Page 38 of The Cowgirl's Chosen Love
Josiah pulled his hand free from paradise, swung her into his arms, and stepped toward the only place he could think of that was safe.
He had the door open to the pantry and both of them inside before Finn’s voice finished echoing through the house.
They stood there for just a brief second, utterly motionless.
Lisa’s look of panic rapidly changed into astonished shock. “My clothes are out there,” she whispered.
He was already shrugging out of his shirt. “If I’d taken you anywhere else, they would’ve seen you. Damn open-room concept.”
Lisa snickered, covering her mouth with both hands as she waited for him to finish.
He held out the shirt, and she slid her arms into it, doing up the buttons before motioning to the door. “You need to get rid of them. Oh my God, or at least go pick up my sweatpants.”
She snickered softly, and Josiah found he was grinning far too hard.
“I’ll tell you when it’s safe to come out,” he promised, leaning in and pressing a quick kiss to her smiling lips. “I should be able to distract them for a little while.”
“Josiah?” Finn’s voice was louder, and closer.
Josiah held a finger to his mouth in warning to Lisa, then stepped backward, slipping from the pantry and closing the door firmly behind him as he pulled on his best performer’s smile. “Hey, guys. I didn’t expect to see you this early.”
Finn and Zachary stood in the kitchen. Both of them eyed him with confusion as they took a calculated glance around.
Yeah, it wasn’t going to take long for them to figure this out. Josiah stood there wearing nothing but jeans, after coming out of the pantry. There wasn’t a good explanation, so he didn’t even bother to try.
Zachary poked his elbow into Finn’s side, both of their gazes falling to the sweatpants strewn on the floor.
Distraction arrived from an unexpected corner. Ollie had gotten up and approached, although her tail was doing its usual metronome imitation.
Both of Josiah’s new roommates turned to say hello, the lady’s sweatpants temporarily ignored. Thank God for dogs.
“Careful,” Josiah warned. “She seems like a good-natured animal, but we rescued her from a backyard breeder pit today. I don’t know much about her.”
Zach squatted and offered a hand for Ollie to sniff. “Someone down at the coffee shop told us about the puppy mill. You got it all straightened out?”
“Started to.” He glanced at both of them. “If you guys want to grab a shower, I’ll work on getting dinner on the table,” he offered in a desperate attempt to get them out of the room so he could help Lisa escape.
Finn stooped, picking up the sweatpants on the floor, his amusement showing. “Sounds like a plan. Right, Zach? We can totally get out of Josiah’s hair for—what half an hour? An hour?”
Josiah could put up with teasing. Half naked, clearly interrupted— “Great. Whatever. Yeah, great.”
“Always glad to be of help.” Finn winked.
Just when Josiah thought they were going to get away with it, the pantry door jerked open behind him, and Lisa stepped out, pushing him aside with her shoulder.
She stared at the two men who gawked unashamedly at the woman dressed in nothing but a man’s flannel shirt.
“Finn Marlette?” Shock coloured her voice. “Oh my God, itisyou.”
9
Any embarrassment she might’ve felt had totally fled at the sound of the familiar voice. It’d taken a moment to place it—five years had passed since she’d last seen the man.
It barely registered when Josiah slipped an arm around her and tugged her against his body protectively. Lisa was too busy checking Finn over with complete astonishment.
He recovered quicker than she did, a lazy smile spreading across his handsome face. “Lisa Coleman. Fancy meeting you here.”
She wasn’t sure if she should poke him or laugh for leaving that comment so open ended. Here in Heart Falls? Or here, mostly naked, in Josiah Ryder’s kitchen?
