Page 9 of Loving Josy
“Yeah, well, I don’t,” I grumble, leaning against the counter. “Why does he have to show up today? He has never been here before except for that one time a few days ago as I was leaving the shop. I don’t even know if he stayed and order something that day. Can you believe that? All this time and he just decides to show up so frequently,” I say with a huff. “And then he smiles and acts like all is okay. It’s like he’s making it his mission to annoy me.”
Violet raises an eyebrow. “Or maybe he’s making it his mission to get you to talk to him.”
“I talk to him,” I protest, but even I know it sounds weak.
Violet rolls her eyes. “Yeah, if you call arguing and flipping him off ‘talking.’ You know, Josy, maybe he’s not so bad. He obviously likes you. A lot.”
I snort. “He doesn’t like me. If he liked me, he would have come to the coffee shop when I opened it and congratulated me. Or he could have reached out after I stopped talking to him and came back to Honey Springs. But guess what? He didn’t. Wehave not talked at all in the past ten years. And the few times that we talked was because we were in the same place as you.”
“Or maybe,” Violet says, leaning in conspiratorially, “he is just tired of not talking to you. Period.”
I open my mouth to argue, but the words die on my tongue. Because the truth is, a small part of me—a part I’m desperately trying to ignore—wonders if Violet might be right. And that thought scares the hell out of me.
“Whatever,” I mutter, straightening up. “I’ve got work to do.”
But as I start to walk away, I can’t shake the image of Noah’s infuriating smile from my mind. And I can’t help but wonder why after all this time he is talking to me.
Sitting down at my desk, I take a few deep, calming breaths to calm down and stop overanalyzing Noah’s actions. Why today? Why all of the sudden is he showing up and being all cute and shit. He’s had ten years to come and talk and NOW he chooses to bug me? I don’t want to talk to him. Even though, deep inside, my body craves him. He is so freaking handsome, and as time has passed, he’s only gotten hotter. Now, he looks like a man—a real man. His body is a work of art that I just want to stare at, maybe even…No, stop. Stop thinking about him. This is never going to happen. The sooner you get that through your head, the better.
The Sunday morning sunlight spills through the window, bathing my bedroom in a golden glow. It’s been weeks since I’ve had a moment to breathe, let alone enjoy a day off. Between equipment orders and training plans for the new coffee shop, my to-do list feels endless. But today is mine—or so I tell myself.
I pull on a pair of black yoga pants and a teal sports bra, tossing a loose, white shirt over it. My curly hair, refusing to cooperate as usual, gets wrangled into a braid. Grabbing my backpack, I double-check its contents: water bottles, protein bars, and my favorite gummy snacks. Perfect for a nice hike.
When I step outside, the crisp morning air greets me, along with the faint scent of freshly cut grass. Violet’s guest house, perched above my garage, isn’t far. As I climb the stairs and knock on her door, hearing Adrian’s excited voice before Violet opens up.
“We’re ready,” Violet announces, beaming. She’s dressed similarly, her blond hair tied up in a messy bun.
“Austin will meet us there,” she adds casually.
“Okay,” I reply, slipping on my sunglasses.
Violet and Adrian follow me to the car, and we pile in. Adrian chatters about everything and nothing, his enthusiasm contagious. The drive to the park is short, and by the time we arrive, I’m already feeling lighter. That is, until I seehim.
Noah is standing beside Austin, leaning against his truck with the kind of casual confidence that drives me insane. Today he is wearing black shorts with a grey shirt that stick to his perfect torso. His dark hair is slightly messy, as though he just ran his hands through it, and his usual cocky grin spreads across his face as his eyes land on me.
Of course.
I wait for Adrian to hop out of the car before I turn to Violet, narrowing my eyes. “What is he doing here?”
Violet shrugs, her smile far too innocent to be genuine. “I don’t know. I guess Austin invited him.”
“Right.” I cross my arms, glaring at her. “You knew and didn’t tell me. I hate you.”
“Oh, don’t be so dramatic.” She waves me off, clearly enjoying herself.
“Dramatic? Violet, this is a hiking trail. There’s no escaping him here! It’s not like I can duck into my office to avoid him.”
“Then don’t avoid him,” she says with a pointed stare. “Talk to him.”
I snort. “Talk to him? About what? How I’ve been strategically dodging him for the past ten years?”
Violet laughs, grabbing her backpack. “You’re impossible, you know that? Just try to enjoy the hike. Who knows? Maybe he’ll surprise you.”
“Yeah, surprise me by leaving,” I mutter under my breath as we join Austin and Noah.
Noah’s grin widens when I approach, his eyes flicking to the braid over my shoulder. “Morning, sweetheart. Nice hair. Did you do it yourself, or did Violet help?”
“Good morning to you too, Noah. First, my name is not sweetheart,” I say, forcing a smile. “And second, yes, I did it myself. You’d be surprised what I’m capable of when I’m not busy dodging annoying people.”
