winced. “For some reason I had the stupid idea that all I needed to do was hire a preacher, find a place and say I do and it would be a done deal. But women seem to have their own ideas about what should be involved when it comes to weddings.”
Joshua laughed. “Libby is great, Clay. I’m happy for you.” He’d met his brother’s fiancée a couple of nights before, along with her daughter, Gracie. “You’re going to have your hands full with that little girl. Gracie is a smart cookie and as charming as can be.”
Clay smiled, his affection for the child obvious. “Yeah, she’s something else. She had Smokey curled around her finger in a matter of minutes, and Dad is an absolute fool over her.”
For just a moment a sharp envy shot through Joshua. He’d seen the way both eight-year-old Gracie and the beautiful Libby looked at his brother. They looked at him as if he’d hung the moon and Joshua had no doubt that the life his brother was going to share with them would be filled with plenty of love.
The last thing Joshua had been looking for in his time in New York was marriage or even a committed relationship. But since returning home and seeing his brothers with their spouses and intended spouses, he’d found himself wondering what it would be like to have a special lady in his life.
As they reached the house, Clay motioned Joshua into one of the two chairs that sat on the porch. “Let’s sit and talk a bit before we go inside.”
“Okay.” Joshua eased down into one of the chairs as Clay sat in the other.
“It’s good to have you home, Joshua. We all missed you,” Clay said. “It didn’t seem right whenever the family got together and you weren’t there.”
“Yeah, it’s good to be back.”
Clay stared off in the distance, a thoughtful frown wrinkling his forehead. “Actually, Dad wanted me to talk to you. He’s been worried about you since you’ve been home.”
Joshua looked at Clay in surprise. “Worried? Why?”
His brother looked at him. “He says you haven’t been yourself since returning to Cotter Creek. You’re quieter, more withdrawn, and he doesn’t understand why you seem so adamant against working for the business.”
Joshua leaned back in the chair. “I’m not totally against it, I just told him I need some time to decide exactly what I want to do.”
He knew his brothers loved working for the bodyguard business and he didn’t know how to explain to anyone that, for him, going back to work for that business felt like a failure.
No matter how inept, no matter how unskilled he might be, that was a job waiting for him simply by the mere accident of being born a West.
“Is there anything else going on? Anything bothering you?” Clay asked.
If Joshua was going to bare his heart to anyone in his family, it would be to Clay. The two brothers had always been close.
But the West men had never been big on soul-baring, and to be honest, Joshua was more than a little embarrassed by what had happened in New York to drive him back home. He wasn’t ready to talk about it with anyone.
“I had a little excitement last night,” he finally said. He explained to Clay about Savannah enlisting his aid in her quest for answers, then described the shooting that had taken place at the newspaper office.
“It was nothing but birdshot,” Joshua explained.
“You think she’s onto something?” Clay asked when Joshua had finished.
“I don’t know,” Joshua admitted thoughtfully. “It’s possible what happened last night was nothing more than some kids looking for a little excitement.” He released a deep sigh. “All I know for sure is that I had the feeling if I didn’t agree to help her she was going to be a major pain in my ass. Have you met her?”
Clay smiled. “Yeah, Meredith introduced us to her. She seems really nice. Meredith certainly thinks the world of her.”
Joshua scowled and leaned forward. “I have a feeling the woman can be stubborn as a mule, and
Joshua laughed. “Libby is great, Clay. I’m happy for you.” He’d met his brother’s fiancée a couple of nights before, along with her daughter, Gracie. “You’re going to have your hands full with that little girl. Gracie is a smart cookie and as charming as can be.”
Clay smiled, his affection for the child obvious. “Yeah, she’s something else. She had Smokey curled around her finger in a matter of minutes, and Dad is an absolute fool over her.”
For just a moment a sharp envy shot through Joshua. He’d seen the way both eight-year-old Gracie and the beautiful Libby looked at his brother. They looked at him as if he’d hung the moon and Joshua had no doubt that the life his brother was going to share with them would be filled with plenty of love.
The last thing Joshua had been looking for in his time in New York was marriage or even a committed relationship. But since returning home and seeing his brothers with their spouses and intended spouses, he’d found himself wondering what it would be like to have a special lady in his life.
As they reached the house, Clay motioned Joshua into one of the two chairs that sat on the porch. “Let’s sit and talk a bit before we go inside.”
“Okay.” Joshua eased down into one of the chairs as Clay sat in the other.
“It’s good to have you home, Joshua. We all missed you,” Clay said. “It didn’t seem right whenever the family got together and you weren’t there.”
“Yeah, it’s good to be back.”
Clay stared off in the distance, a thoughtful frown wrinkling his forehead. “Actually, Dad wanted me to talk to you. He’s been worried about you since you’ve been home.”
Joshua looked at Clay in surprise. “Worried? Why?”
His brother looked at him. “He says you haven’t been yourself since returning to Cotter Creek. You’re quieter, more withdrawn, and he doesn’t understand why you seem so adamant against working for the business.”
Joshua leaned back in the chair. “I’m not totally against it, I just told him I need some time to decide exactly what I want to do.”
He knew his brothers loved working for the bodyguard business and he didn’t know how to explain to anyone that, for him, going back to work for that business felt like a failure.
No matter how inept, no matter how unskilled he might be, that was a job waiting for him simply by the mere accident of being born a West.
“Is there anything else going on? Anything bothering you?” Clay asked.
If Joshua was going to bare his heart to anyone in his family, it would be to Clay. The two brothers had always been close.
But the West men had never been big on soul-baring, and to be honest, Joshua was more than a little embarrassed by what had happened in New York to drive him back home. He wasn’t ready to talk about it with anyone.
“I had a little excitement last night,” he finally said. He explained to Clay about Savannah enlisting his aid in her quest for answers, then described the shooting that had taken place at the newspaper office.
“It was nothing but birdshot,” Joshua explained.
“You think she’s onto something?” Clay asked when Joshua had finished.
“I don’t know,” Joshua admitted thoughtfully. “It’s possible what happened last night was nothing more than some kids looking for a little excitement.” He released a deep sigh. “All I know for sure is that I had the feeling if I didn’t agree to help her she was going to be a major pain in my ass. Have you met her?”
Clay smiled. “Yeah, Meredith introduced us to her. She seems really nice. Meredith certainly thinks the world of her.”
Joshua scowled and leaned forward. “I have a feeling the woman can be stubborn as a mule, and
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