“What’s so funny?” Jeff asked as he bent down to look at Heather.
“Nothing, dude. Nothing at all. ” Josh said with a smirk.
Jeff gave Josh a dirty look. He turned back to Heather. “Hey, are you okay?”
“Yeah, Jeff, I’m fine. I just wasn’t expecting that. Josh actually made me feel a lot better with his stupid jokes. ”
Jeff smiled and then looked at me, and his smile faded just a little.
“Ari, do you think I could use your Jeep for about an hour?”
“I thought we were getting ready to leave for the ranch, Jeff. Man, we’ve got a lot of shit to get unpacked in both the cabin and your place. Where the hell are you going?” Josh asked Jeff.
“Rebecca’s car won’t start, and she’s tried to call everyone she could think of to give her a jump. ”
“Can’t she just call a tow truck or something for Christ’s sake? How the hell has she managed without you for the last seven months, Jeff? This is getting insane. ” I said as I stood up.
Jeff stood up and ran his hands through hair and then down his face.
“What am I supposed to do, Ari? Just leave her stranded? What if something happened with the baby and she needed her car?”
“Come on, Jeff, even I can see this for what it is. You mean to tell me that this girl couldn’t find one person to come and help her. Jesus, dude, you’re not that stupid,” Josh said as he stood up, holding out a hand to help Heather up.
I reached into my purse and threw Jeff the keys to my Jeep before I headed toward the back door.
“What the fuck are we supposed to do while you rescue Rebecca?” Josh asked, annoyed.
As I walked into the backyard, I had to lean over and rest my hands on my knees, because I couldn’t catch my breath.
I felt someone’s hand on my back. I stood and turned around to see…Heather.
“I’m sorry, Ari. He left to go help her. ”
“Motherfucker, I can’t believe it. He left? He went to her?”
Heather had tears in her eyes again.
I stood up straighter. “Don’t you dare shed a tear for that bastard, Heather. Do you hear me?”
I stepped around her to go back into the house. Josh was looking out the front window. I walked up next to him, and he bumped me with his shoulder and gave me the sweetest smile.
“I’m sorry, Ari. I hate to see that bitch coming between you and Jeff. ”
I looked over at Josh and smiled at him. “Who are you? And what have you done with Josh-the-man-whore?”
Josh threw his head back and laughed. “Well, I guess it’s time to grow up and find someone worth being faithful to. ”
“Really? Do you think you found that person?” I asked bumping my shoulder against his. He looked down at me and gave me the sweetest smile.
“I
think so. It’s just a damn shame that she doesn’t feel the same way. ”
I turned around to see if Heather had come back into the house yet.
“Josh, give her time. I know she likes you. Just…give her some time to let you in. ”
“Shit, Ari, I’m trying. I’m trying to do everything that I can think of to prove to her that I’ve changed, but she just keeps saying that she wants to be friends only. I don’t really know what else to do but wait. ”