By Friday, they were well entrenched in a definite pattern. Josh called each day just before lunch. He never stayed on the phone long, but made sure he checked on Penny and Michelle.
In the evenings, once Penny was in bed, they worked together to get the business brought up to date. Catching up on the backlog of invoices was the major accomplishment.
Michelle had several suggestions on work flow that Josh tried and discovered they streamlined things a great deal.
He began telling her about some of his cases and she related what she and Penny did at lunchtime, or the frustrations of dealing with one of the partners in the firm.
But in other areas, they made no progress, in Josh’s opinion. He made it a point to kiss Michelle when she arrived home each night, hoping she’d give some indication that she’d like to change the status quo. She returned his kisses, but then every night she seemed to deliberately wait until he was engrossed in something before slipping off to bed.
He was growing more and more frustrated. He’d put his cards on the table and had to admit he had expected her to do something about his suggestion. Instead, she seemed to be ignoring the situation entirely. He wondered how much longer he could go on. She was driving him crazy!
He knew she felt the attraction between them. She responded to his kisses like a kid in a candy shop. Then she’d pull back, wide-eyed and breathless. If Penny wasn’t always present, he’d demand another kiss and see where it led.
Finishing up early on Friday, Josh was just about ready to leave for home when the phone rang. He’d wanted to get a jump on the traffic, expecting the holiday weekend to clog the roadways.
“Josh, it’s Michelle.”
“What's wrong?” He could hear the tension in her voice.
“Nothing major, but my car won’t start. I was expecting to leave a little early and already have Penny. When I tried to start the engine, it wouldn't. It makes a funny whirring sound.”
“I’ll be there in a few minutes.”
“I’m parked in the lot behind the building. I’ll watch for you.”
Josh grabbed the folder he had for the Sam Williams search and headed out. Tomorrow he planned to drive to Baton Rouge to interview Edith Strong. Michelle and Penny were going with him. If they left early enough, they’d be in Baton Rouge in time to talk with Edith before lunch.
After they talked with Mrs. Strong, he’d like to take a swing by Talmadge Hall to see where Michelle had grown up. And maybe find out why she had no attachment to the place.
But first, he had to go get his family.
Michelle sat in the hot car, wishing that the air conditioning at least worked. She should have told Josh they’d wait inside.
She hit the steering wheel again. Stupid car. How could it not work? She’s planned a fun dinner for them and now they’d be late getting home and she was hot and cranky.
“How much longer?” Penny asked.
“Your daddy will be here soon.”
“I’m hot.”
“I know, sweetie. I am too.” Too late to go back to the office. Surely Josh would be here soon.
It was a half hour after she called before Josh arrived.
She showed him what happened when she tried turning on the car. He had her release the hood and looked under it for a while, wiggling belts, and poking hoses. Finally he slammed down the hood of the car and wiped his hands on a cloth he’d had in his trunk.
“I can’t fix it, babe. We’ll have to have it towed to a garage.”
With the long weekend for Independence Day, Michelle knew it’d be sometime next week before a garage would be able to get to it.
“Rats. It’s been making a funny noise for a few weeks, but I thought it would go away,” Michelle said in disgust.
He looked at her. “Go away? Usually when things are making a funny noise, it’s a symptom something is wrong.”
“It made a funny noise a few years ago and then it went away.” Maybe she should have said something but she hoped it would just go away.
“Let’s go home. I’ll call the garage when we get there,” Josh said.
Michelle grabbed her purse and then opened the back door to help Penny from her car seat.
“We’re riding in Daddy’s car tonight, punkin.” The little girl had been more patient than Michelle had expected.
“Even though it doesn’t look like much, it runs,” Josh said as he opened the back door to get the car seat in for Penny.
Michelle opened the passenger door and frowned. “It didn’t squeak,” she said in surprise.
Slowly Josh smiled at her. “I told you I'd oil it.”
Michelle’s pulse rate increased at the sight of that sexy smile. Feeling confused at her feelings she slid into the car and waited while he closed the door. The silent door.
“Thank you,” Michelle said softly when Josh slid behind the wheel, touched he’d made a change for her.
“You only have to tell me what you want, Michelle, and I’ll do my best to see you get it. And I always do what I say I will.”
Tell him what she wanted? Like more kisses? she almost asked. Was there some way she could let him know that she was tempted by his suggestion they take this marriage a bit farther?
Of course, he was probably looking for a declaration of intent. And she was not sure she could give voice to the churning emotions that confused her. Each time he kissed her, she wanted it to go on forever.
If Josh hadn’t changed his mind, she had to find a way to let him know she had changed hers without feeling like a brazen hussy.
Turning, her eye caught the folder on the middle of the front seat. The label was clear. It was the one for her father. Feeling like
