Heart of Hope Read online

  “Uncle Josh! What are you doing here?” Audrey gave him a big hug.

  “Auntie Callan had to go to Portland unexpectedly, so she asked me to take care of you and Emma for a while.” Josh helped Audrey into the back seat of his pickup where Emma still slept. “I’m gonna take you back to my house. Okay?”

  “Sure,” Audrey said, chatting about school and her friends and how excited she was for summer vacation to start in a few weeks.

  After parking by the back door, Josh helped Audrey climb out then carried Emma inside the house. The phone started ringing as they walked into the kitchen. Josh dropped his keys and Audrey’s backpack on the counter, then struggled to grab the phone and shift Emma to one arm.

  “Hello,” Josh said, nearly dropping the phone as Emma woke up and started wiggling.

  “Josh, its Callan. I’m running a few errands and will be a little later than I planned. Are you doing okay with the girls?”

  “Yes, we’re doing fine. I picked up Audrey and we just walked in the door when you called. Take all the time you need.” Josh set Emma on the counter as she opened her eyes and came fully awake. “Did you get a chance to talk to Jenna?”

  “I did and what she shared was very interesting. I think we better discuss it in person.” Callan didn’t give any indication if he was right in his thinking or if something else was going on. “Thanks again for watching the girls.”

  “No problem. Thanks for your help, Cal.” Josh felt even more worried now that Callan got information out of Jenna and wasn’t saying anything. “I’ll talk to you later.”

  Josh hung up the phone, looked at the two little girls in his care, and decided they probably could use a snack. He set Emma on a bar stool and helped Audrey onto one, then got out milk and cookies.

  “Uncle Josh?” Audrey looked at him with her sweet face and big blue eyes that reminded Josh of a china doll he’d seen at his grandma’s house when he was about Audrey’s age. “Can I ask you a question?”

  “Sure, honey. What’s on your mind?” Turning to look at his niece, he wondered what ran through her head.

  “Do you think Auntie Callan and Uncle Clay would mind if we called them Mama and Daddy?” Audrey asked quietly.

  Josh took a moment to answer. Before he could speak, he needed to swallow down the emotion clogging his throat. Callan and Clay would be thrilled beyond words that the girls wanted to refer to them as their parents.

  “I think they would like that very much,” Josh said, offering her an encouraging smile. “Have you mentioned it to Auntie Callan?”

  “No.” Audrey toyed with a cookie. “I didn’t know what she would say and I was afraid she might say no. I didn’t want her to say no.”

  Josh pulled Audrey onto his lap and hugged her tight. Carefully, he chose his words. “Audrey, you can talk to Auntie Callan, your new mama, about anything. If she tells you no about something, it would only be because no is what would be best for you. But I promise you, if you ask her if you can call her mama, she won’t tell you no.”

  “Really?” Audrey sounded hopeful, looking up at her uncle with trusting eyes.

  “Really.” Josh grinned down at her. He looked over at Emma as she played with her cookie and put a hand around her little shoulders. “What do you think Emma? Would you like to call them Mama and Daddy?”

  “Yep. It was my idea.” Emma nodded her head knowingly. “I told Audrey we had to call them something different than our first mom and dad so that’s why I said it should be Mama and Daddy. Auntie Callan, I mean Mama, calls Gampa ‘Daddy’ and I think it sounds nice. Don’t you?”

  “Yes, I do. It sounds better than nice.” Josh ruffled Emma’s hair. “How about you girls come with me out to the barn? I think I saw a new litter of kittens out there the other day. I bet if we tried real hard, we could find them.”

  “Yippee!” Emma jumped off her barstool and ran to the door. “Let’s roll!”

  By the time Callan arrived to pick up the girls, Josh was thoroughly exhausted. He’d rather work outside digging ditch all day in hundred-degree temperatures than try to keep two little girls entertained. When Callan walked in the door, they sat on the couch watching Snow White while Josh collapsed in his chair, enjoying a few minutes of rest.

  “Hello,” Callan called as she breezed inside the back door. “Anybody home?”

  The girls heard her voice and ran toward her. Callan bent down to give them both a hug.

  “Mama, we missed you!” Emma hugged Callan tightly

  Josh knew he’d never forget the look on Callan’s face when Emma called her Mama. It was a look of joy, wonder, and love unlike anything he’d ever seen.

  Callan sank to her knees, pulled both girls to her, and kissed the tops of their heads. “Emma, did you just call me Mama?” Callan asked.

  “Yep. Uncle Josh said it would be okay. It is okay, isn’t it?” Emma gazed at Callan with her lower lip starting to protrude in a pout.

  “Oh, Sweet Pea, it’s more than okay. It’s absolutely wonderful.” Callan kissed the girls again then looked up at Josh with tears in her eyes. She mouthed “thank you” to him over the girls’ heads, struggling to keep her tears from overflowing.

  Josh grinned. “You’re welcome.”

  Chapter Five

  Hot, tired and dirty, Josh returned to the house in a dark mood after a long, hard day working in the fields.

  Due to the girls getting Callan wound up over calling her mama the previous afternoon, she whisked them home to share the news with Clay and completely forgot to tell him what she found out from Jenna.

  Although he called her multiple times throughout the day, he kept getting her voice mail. Finally deciding to catch her after church the following day, he tried to let go of his overwhelming need to know what Jenna said about having an affair. Callan would have said something if it was all a misunderstanding. The fact she wanted to talk in person had him plenty worried.

  Josh opened the door to the mudroom and walked inside, speculating what delicious thing Jenna had made for dinner. After shucking off everything but his underwear, he strolled into the kitchen and found it empty. No taste-tempting aromas of dinner cooking filled the air.

  “Jenna,” he called, walking through the house. “Jenna?” He entered their bedroom and noticed the closed bathroom door. He gathered a change of clothes from his dresser drawers and was ready to knock on the door when it opened. Jenna strode into the bedroom dressed for an evening out on the town. She wore more makeup than usual with her hair piled on top of her head.

  His gaze fastened on the burgundy cocktail dress that hugged every curve. A pair of strappy high heels drew his eyes to her legs while her perfume wafted around him in a sensual vanilla cloud.

  “Whoa, babe! You look fantastic. What are we doing?” He leaned over and kissed her cheek, afraid to get too close and get her dirty.

  Jenna laughed, picking up a little evening bag and dropping lip-gloss and a credit card case inside. “We aren’t doing anything. Don’t you remember? I told you weeks ago the girls are having a night out tonight. We’re going to dinner and then the movies.”

  “What girls?” Josh asked, fighting to control his anger. He was certain there were no girls involved in the evening plans. If he were a betting man, he’d wager Jenna was off to meet Dennis Gillman.

  “Callan and Laken, of course. Who do you think?” Jenna ignored his frown as she fastened a necklace around her neck, daring a glimpse at him in the dresser mirror. She almost burst into giggles at the sight of him standing in his underwear, hands fisted at his waist and a dark scowl on his handsome face. Barely containing her humor, she focused her attention on adjusting a strand of hair near her ear. “You’re on your own for dinner and the evening. We might be late, so don’t wait up for me.”

  “But, Jenna…” The ringing of Jenna’s phone cut off anything he planned to say. Although she walked into the front room, he followed close enough to hear the one-sided conversation.

  “I know. I can
’t wait to see you either. I’m wearing your favorite dress. No, he doesn’t know. Yes, Giovanni’s at seven. Me, too. Bye.”

  Josh was about to blow a fuse. Jenna was having an affair. Moreover, she wasn’t even trying very hard to keep it a secret.

  If she thought he’d stand by while she violated their marriage vows and walked out on him, she had another think coming. He masked his fury and stepped into the living room.

  “Have a nice time.” He kissed her cheek then plastered on a fake smile.

  “Thanks, Josh, I will.” She dropped her phone into her bag and walked out the door with a wave of her fingers.

  Josh glanced at the clock on the wall and decided if he hurried he could grab a shower, drive to Giovanni’s, and be at the restaurant in time to catch Jenna with lover boy. Just to confirm his suspicions, he called Callan and asked if she had plans for the evening. When she said no, he yelled, “Ha! I knew it!” and hung up the phone.

  He ran into the bathroom, shaved and showered in record time. Determined to gain the upper hand, he pulled one of his suits with a crisp shirt out of the closet and rushed to get dressed. After swiping a rag over his good cowboy boots, he tugged them on, and finished knotting his tie as he ran out the door. If he was going to prove who the better man was, he sure wasn’t going to do it dressed like a hick from the sticks.

  Mindless of breaking the speed limit by several miles per hour, he wheeled into Giovanni’s parking lot five minutes before seven. Inside, he went to the hostess station to see if she had seated Jenna, but had to stand in line and wait.

  He glanced into the bar and noticed Jenna at a cozy table for two with a big burly cowboy sitting with his back to the door. Dennis Gillman wore a black Stetson, pulled low over his face, along with a black sports jacket. If he didn’t know better, Josh could have sworn the guy was a twin to Clay from the back.

  Josh marched into the bar, stomped up to the table, and turned a furious glare on his wife.

  “Well, isn’t this a cozy picture miss night-out-with-the-girls,” Josh spat out, keeping his voice low even though his tone screamed his displeasure. Fiery indignation blazed in his gray eyes while his entire countenance oozed anger and disappointment. “How dare you lie to me? How dare you cheat on me? How dare you!”

  Jenna gave him an innocent look. “Josh, I…”

  Josh cut her off. “Don’t you Josh me, missy. You answer my questions. How could you?”

  “Now hold on a minute, there, city boy.” Jenna’s date stood from the table and pushed back his hat. “You might want to stop with the accusations.”

  Josh’s head snapped up at the familiar voice and turned to gape at the face of his brother-in-law. He had no idea what Clay was doing at the table with Jenna, and he was too mad to listen to any explanations.

  “So I’ve been betrayed by not only my wife, but also my best friend,” Josh said in disbelief. “This just keeps getting better and better.”

  Instead of defending themselves, instead of admitting their guilt, they both laughed at him.

  Laughed!

  “I’m glad you find this so humorous,” he said, staring at them with loathing. “Maybe you won’t laugh so hard when Callan finds out, Clay. Hmm? Will it still be funny then?”

  “Absolutely.” Clay’s cocky grin made Josh want to punch him in the nose. Clay stretched out his hand toward the bar. Callan slid off a barstool and wrapped her fingers around his as she stepped next to the table.

  “Little brother, you have officially been had,” Callan said with a big smile. “We got you good.”

  Confused and angry, Josh looked from Clay and Callan to Jenna then back again. “What is going on here?”

  Jenna rose from the table and took Josh’s arm, pulling him toward the hostess station. Clay and Callan walked behind them.

  “We’re ready for our table now,” Jenna said to the hostess, who then led them to a table for four back in a corner. Once the girls sat down, the men took their seats. Josh’s temper continued to boil.

  “Would someone like to explain what is going on?” he asked through clenched teeth.

  “You asked me to find out if Jenna was having an affair and I did. I’ll let her give you the details herself, but I told you all along Jenna would never cheat on you. Of course I was right,” Callan said smugly. “We decided to teach you a lesson. Of course, Clay was more than happy to help.”

  “I do what I can.” Clay smiled broadly then leaned back in his chair, quite pleased with his part in the prank.

  Josh didn’t know what to say. Humiliated by his wife, sister, and brother-in-law, he’d made quite a scene in one of their favorite restaurants. Now, they expected him to eat dinner, all nice and civilized, when he could hardly see straight.

  He glanced at Jenna, realizing he should have talked to her instead of jumping to conclusions. Regardless of his abhorrence of conflict, he should have pressured her to discuss the problem at home. It certainly would have been better than the drama in the bar a few minutes ago.

  Gently lifting Jenna’s hand in his, his temper cooled and remorse settled in. He raised her hand to his lips and kissed her palm.

  “I’m sorry, babe. You’ve never given me a reason to doubt you and I should have known you wouldn’t cheat on me, but this still doesn’t make sense. Who is Dennis Gillman? I know it wasn’t Clay calling our house non-stop and hanging up on me when I answered the phone.”

  After a server took their orders, Jenna told the story of being harassed by Gillman. She explained how she finally turned the problem over to her supervisor the previous morning, before Callan met her for lunch.

  “I’m sorry, too, Josh. I should have told you what was going on, but I wanted to handle it by myself. I didn’t want you to worry and I didn’t want you to fight my battle for me.” Jenna stared down at her hands, nervously twisting the napkin on her lap.

  “That’s what husbands do, Jenna. We live to fight battles for the honor of our women. Isn’t that right, Clay?” Josh asked, looking to his friend for support.

  Clay grunted like a cavedweller and nodded his head. “Ugg and Zoog here to protect women.”

  Callan and Jenna laughed and the remaining tension around the table quickly dissipated.

  “Who was on the phone earlier?” Josh asked as they ate the dinner. “Someone called right before you left.”

  “That was me,” Callan said with a sly smile. “Jenna hid in your bathroom and called me when she heard you come in. The plan was to wait a few minutes then call her back pretending to be Gillman. We knew you’d be furious and follow her, and here we are.”

  “Thanks for behaving according to plan.” Jenna patted Josh’s hand.

  He might have let his anger rise again if he hadn’t looked into her eyes and started to fall into the their intoxicating depths.

  The four of them relaxed and relished a rare evening out together. They were all dressed up, eating at the best restaurant in town, enjoying one another’s company. Bobbi and Steve kept Audrey and Emma overnight. Without any little ones to hurry home to, the foursome decided to go to the movies and then stop for dessert before calling it a night.

  As they parted company for the evening, Callan suggested they plan a night out once a month. Jenna readily agreed and they all promised the next time would not involve a joke at Josh’s expense.

  Josh followed Jenna’s car home. The drive gave him time to think of a nice apology speech. He pulled into the driveway while Jenna parked in the garage, rehearsing what he wanted to say.

  Even though Jenna thought she’d evened the score by playing the joke on him, Josh knew he owed his wife an apology. Despite incriminating evidence, he should have known, without a doubt, Jenna would never cheat on him. He’d violated her trust, questioned her commitment, and humiliated them both. If she kicked him out of their bedroom for a while, he couldn’t blame her. Not in the least.

  He walked into the kitchen and watched Jenna set her evening bag on the counter. When she turned to look at
him, she kept her expression blank and shook her head. She folded her arms across her chest, leaned against the counter, and waited.

  Josh cleared his throat and took a step toward her. Apologizing seemed a lot easier driving home than it was turning out to be in reality.

  “Jenna…” He stared at his boots. Jenna stuck an index finger under his chin and pushed upward, bringing his gaze up to meet hers. Releasing a sigh, Josh took her hand in his and started over. “I’m so sorry, babe. I should have trusted you and never doubted you. Rather than jumping to conclusions, I should have discussed my concerns with you. I should have known you would never cheat on me. I’m the most jealous, stupid husband in the world and can only beg for your forgiveness. Please?”

  “I don’t know.” Jenna tipped her head and studied him with her eyes full of unshed tears. “How could you, Josh? How could you ever think that I’d have an affair? How could you think I’d take our vows so casually? Disregard our love? I would never, ever do that and it hurts to know that’s what you thought. You have absolutely no faith or trust in me.”

  Josh pulled her into his arms and rested his head on top of hers. “Jenna, that isn’t true. I think I knew deep down that you wouldn’t cheat on me, but in case you haven’t noticed, I can get a little jealous and slightly unreasonable. What was I supposed to think when that guy kept calling?”

  “That your wife had a problem and she didn’t know how to handle it,” Jenna said quietly. “Josh, I should have told you from the start what was going on. I was just so ashamed that I couldn’t stop it and then I was afraid what you’d do if you found out.”

  “What did you think I would do?” Josh asked, suddenly curious to know how his wife thought he’d handle a problem like someone stalking her.

  “I thought you’d get unreasonably angry and go beat him up, or show up at the office and make a scene. I’m truly sorry.” Jenna hugged him tightly.

  Josh smiled inwardly. Jenna wasn’t far off in her assumptions of what he would have done, or at least felt like doing if she’d told him the truth.