Can’t Hurry Love, Nadine Millard [10 best novels of all time .TXT] 📗

her finger on, a stone of dread had popped into her stomach. “He has an apartment down the street,” she said now, saving Jenna from any awkwardness. “I’m sorry to be forward but — how do you know Josh?”

The woman looked Beth over from her simple pink shirt, to her well-worn cowboy boots before smiling in a way that said she was beyond unimpressed with what she saw.

“Did you work in Chicago together?” she tried again in the face of the woman’s icy silence.

“No, I’m not a doctor.” She laughed like the idea was ludicrous. “I’m his wife.”

Chapter Twenty-Three

Josh had gotten back from his dinner with Beck filled with an optimism for the future that he hadn’t felt in a long time. Maybe ever.

He would have spoken to Brooke since she was the realtor here, but she was at girls’ night, and besides, he wanted it to be a surprise for Beth.

Beck owned a lot of properties around Rocky Valley, including the apartment block Josh was currently staying in, but more importantly, he had just finished building his own house and had happily given his architect and contractor details to Josh. Even better, he was selling a few acres near his own property and was happy to have Josh come take a look at them.

He’d been genuinely happy to hear Josh’s plans to stay, which just solidified Josh’s feelings on it.

He couldn’t wait to tell Beth. Part of him wanted to tell her as soon as she walked through the door. But no. It would be better this way.

He planned on asking her to go with him next Sunday morning to see the land. He’d tell her that he wasn’t going anywhere. That he wanted to be here, with her, for as long as she wanted him.

Tonight, he’d just make good on his promise to show her how much he missed her.

His phone started ringing beside him, and he picked it up hoping it was Beth.

Ellen’s number flashed up on the screen.

She’d been calling with increasing frequency.

Josh knew he’d have to talk to her. Steeling himself for whatever news she would have about Elaine, he hit the answer button.

“Ellen? Sorry I haven’t answered I just— What?”

Josh listened with growing horror as Ellen filled him in on what had been going on with her daughter.

“She was doing really well, Josh,” Ellen sounded apologetic. “She had gotten out of rehab and had moved back home. We thought… we thought that this time she would pull herself together. Then we saw Dr. Abad at a luncheon, and he mentioned your moving. It was like a trigger for her. Her doctor has been calling as have I, but she won’t answer.”

Josh felt the tension radiating down the phone.

A part of him wanted to tell Ellen it wasn’t his problem anymore, but that damned sense of responsibility reared its head again, and he was dragged right back to two years ago when everything had finally fallen apart.

The rain… the dark… the screech of tyres… the news that Elaine had lost her baby…

“What do you need me to do?” he asked dully.

“We don’t know where she is,” Ellen answered. “But we’re tracing her credit card, so as soon as we can—“

Josh’s doorbell rang, and he swung his eyes to clock on the kitchen wall.

Shit!

It could only be Beth, even though it seemed early for her to be done. The panic clawing at him made it hard to think.

The bell went again, and he moved to answer the door. He couldn’t exactly leave her standing in the hallway.

Ellen was still talking, but Josh was only half listening. He didn’t know what to do. Should he just come clean right now? Tell her everything? Should he pretend everything was ok and deal with it tomorrow when she’d gone to work?

Josh swung open the door and froze.

Beth stood there staring at him with eyes that were nothing more than huge pools of hurt.

And beside her was Elaine.

“Ellen—” He interrupted the agitated chatter on the phone. “—she’s here.”

Beth heard Josh’s words, and the last, tiny bit of hope in her died. She’d thought she couldn’t feel worse than she’d felt back at the bar. But seeing Josh’s face and hearing him say “She’s here”? That was worse. Way worse.

She had just stared at this woman back at Joe’s, not even able to contemplate what she was saying before Jenna stepped in and questioned her again.

His wife.

His wife!

Beth had stood there feeling about an inch big while this woman, Elaine, talked about coming to surprise him. About how they’d hit a bit of a rough patch but were going to work everything out.

And the entire time, Beth had felt as if she was falling apart.

When Elaine had asked for Josh’s address Beth had finally woken up and offered to take her. She didn’t listen to Jenna’s objections. She didn’t go back to the table to collect her purse. She wouldn’t have been able to face it.

“Josh, darling.” Elaine pushed past Beth and threw her arms around Josh’s neck, pressing her mouth to his.

Beth didn’t wait to see any more. Turning, she ran down the steps leading to the street door. She could hear Josh calling after her, but she ignored him, worried she was going to burst into tears. When she burst onto the street she did burst into tears.

Zoe, Tara, Jenna, Brooke, and Paige were all standing outside, waiting for her like a wall of support.

Zoe came forward and wrapped Beth in her arms. “Come on, let’s go,” she whispered.

Before they’d taken a step, the door flew open, and Josh was there. “Beth,” he rushed over to her, pulling her out of Zoe’s arms to face him. “Please, let me explain this. I know how it looks but—“

“You know how it looks?” she repeated with a laugh. “You’re married, Josh. Married!”

“Is that what she told you? Beth, I’m not married to her. Not — not anymore.”

She could only stare at him.

Was that better? Moderately, she