. Starting to get that wave of nervous anxiousness, she stared at the door every time it opened, even a few minutes after the person walking through had entered.

"Ma'am..." The waiter said, wanting her drink order.

"Ah, I'm late!” Blake's voice purred, having slipped into the restaurant when she wasn't paying attention.

"You startled me!”

"I highly doubt that. You were expecting me."

"Well, I suppose expecting my stalker has its perks?"

"Still don't work as hard as a stalker,” he teased with a comforting smiling.

"Maybe, I guess it's not as hard as it used to be,” she murmured.

"Well, did you get the job?"

"I did,” he seemed to be so thrilled.

“I can't believe it only took a few days for him to decide,” she said with a soft smile.

"Me either to be honest. Usually the school takes weeks to decide. I guess because you were a guest speaker there and they were able to observe how you were with the kids. They probably asked some of the other teachers too.”

"They didn't ask you, did they?"

“No, conflict of interest,” he smiled softly.

"Hmm, perhaps. I guess we won't know, but what I do know is this glass of wine isn't going to drink itself."

"Aw, that means I don't get a beer."

"You could have one and we could walk?" she smirked playfully.

"No, no. I want to make sure that at least one of us is okay to get us home."

"A glass isn't going to ruin me!”

"I don’t know, you get pretty giggly..."

"I think it's my company that makes me giggly, not the wine."

“Maybe," he narrowed his eyes with a goofy smirk.

***

Josie smiled as she spent the next couple of days getting used to teaching. Making friends with the new co-workers, and getting to learn more about the students she was teaching and spending so much time with.

It was a notable change of pace from the hospital. She hummed softly as she started to head home after a long school day. They had to spend an extra hour or two, due to weather. She could see the buses heading out into the neighborhoods and just took her time. Knowing that the safety of those kids was far more important than her desire to just be home.

She was tired, though it wasn't as big of a rush helping and healing people, there was still so much she needed to know and do. She hummed to herself along with the music playing on her car radio.

She remembered that she had something to do at Mrs. Ingram’s and made her way there instead of turning for home. After all, she did not need to destress the same way she did while working at the hospital.

Mrs. Ingram stood on the porch, waiting for her. The elderly woman waved as Josie climbed out of her car and started down the small walkway to the porch.

“How was work today?” Mrs. Ingram asked, buzzing with happiness.

“It was great, none of the students misbehaved and there weren’t any hiccups. How was your day today?”

“It was great! Blake is out back working on something or other. Are you guys staying for dinner?”

“Of course, we’d love to,” Jane smiled softly.

“Good, good. I’d like your help for dinner. My hands keep shaking and I just can’t seem to do much cooking. Just a lot of mess making.”

“I’m so glad to hear that I can help, I’ve been looking forward to this all day.”

“That’s good, what are we making for dinner?”

They spent the next few hours slow cooking dinner, cleaning the kitchen, and even making a small desert. Josie helped make some midnight snacks for when Mrs. Ingram got up in the middle of the night craving something. This way she could just pull it out of the fridge and get what she wanted quickly.

The door opened and in walked Blake, once again filthy from yard work and quickly taking his boots off at the door. He walked further into the house, leaning against the frame he watched as Josie spoke with his mother. The way they treated each other was above and beyond what he thought could have ever happened. When Josie spotted him staring she smiled at him sweetly, tilting her head to the side that curious look crossed her face.

“Are you stalking us again?” she teased.

“Nah, admiring,” he purred as he walked further into the room and sat with them.

“Admiring?”

“Probably the best thing to watch…My two favorite women getting along.”

“Do you remember that horrible woman you were with before Josie? Ugh that horrible woman.”

“Horrible woman, huh?” Josie looked over at him with a curious, yet playful smile.

“Uh… yeah, the previous woman in my life was the reason I wanted to work on me.”

“Good to know, but I don’t want to hear any more than that,” Josie reached over and lightly patted his hand. They finished eating and helped Mrs. Ingram clean up before they headed home.

***

Josie pulled up beside Blake’s truck. She hummed to herself, completely exhausted as she walked to the front door and slowly stepped inside. Putting her bag on the knob, then her coat on the hook next to it. She looked around slowly her eyes searching through the dimly lit house. She crept up the stairs, knowing he had gone up their first.

“Blake?” she murmured, seeing his pajama pants laid out across the bed. She walked up to the bathroom door, hearing the shower she nodded. She opened the closet and stepped inside, looking through both his and her clothes to try and find a night gown. Though she got distracted, running her fingers over his clothes. Although she had washed them, she could still smell him lingering in the fabric.

Her lips curled up into a smile as she heard the bathroom door open.

“Are you hiding in the closet?” he asked, his voice almost playful.

“I am not hiding, I’m looking for clothes.”

“Hmm, my clothes or yours?” he chuckled as he walked up to the closet door, seeing her hand on one of his shirt sleeves.

“You smell good…” she said, biting her bottom lip, trying not to smile.

“I smell like soap.”

“No, the smell under the soap,” she murmured as she walked toward him, hugging him close, their lips met.