It's Josie.
Somehow able to sense her drawing closer, I turn, heart hammering in my chest when I see her striding over. She looks like a fucking goddess, and, right now, she’s walking fast enough that her hair is slightly billowing out behind her. Everything, everyone else fades away. Lively music starts, but it’s just a distant echo.
“Josie,” I say, and her name feels so good leaving my lips. I offer her a hand. “Should we try again?”
She tips her head up, locking eyes with me, and starts to reach for my hand but hesitates. Something crosses her face, pulling down her features for a fleeting moment. It’s just long enough for me to notice, and I hate the idea of anything making her upset.
But then she smiles, takes my hand, and looks right into my eyes for another moment before we go back to the dance floor. A classical version of a modern song is playing, and the dance everyone is doing along with this seems simpler than the one before.
Taking one of Josie’s hands, I bring my other to her back and step in closer. Josie turns her head, looking at the ground as she hooks one hand on my shoulder. She flicks her eyes back to me and then shakes her head as if she’s trying to figure something out. The woman doesn’t have a poker face to save her life.
“Are you okay?” I ask, stepping back in rhythm with her.
“I…I don’t know.” We circle around the dance floor.
“You seem upset.”
“I am.” She looks up at me again, and this time it’s easy to see how hurt she looks. If anyone hurt her—
“You told Mr. Rudolph you want to buy my land.” She comes to a standstill and the hurt on her face starts to turn into anger. “That’s why you were so adamant about me not being able to handle the rescue. It wasn’t because you were actually concerned. It was because you wanted it for yourself.”
“That’s not true.”
She jerks her hands back and steps out of my embrace. “You don’t want the land? Don’t lie to me.”
“I’m not lying, Josie. I mentioned how I’d like to expand the practice and if I did then, yes, I’d need more land.”
“So, you do want it?” She rapidly blinks away tears.
“I mean…” Fuck, I’m fumbling here. I would never trick Josie like that. I’d never trick anyone like that. My words got twisted and she needs to know that was never my intention. “I’m not trying to take it from you. If you sold it, yes, I’d be interested in buying it, but I’m not trying to force you out.”
“Funny, because that feels exactly like what you’re trying to do.” She looks away, rapidly shaking her head. “And, to think, I trusted you.” A single tear rolls down her cheek and she angrily wipes it away. “I liked you.”
“Josie,” I start as she takes a step back. “Wait.”
“Don’t,” she says, trying to hold it together. “You might have played me, but you’re not going to win. I’m not selling the farm, and even if I did, I will do everything in my power to make sure it doesn’t go to you.” The look of hurt and betrayal on her face does me in. Inhaling and pushing her shoulders back, her eyes linger on me for just a moment longer before she turns and walks away.
“I missed you too,” I tell my dogs, stepping into my house. I left the gala not long after dinner. Josie somehow was able to move to a different table, sitting with Meryl and two other owners of horse rescues. It didn’t raise questions to anyone, but I knew she was avoiding me, under the assumption that I purposely baited her into thinking running the rescue was beyond her skill level.
I tried talking to her after the tables were cleared, but she slipped away into the crowd, and then I didn’t see her again.
“Who wants to go for a walk?” Pluto and Piper get excited, but my lazy French Bulldog runs and lays down on his bed. I laugh, so fucking grateful for these dogs right now. I change out of the suit and into athletic shorts and a t-shirt.
I make Axel go for just a short walk up and down the driveway since he needs some exercise, but I know he doesn’t have the stamina to continue for much longer. I plan on being out here a while. It’s a nice night, and though it’s late, I spend an hour walking my dogs up and down the road, and then check on the animals at the clinic before going back to the house to shower.
Crashing into bed sounds wonderful, though, as soon as I do, my mind goes right back to the gala. It makes me feel sick when I think about the pained look on Josie’s face. I’ll talk to her and tell her my intentions were to help her, with the horses’ welfare in mind.