Three days later, Russ came back from the grocery store to find Josie’s car parked in his driveway. He eased his SUV beside the blue car, watching as the garage door opened to reveal an organized space.
The mess was gone, replaced by large plastic containers that had been labeled with a thick black marker. The floor had been swept, and hanging from one of the beams in the middle of the ceiling was a brown punching bag.
“What the hell?” he said more to himself than to her. She must have spent hours making sense of the crap he’d accumulated and, having nowhere else to store it, shoved into that garage.
Josie, dressed in a red tank top, black spandex shorts, and sporting fingerless workout gloves, took a couple of punches at the bag before glancing up to smile at him. Her hair was pulled into a tight ponytail, and she had the same intense expression on her face she always had before she ran his ass into the ground at the park. “Hi, baby.”
Baby?
He raised his eyebrows at the endearment.
“Would you prefer ‘honey’?”
“Nah. Baby’s fine with me.” Russ watched her take a few more swings at the punching bag. “What’s up with the new equipment?”
She stopped hopping around like a boxer and shook her hands out as though they stung. “I figured out something important.”
After accepting a welcoming kiss from her before she danced away and hit at the bag again, he took a seat on a wooden stool he didn’t realize he owned. Heaven only knew what other treasures she’d found when she’d organized his garage. “What did you figure out?”
“That yoga just isn’t going to work for you.”
He threw his hands in the air and let out a cheer. “Thank you, God!”
Joslynn laughed. “Yeah, I was a little slow on the uptake with that one. Sorry. I was hoping you’d learn to love it.”
“Since we have some of our best sex after you drag me to yoga, I shouldn’t complain.” He waggled his eyebrows at her.
When she got close enough, he tugged her into his arms and gave her a proper kiss, loving how she sagged against him and let out a telling sigh when he ended the kiss.
“So why the punching bag?” he asked.
Heading back to land a solid hit on the bag, she smiled. “Since you can’t run or stretch away your stress—”
“I love running with you,” Russ protested.
“I’m glad.” Josie grabbed the bag to stop it from swaying. “I hoped that if you work your frustration out on this, maybe the jerks you need to toss out of the bar won’t make you so…hostile.”
“It was one guy, Josie. One drunken asshole who grabbed a waitress’s ass.”
“And it was enough to give you an anxiety attack.”
* * *
Aware that his temper was rising, Joslynn didn’t press the point. Ethan had painted a little more descriptive picture of what had happened at Words & Music, but she focused on why she’d gone to so much trouble to clean up his disaster of a garage and hang the punching bag.
“This,” she said, shoving the bag to set it swinging, “will help you channel your anger.” She retrieved a pair of gloves she’d bought for him and handed them over. “Go change your clothes, put these on, and we’ll give it a go.”
He didn’t take long donning his gray running shorts and a black T-shirt with the sleeves torn off. As he pulled on the gloves, she went over to him and brushed a kiss on his cheek. Then she went behind the bag and took hold of it with both hands. “Let’s party, baby.”
She underestimated his strength, and his punch almost knocked her over. Taking a tighter hold of the bag, she braced her legs farther apart. “Again.”
Damn if he didn’t grin and hit the thing harder.
Joslynn held her ground and grinned. “Again.”
* * *
Joslynn put her hands against the tiled wall of the shower and let the hot water spray on her shoulders. Taking deep breaths, she focused on relaxing after a tough workout.
The punching bag had gone over better than she’d expected. Russ had hit the thing until his arms trembled with fatigue and her shoulders ached. Then she’d led him on a three-mile jog that had ended up with them back at his house making love on the sofa.
Something about their incredible chemistry always ignited when they worked out together. Didn’t matter what activity they chose. Running. Lifting weights. Yoga. Whenever they finished, they reached for each other.
At least they had enough self-control to get somewhere private before the clothes came off.
Russ had popped into the shower first, and she’d joined him a few minutes later, knowing that if she got there too soon, they’d probably end up back in bed. After he dried himself with a towel, he rushed out of the bathroom, telling her that his phone was ringing.
Joslynn turned off the water and opened the glass door just wide enough to fetch a clean towel. As she dried off, he came back into the bathroom, towel draped around his slim hips. He was staring at his phone, and the startled look on his face frightened her.
“What’s up?” Something was clearly wrong, so she hurried the drying process and stared at him through the glass.
“I’m not sure.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” She stepped out of the shower stall.
“It was Mom. She sounded kinda…weird.”
“What did she want?”
A frown filled his features. “You know, I’m not really sure. She just said that she’d called by accident and that they were fine. But her tone…”
“We should go over there.”
His frown deepened. “She didn’t act like she wanted me there.”
“Tell you what…If we stop by the Cottage first, we can grab the cookies I made for them. Gives us an excuse to swing by.”
Although his brow was still furrowed with worry, he nodded.
“I’ll hurry,” she promised. “If traffic is light, we can be there in thirty minutes.”
* * *
Panic sizzled inside Russ, growing in intensity with each mile that passed as he headed to his parents’ house. Although he normally drove a bit too fast, today he was pushing close to an unreasonable speed.
Josie didn’t criticize him. Instead, she chatted amiably about how Savannah’s daughter had an upcoming dance recital and how she was going to attend. Josie was astute and had figured out long ago the best way to calm him was to distract him, a tactic at which she was very skilled.
After they pulled into the driveway, she hurried to catch up with him as he practically catapulted himself from the SUV. She took his hand in one of hers, holding on to the container full of snickerdoodles with the other.
The door opened as they mounted the porch stairs, and he heard her gasp when his mother stepped outside. Russ had a flashback to Marc Guinan after he’d been nailed by the line drive. He put his hands on her shoulders. “Shit, Mom. What happened?”
Yvonne burst into tears before rushing into his arms. All he could do was hold her until she settled down.
Josie went to the door, casting a concerned glance back at him before going inside.
Russ gave her a nod, knowing she was going to check on his father. A few moments later, Baron’s angry shouts spilled from the house.
Torn between comforting his mother and protecting the woman he loved, Russ decided to stay with Yvonne. Josie was experienced in dealing with people, and she could handle herself.
This wasn’t the first time his father had flown into a rage. Before the Alzheimer’s diagnosis, Baron would go off the deep end from time to time—often for no apparent reason. It was one of the reasons they’d talked to a doctor. When he’d started his medications, he’d seemed to improve.
But today? Today Baron was shouting obscenities at the top of his lungs and had hurt his wife.
Although she was still softly weeping, Yvonne pushed away from Russ. “I need to go to your father.”
“Let Josie handle him for a minute. Tell me what happened.”
“I don’t know what happened. One minute, he was fine. Then…then…”
“He hit you?” Russ clenched his hands into fists.
She gave him a nod. “I don’t know why. Last time—”
“He’s hit you before?” His anger soared and his teeth clenched. “When?”
Russ realized that his rage had no true direction. Baron wasn’t in his right mind, and it wasn’t as though there was anyone Russ could punch in retaliation.
“Only once or twice.” Yvonne scrubbed away the remaining tears with the back of her hand.
The shouting had abated, which he hoped meant it was safe to go inside. “Let’s have Josie take a look at your face.” Thankfully, it didn’t appear as damaged as he’d first feared. Her lips were swollen, and there was some dried blood around her right nostril. The dark shadow under her right eye would be even more colorful in a day or two.
He led his mother inside, finding Josie sitting on the sofa next to a now compliant Baron. She was holding his hands and murmuring to him in a low and soothing tone.
How many troubled patients had she calmed with the same sweet voice and gentle manner?
“See?” Josie said, putting a hand on Baron’s shoulder. “Yvonne didn’t leave, and Russ is here for a visit.” Her gaze caught Russ’s. “Baron had the wrong idea that his wife had left and a stranger was running around his house in her place.” She patted his father. “Like I told you, she’s right here.”
Baron let out a snort. “That bitch thought she’d be tricky with me, pretending she lived here.”
“She should’ve known better,” Josie said. Then she glanced to Yvonne. “Why don’t you come sit down?”
Despite having been abused, his mother didn’t even hesitate as she hurried to her husband’s side.
Josie rose to surrender her spot next to Baron. “Why don’t Russ and I go get you two some milk and a plate full of the cookies I made for you? I imagine the cake I brought over Monday is long gone since chocolate is your favorite. Right, Baron?”
“Chocolate is my favorite,” he said flatly.
Russ had grown accustomed to his father doing what Josie called “mirroring.” Baron tended to repeat whatever he was asked, because he knew he was expected to say something. Since he couldn’t think of an answer, he’d just parrot the words back to the person.
After Yvonne sat, Josie crouched next to her and held her head, looking over her battered face. Then Josie used her thumbs to wipe the remaining tears from Yvonne’s cheeks. “I’ll get you some ice for that lip, okay?”
Josie rose to her full height and took Russ’s hand. “You two stay right there, and we’ll get your snack.” She led him into the kitchen.
* * *
Had Yvonne shown up at the hospital in that condition, the first thing Joslynn would’ve done was call social services. “Didn’t any of those home health service names I gave her work out?” she asked when they were out of earshot.
Russ leaned back against the kitchen counter, folding his arms over his chest the way he always did when he was closing her off.
“She didn’t call, did she?”
He shook his head. “I called a couple myself, but Mom wouldn’t meet with any of them.”
“Russ, your mother needs help, and she needs it yesterday. I thought she’d agreed.”
“She probably said that because it was what you wanted to hear and it got you off her case. She told me she didn’t want anyone coming in to help my dad. It took me forever to get her just to let me hire someone to clean the house.”
“You’re going to have to insist.”
“I can’t tell my parents what they have to do, Josie.”
So many times, patients’ families needed to be persuaded to do the right thing, even if it was staring them right in the eyes. Baron’s condition had advanced beyond the point of Yvonne handling his care solo, and Russ needed a little tough love to realize that time had changed his role as child to the role of parent. It happened to everyone eventually. “You saw her face, right?”
He winced.
“Your father is more than she can handle alone now. Both of us know it. We need to convince her.”
Holding his hands out in front of him, palms up, he gave her a frown. “What do you want me to do? Lock him in a nursing home?”
“No.” Not yet, at least. There would be some more hard choices that would need to be made in the near future, and Russ would have to make them. Joslynn had no doubt Yvonne would do everything in her power to keep Baron home, but that was in no one’s best interest if his symptoms kept escalating.
A tear slipped from the corner of her eye, and she quickly swiped it away. In the months she’d been with Russ, Joslynn had developed a deep affection for his parents. They were wonderful people, the kind of people who didn’t deserve something this horrible to be happening to them. The NP in her knew what should be done, but she felt more like a daughter with the Greens, which made the advice she was giving so damned difficult.
“Then what, Josie?”
She took no exception to his exasperated tone. She was every bit as frustrated and angry over the situation. “Let’s start with getting an aide.” There was no reason to make Russ think about the evitable. For now she’d do everything she could to help Yvonne in her desire to keep Baron home. And that would require a lot of help. “You’re going to have to insist. Just like you did with the maid service.”
“Mom’s gonna pitch a fit.”
“Then let her go right ahead and pitch a fit.”
At least Russ smiled. Not a genuine smile—more one of relief that someone was stepping in and forcing him to put his foot down with his parents.
I should’ve done this earlier. That was what he needed to make the situation better—someone to give him a nudge. “We can go through the hospital social worker or you can call and interview some of the people yourself.”
“I’d rather you pick someone.” He pushed away from the counter. “I’ll go tell my mom.”
“It might not be a bad idea to have her go for an x-ray. I don’t think her nose is broken, but better safe than sorry. I’ll make her an ice pack while you talk to them.”
“I’ll see if she’ll go.” Grabbing Joslynn’s hand, he squeezed gently. “Thank you, sweetheart.”
Fighting the urge to cry, she gave him a nod.
“I’m getting the DNA test.” Russ said the words in such a bland tone that it took her a moment to realize their importance.
“So you want to know?”
“I have to know.”
She brushed the back of her knuckles against his beard-roughened cheek. “Want me to go with you?”
“I’d like that.”
“Since you’re being so brave, maybe I’ll follow your lead and get those fertility tests,” Joslynn said.
“You don’t have to,” Russ said.
“Quid pro quo. Besides, we both need to have all the information. It’s the only way we can make smart choices.”
“Since you’re going with me, then I’ll go with you. I love you, Josie.”
I think I love you too…